Alan Wake II received its second big news blowout at Gamescom this past week in anticipation of its (slightly delayed) October 27th release. With a trailer at Opening Night Live, followed by media reactions to a 40-minute demo focused on Wake’s side of the story, we now have a fairly good idea of how each half of Alan Wake II will play. Remedy is doubling down on the live-action elements of past titles and delivering not just a sequel that’s thirteen years in the making but also a game that encompasses the 28-year-old history of the Finnish game studio, from Death Rally to Max Payne to Control and beyond…
A snippet of the gameplay demo was released to the public, which shows Wake deep in the ‘Dark Place’—a world that amalgamates all of Wake’s thoughts and experiences and contorts them. While Saga Anderson’s gameplay (revealed earlier this year) felt like a mix of True Detective and Twin Peaks—a horror mystery firmly grounded in the natural essence of the Pacific Northwestern town of Bright Falls—the Dark Place is an entirely different beast, something completely unnatural. Lights flicker, apparitions emerge, effects burst and dissolve, and suddenly Alan Wake finds himself on a talk-show, cameras rolling, the audience poised. This sequence is overwhelming in the greatest sense of the word. We can only imagine what other horrors await Wake in this hellscape. It’s not a lake; it’s an ocean, after all…
The contrast between the two demos is intentional. Creative Director and Writer Sam Lake has emphasized the significance of the ‘2’ in Alan Wake II, and not just because it’s a sequel. We are following two characters in two very different worlds. This seems to be an extension of the original game’s focus on the battle between light and dark. Alan Wake clings to his Angel Lamp, the last bastion of light, as he navigates the darkness that has been his home for so long. Saga Anderson delves into the darkness of Bright Falls and its surrounding areas, aiming to banish the evil of the ritualistic cult that has plagued the town. Both characters are on a collision course with each other, and who knows where it will take them.
The theme of duality appears to impact gameplay as well. We get a quick look at Alan Wake’s Writer’s Room, which is a parallel to Saga Anderson’s Mind Place. Both locations have similar presentations, but while Saga collects clues and solves mysteries, Alan is writing new realities in an attempt to progress in the Dark Place. This location seems to be where most of Wake’s gameplay will take place, described as a metroidvania area with puzzles and exploration. The interface is slick, and the world changes almost instantaneously, likely due to the power of newer technology. It may not have been the plan, but the thirteen years it took Remedy to create this game may have been a blessing in disguise.
The Remedy Connected Universe
Despite a lot of anticipation, the original Alan Wake did not meet Microsoft’s expectations. Although the game had a decent pair of legs, with the combined sales of it and the standalone ‘Alan Wake’s American Nightmare’ totalling over 4.5 million in 2015, Microsoft allegedly wanted Remedy to pursue a different direction with its follow-up title, Quantum Break. While many fans were disappointed that Alan Wake 2 wasn’t the next project, they remained open to more experiences from Remedy.
It’s not as if Alan Wake disappeared entirely. There were several references to the writer in Quantum Break, and even more connective tissue in Control, released in 2019, where Wake appeared to the player, still working away at his typewriter. The AWE DLC was announced in 2020, serving as a crossover between Control and Alan Wake, with Sam Lake releasing a statement to fans confirming the existence of the Remedy Connected Universe. Some might dismiss this as the studio trying to capitalize on the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the truth is that this concept has been in the works for years. Lake noted:
“For over 10 years, we’ve had a crazy dream. The idea that the tales told in some of our games would be connected to each other, a connected world of stories and events with shared characters and lore. Each game is a stand-alone experience, but each game is also a doorway into a larger universe with exciting opportunities for crossover events.
Slowly, patiently, behind the scenes, we’ve been planning and plotting to make this a reality. I’m absolutely thrilled to tell you that now, the time has come to take the first concrete step on this road”
– Sam Lake. AWE: The first Remedy Connected Universe crossover event – Remedy (remedygames.com)
Rights issues mean that Max Payne and Quantum Break are unlikely to ever be fully integrated into the RCU, but Remedy isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. Theories are already in full swing regarding Shawn Ashmore’s casting as ‘Tim Breaker,’ along with other winks and nudges, as noted by Gamespot.
The cult following that Alan Wake established after its launch means that the game remains relevant even after all these years. The existence of the Remedy Connected Universe has only strengthened this following, giving Remedy the upper hand in marketing Alan Wake II, which is more crucial than ever in the current gaming climate.
“What are the Christmas lights for?”
Video game marketing has evolved as rapidly as the technological advancements in the industry. Physical print is now unfortunately a niche market, a hobbyist’s endeavour. Some marketing campaigns result in players feeling overwhelmed by the abundance of information thrown their way. Sometimes, details are exclusively given to important community members, leading to a game of telephone, as was seen during the recent Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Zombies reveal. Occasionally, a game isn’t explained well enough and is met with a poor reception. It’s a challenging balance to achieve, especially when you’re trying to impress as many people as possible.
The much-anticipated Mortal Kombat 1 allowed media and creators to stream the first chapter of its story mode during Gamescom week. The footage and coverage, which includes some significant story implications, is now unavoidable despite the game still being a month away. Although not the end of the world, this kind of thing can be frustrating for fans of the series, particularly when they are still being left in the dark about mechanics and features, such as customization and online play. The bottom line is that this kind of information is unlikely to sway new players, but an impressive opening to the cinematic story mode is.
With an example like this, it’s incredibly pleasing to see that Remedy is not overplaying its hand. Alan Wake II is a survival horror game, but from the little we’ve seen, it is much more than that – it is an experience that should be felt by players as they play, not in promotional materials months out from launch. The trailers have been bombastic and memorable but reveal little, with small chunks of gameplay shown to the public serving to help potential players get a taste of the atmosphere, rather than listing off mechanics and purchasable in-game items. Several front-page articles in the remaining few printed gaming magazines in the UK, such as Play and Edge, have allowed fans a look behind the curtain of the game without giving too much away in terms of gameplay and story. Sam Lake and Game Director Kyle Rowley have also been on the press carousel multiple times this year, speaking to any and all interested parties. Having clearly practiced their poker faces, Sam and Kyle have kept tight-lipped about the mysteries surrounding the game while still very much selling it as a must-play video game.
Marketing and promotion are vital in this industry, but Remedy is expertly walking the tightrope between showing too much and showing nothing at all. For new players, it comes across as an invitation to the mystery and madness of the world of Alan Wake and the Remedy Connected Universe. For Alan Wake fans and Remedy diehards, it’s simply, ‘We know you’ve been waiting. We’ve got this.’ This approach may change in the build-up to release when Remedy will be trying to convert interest in the game into sales as much as possible, but by that point, Alan Wake II will be so close that fans can tune out of the marketing and start staring at the calendar, coffee cup in hand.
Nightless Night
The potential impact of the delay from October 17th to October 27th may seem negligible, but Spider-Man 2 will dominate the spotlight around any game being reviewed during the week beginning on October 16th. Pushing the release to the 27th will allow Alan Wake II to breathe, and if it receives favourable reviews, the word will spread to a much larger audience compared to if Spider-Man 2 reviews were dropping around the same time as the game’s release. It should be noted that October is such a busy month that Alan Wake II is now releasing just 2 days after Pieces Interactive’s Alone in the Dark remake. However, this is likely more of a concern for Alone in the Dark, as the game faces tough competition against a long-awaited sequel to a cult-status video game that has made appearances in Sony and Gamescom showcases this year. The game still looks promising and will likely find an audience, much like Alan Wake did in 2010, despite launching alongside Red Dead Redemption.
As much as the release of this game feels like a culmination of everything Remedy has worked towards, the developer is only getting started in many ways. Control 2 is in early development alongside several other titles, and we await to see how the outcome of Alan Wake II will affect it. The Remedy Connected Universe is quickly building a bunch of fan-loved characters – Saga Anderson is sure to be a name you’ll find alongside Alan Wake and Jesse Faden very soon – and Remedy’s willingness to experiment with gameplay means that the ‘RCU’ isn’t tied down to the (incredible) genre of survival horror. It can go anywhere; Remedy can go anywhere, and we can go anywhere.
Alan Wake II is just mere months away. After thirteen years of searching for answers, the wait is nearly over. However, given Remedy’s style, these answers will likely only lead to more questions. In a world where Alan Wake II is shaping up to be a serious contender for Game of the Year in the eyes of many, we’re likely all okay with that.