A few days ago, Sam Lake (Creative Director at Remedy) published a letter on the Remedy website detailing future plans for the studio and the overarching story set to feature in their upcoming games. While we already spoke a little about this letter in a previous wrap-up, it felt like it also needed its own post as it reflects a shift, of sorts, within the studio.
So, what is the letter about? In the recent post, Sam officially announced the new Remedy Connected Universe, which connects their games, while also allowing each title to stand on its own. For instance, picking up Control's upcoming AWE DLC pack will give greater context to the events of Alan Wake as the FBC investigated Bright Falls as a significant "Altered World Event".
In his letter, Sam addresses exactly that, explaining, "by now, you have maybe seen the trailer for AWE, our next expansion for Control. For over 10 years, we’ve had a crazy dream. The idea that the tales told in some of our games would be connected to each other, a connected world of stories and events with shared characters and lore. Each game is a stand-alone experience, but each game is also a doorway into a larger universe with exciting opportunities for crossover events."
Is this a new thing? Well, yes and no. In the same post, Sam goes onto comment, "slowly, patiently, behind the scenes, we’ve been planning and plotting to make this a reality." The idea that all of these stories were interlaced is not a new concept to fans either. It was a topic that was loved by the sadly now-defunct Alan Wake Forums. It was also a topic that was regularly discussed in interviews almost a decade ago to explain Alan Wake's American Nightmare and how it fits into the greater Alan Wake storyline.
There have also been so many easter eggs over the years such as Alex Casey (from Alan Wake) mirroring Max Payne's word choice and delivery (voiced by James McCaffrey), the Death Rally arcade cabinet in American Nightmare, similarities between Thomas Zanes' "both wilder and more serene" poem and the names Beth Wilder and Paul Serene, the chalkboard in Quantum Break referencing Wake. The list can go on!
But while it isn't strictly a new concept, it's a new approach for the studio. In the past, developers at the studio may have considered that each adventure is connected, and talked about those views in interviews, but while it seems to have been a shared internal attitude, there hasn't been an official 'this is what we're actively trying to pursue' announcement from the studio. Easter eggs may be one thing but an overarching story is another. With the upcoming AWE DLC pack, the team has specifically approached it with the mindset of it being the first pre-meditated release in the Remedy Connected Universe.
"I’m absolutely thrilled to tell you that now, the time has come to take the first concrete step on this road, establishing Remedy Connected Universe. You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to finally make this statement." As the letter wraps up, Sam also delves a little into what's next in store for the studio, "and this is still just a humble beginning. We’re already hard at work on a future Remedy game that also takes place in this same universe."
12th August 2020
Sam Lake's Letter Announces the Remedy Connected Universe
You can read the letter in full on the Remedy website, HERE.
