Remedy may have given us a teeny glimpse of Alan Wake 2 during a presentation detailing their new development tools, sending fans into a frenzy.
The developer recently released a lengthy video on Universal Scene Description and its implementation into the studio's in-house engine, Northlight. But as Reddit user Sir_Galehaut highlights, it might also include a teaser for Alan Wake 2. Around four minutes into the video, an image shows an early build of an unknown game. The scene is pretty barebones, with just the virtual skeleton of a character holding a gun and a large room containing a staircase and stone archways.
alan_wake_2_game_interior_leaked from r/AlanWake
"This image seems to be from a new project because it doesn't match any location from their existing games," says the Reddit user on the Alan Wake subreddit. The file name for the image is "NationalLibrary", and as the Alan Wake 2 trailer featured a rainy shot of New York City, this prompted the user to do a web search for libraries in New York, and up popped the New York Public Library.
A side-by-side comparison of Remedy's creation and an interior photo of the library shows just how strikingly similar they are. "When looking at pictures of the Astor Hall, we realize that it perfectly fits with the layout seen in-game," says Sir_Galehaut. "The stairs, pillars, and arches are almost identical to the real building."
Just what Alan Wake could be doing there remains a mystery. Is he hunting some otherworldly being or simply wanting to catch up on some reading? As other users point out, there's also the possibility that the build might not be from Alan Wake 2 or, indeed, a work-in-progress game at all, but simply a test space built by Remedy to try out new tools in its engine.
Alan Wake 2 was revealed in a gloomy cinematic trailer during The Game Awards 2021. The sequel will seemingly offer a lot more scares than Alan's trip to Bright Falls, with the studio's creative director Sam Lake describing it as "Remedy's first survival horror game." It's set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC sometime in 2023.
In the mood for more frights? Take a look at our pick of the best horror games to play right now.
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