Following the introduction of Alan Wake II, Creative Director Sam Lake clarified that, despite the existence of a connected universe, gamers entering the sequel will not need prior knowledge of previous Remedy titles. Alan Wake 2 was revealed by Remedy during The Game Awards on December 9, a surprise announcement that instantly lit up the internet. Lake joined host Geoff Keighley on stage shortly after the video debuted, teasing a survival horror experience unlike any other in the studio’s illustrious portfolio.
Alan Wake debuted in May 2010 for Xbox 360, with its proximity to the release of Red Dead Redemption impacting severely on sales. Nonetheless, Alan Wake carved himself a niche, one fostered by fan sites that never gave up on the game’s potential comeback from the darkness. The action-adventure game had an unusual game protagonist: a thriller novelist whose manuscript pages accidentally inspired reality. Fortunately, Alan Wake was remastered this fall, igniting hope that rumours of a sequel might soon materialise.
Sam Lake elaborated on the announcement in a PlayStation Blog article, stating that prior knowledge of previous Remedy titles is not required for anyone interested in diving headfirst into Alan Wake 2. Players that are familiar with previous titles, on the other hand, will get a bit more out of the backstory. “I also want to emphasise that experiencing our earlier games is not essential to truly appreciate Alan Wake 2, but it will contribute to the backstory for those interested.”
This may surprise some, given the presence of a Remedy Connected Universe that connects titles like Alan Wake and 2019’s Control. The latter, in particular, included in-game references to Alan Wake’s actions, which were later resolved in the AWE narrative expansion. Alan Wake’s remastered release added to the puzzle by strewing Control Easter eggs throughout the Bright Falls area. With the foregoing in mind, Alan Wake 2 will probably function similarly to God of War (2018), where the new edition continues Kratos’ tale without requiring prior knowledge of earlier games.
Though Alan Wake remained dormant for well over a decade, the Stephen King-inspired adventure received numerous post-launch updates. Not long after the game’s initial release, The Signal and The Writer DLCs were made available, providing insight into Wake’s universe following the events of the main plot. Both of these experiences are included in the remastered edition, while the standalone American Nightmare expansion remains console-exclusive on Xbox 360.
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