Sam Lake Is One Of The Pinnacles Of What The Video Game Industry Should Be

I know it’s funny to say that Remedy Entertainment, which created Game of the Year nominees Control and Alan Wake 2, deserves more recognition, but it’s true.

Alan Wake garnered a cult following in the 13 years before it got a sequel, while Control was a brilliant and mind-bending dive into Remedy’s modern development potential, released back in 2019. Even if you’re not familiar with either of these works by Remedy’s Creative Director, Sam Lake, you’ll likely know of Max Payne, Lake’s previous projects with Remedy and Rockstar.

But even with Alan Wake 2 following in Control’s footsteps of being nominated for multiple Game of the Year awards, accompanied by the live performance of Herald of Darkness at The Game Awards, it doesn’t have nearly as much recognition as it deserves – and by extension, neither does Remedy nor Sam Lake.

Sam Lake, I Will Follow You Into The Dark

It’s no secret that I question the obsession with auteurs like Hideo Kojima, but when I think of one person who might deserve more praise, it’s Sam Lake – as long as the praise also reaches Remedy overall.

I came to Remedy’s games late. I had heard the praises of Alan Wake 2 through work and The Game Awards, so I wanted to try it out for myself, with no preemptive knowledge or expectations outside of critical acclaim. Alan Wake was good, if dated, but Alan Wake 2… I think it’s the one game that has really, for lack of better wording, blown my mind. Not only the storytelling, but also what is technically possible with a game.

Paired with Control, and even my time so far with the upcoming extraction shooter FBC: Firebreak, I can’t help but have a deep appreciation for Remedy Entertainment.

Sam Lake is not as heavily involved with FBC: Firebreak, instead likely overseeing the elements of story and worldbuilding.

These Games Have Me Lost At Sea, And I Love It

Remedy has a distinct style of complex storytelling, twists and turns, technically impressive gameplay, unique integration of live-action elements, and soundtracks that feel unrivalled in the video game industry. Sam Lake has a lot of fun in this, whether it’s taking on the role of Alex Casey in the game or stepping on stage at TGA to dance his heart out with Poets of the Fall.

However, despite the acclaim and the relatively low budget – at least as far as other triple-A titles are concerned – it remains in a strange, isolated pocket of the industry. Despite the things the game achieved and the story Sam Lake managed to tell, it’s been much less influential than it should have been.

I hope this will be proved wrong as we go forward, but when Zelda, Dark Souls, and even Baldur’s Gate 3 make waves in the industry that can be recognised in countless titles to follow – even each other’s follow-up sequels – it feels like Alan Wake 2 was the tree that fell in the forest, and didn’t seem to make a sound.

That all said, it’s not like the studio is failing because of it. FBC: Firebreak is on the horizon, and Control 2 is in the works, and I do not doubt that both will be equally incredible by Remedy’s standards. I only hope that more people will come aboard around launch time, and that more studios will take note of what Remedy, and Sam Lake, are doing right.