Highlights

  • Sam Lake, director of Alan Wake 2, revealed his interest in working on a high-budget dark gothic fantasy title, showing willingness to explore new aesthetics.
  • Despite the positive reviews for Alan Wake 2, Lake's next project may not be a sequel, but something entirely different, emphasizing his fresh ideas and desire for a unique storytelling experience.
  • While fans may be excited about the potential of a dark gothic fantasy game, it's important to approach Lake's statements with caution, as nothing has been officially announced, and there is still room for further development and expansion for Alan Wake 2.

Alan Wake 2’s director Sam Lake has recently revealed what he would like to work on next: a high-budget dark gothic fantasy title. While it may be surprising to see Remedy Entertainment going into fantasy territory, the True Detective-inspired visuals of Alan Wake 2 already have shown that the team is not afraid of trying out new aesthetics.

Remedy’s Alan Wake 2 was just released in a digital-only form on October, 27. While the decision not to have a physical release has been criticized by some people concerned with game preservation, the newest entry in the Alan Wake franchise is gaining glowing reviews from critics, who are praising its style, scariness, and solid gameplay. However, if it’s up to Sam Lake, it seems that Remedy’s next project would not be a sequel, but something entirely different.

Alan Wake 2 city night promo with game logo
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In a recent interview with GQ Magazine, Lake talked more about his life, inspirations for games, and the future. At some point in the interview, Lake hinted that he believes he will retire from the gaming industry someday and do something else, but it does not seem to be the time for that yet. When asked about what other stories he wanted to tell while still in the industry, he revealed that it would be something very different from Alan Wake 2, as he had fresh ideas for a “huge-budget” dark gothic fantasy story.

“One was this crazy, huge budget, dark gothic fantasy, which I haven’t used for anything yet...” — Sam Lake talking about his idea for a future game

alan wake 2 watery radio tower rhyme scene

While a dark gothic fantasy setting sounds like an exciting idea, it’s important to take Lake’s statements with a grain of salt. This is far from an official announcement, and it’s just as likely that fans may see a sequel to Alan Wake 2 instead of this new fantasy game, considering the title is gaining positive reviews. Alan Wake 2 reinvented the franchise in several ways, including introducing two switchable protagonists, having a stronger emphasis on horror, and a different style, and there’s still space to develop on that.

What's Next For Alan Wake 2

While Sam Lake may already be thinking about the future, Alan Wake 2 was just launched, and it still has more content for players coming up soon. Not only is there one paid expansion already confirmed, but Alan Wake 2 will have free DLCs, which are coming up soon. Considering that Alan Wake 2 is already substantially bigger than its predecessor, having around 20 hours of gameplay when compared to Alan Wake 1’s average of 11 hours, this new content and the New Game Plus mode will leave fans entertained for a long time.