Earlier in the week, Sony’s PlayStation showcase showed a variety of video games which is intended to be released in the coming months (if not years). Among the big triple-A games on display are Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake II, which aims to go all in survival horror in a deeper way than original 2010 game. And part of that genre jump also includes introducing some new blood to the series.
Most of the latest trailers for Alan Wake II takes place from the perspective of FBI agent Saga Anderson. Played by This is Us‘ Melanie Liburd, The Saga said by Remedy has an importance to the story of the game equal to its titular character. In an interview with Gamespot, creative director Sam Lake confirmed that he will be the game’s co-protagonist, and said that the inclusion of a second playable character was an important part of growth for the studio. “Creating a new protagonist is a big event and we take that very seriously,” he said. “Even if it is called Alan Wake II, it’s just like the Saga Anderson game. They are really at the heart of the story — both of them. “
Like other games with multiple protagonists (see The Last of Us Part II), players take turns playing as Alan and Saga in the town of Bright Falls. (Or in Alan’s case, the Dark Place dimension connected to it.) For Saga, his work as a criminal profiler brings him to town as he investigates a ritual murder, and part of his story is revealing his true purpose in Bright Falls. Even if it sounds like it, Liburd promises that the appearance of his character in the city will be immediately obvious. “[Saga] DOING NEED that there,” he assured. “Alan needs Saga, and Saga needs Alan. And that’s the main thing fans will understand when they see him. “
“A big part of the ambition for Alan Wake II so we should be more driven by a story-focused experience than ever before,” Lake explained. For him, having these two characters allowed the studio to be “really, really ambitious” and really change how it told the stories of the previous games like the first one. Alan Wake or in 2019 controlling. “We just want to take everything we’ve learned and push it as far as we can think for it.”
By giving Saga equal prominence, Lake says his existence is allowed It’s Alan Wake II story with many tonal shifts that it might not have otherwise. As it stands now, this version of the game with Saga is the “darkest version” of what Remedy wants to do. Remedy hopes to provide Alan Wake II more of a horror bent than its predecessor: Saga will slowly understand how strange Bright Falls is essentially as Alan works to escape the dimension he’s been trapped in for over a decade. Fans first Alan Wake has a soft spot for Alan that has only grown over the years. Liburd said he understands how players are into these characters, and is ready to see how Saga looks in the coming months. “It’s going to be interesting,” he admitted. “I hope they like Saga as much as we do.”
Alan Wake II will be released on October 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can read Gamespots full interview for how Remedy writes the characters in its games, and more insight from Lake and Liburd on Saga Anderson from a narrative and gameplay perspective.
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