COMMENTARY - The Remedy Connected Universe Is Rife With Possibility
Alan Wake loses Control with Max Payne in the… Quantum Break?
By Jonathan Garrett
03/01/21
Sam Lake continues his audacious run as one of gaming’s most fascinating scribes, having recently dropped a casual Twitter snap of his latest wedge of scripted goodness. The tease, pointing specifically to Remedy’s next full fat release, will unravel the connective tissue set up in Control’s “AWE” expansion, and the possibilities are as tantalising as they are numerous.
Here’s a team perfectly comfortable with subverting their own subversion; Control itself was pitched as a standalone new IP, but its place as a sort of narrative hub that binds together their previous work is a clear shift towards an equivalent Marvel Cinematic Universe (for lack of a better comparison). The fact that they’ve been able to make “AWE” work on its own, and still be rewarding for Alan Wake die hards (like myself) is a testament to their skill.
Of course, even though Control was easily our Game of 2019, the things that were slightly wonky persisted in the most recent DLC. Last gen console performance can get a little choppy during menu transitions, and enemies respawning out of thin air becomes something of a repetitive trope. It doesn’t make the combat any less punchy, or deter us from exploring every corner of this fascinating world, but there’s still room for improvement.
The fact remains that “AWE” was a barnstorming, fan tickling deep dive into Remedy’s now interconnected web of stories. Given the promise of a future event teased at the end of this latest DLC, and the hefty sum paid to secure the rights from Microsoft, one can reasonably assume that Mr. Wake will be making a long overdue return.
Are we looking at some kind of mega crossover? Asymmetrical co-op implementation, with complimenting abilities? A completely new IP that once again draws on elements of the Remedy back catalogue? At this point, your guess is as good as mine. One things for certain; Remedy’s bold steps into a structurally unique space (for videogames at least) is bound to birth intriguing fruit.
Lingering issues over rights (and Rockstar’s iron fist) will likely preclude any appearance from the OG Max Payne, and one can safely extrapolate that Quantum Break is still trapped in a legal bind at the bottom of Phil Spencer’s fun cabinet. It would be delicious to see these now legacy games given a new lease of life as part of the RCU, but the complex machinations required to make that happen would be either prohibitively expensive and / or a complete non-starter.
Still, that doesn’t detract from the opportunity for innovation that Remedy have provided themselves here, and we can only hope the RCU is able to make a name for itself as being disruptive and genuinely different. Marvel may have paved the way for an interconnected TV and film universe, but all eyes are on Remedy to see whether they can turn this fascinating pitch into a meaningful parallel. As a way to generate conversation, to get fans engaged, and to retain an air of mystery, they’re certainly on the right track.
This rocked my socks off. And they’re just getting started.