‘Alan Wake Remastered’ Art Director Promises Upgraded Graphics Will ‘Respect the Original Vision’
Alan Wake is (almost) back and better than ever. In September, Remedy Entertainment unveiled Alan Wake Remastered: an updated version of its 2010 supernatural action-adventure video game. The story would remain the same, but Alan Wake would receive a complete visual overhaul thanks to a decade of technological advancements in gaming. Of course, visuals played a huge part in the original game’s atmosphere, so Remedy took care to maintain Alan Wake’s integrity. Here’s how they did it.
‘Alan Wake Remastered’ arrives a decade after the original
Remedy Entertainment launched Alan Wake as an Xbox and PC exclusive in 2010, but the remaster will also be available on PlayStation consoles. The game follows the titular Alan Wake, a writer who heads out on vacation with his wife, Alice, to the small town of Bright Falls. However, the quaint getaway takes a turn for the sinister when Alice goes missing.
During his quest to find her, Alan encounters an evil darkness that has come to life from his latest novel. The darkness possesses the people of Bright Falls and turns them into killers, attempting to stop Alan in his tracks. Can he survive the darkness and save Alice?
Alan Wake became a critical success, and fans continued to talk about it for years after release. On Sept. 7, creator Sam Lake revealed via fan-made website The Sudden Stop that fan support hugely contributed to the remaster.
“This is for you. Alan Wake came out over 11 years ago, and through that time, you have told us again and again how much you love the game, the story, the characters, and the lore. And that matters a lot to us,” he wrote. “We love this game as well. I love this game. The remaster is coming because of your support for Alan Wake through the years.”
Remedy Entertainment wanted the remaster to stay true to the original atmosphere
The main concern with any remake or remaster is typically how much the new product will replicate the original. The team at Remedy has assured that Alan Wake will deliver the same experience as it did 11 years ago, but it will look much better. According to art director Janne Pulkkinen, “respecting the original vision” was one of Remedy’s goals for Alan Wake Remastered.
“Art direction of the game holds up very well to this day, so the focus has been on making sure it all comes through in higher resolutions as well,” Pulkkinen told Mobile Syrup. “A lot of the assets have been completely rebuilt with this in mind. Rendering has also been improved across the board, but with great care, so we don’t lose what already worked so well.”
Some Remedy team members worked on both the original and the remaster, which has helped the studio maintain the heart of Alan Wake, according to Remedy communications director Thomas Puha.
“The really nice thing about this remaster was that many of the key developers who created the game in the first place are still at Remedy. Several of them worked closely on the remaster to ensure we stayed as true to the original game as possible,” Puha said.
New technology has allowed ‘Alan Wake Remastered’ to have upgraded graphics
With all that said, Alan Wake Remastered players will likely notice some key changes in graphics. As demonstrated in the video above, cutscenes will feature improved animations, and character models will more closely match their actors. Meanwhile, the environment has much more detail in its trees and foliage.
Alan Wake Remastered launches on Oct. 5 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
