Last night’s Game Awards had a couple of musical delights, but one stood out above the rest. Finnish rock band Poets of the Fall took to the stage as Old Gods of Asgard, the fictional band they play in Alan Wake 2, to perform the song “Herald of Darkness” from the game, and the whole spectacle easily stole the show. The performance included talent from the game itself, with director Sam Lake joining in on the fun.
“Herald of Darkness” plays an essential role during Alan Wake II, appearing during a scene some have called one of the gaming highlights of the year. As Alan continues his journey through the Dark Place, the song plays over a unique sequence that combines gameplay with a filmed live-action performance of the song. The song itself is packed with lyrics that refer to the various twists and turns the story takes, all delivered with full-throated anthem rock energy, as key characters like talk-show host Warlin Door, Alan Wake, and Sam Lake dance or sing along. Last night’s performance brought all the excitement of the show-stopping sequence to the stage.
In addition to Poets of the Fall, actor David Harewood was there to reprise his role as Mr. Door, introducing the song and sing his parts, joined by Alan Wake’s voice actor, Matthew Porretta. On stage, Ilkka Villi—the face and body of Wake—was joined by several dancers dressed in black and, eventually, Sam Lake himself.
The Game Awards’ performance of “Herald of Darkness” is a little shorter than the official video, but the energy on stage makes it worth checking out. Alan Wake II took home the awards for Best Narrative and Best Game Direction, but was inexplicably not chosen for Game of the Year or Best Score, despite this performance offering irrefutable proof that it deserved them on the literal stage of the Game Awards. Yeah okay, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fine game, but how the hell did Final Fantasy XVI win best score and music? I need to have a word with someone.
Other great performances from last night included Heilung’s performance of “Seidh” and an orchestral performance of “No Promises To Keep” from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, both of which are also well worth your time if you haven’t seen them.
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