Shifting the Focus: Remedy’s Take on Frame Rate and Resolution in Alan Wake 2

Remedy Entertainment’s Communications Director, Thomas Puha, has a message for gamers: it’s time to move beyond the fixation on frame rate and resolution. Following the recent announcement that “Alan Wake 2” will feature a performance mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X, Puha wants to shift the conversation away from technical specs and onto the actual gaming experience.

The performance mode for “Alan Wake 2” is designed to cater to players who prioritize responsiveness, offering a higher frame rate in a game originally crafted as a 30fps experience focused on visuals and ambiance. Puha refrained from disclosing exact figures for the performance mode’s frame rate and resolution, as he understood that these numbers can often lead to divisive discussions. Instead, he emphasized the importance of examining the game’s image quality.

Puha highlighted that gaming performance isn’t solely determined by frame rate and resolution. Lowering the resolution isn’t a magical solution to achieve a stable 60fps, and “Alan Wake 2” employs various techniques to optimize frame rates while maintaining excellent visual quality. The game utilizes a range of settings, including texture detail, shadow quality, and lighting quality, to balance performance and aesthetics.

The development team has also revamped the game’s “rendering pipeline” and introduced a new “occlusion culling system” to ensure that the game offers top-tier graphics while maintaining smooth frame rates. Puha playfully explained that a “rendering pipeline” is a system that extracts graphics from deep within the gaming device, humorously associating higher resolutions with active volcanoes. Meanwhile, “occlusion culling” is a process that eliminates objects and entities that aren’t visible to the player, contributing to performance optimization.

Puha delved into the specific challenges faced in achieving desired frame rates in “Alan Wake 2.” The game’s frame rate can vary depending on the character you control – Alan Wake or newcomer Saga Anderson. Each character’s story unfolds in a distinct environment with varying computational demands. For instance, the dark urban environment where Alan Wake spends most of his time is more manageable in terms of performance. In contrast, Saga’s narrative in the Pacific Northwest is rife with dense forests, foliage, and intricate lighting, all of which pose greater rendering challenges.

Moreover, Puha pointed out that different game genres and styles necessitate different frame rates. The choice of frame rate should align with the gameplay experience the developers aim to deliver. A fast-paced game may require a higher frame rate, while a slower-paced title may prioritize other aspects.

Despite the discourse around frame rates and resolutions, Puha remains eager to gauge players’ reactions when “Alan Wake 2” is released. He acknowledges that the discussion around these technical details may have gotten out of hand, but it remains an essential aspect of the gaming industry.

In conclusion, “Alan Wake 2” is set to offer an engaging and visually impressive gaming experience, with Remedy Entertainment balancing performance and aesthetics to create a compelling title. Puha’s plea to move beyond the technical specifications is a reminder that gaming encompasses various aspects beyond frame rates and resolutions.