Alan, torch, darkness...yeah, it's much like everything else we've seen from a game that will see you spending most of your time in the dark, with a torch in your hand.

Love the Twitter advertisement, too. It was only a matter of time before screenshots became as cluttered with ads as a TV screen is with watermarks.

Some of this footage you may have gotten a sneak peek at during this year's E3, but with four video's worth of the Xbox 360 (and PC?) mystery adventure game waiting for you, you're sure to see something new. Like mention of being eaten by grues, for example. Parts one, two, three and four are available in eye-soothing high-definition now.

Alan Wake - HD [GameTrailers]

Alan Wake fansite BrightFalls claims to have received a statement from the developers, which reads:

Thank you for your continued interest in Alan Wake. It is accurate that we are currently working exclusively on the Xbox360 version of Alan Wake. PC plans are currently open, and therefore it's safe to say that at least a simultaneous launch with the Xbox version will not happen at this late stage. Remedy has a deep heritage in PC gaming and would love to see a PC version available to its PC followers, ultimately however this decision lies with our publisher.

If this statement did indeed come from Remedy - and we're looking into that - it's not good news for PC users looking forward to the game, as it suggests that even if the game does grace the system, it'll be late.

Then again, after Halo and Gears of War, PC users are getting used to this kind of treatment from Microsoft.

It's true – Remedy comments on No PC version rumors. [BrightFalls]

According to Alan Wake developer Remedy, ""We're focusing all our efforts on the 360 version and will be making comments in regards to the PC at a later in time."

Be patient PC owners!

Re: Can we get a straight answer about the PC version? [Alan Wake Community Forums via Shacknews via GamePro]

It is, as Mike McWhertor says, like a Silent Hill we want to play. I get a sort of Evil Dead vibe off of all of that running around in the woods and the trippy effects, and not the remake, the original.

Developer Remedy, responsible for the Max Payne series, is bringing "multilayered character interactions, unique problem-solving and intense combat against terrifying enemies" with Alan Wake, a title that looks to have a big focus on play with the contrast between light and dark.

In the trailer we saw during Microsoft's E3 press conference, Wake fended off nightmarish creatures with a flashlight and flares, powering a giant floodlight with a generator to stop of horde of things not quite human.

Players will assume the role of Wake as he searches for his missing wife in the Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls. The official announcement name checks Twin Peaks and The X-Files, should you like that kind of vibe. Further details are harder to come by, as the official release notes that Alan Wake will be a mission-based title that has a heavy focus on story. But since we have eight new screens of the game, consider another 8,000 words attached to this post.

Remedy has joined forces with Imagination Studios, who is supplying the Finnish dev with "motion-capture and animations" to enhance Alan Wake. Remedy exec Lasse Seppänen stated, "It is with great pleasure that we can recommend Imagination Studios. Remedy has been extremely pleased with their co-operation and devotion in bringing the characters of Alan Wake to life."

The developer is also best know for churning out the first two Max Payne titles for Rockstar Games. Max Payne 3 is being created by Rockstar's Vancouver studio — a sign that Remedy could be working full capacity on Alan Wake.

Delayed Alan Wake given new life with mo-cap tech [Develop]

The ESRB lists relatively new ratings for both Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne for the Xbox 360. Typically, that's a good indicator that the games are going to hit the Xbox Originals lineup. That's a good opportunity for those of you who missed out on the originals to see how Max progresses from terminally pinch-faced to sad and droopy to blood-spattered and grizzled over the course of the trilogy.

We expect the release date to be between now and "Winter."

Max Payne [ESRB via Destructoid]

An interview with Remedy Entertainment's Oskari Hakkinen reveals that the game will, like Max payne before it, introduce a key gameplay innovation/gimmick. But while Max brought us bullet time, Alan will be using the light as a "crucial element", which features not only in regular gameplay but in combat as well.

So yes, there will be shooting. Just...not much. The game is being pitched as a "psychological action game", and Hakkinen says that, despite the crazy nature of the game, you won't be fighting monsters or zombies or anything like that.

More familiar details can be found at the link below.

The Mystery of Alan Wake [IGN]

Uusi Alan Wake -traileri… [Pelaajalehti via VG247]

...we're still here and working hard on getting Alan Wake for you to enjoy. Sure, we've been in development for a long time and if everything had gone perfectly smoothly there probably would be a game out for you guys to play already. But designing a completely new game can be hard, and sometimes you need to take a detour to find the best route forward.

We understand. If this post had gone perfectly smoothly I'd be ending this with a quip about prolonged development schedules, instead of just leaving you hanging awkwardly.

A small update [Alan Wake Forums, via Shacknews]

The Microsoft Vista promotion referring to TGS took place in 2007, and is old news - we've had the winner over for taking the pictures already.

Sorry for the confusion and possible disappointment, but this was not an annoucement that Wake would be shown at TGS 2008. Remedy's team is just getting back from a bit of holiday and we haven't had time to chat with Microsoft on upcoming shows/showings yet.

Oh. Question: Then why didn't we see it at E3?

How far has Remedy comed on Alan Wake [Alan Wake via VG247]

A Windows branded contest — one that actually dates back to March of last year(!) — tells us that we'll be seeing Alan Wake in Tokyo, at least in trailer form. It's entirely possible that we'll see the title as Games Convention, PAX or some other big gaming get together. But for now, pencil in a date with Mr. Wake for October. That's pencil, not pen.

"WOW" Be A Face In The Game [Microsoft - thanks, SS!]

You don't get to follow a production this huge in other entertainment business here in Finland. I saw Alan Wake posters made for an international game convention a few years back. I realized this is the closest to Hollywood I'll ever get.

Not necessarily a bad thing.

Alan Wake Interview [Tietoviikko via V2 Thanks Manu for the translation!]

It is best to consider Alan Wake to be a Vista exclusive game.

That's from Mika Reini from Remedy, who has the very dry title of "office manager." Alright, then. Who's next?

Is Alan Wake cancelled for 360 ? - Answer: Nope [Alan Wake Forums]

Remedy is known for their games about grimacing, constipated protagonists with incompetent puns for names. First, Max Payne. Now Alan Wake, or, you know, isn't that clever, A. Wake?

They are also known for their atrocious faux-Noir writing: "They were all dead. The final gunshot was an exclamation mark on everything that had led to this point. I released my finger from the trigger, and it was over..." We'll let pass "exclamation mark", even though there is no such thing, because then they'd use the word "point" twice in the same sentence. But wouldn't it all be over when you squeezed the trigger, not released it? Sadly, this is probably one of the more elegant compositions in Max Payne.

However, we'll forgive Remedy all that, because ultimately the Max Payne games were pretty fun. And from a technology perspective? Alan Wake looks absolutely amazing. Florian Eckhardt