It seems that a sequel to 2010 survival horror game Alan Wake is in the works, at least according to a new trademark registered for by the title's game developer.
Remedy Entertainment recently registered for a trademark for "Alan Wake's Return," which would lead most gamers to believe that such a title means that the company plans on developing an Alan Wake 2, especially since players see the word "Return" written on a book in the second piece of the original game's DLC.
A user over at NeoGAF spotted the new trademark and posted a screenshot of the trademark registration. That user also pointed out that someone registered the domain www.alanwakereturns.com last year "via the same proxy as other Remedy domains."
That certainly makes it seem like a sequel is in the works, especially considering that rumors started running rampant last year that Remedy planned on creating one. Earlier this year, Xbox boss Phil Spencer hinted that an Alan Wake sequel would arrive in 2016.
Alan Wake is a psychological survival horror game that follows a bestselling thriller author, Wake, as he investigates a small town after the disappearance of his wife. During this time, he experiences events from his most recent novel, a book that he cannot remember writing. Players must traverse the area around this town and uncover clues to find out the truth behind Wake's missing memories, while fending off The Taken, mysterious entities that cloak themselves in darkness.
Alan Wake is unique in that the player couldn't just shoot randomly at The Taken because they are impervious as long as they remain in the dark. That meant that the player needed to use light, especially Alan's flashlight, to weaken the creatures before attacking them. The player also must judiciously use streetlights as protection from The Taken.
Alan Wake received both gamer and critical acclaim, with a score of 83 on MetaCritic, thanks to its unique story and gameplay.
"A brilliantly told story, excellent voice acting, and an atmosphere so unnerving you'll sleep with the lights on for a month," said Susan Arendt from The Escapist. "If only it came with a bottle of instant amnesia so that you could play it for the first time more than once."
Since its release, fans clamored for a sequel, so here's hoping this latest bit of news means that it will finally arrive this year. It's likely the new title in the franchise is an Xbox exclusive, so for those who still don't own an Xbox One, now is as good a time as any to consider purchasing one.
Photo: ekim | NeoGAF
