Remedy Calls Alan Wake/Quantum Break's Linear Gameplay Lost Opportunities,Talks Multiplayer Approach

Remedy reflected on the linear gameplay of Alan Wake & Quantum Break, calling those lost opportunities in hindsight.

They also talked briefly about their approach to multiplayer in future projects.

[-Foxtrot]

Why don't they focus improving their single player before crappy multiplayer

Quatum Break was a step back for these guys, they can do better and focusing on multiplayer to try and please publishers so they'll get funded is ridiculous....and lets be honest that's why they are doing online now.

[Erik7357]

I agree, I don't want a multiplayer game from Remedy. I want a good single player experience from Remedy.

[Festano]

Me too, I think they're reading this flop completely wrong.

[NukaCola]

Uncharted is a good study tool

[RpgSama]

They are so out of touch about why their game was a commercial flop, they're going by last generation practice of, "it must have been because it didn't have added on multiplayer! ...Yeah, that's the reason".

If only they didn't spend the majority of their budget on TV segments that people didn't ask, and put that time, money and resources on the game, it would have been something really special.

Alan Wake to me is one of the best games of the last generation, had so much fun with it.

[Imp0ssibl3]

I haven't played Alan Wake but I enjoyed Quantum Break, it was a nice experiment. But it's probably a lot cheaper to add cool and open world elements to expand their games than paying top class actors like they did for the TV episodes.

[Thatguy-310]

If they can't nail stories in linear games you swear they'll do any better with adding open world elements. The people at remedy are talented but we need to stop expecting them to produce titles that match the once produce by companies like Naughty dog or Rockstar.

[darthv72]

Alan wake was awesome storywise as well as game play. Have not played quantum break but I understand that while the game play is really good... it is those live action cut scenes that really break the flow and tend to ruin the overall experience.

It looks appealing to me as I like the premise of the story.

[PrinterMan]

IMHO Quantum break is a mess on PC even after updates. Time powers felt tacked on and unnecessary most of the time. Got it on sale and I will never finish the game. 5 out of 10 for me. Graphics are okay but nothing to write home about either. Shaky performance even on my GTX 1080 at 1440p. There are nicer looking games that offer much better performance than this one. Just my 2 cents.

[lastking95]

Exactly the tv show really took you out the moment. You complete an epic gp sequence hungry for more only to have a 20 min cutscene....

@printerman 😒 thats like someone saying max payne bullet time is tacked on lol gtfoh

[Godmars290]

"Why don't they focus improving their single player before crappy multiplayer?"

Because MS. Once Halo 2 saved the Xbox, justified XBL, that became their focus.

[EyeAmTJ]

Nothing is wrong with their single player games, Quantum Break was short yes, but it was still a good story an game, Alan Wake was a classic

[SnotyTheRocket]

You must not have a fun time playing with other people

[Christopher]

I feel it was more of a lateral move, not a step back.

Alan Wake had great storytelling but I felt the mechanics were tedious and boring. Quantum break had good gameplay, but that story... meh to the meh to the predictable meh.

What I would rather see is them to shrug off the gimmick of TV spots and develop a sequel to QB that makes more sense and truly embraces time manipulation. Something that doesn't give you power and then have you use it only where and how they tell you to use it while doing the exact thing you wanted to do with it 30 minutes later. And, have branching choices that truly matter and really affect the game in a very noticeable way.

Or, if they go with a new IP, just try doing better than their past games. Don't hold themselves back.

Edit: And I don't think linear gameplay is so much an issue as it is linear storytelling while telling us we make a decision to change things. If I make one choice or another, why do I still end up going to the same place to do the same thing next?

[81BX]

I thought QB was great. Lol

[lastking95]

I'll take both, thank you. Quantum breaks only problems were the tv show taking away from play time and lack of content which mp would've help. So take that bs else where. Why choose 1 great sp exprience when you can have both sp and mp. At $60 EVERY GAME must have both for me. Otherwise I wait till its $40, unless there some deal for buying it.(gift card etc)

OT remedy has my respect they learned and recongized how their games couldve been even better. I really hope we get an alan wake 2 or qb 2 with those ideas.

The tv show honestly wasnt bad but i came to play not watch. Why many hate qte's. Had qb been an episodic game then the show would've received with more love.

[81BX]

I liked the tv show. A lot of people didnt but it was something fresh for a change. Hope it goes on sale soon.

[lelo2play]

Alan Wake was a very good game.
Quantum Break was crap.
What the hell happened to Remedy?

[lastking95]

Alan wake is overrated imho. Wasnt bad but id take Quantum break over AW any day.

[Jon_Targaryen]

One word... Microtransactions.

[Phil32]

I agree as well. Too many devs focus on both single and multi and that makes both suffer.

[ccgr]

Haven't played this one yet, it's gotten mixed reviews. Maybe when it goes on sale

[Alexious]

Just look out for the next big Steam sale. I think it's worth it if you enjoy narrative heavy games, but then again I always liked time-travel themed stories.

[KaiPow]

QB wasn't a W10 exclusive?

Edit: oh right, there was a DX10 version that released later on

[Gazondaily]

Rent it. Don't buy it.

[81BX]

I disagree! Buy it. Support the devs on this one!

[Deadpooled]

Or buy it second hand?

[Gazondaily]

Depends on how cheap really. After you're done with it, you're hardly going to go back to it. At least in my opinion.

[Chris_Wray]

See, the original idea of Alan Wake was for it to be more open. That would have been fantastic, to see a game with the obvious quality of Alan Wake be considerably less linear and, as a result, less boring. The best example of this would be Deadly Premonition which has become a cult classic for a number of reasons, the open world and being able to explore it certainly helped this.

[Gazondaily]

Yeah absolutely. An open world Alan wake game where you have to run against the clock before sunset and stuff...oh man, that would have been incredible.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Technically speaking Alan Wake was originally supposed to be open world

That was before Microsoft published the game..

[JasonKCK]

You know this how?

[Kleptic]

@jason, it was absolutely everywhere early last gen...

just google it...Alan Wake had a pretty troubled development, even before MS got involved and 'forced' it onto 360. The original concept was more or less confirmed to be an open world game, but Remedy kind of back peddled on that saying it was to be an 'open narrative' game or something...and was more talking about the story going in all kinds of different directions depending on player actions and choices (I'm guessing in a heavy rain kind of way, but with very different gameplay)...then saying they needed to close in the gameplay in order to tell a better story...something along those lines, but the game was in development for like half a decade.

The end game was good imo. It had a consistent theme and tone, which is not easy to come by when everyone and their dentists seem to be involved with creative decision making these days. I overall found it weaker than either of Remedy's max payne games, though. Haven't tried QB yet.

[denawayne]

Early demo showing open world

https://youtu.be/DfmDazoozh...

[Gazondaily]

Yeah I know about the canned open world game. It looked great.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Lol I thought I was the only one that remembered that that game was originally supposed to be open world.

I missed what it was supposed to be.

[xDealtwithIt]

The first six months of development the game was open world. How could you have missed it when it wasnt even complete and hardly any gameplay was shown?

http://kotaku.com/5475175/a...

Also Remedy changed it way before MS published the game because the freedom of the open world killed their story narrative, or do you truly believe MS walked in and said no to an open world game? Lol

[_-EDMIX-_]

@xDeal- I can still miss what it could have been.

It's very likely with Microsoft using DVD at the time for 360 that was simply changed because Microsoft did not have the format for such a game....

[xDealtwithIt]

Except for the fact that there are many open world games on 360 using the DVD format. The actual Alan wake game hardly used CG cut scenes unlike other games that needed multiple discs because of the dvd format.

Sorry, but you just cant blame MS for this. Remedy said it themselves that an open world type style would kill the story narrative they were trying to tell.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@xdeal- my comment regarding Microsoft and DVD is simply speculation especially if you factor Alan Wake started development before Microsoft even released the final specs of the 360.

Yes lots of open world games released for the 360 but lots of them had to clearly restrict their content and make their games fit DVD, something that Alan Wake likely didn't have a chance to do.

If Microsoft was going to fund and publish Alan Wake I'm extremely doubtful that the developer was ever going to reveal that Microsoft was not going to pay for the extra space Microsoft wasn't even willing to pay for the extra space to other developers that were openly complaining at the dated format.

I have no doubt in my mind that the same space they just used the previous-generation being used to once again might have had a lot to do with their decision to make it linear especially since it would be on a platform that clearly did not have all the units with hard drives and clearly was using DVD as the format.

If they used 7 gigs the last generation I'm pretty positive being revealed that they would be forced to use 7 gigs again might have changed their plans from open-world to linear.

That's simply speculation.

[xDealtwithIt]

I'm glad you're speculating but now you have proof so there's no need to speculate any longer.

Remedy have gone on record that the decision to make it more linear was an internal decision and had nothing to do with MS or the dvd format.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@City- "How could it have changed from being open world after Microsoft become publisher. Microsoft was signed up to publish from the start"

?

I'll give you time to do a little research

[_-EDMIX-_]

@city-That's nice.

where on your post does it state that Microsoft was supposed to publish from the start of the development of Alan Wake?

https://www.gamingnexus.com...

Ummmm the development of Alan Wake started in 2005 Microsoft announces that they are partnered with Remedy in 2006.

My speculation on why Alan Wake became linear as opposed to open world is simply just that, speculation.

Your post regarding what remedy said it's simply their claim they're not going to openly state that the company that is no funding their game has weaker or dated Hardware but has caused their game to become linear.

All you have to do is look at the numerous developers that have confronted Microsoft on their dated format

http://www.shacknews.com/ar...

Simply speculation but a little research will actually show you that Microsoft never started the development of Alan Wake, they partnered with a remedy after the fact.

The fact remains that Alan Wake was open world before Microsoft partnered with Remedy.

I'm not saying that remedy never made those comments I'm simply speculating on the truthfulness of them considering their position I don't believe they were going to throw Microsoft under the bus after they just funded their game.

I don't know , maybe you should actually research this information before posting lies that could simply be looked up

Your entire post prior is literally a lie that can be looked up smh.

Pretty much questions any crap that you post from here on out.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Why is a game better because it's open world? Not everything has to be a sandbox game. It's hard to nail a suspenseful tone with open world design

[sullynathan]

open world doesn't mean sandbox

[lastking95]

It depends on the game.

[Chris_Wray]

No game is immediately better due to open world. Hell, I'm one of the most anti-Ubisoft people around at the moment and I do nothing but condemn the rut they're in, the constant open-worlding and Ubisofting of so many genres and franchises. However, there are merits to an open world and Alan Wake could have certainly benefited from the added content, the freedom to explore a town of horrors and such as that.

Of course a driven structure is always good for a creator, but it doesn't need to be completely open GTA style, I would never argue that. Again, look at Deadly Premonition or even the early Silent Hill games, they had a perfect mixture of open and closed.

[Stogz]

I disagree completely, Alan Wake was a great story because it was linear. If they would've made it open world the story would have suffered since most open world games focus less on story.

[_-EDMIX-_]

What if the story would have simply been just the same?

[lastking95]

Thats the dumbest thing ive ever heard.

[Alexious]

I actually remember the very first demonstration they had of the game, which showcased the open world elements. I hope they can still implement those ideas in a sequel.

[_-EDMIX-_]

When they are showing the cool weather affects?

Agreed.

If someone could find the original footage somewhere that would be greatly appreciated.

Edit- found it!

https://youtu.be/D3HybhZjcG...

[Notwithrocksteady]

The gunplay and time powers are amoung the best I've ever played. I wish they had regular cut scenes and made a survival mode, because I just wanted 1000 more bad guys to shoot with my awesome powers. The explosions are better than any uncharted game imo. To the people calling the game too short, I could run do pretty much any game in under five hours if I want to overlook every collectible and story item. Uncharted 4 took me 19 hrs and quantum break took me 15, not a big deal. quantum break should've been a $40 game. Uncharted 4 gives more replay value at $60.

[guyman]

"The explosions are better than any uncharted game in my opinion"

What a massive achievement

[gbsrnctaln]

This game sucked monkey nutts.

[_-EDMIX-_]

I agree, I want the Alan Wake that we were first shown when it was an open world game

Edit- found the footage

https://youtu.be/D3HybhZjcG...

[denawayne]

I used to show these demos to my buddies to show what was coming in the future. Then it all went away. Bummed me out

[Deathdeliverer]

This one boring ass game. No other way to slice it. I knew I was in for a thrill ride when I had to find a complicated ass route to get on top of something that I could jump and head and shoulders higher than. What's that? The gate is locked on this fence that you can clearly jump over it's so low. Naw. I think I'll figure out how long I have to rewind time to get to a point that the gate was open. So many decisions that simply brought things to a damn crawl.

Let's not get started on that TV show. You watched it longer than you play the game. It reminded me of how Microsoft USED to be at E3. Here's (enter celebrity) to talk to me like we have known each other longer than 20 mins and tell people why they should buy product A on Xbox! Instead of using the money they spent on those high dollar actors, they should have used it on more development time, which would have produced more intricate options, a better story, better pacing, and a plethora of other things. Marcus Felix face and voice would have sold the same amount of gears copies as Arnold Schwarzeneggers face and voice. Just cheaper.

Focus on getting single player right. Please.

[Swiftfox]

In other words, they want to make open world games too. They are probably being pushed by Microsoft to create more market friendly and lucrative games. Open world games are what the FPS was last generation--the go-to money maker. Just look at how many games are open world these days, and also look at how many franchises straight up abandoned their traditional structure in order to fit into an open world construct.

[Skankinruby]

Open world gameplay has to make sense, otherwise it's a whole lot of wasted time that would have been much better as a linear game. So tired of people looking at linear games as a bad thing, I don't play xbox but if I did I would definitely buy both of these they looked really good.

[joab777]

Multiplayer isn't necessarily the answer, but more of an open world. TW3 is a great example of how the player can have an amazing open world to play around in while also having a insanely good single player story.

Alan Wake was great. Maybe there could be an open world of sorts in which he is able to investigate other paranormal fully fleshed out side quests that play into the main story. It doesn't have to be huge, but detailed with a lot to do.

[madforaday]

Remedy is barely half the size of CD Projekt Red, I have no idea how to develop an open world game but I am sure you need a lot of people to make a game as rich as Witcher 3 was.

[joab777]

True

[madforaday]

Regardless of that, I wouldn't mind Alan Wake to be more like the Witcher 3 when it comes to the richness of that game.

[DeadManMMX]

This and open world are exactly the opposite of what Remedy should be doing. I played this game and loved it tv show parts and all it told a solid story from start to finish. I played it back to back with my cousin and we both agreed. I think that most people who PLAYED the game enjoyed the game. You can look through comments threads about the quality of the game and most of the people going on and on about how it sucks are the ones who haven't played it yet or were never going to from the get go. Most of the reason this game got reviewed badly at all was because of the fact they went with live action tv show cutscenes. Remedy are great storytellers and they told a good story with this game. There were lessons to be taken from the experience but not the ones they seem to have taken from it.

[gamer7804]

i don't think they should do multiplayer, their bread and butter has been single player, and if that isn't up to their standards they should focus on making that better.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Remedy if you were my head I would smack it.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

There was nothing boring about QB. You were on the run from the very beginning.

[DigitalRaptor]

So being on the run, automatically makes a game exciting? I disagree.

The combat areas in the game were scattered too few and far between for a 3rd-person shooter, even though there were some quality signature moments when you finally reach those areas of combat. Sadly, it becomes ridiculously repetitive, and you're only fighting enemies in extremely closed-in environments which doesn't provide much in terms of gameplay options. Thus the extreme repetition.

What happened to this being the 2016 GOTY, best action-shooter of 2016? That's what you said, right?

[343_Guilty_Spark]

What's awful about it?

[MasterCornholio]

Many disliked the TV stuff. Plus they also said the story wasn't very good. That's the main reason why it got mixed reviews.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I asked what was bad about the story though?

[DigitalRaptor]

The TV show parts were as bad than the worst kind of crap you see on Syfy channel. It was a complete and utter waste of resources that should have been channeled into founding quality game design or hiring better writers.

The main character, Jack Joyce, was a one-dimensional derp of a character. The chemistry that they were going for with his brother was non-existent. The character performances were lacking which is weird for high profile actors. The incidental dialog was awfully written and performed. The only good part of the story/lore were lazily contained within documents and emails on computer terminals and things that you had to read to get the most out of the story.

In reference to the gameplay, the combat arenas were incredibly small and combat repetitive with these moments being spread very thinly and far between. The animations were embarrassingly lacking, archaic and janky for a modern third-person shooter/action game.

[Tussin187]

Man, I wish Remedy would develop on PS4. One developer on MS's side that I wish would go multiplatform. Oh well, if I get a Scorpio then I will definitely pick there games up.

[TheDivine]

Two of the best games I have ever played. The linearity worked for QB since it was so story focused. It felt perfectly paced and I never got bored nor did the game overstay its welcome. Prob the best time travel/sci-fi game IMO. The ending was so damn good which I won't get into but I think a lot of people didn't really get it from the internet boards I've been on. Really well thought out and I loved the live episodes. I was even dissapointed there weren't more (this coming from someone who thought it would ruin the game and bashed the inclusion of them). Loved it to death.

Alan Wake was the best creepy game I've ever played beside RE4. I wouldn't call it survival horror, more psychological horror maybe. It also had amazing storytelling but I think their original vision of making the whole town open world would've benefitted this game specifically. It was still great and one of my favorite games ever. You can see and feel the Remedy DNA in Max Payne, Alan Wake, and Quantum Break. Dark hopeless storytelling. The time mechanics, seeing environments be reconstructed or destroyed. Not knowing what's real, insanity exc. Love these guys and will support anything they make for sure.

[Atomicjuicer]

If quantum break had come out on ps4 it would have sold. MS should loan it out and get some cash from Sony.

[DigitalRaptor]

It still wouldn't have been a great game though.

It puzzles me that Microsoft is a WAY more wealthy company than Sony, but they are not green-lighting and developing these crazy ambitious, diverse AAA exclusive games like Sony is, and are instead, cancelling game projects, closing down many first-party studios and now have a paper-thin lineup of upcoming "exclusives" leftover from a time when they were actually putting money into exclusive first-party games at the start of the generation.

Sony is also spending the money on the third-party deals more than MS this gen, so sound industry logic dictates that MS should be the ones investing more in exclusive games than the competition, but nope.....

[cfc83]

I think i'll start playing AW american nightmare or QB today. I liked AW, despite getting a bit lost plot wise, and i liked QB game and tv until i lost my save. I like Remedy as they will continually try something different until they get there.

[brewin]

The problem with narrative focused games is that there seems to be no balance between gameplay and story. Its like ok you bought a game, now watch us try to make the best movie we can.

Some games can pull it off, like Uncharted series, silent hill, gta series, etc. But Remedy really seems like they just want to make movies to me. Alan wake was great, i loved it. But i really wanted to explore that world. So much detail that seemed wasted and qb feels even worse to me. I like it, but it really is annoying to have to watch a 20-30 minute "episode" just as I'm really getting into the gameplay. They made this great game and forced it to be a movie. I would have preferred qb and alan wake as some style of open world games for sure. Great worlds to be in that needed more gameplay imo.

[2pacalypsenow]

No every game need to be open world, that's what ruined MGS5. Alan wake was great.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

My main problem with this game was the shooting never felt right. Something was off about it.

[ziggurcat]

I honestly don't think MP would have worked very well with QB or Alan Wake - not even co-op. I think Remedy should focus on creating solid single player experiences rather than try to shoehorn MP into their game somehow (I'm looking at you, Bioshock 2... ).

edit: nothing bothers me more than when devs pander to the MP crowd - if they are worried about replay value at all, you can still achieve that without MP by having an experience that people want to keep going back to play.

[curtis92]

"Our SP games aren't selling, must be because everyone wants MP" Yeah, I know what's next. "People aren't buying our MP games, must be because everyone is on mobile."

[Wotbot]

I really loved the game, a great achievement and a real shame more Xbox owners didn't buy it. But you can pick it up right now real cheap.

[JBlaze226]

Both games was awesome, enjoyed both but yes the tv partition in quantum break was a bit much and could have been more focus on the story line. Cant wait for the sequel to Alan Wake

[Tzuno]

Graphics all the way and dumb plots, here boys we want 60$