Deliciously pulpy horror storytelling was at the heart of the original Alan Wake. It returns for the sequel, too, but the Stephen King-isms look to be confined to The Dark Place; the New York-styled nightmare cage the titular writer is trapped in. Out in the real world (or at least what seems like the real world) – the domain of our second protagonist, FBI agent Saga Anderson – developer Remedy Entertainment has crafted a new collage from pieces of its favourite detective stories. The eerie shadows of True Detective, Seven, and The Silence of the Lambs creep through Alan Wake 2’s gorgeous digital depiction of the Pacific Northwest.
Quantum Break and Max Payne aren't in Remedy's Connected Universe, despite the Easter eggs
23.08.2023 - 12:21 / rockpapershotgun.com / Sam Lake / Alan Wake
Action-horror sequel Alan Wake 2 showed up to last night’s Gamescom festivities with a cryptic trailer (below) that showed the studio’s signature Lynchian mystery, an upside-down New York, and some interesting live-action scenes. But references to Remedy’s past games have been the big conversation driver, especially since the studio is building up a “Remedy Connected Universe.” Creative director Sam Lake has now clarified that time-bending shooter Quantum Break and the Max Payne games aren’t cool enough to join the Remedy-verse, while also breaking down their approach to these shared-world games.
"The easy, clear answer is that, out of our past games, Max Payne and Quantum Break are not part of the Remedy Connected Universe. They are not part of Remedy's plans," Lake said in an interview with EW - though he does leave the door slightly ajar. "That being said, in a purely speculative, Easter egg kind of way, I do love the idea of enabling our audience to come up with theories. I don't want to shoot them down on that level," he added. "We are making questions possible and giving ideas to people that they can then form their own theories. I think that's very much part of the fun."
That Remedy-verse began - before we even knew it existed - with the original Alan Wake in 2010. The studio then made the connections between their games ‘canon’ in their paranormal FBI game Control and its AWE expansion. But many fans, including me, guessed that Quantum Break would loop into the tangled mystery somehow, since that game was littered with Easter eggs. The first mention of an AWE actually predates the expansion and showed up on a random chalkboard in Quantum Break. Remedy also has a running gag with the number 665, which first began in Max Payne, although Lake does tease that “there is maybe more meaning to be found in [the number’s] use.”
Might be sad news for eagle-eyed conspiracy theorists that enjoy hunting down these connections, but leaving out Quantum Break and Max Payne makes some sense. The former is still owned by Microsoft, while the latter falls under Rockstar’s ownership - even though Remedy plans to remake the first two bullet-time shooters. But as we’ve seen from Marvel’s mistakes, keeping up with everything that comes out of these jumbled-up-verses can be exhausting, especially if you’re only interested in one specific corner.
Sam Lake seems to be aware of that danger while speaking about the studio’s past games. “We have been really mindful of creating an experience where none of that is required homework… Maybe [Alan Wake II] will motivate you after the fact to seek out some of these previous games and experience them," he said. There’ll still be fun links to Control that we can theorise
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
thegamer.com
09.09.2023 / 16:37
Mortal Kombat 1's First "Toasty!" Easter Egg Has Been Found
The latest trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 has finally confirmed that the "Toasty!" easter egg that can be found in nearly every game in the series is back once more.
polygon.com
07.09.2023 / 17:03
Alan Wake’s half of Alan Wake 2 is very Alan Wake
Alan Wake has been trapped in the Dark Place for 13 years. He’s ditched his slouchy hoodie for a button-down, but kept the funny jacket with the old-fashioned elbow patches. Inky hair frames his face as he wanders through a hostile dream world, clutching a puzzle-solving lamp and a revolver. This is the other side of Alan Wake 2’s story, running parallel to FBI agent Saga Anderson’s Pacific Northwest trek to investigate a series of ritualistic murders.
gamepur.com
06.09.2023 / 17:53
Starfield: All Earth Landmarks, Easter Eggs, & Snow Globe Locations
Earth, Mars, Luna, and more familiar celestial bodies are present in Starfield and can be freely explored. That said, Earth isn’t in the same state as we know it today, as only a few of humanity’s greatest monuments have stood the test of time.
destructoid.com
06.09.2023 / 14:15
Starfield mod says ‘screw it,’ gives you all perks and max level
Today is officially Starfield Day. Those who have been paying even the slightest bit of attention will have seen the sheer amount of mods that have been coming out even before Bethesda’s new game was properly released. Now there’s one available that’s very much for those who don’t want the grind.
gamespot.com
05.09.2023 / 15:17
Starfield Has A Wonderful Lord Of The Rings Easter Egg
Did somebody say potatoes?
gameranx.com
02.09.2023 / 15:49
Starfield: How To Find The Apollo Lander, Pyramids & More | Easter Egg Landmarks
While Earth is abandoned in the far future of Starfield, it isn’t exactly empty. There are still several manmade landmarks to find on Earth, Luna and Mars — and there’s a snow globe at each one to remember them by. Snow globes are Easter egg collectibles that return from Bethesda’s previously published Fallout: New Vegas, a game that Starfield actually shares a surprising connection with. Both games use (most of) the same PC console commands. In addition to cheats, you’ll also want to check out these hidden locations. By reading rare books or checking uncommon plaques, you’ll be able to unlock landmarks that take you straight to these lost bits of human history. Here’s how it all works — and how to appreciate the ancient past. Yes, you can find the ruins of the Pyramids!
gameranx.com
01.09.2023 / 21:11
Alan Wake 2 Behind The Scenes Footage Highlights The Dark Place
Update:
mmorpg.com
31.08.2023 / 19:51
The Ilysia VR Team Learns Lessons and Promises Greater Transparency, And The Return of Freeforge Class System
Team 21 Studio held a new Tavern Talk to respond to community questions on Ilysia , the beta tests, why they chose to head into beta now, what happened to Freeforge, and what’s ahead.
gameranx.com
31.08.2023 / 18:55
Starfield: How To Get The Mantis Suit & Ship | Hero Easter Egg
There’s a name all evildoers in Starfield fear — the Mantis is on the prowl for spacers and pirates. And you can take up the mantle in the never-ending battle against lawlessness in the Settled Systems by finding the secret lair of the Mantis. This extremely silly Easter egg quest is found in a remote area of space and rewards you with an incredibly useful set of legendary armor. You’ll even acquire a unique spaceship called the Razorleaf. This mission can be found early in the game and completed if you turn down the difficulty — you don’t necessarily have to be Level 30 to claim these awesome rewards.
gameranx.com
31.08.2023 / 18:55
Starfield: How To Get The Monster Costume | Tardigrade Easter Egg
Become the best monster you can be with the unique Monster Costume in Starfield. Found in one of the most unexpected places imaginable, you’ll get a full alien outfit that’s perfect for scaring people in the void of space by taking a very specific mission in the Sol System. The Monster Costume doesn’t actually give you any real benefits — but it looks awesome and 100% unique. Here’s how to get it.
techcrunch.com
29.08.2023 / 16:57
Twitterific’s Easter eggs find new life in retro-gaming app ‘Ollie’s Arcade’
The Iconfactory, home to a number of popular apps like wallpaper app Wallaroo, puzzle game Frenzic, and the unfortunately shuttered Twitterific, among others, is out today with its latest creation:Ollie’s Arcade. The new app aims to bring a retro gaming experience to iOS users with a collection of mini-games reminiscent of classic arcade-style or electric handheld titles.