Remedy: Expect More Alan Wake

[Earnest Cavalli]

Remedy: Expect More Alan Wake

According to developer Remedy Entertainment, Alan Wake's American Nightmare will not be the final adventure of the titular character.

Speaking to Joystiq, Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne explained the company's stance on Alan Wake as a franchise, more or less telling the site that as long as people keep tossing cash-money at the character, Remedy will continue dropping him into situations that are reminiscent of, but legally distinct from a David Lynch film.

"We're crowd pleasers, we'll do what the audience wants, 'cause usually that's the good business move as well," Myllyrinne said.

Unlike 2010's Alan Wake, the upcoming Alan Wake's American Nightmare is set to debut on Xbox Live on February 22. Myllyrinne is a big fan of the freedom this digital distribution scheme offers.

"I'm loving the digital side and we'll see how that evolves, but just being able to give people quick access to bite-size chunks of gaming is maybe more fun than working for years and years -- taking the phone offline and closing the shutters -- at least, this way, you're able to react much more quickly to people's desires and wishes," he adds.

Unfortunately, the firm is unwilling to commit to a solid sequel. "Right now we're focusing on getting the PC out next week, then getting American Nightmare out. And it's too early to talk about what our next move is, but we've obviously put things into motion."

Also notably lacking from Myllyrinne's words is any indication of where the franchise might be heading in the future. While Alan Wake was a surrealist, atmospheric horror title, American Nightmare pushes the series in a more action-oriented, shooter-esque direction. Is this an ongoing trend? Will Alan Wake 3 offer quick-time fist fights and cover-shooting mechanics? Maybe fatalities and stereotypically weak-willed female companions whose breasts are as unlikely as they are pendulous?

Look, Mr. Myllyrinne, I don't want to tell you how to run your business -- obviously a man with so many consonants in his last name knows something about psychological horror -- but please don't turn Alan Wake into yet another gun fight. People loved the original for its cerebral touches, not in spite of them. You might make less money that way, but think of it as yet another overarching homage to David Lynch.

Or, at the very least, give us a chance to shoot that creepy baby from Eraserhead. Seriously. What the eff was that all about?

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/09/remedy-not-done-with-alan-wake/]

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[Proverbial Jon]

Look, Mr. Myllyrinne, I don't want to tell you how to run your business -- obviously a man with so many consonants in his last name knows something about psychological horror...

You sir, just won the internet with that comment!

OT: I'm quite sad to see Alan Wake already moving away from what made the first game so great. I liked the combat aspect, especially the light mechanic, but I was just as happy to just wander around haunted forests or simply run the hell away! This sort of move might have been a good choice for the likes of Resident Evil who changed to more action orientated gameplay for RE4 and RE5, but it really wasn't Resi any more after that.

I hope the official Alan Wake 2, if there is one, will keep the original's atmosphere and that this digital download is merely a spin off.

As for more Alan Wake games in the future, I can get on board that train!

 

[The_Darkness]

Remedy will continue dropping him into situations that are reminiscent of, but legally distinct from a David Lynch film.

Dammit, don't make me snort with laughter when I'm eating a yoghurt!

Other than that... Yep, I'm pretty much behind everything this article has to say. More Alan Wake is a good thing, so long as he remains, you know, Alan Wake and not, say, Marcus Fenix...

 

[FoolKiller]

What he said actually bothered me quite a bit.

1. The idea of making Alan Wake games while we keep buying them. This is troublesome for two reasons:

i) I don't like it when they keep popping out games in a franchise. I prefer for Alan's story to be told and then have something new. I'm not against having a trilogy but I hate what they've done with things like God of War and Halo to name a couple.

ii) This implies that they have no idea where they are going or what Alan's story is. That could lead to a weaker story.

2. The love of digital distribution is an annoying trend. I, for one, hate episodic gaming as there is no guarantee that the whole story is going to be told. Look at something like Sonic 4 which is still at episode 1. Where is the rest of that game? Also, I will always prefer physical copies of games because the digital rights thing is annoying with things like needing an internet connection (which I didn't have a reliable high speed one for much of 2010/2011 while I was at school) or whether I can play the games 10 years from now. I still play my NES. Will I be able to play my XBLA Alan Wake in 20 years? Highly doubtful.

3. The trend towards action is just dumb. Alan Wake sold well because it is one of the few old-school survival horror games around. Even Silent Hill is becoming more action oriented with the rolling dodge of Homecoming.

I loved Alan Wake but I don't know if its a franchise that will be great in the next five years or will have fallen from grace like Resident Evil and Silent Hill has in the past decade.

 

[FoolKiller]

3. The trend towards action is just dumb. Alan Wake sold well because it is one of the few old-school survival horror games around.

What? No it was not. It was always an action game. Says so on the tin. Remedy have explained many times that they want to balance the action and story, not let the action side take over. i LOVED the original alan wake, but you have to admit that the gameplay needed more variety with the weapons and enemies. And thats exactly what we seem to be getting.

Umm... it was. It isn't an action game and didn't say that on the box. It said part action game, part psychological thriller. And that is exactly what an old school survival horror game like the original Silent Hills or Resident Evils are like. All I said was I don't want it to trend towards more action oriented things like Resident Evil 5. So I don't get why you're disagreeing but okay.