'Alan Wake's American Nightmare' Developer Diary Talks Inspirations

Game Rant

By Anthony Taormina

Published Feb 3, 2012

Though 'Alan Wake's American Nightmare' carries many of the qualities of its predecessor, developer Remedy looked to alternate sources for inspiration.

As part of this and next month's Xbox Live Arcade House Party, Alan Wake's American Nightmare might at first seem like a watered down version of Remedy's retail release. With Wake now travelling across the country, and facing off with his evil alter ego Mr. Scratch, there are elements to American Nightmare that seem much more disposable than a coherent story, but Remedy wants to put those rumors to rest.

In an effort to increase fan interest in this downloadable title — to sell it as more than just an arcade version of Alan Wake — Remedy has started a series of developer diaries, the first of which was released today. In it, several key creatives from Remedy explain the inception of Alan Wake's American Nightmare, its core concepts, and the new Fight 'til Dawn mode.

While Alan Wake's American Nightmare still exudes that Lost meets Stephen King vibe in terms of its light vs. dark mechanics, Remedy says the better comparison for American Nightmare is Quentin Tarantino meets From Dusk til Dawn -- odd choices considering Tarantino wrote and starred in From Dusk til Dawn.

Nonetheless what gamers should take away from the developer diary is Remedy's vow to make Alan Wake more action packed. All of what made the original game so great is still there, but it has been refined for your average gamer and to fit the XBLA market.

Check out the first developer diary below, and keep your eye out for some strange goings on in the background.

httpv://youtu.be/dypwd4NNDmQ

Though many gamers might not have given Alan Wake a chance the first time around, with a lower price tag and a promise of more action, perhaps American Nightmare can be a perfect bridge into this wildly underrated title. And then, for those who want to go back and see where it all started, a very affordable PC release for Alan Wake is right around the corner.

What are your hopes for this Xbox Live version of Alan Wake? What elements do you hope Remedy preserves and what would you like to see change?

Alan Wake's American Nightmare releases February 22, 2012 for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Source: IGN