Seite 2: Alan Wake - Preview (engl.) - Exclusive Interview with Remedy Entertainment

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

1

Einleitung

2

About episodes and the narrative flow

3

Inspiration

4

Technical aspects and Max Payne

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About episodes and the narrative flow

Remedys Managing Director Matias Myllyrinne

GamePro:
The existing gameplay sequences are very linear and consist of little more than fighting or running away from things in the woods. On the other hand the game world will be open and freely explorable. How do you combine this? What side activities are there to do?

Matias Myllyrinne:
We have a lot of exploration content and the gameplay areas can be huge. Alan Wake is based on open world technology but it is not a sandbox game. We control the pacing and setting to get as much drama out of each situaiton as possible so the gamer will not be able to go everywhere anytime. We had these more open designs to begin with but ended up making compromises on both fronts. So, to be honest the sandbox game structure was not working for Alan Wake. We decided to concentrate on the story-drive, tightly paced and packed thriller experience. I'm very glad that we did, this way we are able to tell a strong story and convey an undiluted experience.

» New screenshots in the Alan Wake-Gallery

Alan Wake: NPCs support Wake in his fight

GamePro:
Alan looks more weary and worn out in the latest screenshots. Will Alan’s looks change over the time of the game? Will his tiredness have any noticeable effect on Wake?

Matias Myllyrinne:
I’m glad you noticed. We’ve polished Wake’s look and feel a bit to get a more rugged character – an everyman faced with desperate circumstances: Is it real, or is it all in his head? We really wanted to have the character of Wake show in his demeanor as he is trapped in a nightmare where his latest novel is coming true before his very eyes word by word. Bringing him to life some of the character has shown in a more rugged look and feel. But now, Wake will not visually morph during the game into a more tired character or something like that- the acting and animation will hopefully convey the appropriate feeling and state of mind for each situation.

GamePro:
Like Max Payne Alan Wake is a dark and brooding character. Why is Remedy Entertainment into those anti-heroes and do you consider doing a light-hearted game one day?

Matias Myllyrinne:
We wanted to have a writer as a main character, it seemed fitting for a thriller. I think games are mature entertainment and our characters don’t all need to be ex-navy SEALS or Ninjas. Alan Wake is an everyman pushed into a extreme circumstance forced to cope with the challenges, fears and nightmares. Wake has a lot of depth and tone to him, he is much more than a cardboard cut-out. It has been a pleasure working with him during this project.

Alan Wake: The headlights also prove useful as a weapon against the "darkness"

GamePro:
Why did you decide to create an episodic narrative structure?

Sam Lake:
In our previous games, we were using the story structure of a movie as our model. But movies are a lot shorter than games, and you had to stretch the structure to the limits to make it work. A season of a TV series by nature is much closer to the pacing of a game, and as such a very fitting structural model.

» Translated version (german) of this Alan Wake-Interview

GamePro:
The episodes we've seen so far only are 10-20 minutes long. How many of these will there be in the game and how long will the game be in general?

Matias Myllyrinne:
Unfortunately I cannot answer that right now.

Alan Wake: Alan is attacked by a so called Poltergeist

GamePro:
Was the Episode system a means to easier establish future DLC? Is any kind of DLC planned for Alan Wake?

Matias Myllyrinne:
The episodic sturcure was really driven by a creative ambition and direction. We don't have any firm DLC plans- I think it could be something cool. But we don't want to do DLC just because we can - it needs to make sense and to be something worthwhile to create and play.