14 DAY TRIAL // Alan Wake is in danger of becoming vapor ware, one of those titles that have been announced and talked about but which never make it to the market. Initially it was unveiled in 2005 and there has been talk of the game arriving on gamers' desks for at least the last two years. Remedy, which is developing the game, is now offering a bit of new information on its title, in an effort to make sure that the public is still interested in it.
Oskari Hakkinen, who is the lead designer working on Alan Wake, recently talked to a Norwegian game site, Gamer.no. The most important thing he said was that Alan Wake was set to have a little action for a game that was developed by Remedy, unlike the previous title of the studio, Max Payne. Hakkinen also said that “The smart story is important for us, and we have a strong history, a strong atmosphere, and a strong spirit.” Apparently, even stronger than that in survival horror titles like Silent Hill.
Alan Wake is set to tell the complex story of one writer who comes face to face with the weird events that seem to take place all around him. He's no action hero so the game will try to portray all the action sequences in a realistic manner, with Alan Wake being the regular man thrown into a tough situation. The game will try to offer a few scares and a lot of options for the player.
The interview also touched the subject of weather in the game, with Hakkinen mentioning that all the actions and even the mood of the main character would be directly influenced by the way Mother Nature behaved. A depressed main character would find it harder to progress in the game, whereas driving while heavy rain poured down could be quite a challenge. Let's hope that the next time we hear from Remedy on Alan Wake they'll have a release date ready.