Remedy Entertainment has been keeping very busy recently. The Control and Alan Wake IPs have proven to be quite popular, and the studio is ensuring that these franchises are supported. Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to release this year, and it appears to be quite an ambitious project. Though it departs from the format of its predecessor, Alan Wake still takes the lead as he finds himself facing off against supernatural phenomena.In 2023, gamers can expect to receive more Alan Wake 2 information in the lead-up to the game's release. With the game's launch, players should anticipate gameplay that is quite different from the first game, as the sequel will be embracing the survival horror genre. The upcoming game will continue to expand on the Remedy Connected Universe, and if it follows the pattern of past Remedy games, it will also receive DLC.
Alan Wake 2 Will Take the Series in a New Direction
Many features make Alan Wake a distinctive title. It is divided into episodes, much like a teen horror series, and this helps with the winding plot's pacing. The game also takes a lot of inspiration from Stephen King novels, and this manifests mainly through the titular protagonist who is a superstar author that finds himself up against the horrors of his imagination. Most notably, Alan Wake features a strong focus on light and darkness, with players using flashlights to vanquish the evil force that has possessed the inhabitants of Bright Falls.
Although Alan Wake 2 will see the famous author reclaim his lead role, players can expect the game to take things in a new direction both in terms of tone and gameplay. According to Sam Lake, who is a creative director at Remedy Entertainment, Alan Wake was more of an action game with horror elements, whereas the sequel will be a fully-fledged survival horror title. Though nothing has been confirmed, this could see the game including staple features of modern survival horror games such as scavenging, crafting, and a complex inventory system.
Despite the shift to survival horror, Alan Wake 2 will retain a third-person perspective, and games such as Resident Evil Village have demonstrated that horror games using this perspective can still be hair-raisingly terrifying. The game will be released on PC and current-gen consoles, and as trailers have revealed, players can expect top-notch visuals. This is in part thanks to Remedy's Northlight Engine which was also used during Control's development.
Newcomers to the series shouldn't feel intimidated. Although gamers are probably in for a complex mystery, Remedy has confirmed that players won't need to have experience with the first Alan Wake game to enjoy the sequel. Nevertheless, having some background knowledge of Alan and his perilous adventure in Bright Falls is sure to be useful. For gamers who do want to catch up on Alan's past, the first game has been remastered for modern consoles.
Alan Wake 2 Will Expand the Remedy Connected Universe
With Control, it was confirmed that Remedy's IPs are interconnected, and together they form what has been dubbed the Remedy Connected Universe. Control's expansion, AWE, featured Alan Wake, and it was confirmed that the events which occurred at Bright Falls were the result of an Altered World Event. According to Lake, Alan Wake 2 will exist within the Remedy Connected Universe. The sequel could answer many questions about Alan's world and how it connects to the rest of the Remedy Connected Universe.
Players could learn more about the mysterious Dark Presence, and they could uncover more details about Thomas Zane the enigmatic writer. Alan Wake 2 could also give gamers a glimpse into what they can expect with Control's announced sequel. Jesse and Alan's worlds have collided already, and in Control, players learn that the Hiss incantation was originally written by Alan. At present, it is not known whether Max Payne and Quantum Break are part of the Remedy Connected Universe, and Alan Wake 2 could shed light on this.
As far as the game's story goes, players should prepare themselves for a "monster" of a narrative, as Lake has Tweeted. Alan Wake 2 will also have an M rating, suggesting that gamers are in for some mature themes or really gory violence. Either way, it's clear Remedy has ambitious aims with the upcoming game.
Will Alan Wake 2 Receive DLC?
Past Remedy games have usually received DLC. This was the case with Alan Wake, which received two additional episodes titled "The Signal" and "The Writer". The spin-off Alan Wake's American Nightmare was released in 2012. Control was also supported after its initial launch. It received two DLC expansions, namely The Foundation and AWE. It seems quite likely that Alan Wake 2 will also receive DLC, which will help keep enthusiasm for the game alive after its release.
There has been no word on precisely when Alan Wake 2 will launch, but it hasn't received much marketing recently, which suggests that it may be scheduled for the second half of the year. This would be an appropriate time for a survival horror game, as it could launch in October which is traditionally when many horror games are released. If this is the case, any Alan Wake 2 DLC may only come in 2024. The game will likely not be episodic like its predecessor, though it could still incorporate DLC as Control does. The DLC could also serve as the bridge between Alan Wake 2 and Control.
There is a lot on Remedy's plate. In addition to Alan Wake's sequel and Control's sequel, gamers can also expect a Control multiplayer game currently codenamed Condor. Alan Wake 2 will lead the charge for the studio's next era of games, and things look bright.
Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
