In this installment of “Wake Up,” I’d like to address an idea I’ve had for a future installment of the Alan Wake series. One of the most intriguing aspects, at least for me, of Alan Wake is the role that writing plays in the story. While Wake can write the story, and he somewhat has control over where it takes him, he also explains that it still must make sense in the end, a give and take between he and the darkness. He can’t write just anything. My proposition is, why not give the player the chance to decide what to write next?
Now, while I understand that it would be difficult to allow players to make decisions that would drastically change the games storyline, I don’t see why we, the gamers, shouldn’t be able to “write” some of our own choices into the story. With Wake being a writer, it’d be rather interesting coming to a point in the story, a fork in the road, where we had to choose between two transcript pages, each with its own hidden consequences and rewards. Avoiding a group of Taken at one point could mean running into one of those psycho chainsaw Taken later. Choosing to surround Alan with Taken now, could lead to a safe haven, ammo, or maybe even a new weapon somewhere down the trail. This shouldn’t limited to just game play; carrying over transcript choices into cut scenes would also be welcomed.
Making choices throughout the story could spice up the game, but what I’m most interested in is the possibility of what these choices could lead to, a la multiple endings. Now, I know stories don’t normally have multiple endings, but implementing a “story writing” system throughout the game could allow for players to make the story their own. Immersing players in the role of an “author” would surely give the game play a twist, and it’s also a facet of Wake’s character that I’d like to see further explored.
What do you think? Is this something you’d like to see in a future Alan Wake game? Be sure to share what you’d like to see next in the comments!
