In 2010, Xbox 360 and Windows received a title that stayed under the shadows until some diehard fans lit the path to its fame. Quite literally, Alan Wake was a game that shone across the genre’s overdone themes and stood as a special one in the eyes of many. Years later, the game even received a worthy remaster that runs well on modern consoles.
However, the 2023 PlayStation Showcase showed us what Remedy is truly capable of and what kind of a vibe and setting we can expect from Alan Wake 2. Everything about the trailer plays with our emotions – the suspense, the gameplay, and of course, Alan Wake’s reawakening.
The setting
It would be playing with a cliche fire to light up mysteries surrounding realism and crime scenes that can be fathomed in real life. However, that’s not the majority of Alan Wake’s theme. We can clearly see the supernatural belongingness of everything that could go wrong with your adventure across this upcoming psychological thriller.
Remedy has once again crossed paths with a protagonist in a not-so-good place. We can see Alan struggling with his demons. However, his will and motive to work with the narrative’s theme give birth to player motivation. Here’s the potentially more robust overarching theme, though – he’s not alone on his journey.
We’re met with Saga Anderson, a playable FBI agent who investigates everything going wrong and darker spaces that could cradle the birth of something ominous. It’s clear from the trailer that the director wants us to see a glimpse of all that we can witness, making the short trailer quite impactful.
Gameplay
Borrowing from the first game, we’re familiar with the over-the-shoulder third-person camera that follows our character. What’s important to note is the reminiscing light that plays a role in the gameplay. In the first one, a torch was our guide and the only positive essence to an otherwise extremely dark setting. In this one, you can see it staying authentic as a mechanic, with Saga holding a torch close to her weapon.
According to the developers, the game has three playable areas: Bright Falls town, a small forest area called Cauldron Lake, and a feeble town called Watery. They’ve also ensured that regardless of whether you’ve played the first game or not, the new experience will bring every element of horror-survival gameplay and storytelling, adhering to the uniqueness of a psychological thriller.
Can we predict the game’s success?
With over 3 million copies sold globally, Alan Wake was both a critical and financial success. The game received appreciation for its setting, narrative, and gameplay. At The Game Prizes 2010, Alan Wake was nominated for a number of awards, including Game of the Year. Naturally, we expect the sequel to be as good, if not better.
There’s another critical factor at play here: the commercial and cultural success of Silent Hill games. While they’re games made by a different studio (Konami), they have an uncanny resemblance to how Alan Wake portrays its gameplay and settings. The hype around this theme has always been cherished, only silently locked in a closet when we stopped hearing news about the new, upcoming Silent Hill game.
A new official spin-off game in the series – Silent Hill: Ascension, was announced in 2023. The ‘interactive series’ will be published by Konami Digital Entertainment and developed by Genvid Technologies, Bad Robot Games, Behaviour Interactive, and DJ2 Entertainment. However, we haven’t had a closer look at how this experience will shape up to be, but one thing’s clear – the void left by the game’s reputation made fans crave yet another psych-thriller adventure, which is the spot that Remedy can fill with Alan Wake 2.
In all, the success of Alan Wake 2 relies on two factors – its timing and the talented folk at Remedy who’ve been putting their work in. The game launches on October 17, 2023, on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
