With the graphical improvements since Alan Wake’s original release in 2010, however, we are excited to see the tortured writer’s means of survival. As he gave no more hints about the gameplay, that little tease is bound to produce an abundance of speculation. Lake said that Alan Wake 2 will be Remedy’s first survival horror. In Sam Lake’s interview at the Game Awards, however, we heard something exciting. But, it did suggest that the focus of the sequel seems to be back on the meta-analysis of storytelling (yay!) and that Alan’s flashlight has received a peculiar upgrade. The Alan Wake 2 announcement trailer didn’t give us much of a look at the gameplay. We only hope it’s not reduced to the ammo-spraying action of American Nightmare. As The Evil Within has shown us, cities can be just as psychologically terrifying as dark woodland. A city contains a plethora of potential horrors. The new trailer reveals an urban environment, alongside the familiar woodland and provincial setting. Despite a flashlight in hand, Alan – and by extension, us – doesn’t know what’s out there, hiding in the woods. The Silent Hill-esque mist in the original Alan Wake obscured our sight as we traversed the creepy woodland.
Horror writing 101 states that fear lies not in what’s seen, but what’s lurking out of our vision. It lacked the psychological horror of the original and replaced suspense with action.Īs mentioned above, Alan Wake’s original adventure drew influence from Twin Peaks and Stephen King. While the 2012 DLC was fun to play, the plot was lacking. If there’s one thing we learned from Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, it’s that the titular character needs a gloomy atmosphere to give us a good story.