Unleashing the Terror: Alan Wake 2's Ultimate Survival Horror Mastery

Highlights

Alan Wake 2 aims to be a more "traditional" survival horror game, with enemies that are "Taken" or possessed humans instead of the usual zombies or mutants.

The game has the potential to heighten the player's experience by personalizing the enemies, who would verbally provoke Alan by criticizing his writing skills, abandonment of loved ones, or his sense of being lost in the darkness.

In order to introduce an additional level of challenge and player engagement, resource management and conservation could be emphasized, wherein enemies could mock Alan when he squanders valuable supplies or fails to make accurate shots.

The enemies in a survival horror game play a key role in making it memorable. A well-designed enemy can enhance the game's experience by creating fear, tension, and immersion for players. Remedy Entertainment's creative director, Sam Lake, described the first Alan Wake game as an "action adventure with horror elements." However, for Alan Wake 2, Remedy has openly stated that it will lean towards a more "traditional" survival horror style, similar to recent successful remakes like Resident Evil and Dead Space, in terms of its tone and gameplay.

Considering this shift in style and the series' history of enemy design, Alan Wake 2 has the potential to create standout adversaries once again. If the sequel is able to capture and improve upon the unique and terrifying qualities of its enemies from the original game, it could potentially be recognized for having some of the best survival horror creatures within the genre, and even beyond.

What Alan Wake 2 Needs To Get Right About Its Enemies

The nature and origin of Alan Wake's enemies distinguish them greatly from other survival horror foes. Rather than encountering zombies, mutated lab experiments, or similar abominations, these enemies are actually possessed humans known as "Taken." Despite being under the influence of The Dark Presence, they still retain much of their original personality, albeit twisted and intensified in a violent manner. What sets them apart is their ability to communicate intelligibly, allowing them to threaten and taunt Alan Wake with clear speech instead of mere groans or random movements.

In Alan Wake 2, this aspect could be taken to a higher level of personalization for Alan and his experiences. The Taken could shout at him, accusing him of being a terrible writer, claiming that he has completely abandoned his loved ones, or relentlessly reminding him that he is forever lost in The Dark Place. Such insults would strike deep into the core of Alan's character, adding an additional layer of investment for the player.

Given Alan Wake 2's shift towards full survival horror, it would be beneficial to incorporate other standard mechanics of the genre into enemy behavior. Resource management and conservation are often key elements in this type of game. While the first installment was generous with supplies, Alan Wake 2 could place more emphasis on this aspect. One intriguing possibility is to have a Taken enemy mock Alan for wasting precious ammunition by sneeringly cackling at him when he misses a shot.

A particularly cruel yet highly effective concept could involve The Dark Presence creating a Taken version of Alan's wife, Alice. This manifestation would not only inflict physical harm upon him, but also cause significant psychological distress, which arguably would be even more impactful. Additionally, it would be intriguing to bring back Mr. Scratch in Alan Wake 2. Mr. Scratch, Alan's malevolent doppelganger, embodies his darkest and most violent traits. Similar to Nemesis or Mr. X from Resident Evil, Mr. Scratch could serve as a recurring antagonist, forcing Alan to desperately escape or outsmart his sinister counterpart in various scenarios throughout the game.

In addition to the humanoid Taken, the series also featured poltergeists - ordinary objects that became supernaturally animated by The Dark Presence. Chairs, tables, and other items would suddenly come to life and violently attack Alan. With Alan Wake 2's lighting mechanic and slower pace, it could draw inspiration from the mimics in the game Prey released in 2017. Mundane objects could be cleverly concealed in shadowy areas, forcing players to pay closer attention and avoid being caught off guard. Implementing such elements would greatly enhance the terrifying nature of the enemies in Alan Wake 2, making it a standout game in the survival horror genre.

Alan Wake 2 will be available on October 27, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.