Alan Wake 2 was a long time coming, with some arguing that it might have taken too long to come out. Still, the game is selling like hotcakes, along with getting two expansions next year, but fans are curious as to why it took so long. Thankfully, Remedy’s Sam Lake has answers.
Lake spoke with VG247 and actually said that they initially had plans to do a sequel to Alan Wake right away. However, since this was the seventh generation of console gaming, the tide turned, and multiplayer quickly became the focus for many AAA publishers.
"We were planning on going straight to a sequel after the first game. We even had some ideas on what Alan Wake 3 could be! But the industry moves like waves, and the focus shifted from a publisher perspective," Lake said. "Getting funding wasn’t possible, as there was no interest in continuing [Alan Wake] and doing a single-player experience."
Pitches for Alan Wake 2 were made to Microsoft, with Lake confirming that they initially wanted to do live-action cutscenes that would transition to gameplay. These ideas would end up being used in Quantum Break, as the devs in Remedy didn’t want Microsoft to own the Alan Wake IP.
"So we created a new concept around it. I went to my archives where I had these ideas, and one was time travel – which we ended up going with,” Lake continues. “But at that point, it was very clear that with how things had shifted, it was impossible to get a deal with a publisher where they would not end up owning the IP. So, from the beginning, it was clear Quantum Break would be Microsoft’s IP – and we didn’t want to lose the Alan Wake IP."
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It’s a good thing that Lake ended up keeping the IP, as the sequel is now one of this year’s best games. Even with the lack of a physical release, the game’s gorgeous visuals and compelling narrative have enthralled the current generation of gamers. We rated the game pretty highly in our review, giving it a near-perfect 9 out of 10. What more could you want?