Remedy announces Alan Wake Remastered

Remedy Entertainment announced it is developing Alan Wake Remastered, a completely remastered version of the classic 2010 game about a writer whose haunting visions come true.

Alan Remastered is published by Epic Games Publishing and features the complete Alan Wake experience - including the main game and the two expansions The Signal and The Writer - in newly rendered 4K visuals, as well as new commentary from Creative Director Sam Lake.

Alan Remastered will be released in Fall 2021 and will be available for PC on the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

After the original game was released in 2010 for the Xbox 360 and a few years later for the PC, this is the first time that Alan Wake will be available for PlayStation players. For existing fans of the game, this is an opportunity to experience the best version of Alan Wake yet.

I reviewed the game back in May 2010 when it first came out and called it a work of art. I'm so glad it's back on the market now with 4K graphics. It's a game about a writer, and it's well written. I interviewed Sam Lake in 2019 about the writing process, and we had a very pleasant conversation. I liked how Remedy's Quantum Break and Control - two recent games - made references to Alan Wake.

"We've always said we want to revisit Alan Wake, but a lot of things have to fall into place for that to happen. In 2019, we got the publishing rights back from Microsoft," said Thomas Puha, a spokesperson for Remedy Entertainment, in an email to GamesBeat. "In short, it means we have full control and ownership of the Alan Wake franchise and can do things like Alan Wake Remastered with Epic. As Remedy has grown a lot over the last few years, we're now in a better position to work on multiple projects, which we weren't really able to do before. There are a lot of things we want to work on, but timing is everything."

He added: "The main reason for developing Alan Wake Remastered is to make the game accessible to a new audience. The original game was only available for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. We wanted to bring the game to next-generation consoles and to the PlayStation audience, which hasn't been able to experience Alan Wake before."

Considering the support Remedy receives from its players (including The Sudden Stop's nearly decade-long commitment), the studio wanted to "flash the light" on fans and make this announcement to one of their most passionate communities.

The original is a "cinematic action thriller". Troubled author Alan Wake embarks on a desperate search for his missing wife, Alice. After her mysterious disappearance from the town of Bright Falls in the Pacific Northwest, he discovers the pages of a horror story he claims to have written but can't remember.

He has no choice but to confront the forces of darkness with the beam of his flashlight, a handgun, and what's left of his shattered mind. His nightmarish journey to find answers takes him into the terrifying depths of the night.

The suspenseful, episodic story is packed with unexpected twists, heart-pounding cliffhangers, and intense battles that take more than bullets to dispel the darkness. The game's cutscenes, quirky characters, and majestic vistas of the Pacific Northwest have been enhanced for a visual impact that matches the game's unsettling atmosphere.

I remember that in the previews before the original was released, a lighthouse played a key role in which Wake was trapped. That scene was never realized the way I expected it to be. I wonder if Remedy will revisit such things.