Alan Wake II

[BrawlMan]

I know many fans have been waiting a decade for this. My big bro got excited as he's big fan of the original and American Nightmare. I still disagree with Remedy not going disc, but still want the game to succeed. I love the change up having to play between two protagonists. The new character is named Saga Anderson. The game is going harder on the horror than psychological horror. There is a lot more bloodshed, and the game is Rated M, than T unlike the first game. Remedy is taking more from RE2R and RE4R for this installment.

Alan Wake II's Co-Lead Gave the Sequel Its Horror Edge, Says Remedy

The sequel to the cult classic game from 2010 has a second protagonist along for the ride, and Remedy says she's vital to its supernatural story.

gizmodo.com

THQ Nordic wants Remedy to change its mind about a digital-only release for Alan Wake 2

THQ Nordic has reached out to Remedy and offered to partner up to make Alan Wake 2 available as a physical release. Rem…

www.eurogamer.net

Alan Wake 2 Might Get a Physical Release After All, at Least on PC - IGN

THQ Nordic expressed interest in helping out with a physical release of Alan Wake 2.

www.ign.com

Alan Wake 2 Is a Digital-Only Release, $60 on PS5

DLC plans revealed too

www.pushsquare.com

Alan Wake 2 will get free DLC and two full expansions

We only know the names of the expansions so far

www.gamesradar.com

Original concept demo from 2015 that got its eventual overhaul
​

 

[Worgen]

I mean, I really liked Alan Wake, but it does not need a sequel. I suppose I'll see what its like when it comes out, assuming it releases on steam. Really if they were going to make a sequel, it should have been for Control. That game had a big enough world and enough there to really warrant one.

 

[BrawlMan]

I mean, I really liked Alan Wake, but it does not need a sequel. I suppose I'll see what its like when it comes out, assuming it releases on steam. Really if they were going to make a sequel, it should have been for Control. That game had a big enough world and enough there to really warrant one.

Remedy always wanted a sequel, and sequel baited the first game twice. Once in the Normal Ending, and again in two of its DLCs. I wouldn't have minded the game as one-off, but Remedy saw other ideas. It would gave stopped fans from waiting a long ass time, if a one and done. Not to mention, Alan Wake, Control, and Quantum Break are all connected to the same universe now. It was established and hinted at early in hidden material with QB, and officially confirmed with Control and its expansion.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Looking a lot more like Jake Gyllenhaal than remembered. Gyllenhaalification. Gyllenhaalified. Gyllenhaalamorphosis. Ok screw those knotted webs of goopy syllables- he Jaked up.

 

[BrawlMan]

Looking a lot more like Jake Gyllenhaal than remembered. Gyllenhaalification. Gyllenhaalified. Gyllenhaalamorphosis. Ok screw those knotted webs of goopy syllables- he Jaked up.

There are others who say Wake looks like Wick now.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

Remedy is one of those developers I keep rooting for even though they haven't made anything I really loved since Max Payne 2. They just sort of have a unique creative voice, I guess.

Alan Wake 1 had a lot of repetitive visual design and went way too hard on the Stephen King references but it was very charming. Quantum Break was a pretty poor game but it's kinda adorable that Sam Lake made a sincere effort to bring live action FMV cutscenes back. And Control was actually a very solid game, until they kind of screwed up the second DLC.

I'm looking forward To Wake 2. I'm not expecting it to be their first masterpiece in decades, but I'd also be surprised if it didn't have its share of likeable qualities.

 

[BrawlMan]

Remedy is one of those developers I keep rooting for even though they haven't made anything I really loved since Max Payne 2. They just sort of have a unique creative voice, I guess.

That's because they're one of the few studios to actually stick to their guns, and try without any compromise of falling into the bad gaming traps and trends. Quantum Break being the obvious exception.

Quantum Break was a pretty poor game but it's kinda adorable that Sam Lake made a sincere effort to bring live action FMV cutscenes back.

QB's problem was that's it's a game about manipulating time, wasted on another god damn cover shooter! The FMV scenes are super cheap despite the high budget, and are filmed like shit. By 2016, more than enough people got tired by Jason Bourne style shaky-cam and quick cutting. I was fucking tired of that shit by 2010! And many games especially were sick and tired of cover shooters with regenerating health before we even got to 2016!

​

Control was actually a very solid game, until they kind of screwed up the second DLC.

Control I was curious, but I don't exactly like how the game structures and the low enemy variety problem that showed up in Alan Wake and Quantum Break rears its ugly head here. Though it's obviously at its worse with QB.

I'm looking forward To Wake 2. I'm not expecting it to be their first masterpiece in decades, but I'd also be surprised if it didn't have its share of likeable qualities.

I am not expecting a "masterpiece", but just a great game without QB's or Control's bullshit. AW II looks to have way more focus, and hopefully Remedy can finally fix the enemy variety issue they've been facing since AW.

 

[Summerstorm]

Yeah, i trust in the storytelling.

I really loved most games by Remedy. (Quantum Break just didn't "work" for me though - never even finished it). But the overall ideas, plots and cineastic setpieces - the points of meta-storytelling of Alan Wake and Control - all in my wheelhouse. The problem is that usual the "game"-part aren't that good though. Worked in Max Payne, but the shooting around in Alan Wake was the weakest and pretty just a delivery mechanism for pacing out dialogue and nifty fun things (like watching Night Springs). Control was a little better in gameplay, but not much.

But the atmosphere and core ideas of the story are super-top notch (For pretty much non-super arty "AAA" - "AA" Games)

So as long as they don't do a "Exclusive on Epic/Microsoft/Whatever" it might be one of the few games i buy at full price. (Haven't watched the gameplay stuff though, don't want to be spoiled so much - I will just read/watch a reviewer i trust when it comes out and then decide - i don't do "Antici... ...pation" and hype)

 

[BrawlMan]

​

 

[BrawlMan]

​

 

[Nox]

I think Sam is probably one of the best writers alive. I also really loved AW. I tried playing Control about 5 times, dropping it each time. Then I persevered for the sixth time and now it's one of my top five games of all time. It's just been such a long time I played a game that gets consistently better as it goes along that it didn't occur to me that that may happen. Glad I gave it a go and am now really looking forward to part 2.

Same with Alan.

The only critique and personal dislike with Remedy titles is their reliance on popular actors and real people. One of my fears is that games turn into movies where actors become 60% of the budget and everyone who does the actual work gets shafted...well, more than they already do. You can shape and design a perfect character, using actors just seems unnecessary.

 

[BrawlMan]

The only critique and personal dislike with Remedy titles is their reliance on popular actors and real people.

The only time really used high profile/popular actors was mainly Quantum Break. After that it was either actors on the lower ends, or just regular voice actors who got modeled into Remedy's game, As for real people, Remedy's been doing this since Max Payne. The only difference was back then, it was mostly Remedy themselves, the staff, or relatives of the staff helping out in Max Payne 1 & 2 for the live-action comic segments. They're at least consistent in their style, so I am not giving them grief, aside from QB.

. One of my fears is that games turn into movies where actors become 60% of the budget and everyone who does the actual work gets shafted...well, more than they already do. You can shape and design a perfect character, using actors just seems unnecessary.

Depends on how its done. There is right way and a wrong way. I have no fears of this, but I do dislike when talented voice actors are shafted for some mainstream appeal or shill. Thankfully, not all AAA do this, and there is at least less of it in some areas.

 

[Nox]

The only time really used high profile/popular actors was mainly Quantum Break. After that it was either actors on the lower ends, or just regular voice actors who got modeled into Remedy's game, As for real people, Remedy's been doing this since Max Payne. The only difference was back then, it was mostly Remedy themselves, the staff, or relatives of the staff helping out in Max Payne 1 & 2 for the live-action comic segments. They're at least consistent in their style, so I am not giving them grief, aside from QB.


Depends on how its done. There is right way and a wrong way. I have no fears of this, but I do dislike when talented voice actors are shafted for some mainstream appeal or shill. Thankfully, not all AAA do this, and there is at least less of it in some areas.

There's few things that break my immersion but nothing harder than seeing real people in video games. Even if it's just a picture or something. Does its best to remind you it's a video game and that's a big no no.

Well, CoD did it a few times. Kojima does it. Reverend David Cage does it. That Not-DeadSpace game did it last. And I do wonder what the release of Cyberpunk would've been like if they used the dosh that went to Keanu on a few more developers.

It's not a fear without precedent.

 

[BrawlMan]

There's few things that break my immersion but nothing harder than seeing real people in video games. Even if it's just a picture or something. Does its best to remind you it's a video game and that's a big no no.

Well, CoD did it a few times. Kojima does it. Reverend David Cage does it. That Not-DeadSpace game did it last. And I do wonder what the release of Cyberpunk would've been like if they used the dosh that went to Keanu on a few more developers.

It's not a fear without precedent.

I'm not going to defend every use of this, but Remedy are one of the few studios to almost always get this right. Most games nowadays use some form of motion capture or facial recognition and capture. It was part of the bread and butter of Capcom's RE engine. For their more fantastical games like Street Fighter 6 and Monster Hunter World, they relied less on scanning in real people though. Even some indie and AA games get on this, usually for artistic reasons. I get what you mean, and you have some good examples, but don't let it eat you up too much.

 

[Nox]

I'm not going to defend every use of this, but Remedy are one of the few studios to almost always get this right. Most games nowadays use some form of motion capture or facial recognition and capture. It was part of the bread and butter of Capcom's RE engine. For there more fantastical games like Street Fighter and Monster Hunter, they relied less on scanning in real people though. Even some indie and AA games get on this, usually for artistic reasons. I get what you mean, and you have some good examples, but don't want to eat you up too much.

I work in 3D, I know we use real people as both reference and resource. My issue isn't with that, but with instances it's clearly just an actor acting as a character. A good example would be Ellie from TLOU. Yes, her face is based on the VA, but it's still a unique face to that character. As opposed...whatever the MC in Beyond: Two Souls was called, where it's clearly just Page acting in mocap with minimal postwork--not counting the creepy nightmare child version.

As for an example of immersion breaking stuff, I'll call on Control here. The cutscenes of former Director were fine, the videos you get from him were not, because those were just videos of a real person rather than a character in a video game. That's what bothers me.

But yeah, I'm not fond of knowing who Troy Baker and Jennifer Hale are either. We're getting celebrities in video games and celebrities come with a substantial price tag that's unnecessary and, imo, detrimental to an already bloated budget of video game making.

Sorry I derailed the topic. To get back on track. I'm actually not that bothered by it in Remedy games because Sam Lake is a fantastic writer so all glitches and oddities do feel like they're part of the world. I still say Control is the only game where RT will ever be used well because the horrible shadow rendering actually adds to the creepy atmosphere.

And to get back on track, have they said if we'll get to play as Alan or will it be like the Control DLC where we're looking for him?

 

[BrawlMan]

And to get back on track, have they said if we'll get to play as Alan or will it be like the Control DLC where we're looking for him?

Alan is playable. You can choose whoever you want to play at the start or in between your playthrough. So if you wanted to start off is Anderson or Alan, it's up to you. There will be three pieces of story dlc, with the first one being free. You can check the links I have provided in the very first post of the thread for more details.

 

[Nox]

Alan is playable. You can choose whoever you want to play at the start or in between your playthrough. So if you wanted to start off is Anderson or Alan, it's up to you. There will be three pieces of story dlc, with the first one being free. You can check the links I have provided in the very first post of the thread for more details.

Ah, he's doing the straight character/loony character thing. I'm fond of those because I love tonal shifts. Really looking forward to playing this and finding all the wee nods to their other games. Those are always fun.

Gotta say though, I didn't expect it to come out so soon. Guess I just got used to pushbacks and absurdly long dev cycles *cough*Rocksteady*cough*.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Looking a lot more like Jake Gyllenhaal than remembered. Gyllenhaalification. Gyllenhaalified. Gyllenhaalamorphosis. Ok screw those knotted webs of goopy syllables- he Jaked up.

There are others who say Wake looks like Wick now.

Calling it now: official credits for Allan Wake’s character will be listed as “Janke Gyllenwick”.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

There's few things that break my immersion but nothing harder than seeing real people in video games. Even if it's just a picture or something. Does its best to remind you it's a video game and that's a big no no.

Well, CoD did it a few times. Kojima does it. Reverend David Cage does it. That Not-DeadSpace game did it last. And I do wonder what the release of Cyberpunk would've been like if they used the dosh that went to Keanu on a few more developers.

It's not a fear without precedent.

For as long games had voice acting, they were played by actors. Whether it's just a voice, a face or an entire body doesn't make a difference to me. Not that I'm a big fan of stunt casting, mind, but sometimes a great performance is worth an expensive actor. Like, I agree that there would have been plenty of (voice) actors who would have done an equally good or better job with the character of Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk as Reeves (who can be really grating when you don't cast him right, and you could tell he was really struggling reconciling his cool understatement with this flamboyant Rockstar/ Revolutionary Firebrand character and ended up, for better or for worse, with something that less conveys the sex, drugs and rock'n roll lifestyle and more the next mornings hangover.)

Then on the other hand you have Mads Mikkelsen in Death Stranding who was given by far the craziest role in the game and absolutely ran with it. To lend actually weight to a character as out there as a vengeful undead war veteran who had his child taken away from him it's hard to imagine getting an equal performance with an actor who doesn't have a history with both high brow and low brow drama in the way Mikkelsen does. At the end of the game there's a scene between him and Tommy Earle Jenkins' character and the two of them are absolutely killing it.

There is a place for actors with a background in film or television in games, if you ask me. There have been a lot of examples of celebrity voice actors who don't bring anything to the table. I think Peter Dinklage was once cast to play a floating robot drone in... I wanna say Destiny? Which is just nonsense considering a big part of his presence is in being a very small man with a very deep and commanding voice. But sometimes the casting makes the character, you know.

 

[Nox]

For as long games had voice acting, they were played by actors. Whether it's just a voice, a face or an entire body doesn't make a difference to me. Not that I'm a big fan of stunt casting, mind, but sometimes a great performance is worth an expensive actor. Like, I agree that there would have been plenty of (voice) actors who would have done an equally good or better job with the character of Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk as Reeves (who can be really grating when you don't cast him right, and you could tell he was really struggling reconciling his cool understatement with this flamboyant Rockstar/ Revolutionary Firebrand character and ended up, for better or for worse, with something that less conveys the sex, drugs and rock'n roll lifestyle and more the next mornings hangover.)

Then on the other hand you have Mads Mikkelsen in Death Stranding who was given by far the craziest role in the game and absolutely ran with it. To lend actually weight to a character as out there as a vengeful undead war veteran who had his child taken away from him it's hard to imagine getting an equal performance with an actor who doesn't have a history with both high brow and low brow drama in the way Mikkelsen does. At the end of the game there's a scene between him and Tommy Earle Jenkins' character and the two of them are absolutely killing it.

There is a place for actors with a background in film or television in games, if you ask me. There have been a lot of examples of celebrity voice actors who don't bring anything to the table. I think Peter Dinklage was once cast to play a floating robot drone in... I wanna say Destiny? Which is just nonsense considering a big part of his presence is in being a very small man with a very deep and commanding voice. But sometimes the casting makes the character, you know.

I'm of the opinion you'll have the same luck finding an excellent cheep actor as you would an expensive one. There's no meritocracy in celebrity. So it's always better to try and go for the unknown, which also lets you avoid the need for your players to remove the known actor from the character, than splurge and hope it works out. There was a show called Gotham that...wasn't all that good tbh, but it had some seriously fantastic acting, and mostly the ones nobody ever heard of, because they were cast based on how they'd embody the character rather than "How do we fit this celeb into this role?"

Mads and Tommie were great. Norman, Troy, and DelToro were actively shit. A ratio you'd achieve with unknowns as well. Only for far, faaaar less money.

Haha, yes, he voiced what's now referred to as "Dinklebot" and it was not good. I've forgotten about that. But that's another example of why it's a cheap idea to go expensive.

btw. I'm not saying it's ALWAYS a bad idea. Claudia Black voicing Morrigan is still the best VA I've ever heard, in any media.