The haunting final line from the beloved 2010 third-person action horror gameAlan Wake– “It’s not a lake, it’s an ocean" – defines so much of why it remains a standout experience that captures our collective imagination to this day. It is mysterious and unsettling in all the best ways, a fitting ending spot for a game that defies easy categorization. The game has endured precisely because of how it draws you into every detail using its unique gameplay mechanics reliant on finding light in the darkness and the creeping dread emerging from all corners of the world.
Set in the fictional Bright Falls, Washington, the Remedy Entertainment game follows the moody author Alan Wake (Matthew Porretta) who gets caught in the town as a story he never remembers writing has come to life and threatens to consume him. In the ensuing chaos, Alan’s wife, Alice (Brett Madden), has disappeared. Alan has to track her down while being attacked by the “Taken,” shadowy figures consumed by the “darkness.” He must use a combination of his flashlight and various weapons to get out alive.
The game recently received a remaster late last year that made some marked improvements in how itupdated the graphicsandremoved rather clunky product placement. It reinvigorated the admiration and love for the game that has persisted after more than a decade. As expected after such a remaster, a sequel has also been announced for the game. At the 2021 Game Awards ceremony, hostGeoff Keighleymadethe official announcement thatAlan Wake IIwill be coming sometime in 2023. He also spoke with creatorSam Lakewho promised that more details will be revealed about the game in the Summer of 2022. However, Lake did say that the game would be “breaking new ground” by leaning into the horror elements of the story.
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This news and the still lengthy wait ahead provides a perfect opportunity to look back at what made the first game great, as well as break down why, among all the games out there, this is the one that truly deserves another entry to continue onward with. Most notably, the dread-inducing story with all its twists and turns provides a compelling narrative through-line that still has more to tell. It also isn’t afraid to embrace the absurd. Alan’s monologues and writing are quite on the nose, a playful mimicking of the type of thriller fiction writing that he is a clear stand-in for. It makes for a surreal cocktail of having to wade your way through terrifying visuals while still giving a chance to take a breath when you chuckle at how silly it all is.
The idiosyncratic elements of the gameplay that keep you always looking into every corner of each new environment are also praiseworthy. Alan is under constant threat, keeping you on your toes and requiring you to act fast when an attacker jumps out from the darkness. Having to keep an eye on both your remaining ammunition and the battery power left in your flashlight presents a compelling challenge. The way you have to use them both to take down the enemies that begin to swarm you creates thrilling engagements at every turn.
In particular, the encounter where you must defend yourself from wave after wave of the Taken while on a stage in the middle of a desolate farm is a standout. It is moments like these, when you are surrounded on all sides, that you have to keep your head on a swivel so as not to get caught unawares and get taken down from behind. When trapped in the darkness of the forest or the confines of various abandoned buildings, there is little time to maneuver away from danger and you have to think quickly to survive.
With all that in mind, if we are being honest, there are also elements of the game that could be improved. Even in the remaster, it is hard not to feel like the game is only just scratching the surface of the potential of what could be done with the material. While certainly a strong work for its time, a new entry could polish the rougher edges of the experience such as the stiff character animations and narrowly focused settings. Even just looking at the first trailer for the new game, the beauty of the horror etched in Alan’s face and the vibrantly rendered world around him shows just how much room for growth there is.
You could also expand the range of abilities you have. Even as there is much to love in the solid gameplay of the original, you do regrettably reach a ceiling of what is possible in the game. With a short game like this, you can easily see yourself running out of new things to do or experience. While it is nice to see the simplicity of a game without massive skill trees that never seem to end, it can border on becoming repetitive when you face the same enemies with the same range of weapons and abilities available to you. By no means is it a boring experience, but it could be so much more.
A good example of what this could look like can be seen in one of Remedy’s most recent outstanding games: 2019’sControl, a game with many explicit allusions toAlan Wake. Also centered on dealing with paranormal enemies, the scope and ambition of the game remain one of the high points of the medium in recent memory. In the game, you develop the ability to use psychokinetic powers that range from the ability to launch projectiles at enemies or even control their minds to turn them on each other. You also have a special array of weapons that change form based on your various needs in an ever-shifting world.
Controlshows how, when given the proper resources, Remedy can consistently challenge your expectations and a newAlan Wakewould be the perfect game to do so with. If the new game follows in the footsteps ofControl, then we would be truly in for something special. In a world of endless remakes, reboots, and sequels that serve to cash in on nostalgia,Alan Wakeis a game that truly deserves and would benefit from a revisit. The potential is there, and with all that is possible in more modern game design, it is hard to think of a more highly anticipated sequel than what we will be in store for withAlan Wake II.
