Remedy Entertainment’s shared gaming universe has launched, definitively linkingControl,Alan Wake, andQuantum Break. This crossover foundation is likely to bear significant fruit down the road, as future games from the unabashedly bizarre developer are sure to expand on things like theFederal Bureau of Control and its relationship to various other IP.
It’s currentlyunclear if and howMax Paynewill factor into the Remedy universe, as Rockstar Games currently owns the rights to the series, despite its first two entries coming from Remedy Entertainment.
Remedy Entertainmentis far from the first studio to suggest a shared universe for its seemingly disparate franchises, but it may be the most unique. Comparing the Remedy Connected Universe to, say, Rockstar’s crossover content, it’s clear that Remedy is building towards more narratively significant developments. In other words, whileManhuntmay drop some major hints about being in the same universe asGrand Theft Auto, these are more like Easter eggs than the seeds for an all-out collaboration or meaningful plot development. The same can be said about the connections betweenHalf-LifeandPortal, orSnatcherandMetal Gear Solid. But Remedy’s ambition with this plan could be tricky to implement, and not just because of its scope or scale.
Remedy Entertainment’s Genre-Hopping Puts Its Shared Universe In an Interesting Position
Remedy’s Games Are All Over the Map
TheAlan Wakegames adhere closely to the staples of the survival-horror genre, whileQuantum BreakandControlare bona fide action games, withControl 2being described as an action-RPG. Then there’sRemedy’s upcomingFBC: Firebreak, a colorful co-op shooter positioned as aControlspin-off. Needless to say, the fickle Finnish developer doesn’t like being tied down to a single genre.
This is part of what makes the studio so exciting, but it also makes full-blown collaborations between these IPs somewhat challenging from a gameplay perspective. For instance, the gameplay ofControlandAlan Wakeare essentially at opposite ends of the spectrum, as the former is centered more on an expressive and multifaceted power fantasy, while the latter is more about feeling underpowered and vulnerable to heighten the sense of fear. Put another way, it would be difficult for a player to feel significantly frightened by the shadowy monsters ofAlan Wakeif they could fly, use telekinesis, and wield a magical pistol.
The Genre Gulf Between Remedy’s Games Could Actually Benefit Future Collaborations
It could be difficult for a full-blown collaboration between Remedy games to toe the line between genres, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. In fact, if done correctly, a blend between theseemingly disparate genres of Remedy’s gamescould make for a singular and worthwhile experience.
For one thing,Quantum BreakandControlcould synergize quite nicelywith each other, in theory. They each offer unique spins on the third-person-shooter formula, looping in various powers that their respective protagonists can leverage against their foes, withQuantum Break’s supernatural abilities being particularly refreshing and inventive. Thus, a game that blends these player abilities, either by combining them or splitting them between different protagonists, holds a lot of promise.
Alan Wakemight be much slower than these titles, but its gameplay could still have a lot to offer in future crossover games. Slowing down the more over-the-top, no-holds-barred combat of something likeControlwith tense survival-horror sections could make for powerful pacing, for instance. This sort of contrast could also deepen future games from a tonal perspective, as they could oscillate between action, terror, and perhaps other frameworks that Remedy has yet to fully explore. Regardless of how Remedy handles its shared universe, the fact that these IP, all bizarre and creative in their own right, are coming together is exciting indeed.It will be fun to see how the “RCU” unfolds.
Alan Wake 2
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A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
