The Remedy Games Thread

TheChicken · September 1, 2023, 2:20am

God I’m so excited for this thing.

We still have no idea how this is structured between Alan and Saga, but I hope that it’s semi episodic, in that you get specific ‘sections’ to clear between Alan and Saga, and you get to choose which one to play first/second, but both need to be completed to advance tothe next ‘section’ and further their seemingly parallel story…
Because I fear that I might get too sucked into Alan’s story and complete it in one go and that’d be a disservice to Remedy’s other new narrative in this game that I’m sure will also be captivating and mysterious as heck.

Swangtheugly · September 1, 2023, 2:40am

To answer your question.

Alan Wake 2 will allow you to flip between the two characters whenever you want. In the sense the game has two campaigns. Alan’s and Sages. You could complete Alan’s first or Sages or flip between the two in moderation.

I don’t think Alan Wake 2 will follow an episodic format, but rather be like Control where you have a Chapter Select.

TheChicken · September 1, 2023, 3:20am

Huh, I looked it up to see where this would have been confirmed, and you’re sort of right? It doesn’t sound entirely clear that it’s freely available but you can basically play the entire game through one character’s POV, save for the very beginning and very end of the game, naturally.

Alan Wake 2 is an attempt at something different: a dual story in which the player can not only jump between the characters on a whim, but also see one character’s tale through almost until the end — without switching back to the other at all.

“Once you unlock both characters, you don’t have to go back to the other until very late in the game, if you don’t want to,” Lake says. “In any game, you put the pacing largely in the hands of the player. [With Alan Wake 2], we wanted to go way further. You are free to choose, once we open it up, which side of the story you pursue, and how far. They are connected. There’s a lot of foreshadowing, a lot of mirroring between each other. They are kind of floating side by side.”

Lake says that players can even abandon investigations and missions halfway through if they’re stuck, and come back to find things right where they left them, hours later.

Break Rooms give you breathing space–and more

Break Rooms are like Resident Evil’s safe rooms, giving players some breathing room and a place where they can safely enter The Mind Place as Saga. There’s also an inventory chest in the form a shoe box (which Wake lore enthusiasts will no doubt enjoy). Here players can leave behind items to be recovered in other Break Rooms across the game.

Notably, some Break Rooms also allow players to switch between Alan and Saga’s points of view. The optional element to this suggests that, on a second playthrough, players are likely to discover new story elements by going down POV paths they previously didn’t experience.

With Alan Wake 2's pair of protagonists, there's no "right or wrong way to play" says Remedy | VG247.

While actually playing the game, you can’t actually switch between characters at will, but you can do so pretty easily in Break Rooms, separate areas where you can save and switch between Alan and Saga. These Break Rooms will also let you use a new feature, the Case Board, which is exactly what it sounds like - a board where you can sort out clues, make deductions, everything a detective might do.

(Sidenote on this last article, really cool to see Molly Maloney working at Remedy as a Narrative Designer. I know her from some older Telltale games, especially their overlooked GOTG game that I love to bits)

TheChicken · September 12, 2023, 12:05am

IGN is doing exclusive previews of Alan Wake 2 this month. I’m not going to check them all out (there’s a recent 10 minute gameplay showcase out, but I’m not looking at that)

This is a more broad commentary on a section they were allowed to check out…

This overall preview of Saga Anderson’s gameplay is cool to see, and I’m glad it’s addressing some major issues I had with the first game.
The combat being the biggest – he specifically notes you won’t be moving between a series of combat encounters with endless waves of enemies to get to your objectives. There’ll be way more tension, slower paced exploration, and puzzle solving/mystery sleuthing. Enemies will appear in fewer groups, but with way more memorable impact.

Swangtheugly · September 12, 2023, 2:20am

I plan on going in as blind as possible. I waited years for AW2 since it was a Proof of Concept way back when and simply everything and anything will be a spoiler from this point forward to me.

Axwage · September 13, 2023, 2:21pm

I second that. Same. Ditto. Me three.

TheChicken · September 17, 2023, 1:22am

Jane Perry plays the role of an FBC Interrogator in an audio tape of the AWE expansion.

(Should start at 12:08)

Oh, she’s also in other audio recordings. (One a PSA spokesperson about using “the law of three” regarding faucets in the Oldest House]
She’s also the train announcer’s voice in the Eagle Limited AWE sequence!

TheChicken · September 19, 2023, 4:43am

Even back when Control was still going on, they were putting in hints to things that would be in Alan Wake 2.

When you finish all of Ahti’s tasks in the AWE expansion of Control, you get a postcard from him on vacation.
The postcard is from Watery, Washington. A place that is being prominently featured in marketing as a new location in the sequel, and where Ahti apparently also appears in.

TheChicken · October 7, 2023, 4:42pm

The original Alan Wake had licensed music to close each of its episodic chapters, and they’re doing it again for the sequel, but this time with fully original music written for the game’s story!

Won’t be every chapter, since there’ll be quite a few so you can bounce between Saga and Alan, but at key story moments, yes!

Follow You Into the Dark by RAKEL
Lost at Sea by JEAN CASTEL
Superhero by MOUGLETA
Dark, Twisted, and Cruel by PALEFACE
No One Left to Love by ROOS+BERG
Night Springs by KEIRA
Wide Awake by JAIMES

TheChicken · October 12, 2023, 4:18pm

Alright, I’m calling it now:

Saga’s “Mind Place” menu is actually a future-framing-device of the final steps of her investigation, as she pieces together all the clues on her Case Board. The story will link up to whatever that location is at one point.

Alan’s “Writers Room” menu is actually the real Alan living in real-time in the cabin’s owl room.
What we play in New York is the “written/fiction” version of Alan, that he controls by shifting around pieces on his Plot Board.

TheChicken · October 25, 2023, 11:45pm

This is a pretty surprising addition for a narrative-based game!

I’m sure I’ll be playing the game more than once so I can experience the story’s sequences in multiple ways (I’m sure I’ll try to swap as much as I feel is natural in my 1st go-around) so this is probably gonna be a great way to incentivise that!

Swangtheugly · October 26, 2023, 4:13pm

Seems Alan will have familiar clothing unlockables in Alan Wake 2 since his American Nightmare outfit was shown in the recent behind the scenes video. This time with the sleeves rolled down.

TheChicken · October 26, 2023, 5:21pm

Yeah, I expect there should be a few free outfits to unlock over the course of the game.

Pre-ordering gives you one for Saga and getting the Deluxe gets you one for each character. Would be weird for those to be the only ones, since Control had quite a few outfits, and I’m pretty sure - if inspired by RE - that series kinda has an iconic system where you can unlock items for future playthroughs…

TheChicken · October 26, 2023, 5:24pm

Alan Wake 2 is currently an 89 average on Metacritic. (Control was an 80)

Amazingly lots of perfect 10s, 5/5s, and high 9s.
People calling this a new high point for survival-horror. Remedy’s magnum opus, and their weirdness turned up to 11.

Don’t look at the IGN review, apparently it has some baaaad spoilers

Reddit review round-up for more…
https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5/s/qXITfYmnad

TheChicken · October 26, 2023, 10:31pm

Are you ready?? Ooooh I can’t wait!

Saga Anderson: what’s with that deer?

Alan Wake: what’s with that Owl?

Axwage · October 26, 2023, 10:55pm

I feel like the game will be rated super highly based on its merits as a game, with score knocks for technical requirements/limitations.

The most powerful thing I have to play it is an XSS. Hopefully it runs ok on that.

I’m glad this game is getting all this hype. I love Remedy, but AW1 didn’t exactly set the world on fire. The games media landscape has changed a lot in the decade+ since the OG. Lots of FOMO and Hot New Thing Syndrome going around ya know. In the case of an awesome auteur-feeling game like this, the hype is a good thing.

TheChicken · October 27, 2023, 1:36am

For many reasons, no doubt!

Firstly, obviously, it releasing on the same day as Red Dead Redemption was a death sentence. All attention definitely did not go towards Remedy.
That probably earned it its cult status easily.

It also had that weird complete gameplay-shift in the middle of its dev cycle, going from an open-world action game to full guided-narrative linear action game.
So, the combat was pretty samey for the entire run, and the gameplay elements were a little all over the place, with some random average driving areas that are clearly a holdover from that.

Swangtheugly · October 27, 2023, 1:44am

There was a lot of hype surrounding it, it the games releasing around the time really ruined it from being a day 1 success. If anything what’s important to acknowledge is how it was the most pirated game that year lol.

TheChicken · October 27, 2023, 5:42am

@Swangtheugly you seem to be correct about free alternate outfits being a possibility.
It’s one of the 4 options on the main menu the moment you boot up the game lol

Also, what struck me as weird was a mandatory EULA and Privacy Policy when starting up. I took a glance at it (because I like being aware how much of my digital soul I’m signing away), and it doesn’t seem like Remedy collect any major specific info about you.

Definitely not things like “your internet provider, IP address, gamertag, friends list, etc. etc.” Like I’ve seen on other PrivPolicies

Also I’ve already found an RCU reference!

Weird blocky metal trailer in the woods? FBC Logo? It gets marked in my map? Must be important for later!

So far, I’m really excited. The quality is stunning (I kept thinking the opening cutscene was live-action until they shifted the camera behind the prologue character. Damn good water effects.)

All the stuff with Alex Casey (and his weird, moody, noir-like attitude) I’m sure he’ll be revealed he’s some figment Alan managed to conjure – they made it a point for him to point out he likes rain for Pete’s sake!

And the awesome title card at the start – I have faith this is gonna be Remedy’s coolest game yet. Merging games, different media formats, detective work on Saga’s side and maybe Puzzle-solving on Alan’s side? Oooh I gotta go sleep so I can Wake up tomorrow for more! This opening chapter is long!

And also, it seems Open Areas have made a comeback from the original’s concept! You get a (slightly clunky) map and the freedom to explore a large chunk of the forest!

Edit: oh yeah and the actor who plays Saga – oof, yeah, she’s british and I can tell. She slips a lot when pronouncing R’s and A’s. Loses the american accent a bit, it’s strange but funny.

Accidental_Kills98 · October 27, 2023, 6:47am

SPOILERS: Well given Casey is supposed to be an actual fictional character from Wake’s first series of novels, a hard-boiled detective fiction that in no way resembles one of Rememdy prior projects, I would say smart money is on him being some degree of unreal.

Can’t wait to buy the game tomorrow.