Alan Wake sequel in the works–possibly for the next Xbox

By Ryan Fleming October 5, 2011

It’s kind of a good news, bad news thing for fans of Remedy Entertainment’s Xbox 360 exclusive, Alan Wake. The good news is that a sequel is in the works. That shouldn’t come as too big a shock though. The game received high critical praise, sold decently and Remedy stated that it saw the first game as the first season of a much larger story.

But here’s the rub: According to a new report from CVG—which must still be considered as a rumor for now—the Alan Wake 2 is being developed for the next generation of Xbox.

And it isn’t alone. According to an “insider,” several developers have teams working on games for the next Xbox. Along with Remedy, the article specifically identifies Lionhead, developer of the Fable games, and Turn 10, developer of the Forza Motorsports games. Both developers have games on the way for the 360—Fable 4 is rumored for 2013 and a Kinect-only Fable title is due in 2012, while Forza Motorsports 4 debuts next week. But beyond that, both developers may join Remedy in closing down development on the 360 in favor of the next Xbox.

That doesn’t mean that the Xbox 360 is dead, and the next generation of both the Xbox and PlayStation may still be several years off. And even if they are unveiled sooner than anyone thinks, that doesn’t mean development on the current generation will suddenly conclude, far from it.

But it if the rumors are true, it seems likely that developers that have attached themselves to the Xbox, and are producing Xbox exclusives, may go dark as they quietly begin preparation on what could be the launch titles for the next generation of Xbox.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

All charm locations and effects in Alan Wake 2

Saga walks through Coffee World in Alan Wake 2.

Alan Wake 2 features an abundance of collectibles to find if you'd like to see and learn about everything the game has to offer, and some of them can actually come in handy for combat, too. While playing as Saga, you're going to want to keep your eyes open for charms to find and equip, most of which can be obtained by completing nursery rhymes around each of the game's three main maps. Below, we've listed all of the charms in the game, what effects they provide, and where you can find them.
All charm locations and effects
Logan's Charm
Effect: Increases your maximum health.

Location: Obtained automatically at the beginning of the game.
Coffee Mug Charm
Effect: Saves you from dying when your health is depleted, but it breaks immediately after.

Gaming

How to show all collectibles in Alan Wake 2 with the Mayor Setter Charm

Mayor Setter

There are a lot of collectibles to find in Alan Wake 2, so you're probably wondering if there's a way to show them all on your map. The answer is yes, but only when having the Mayor Setter Charm equipped, which you can't obtain until pretty late in the game by visiting Mayor Setter himself. When that time comes, you may be shocked to find that Mayor Setter is actually a dog. Less shocking, however, is that you'll probably want to pet him.

Luckily, in addition to being a pleasant experience, petting this political canine will accomplish multiple useful things. For starters, you'll earn the trophy or achievement called "The Nice Things in Life," which marks one more thing off your list for 100% completion. But perhaps most importantly, Mayor Setter will bestow upon you the aforementioned Mayor Setter Charm. When wearing this charm in one of your charm slots, you'll be able to spot the locations of basically any collectible on the map, making tracking everything down significantly easier without a guide.
How to get the Mayor Setter Charm and show all collectibles on the map
Mayor Setter will spawn in the game in Return 6 after you've spoken with your colleagues in the police station and selected to continue exploring instead of passing the point of no return. At this point, you can return to your car and drive to Watery to find that Mayor Setter is sitting on the stage inside Suomi Hall where you can interact with him to earn the Mayor Setter Charm, which you can then equip to show all unfound collectibles on the map.

Computing

Alan Wake 2 is proof that more PC games need a potato mode

Alan Wake 2 running on the Samsung Odyssey OELD G9.

Alan Wake 2 is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played -- and it's the frontrunner for the most demanding PC game you can currently run. For as impressive as the game is, from its path-traced reflections to the extensive use of Nvidia tech, it's so demanding that some otherwise-powerful PCs won't be able to post playable frame rates.

It's clear developer Remedy set out to create a certain atmosphere with Alan Wake 2 that can only be captured with photorealistic visuals. That said, Alan Wake 2 is proof that more PC games need to adopt a stripped-back graphics setting, even if that means sacrificing a part of what makes the game special.
What in the world is a potato mode?
A potato mode is something so easy to run that you could run it on a potato -- not literally, of course, but that's the sentiment. It's a kill switch graphics option that will only be used by a small fraction of PCs, but it can help the least powerful (and least expensive) rigs at least run an otherwise demanding PC game.