Here, we ask the game's writer Sam Lake from developer Remedy all about the 360's first ever 'psychological thriller'...
What influences have you taken for Alan Wake from popular culture? The small town of Alan Wake, Bright Falls, is in Washington. So there's definitely an echo of Twin Peaks in there. We are big fans of Twin Peaks at Remedy. It really was a revolutionary TV series at its time. You can still see its influences in more modern TV series.
David Lynch's work in general is something we like a lot. So that's definitely one thing. Pop culture in general is something we actively look to for sources of inspiration - not so much other video games, but movies and TV series and books and graphic novels. Of the more modern TV series, Lost is something we like a lot.
Lost is a very good example of good thriller storytelling in a TV series format. Then there are a whole lot of books. Stephen King is one author that we have mentioned a lot. We have a writer as a main character, who has problems in his life and whose writing starts to come true. Stephen King has a few books where the writer is the main character.
I can name a couple of other books I read early on in the project that were sort of inspiration for me; Brett Easton Ellis's Lunar Park, where he makes himself the protagonist - a very flawed writer character who is losing the grip of his reality - and there's a very good thriller called House Of Leaves by Marc Danielewski which I read before the project.
The torch mechanic is vital to the game. How can you be sure gamers won't get frustrated with it? We are all gamers at Remedy - and all of us have played a few different games that have the problem of a flashlight that's constantly running out of battery. In Alan Wake, you do need a light source - it's essential for survival.
The batteries are not actually being drained at all, of course - this being a psychological thriller, we're asking how much is really happening and how much is happening in Alan Wake's head. He seems to be able to will his life source to burn brighter at times and to drain the dark presence protecting his enemies away faster.
Using that boost feature will drain the batteries quite bad. They do regenerate back on their own, but you can get boost faster if you use [more] batteries. It's a limited resource, and it's something to consider when playing the game. You always have your flashlight.
We've seen the intro and the Dark Woods area. Will there be plenty of variety in the final version of the game? We have not shown everything that will happen. There is a variety of enemies and a clear escalation; an action movie-esque escalation when it comes to combat in the game.
You have The Taken - that's what we call the locals taken over by the dark presence - but there are different classes of them, who behave differently. We are also doing other things: A very strong enemy's dark presence regenerates, so that you need to keep your light on them, or they [become] just as powerful as they were moments ago. Then we have animal versions of them, like birds.
The dark presence can take over inanimate objects as well - these are violent towards you. It's another obstacle. The dark presence can take over a door or a gate and stop you from going forward before you have time to use your light on them.
It can take over vehicles as well - different sizes of vehicles, too. I feel there is a nice variety. We do have situations in the game that could be considered boss fights, if you will. These are moments where something that doesn't happen very often comes in.
Are there any action scenes in the day time or does it all happen during the night? We feel that for a good thriller, you need to have a combination of different elements in each episode. Usually, for an episode we have day time periods. These are slower paced, [featuring] more exploration and [introducing] different characters. The backstory really foreshadows these scenes.
And then there are those nightmarish scenes at night, in the Dark Forest, for instance. We really need both to make a good thriller. If it was constant, you would get used to it and become numb to it. We feel it's very important to keep the storyline grounded in reality. Even close to the end, you get to play in flashbacks in Alan Wake's life that takes you a couple of years back to a happier time in New York. We keep you aware of the stakes you are fighting for.
Did ideas for the game change during development? The high level vision of the game has pretty much remained the same from the beginning. We had certain ideas we knew we had to do in Alan Wake - such as the main character who's a writer and whose writings are coming true. [We were also certain] on the setting - the small, idylic town - and the gameplay elements of light and darkness.
But while we were developing our own technology, engine and tools, we were also in a happy position where we could do a lot of prototypes. We were constantly trying different gameplay elements and seeing which would end up in the game, and which would work well together. Certainly, there were prototypes we tested and were not happy with that didn't end up as part of Alan Wake.
For example, early on we tried out sandbox elements. With them we were constantly running into situations where we had to [endure] big compromises in our thriller pacing and our thriller storytelling. At the end of the day we decided it wasn't worth it. We wanted to do a story-driven game - that's what we feel Remedy games are supposed to be. That was one thing we decided to abandon and go in a different direction.
Some of these things look good on paper, and then when you try them out they don't work as well. Then again there are other things we didn't plan [on including] that while prototyping happened almost by accident - like the inanimate objects being taken over by the dark presence. Early on we had a physics bug in the game that at random would make an object be violently thrown around - and if you happened to be close by, you would get killed. We were going: "That's actually really scary. We should have that in the game".
It's a very story-driven game. Do you know what the ending is? We have planned Alan Wake from the very beginning to be something larger than just one game. The TV series format is obviously something that allows us to continue the story. The first game is in a way the first season of what Alan Wake is.
That said, we really feel there needs to be a satisfying conclusion. But at the same time, it needs to end in kind of a cliffhanger - and we need to open doors for a larger story beyond this one.
How Alan Wake as a whole will end? We have ideas and have mapped out the storyline quite far, but time will tell. I'm sure it will live a life of its own and things will change along the way.
We certainly would like to do more after the first game, but ultimately if people want more, they will get more... I think a good cliffhanger is always your friend - it keeps the tension high. That episodic structure of Alan Wake means you can always end the episode a couple of minutes or a few seconds before things are resolved [to make people want more].
Do you have a rough idea of the number of games it will take you to get to that point? No - I wouldn't say. I don't know.
Can the game compete with the look of games likes Halo: Reach or God Of War III - are the effects and engine you have strong enough? We're happy with our tech and our engine. It has been custom made to work with what Alan Wake is about We're able to do quite large locations and the specific North West setting.
We have concentrated on the elements of light and dark and the effects on how the enemy have been developed by the dark presence. We are constantly working on the tech - and you need to be, taking it forward.
What about Project Natal? Would you consider bringing it into the Alan Wake universe? Natal is definitely a very interesting thing. For Alan Wake at the moment we are not working on anything Natal-related. But as a developer it is something that is a very interesting thought. We'll see what the future brings.
Hey Focker, i read your comments in the "xbox will outsell ps3 this year greenberg"" and it seems you are in insistent on condeming one group of people because of their beliefs or no reason whatsoever. i no a guy who did that waht was his name... Adolf...somethingoranother.
bet your just jealous because this isnt on ps3 you F***!!!
I hope the mailbox chews his hand off and takes that flashlight with it.
I dont understand what you mean?
Anyhoo's, I must have easily read about 20 Previews of the Game so far and I just cant wait!! I get the feeling that although im already very impressed by what Remedy have shown so far, i think there going to have quite a few surprises for us when the Game is finally released.
In a few months time, im going to be able to stop talking about Alan Wake finally being released and I can start talking about when the next installment is due .
Don't make this into yet another article crammed with xbox vs ps3 debates, jesus...
I was hoping this would have stuck to the semi-sandbox style that it had when the trailer was shown at around the 360's launch, hopefully the feel isn't lost that it gave from that trailer. I have a feeling this is going to be pretty linear, I hope I'm wrong.
Don't make this into yet another article crammed with xbox vs ps3 debates, jesus...
I was hoping this would have stuck to the semi-sandbox style that it had when the trailer was shown at around the 360's launch, hopefully the feel isn't lost that it gave from that trailer. I have a feeling this is going to be pretty linear, I hope I'm wrong.
As ive been followinge since 2005, I know most of the itterations that Remedy have tried to get the right formula for Alan Wake.
If they took the sandbox approach (a la GTA) then the suspense or thrilling atmosphere that Remedy were going for would have been lost.
It's going to be a story driven Game with exploration parts to it as well. Thatll do for me!!
Hey Focker, i read your comments in the "xbox will outsell ps3 this year greenberg"" and it seems you are in insistent on condeming one group of people because of their beliefs or no reason whatsoever. i no a guy who did that waht was his name...Adolf...somethingoranother.
bet your just jealous because this isnt on ps3 you F***!!!
First off, jealous?? why?? this guy runs around with a flashlight, i've just gotta play it. they haven't showed ANYTHING that would make me want to buy this.
Secondly aside from him murdering thousands of people, I completely agree w/ trying to maintain a pure bloodline and not contaminate it. Theres nothing wrong with that but murdering thousands wasn't the way to go about it. He just hated jews specifically.
The mailbox thing was a joke because in the article it talked about non-living objects becoming evil. I wasn't condemning the game, the game might be good, it was just focused toward the primary object in the game. his flashlight.
Hey Focker, i read your comments in the "xbox will outsell ps3 this year greenberg"" and it seems you are in insistent on condeming one group of people because of their beliefs or no reason whatsoever. i no a guy who did that waht was his name...Adolf...somethingoranother.
bet your just jealous because this isnt on ps3 you F***!!!
First off, jealous?? why?? this guy runs around with a flashlight, i've just gotta play it. they haven't showed ANYTHING that would make me want to buy this. Secondly aside from him murdering thousands of people, I completely agree w/ trying to maintain a pure bloodline and not contaminate it. Theres nothing wrong with that but murdering thousands wasn't the way to go about it. He just hated jews specifically.
Hey Focker, i read your comments in the "xbox will outsell ps3 this year greenberg"" and it seems you are in insistent on condeming one group of people because of their beliefs or no reason whatsoever. i no a guy who did that waht was his name...Adolf...somethingoranother.
bet your just jealous because this isnt on ps3 you F***!!!
First off, jealous?? why?? this guy runs around with a flashlight, i've just gotta play it. they haven't showed ANYTHING that would make me want to buy this. Secondly aside from him murdering thousands of people, I completely agree w/ trying to maintain a pure bloodline and not contaminate it. Theres nothing wrong with that but murdering thousands wasn't the way to go about it. He just hated jews specifically.
It was millions, not thousands
You agree with mantaining a pure blodline...WTF! So you want every single, Jew, Black (and it is NOT rascist to say black dont post ur PC s**te) ,gay, autist and everyone else who had "wrong" bodys or beliefs to be "disposed"of?
im Aryan and i think Hitler gave us a badname now we have all those "2 blonds walked in to a pub" jokes
this game looks set to beat RDE and silent hill to the horror crown
im not getting it but i damn hope whoever plays it hasa good time
Good speech 'I am?'. I am really looking forward to this. I hope it has a great storyline, lots to do during the day section of the cycle, and it does not play like Alone in the Dark..I have the SE on pre order and am excited to an almost perverse level. I will not mind buying DLC for this, if the story grips me and it plays well. I wish more companies would give free DLC, like Bio Ware for the amazing xbox exclusive Mass Effect 2. Happy gaming all! gamertag: Knifey McStab
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