"Leaked" Alan Wake Video Actually From Cancelled PS3 Project

Kris Erickson • Jan 29, 2009 • Comments ()

The developers behind the doomed PS3 project Redwood Falls may want to consider giving their idea another shot. At the very least, they must have felt vindicated when early beta footage of their cancelled game was passed off as brand new video of Alan Wake for the Xbox 360.

Earlier in the week, a major online games publication posted what it claimed was “leaked” footage from development of the open-world Microsoft thriller. Indeed, the shakey-cam footage of a PC monitor did appear to show scenes from Alan Wake. All of the ingredients were present: we had the creepy forest, supernatural sound effects, and barely-functional flashlight to illuminate the path ahead. Furthermore, the game looked great, convincing many that the presentation was, indeed, legitimate.

But less than 12 hours later, internet detectives dropped the news that the footage was fake. Or rather, that the footage belonged to a title completely separate from Alan Wake. The video (embedded below) actually shows early testing footage from a PS3 exclusive that was in development by Kuju Entertainment but was later cancelled.

We learned two important lessons from all of this – first of all, Sony and Kuju Entertainment never should have cancelled Redwood Falls. The game looks like it had major promise as a creepy survival-horror title, especially at a time when Sony could use more high-profile exclusives to help move its expensive home console. Secondly, Alan Wake could turn out to be a really awesome game, especially if it manages to create an atmosphere as creepy as the one shown in this (fake) preview.