One could easily jump to the conclusion that Alan Wake — an atmospheric horror game from the folks behind Max Payne — would wear an M rating from the ESRB like a blood-soaked badge of honor. That’s apparently not the case, however; Microsoft just announced that Remedy’s upcoming thriller will sport a T rating when it finally hits store shelves on May 18.
Most major retailers these days have policies in place to discourage the selling of M-rated software to anyone under the age of 17. In theory, Alan Wake’s T rating should allow more potential customers to pick up the game.
We can’t help but wonder whether or not the T rating was the developer’s target all along, or if the lower barrier to entry is just an attempt at recovering some of the investment from the game’s five-plus years in development. Either way, we’ll keep you updated on Remedy’s long-awaited psychological horror game as we approach its May release date.
