Alan Wake launched back in 2010 as an action-adventure game with horror elements peppered throughout its cinematic storytelling. Remedy Entertainment recently released a remastered treatment for Alan Wake, giving a fresh generation of fans the potential to experience the series for the first time.
Alan Wake was also featured as DLC for Remedy's Control, which further expanded the lore of Alan Wake and suggested to fans that the writer's story was not yet finished. Now, The Game Awards has given fans a first look at the next entry in the Alan Wake franchise.
Remedy has revealed the cinematic announcement trailer for the highly requested Alan Wake 2 at The Game Awards. Alan Wake 2's reveal trailer is purely cinematic with CGI visuals until a close-up shot of the eponymous Alan Wake shows actor Ilkka Villi in live-action. Described by Remedy Entertainment's Sam Lake as a "survival-horror" game, Alan Wake 2 will seemingly abandon its action-adventure roots for a turn to a more sinister and terrifying atmosphere, of which Alan Wake already excels.
No gameplay has been shared, but a montage of familiar environments such as Bright Falls as well as unfamiliar, waterlogged environments paint horrific imagery for Alan Wake's official sequel. Alan Wake 2 is scheduled for a 2023 release window which gives Remedy plenty of time with which to share development updates and gameplay at a later date. Indeed, if the game is being billed as a survival-horror, it is likely that its gameplay will be reworked accordingly to meet that design.
Alan speaks in narration overtop of these montaged environmental shots and further elicits the tone that the sequel is going for. Alan Wake 2's trailer concludes with a haunting jump-scare of an dubiously evil-looking Alan, which may or may not insinuate a darker reflection of the character that players may see in the sequel. Regardless, it is exciting for fans of Alan Wake and the recent Alan Wake Remastered that they will be able to once again experience the author's world, this time with a much greater emphasis on horror.
Alan Wake 2 is presented by Epic Games, confirming the rumor that Epic Games and Remedy were partnering for Remedy's next game. Alan Wake 2's reveal trailer is sure to excite fans of the IP, with a refurbished emphasis on survival-horror being its largest point of intrigue for where the franchise may be taken.
Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.