Update 31 May 2023 – After the surprise reveal of the very first Alan Wake 2 gameplay trailer during Sony’s PlayStation Showcase last week, the below article was in dire need of an update now we have new insights. The article was originally published after the sequel’s announcement in 2021 but has now been revisited as we try to uncover: How will Alan Wake 2 play?
After the announcement of Alan Wake 2 during The Game Awards in 2021, we were left with not much else besides the game’s release date. As that date is now drawing near, more and more information about the game is being revealed. After a decade of waiting, only a few months are left before the game is finally in our hands. However, Alan Wake 2 will be fairly different from its predecessor. While the former was more action-oriented, the latter will be entering the horror-survival genre. We can’t help ourselves but speculate a little about how the game might turn out to be.
What makes a horror-survival game?
What exactly makes a survival-horror game? What elements define the genre? Without a doubt, you’ve played a survival horror video game before. The games from the Resident Evil series have become genre-defining. However, there’s more to a survival-horror game than cheap scares and zombies. A survival-horror game has a strong focus on the survival of the main character, who’s usually put through pain and torment. The atmosphere in this type of game is dark and scary making the player feel less in control. That feeling is strengthened through limited access to health or ammunition. The path of the hero is regularly blocked by puzzles or dark, maze-like environments. Survival-horror games also usually challenge the player to maintain their inventory, as ammunition and puzzle objects all take up space in their backpacks. Wait a minute! Didn’t we see Alan wear a shoulder bag? Might that mean we need to do inventory management?
It’s not hard to imagine Alan Wake 2 will be a stark contrast to its predecessor when it comes to gameplay. The previous game puts a lot of emphasis on combat and taking an offensive approach. That’s what an action-oriented videogame is all about. Horror-survival games stimulate players to take more defensive action or evade hazardous situations by taking alternative routes. Certain areas of the game might even be off-limits until an object or key is found. Similar to what we’ve seen in Control. Now that we mention it, both Control and Alan Wake II take place in the Remedy Connected Universe. That means the Federal Bureau of Control might appear, or we might learn what happened to Jesse Faden after the events of Control! There’s also a fat chance we might come across Ahti. Watery, Ahti’s favorite place to spend his holiday, is an explorable area in Alan Wake 2.
Taken and the Cult of Tree
Every game needs enemies to fight. Alan Wake has the Taken. We’ll likely see the Taken return for the sequel, albeit more aggressive or powerful. Not much is known about our new adversary but the Taken are still a perfect enemy for a survival-horror game. The taken seem to be present in the new trailer, shadowy figures can be seen surrounding our heroes. They can appear out of nowhere or lurk behind every corner, making every route a dangerous one.
If there’s one aspect Alan Wake was criticized for the most, it is its lack of enemy variety. The same was said about its gameplay. Before players can harm the Taken, they must be cleansed of darkness with a light source. This “one-two punch” element becomes a bit stale as the game progresses. Hopefully, the sequel tackles these problems.
We also briefly see humanoid enemies wearing hazmat suits and masks that resemble the head of deer. The internet has dubbed these cultist-like enemies members of the Cult of Tree. In the trailer, these enemies aggressively hunt for both Saga and Alan and look to be dangerous adversaries not to be taken lightly. The trailer also reveals more mystical enemies with 6 arms and super-human strength. It will surely take wit and cunning to take these down!
Weapons
Alan is also wielding a new type of flashlight. Perhaps this is a device he created himself? Something that’s no longer dependent on batteries as an energy source? Perhaps this device can be tinkered with and upgraded? All questions that are, hopefully, answered soon. For now, this remains pure speculation. Saga and Alan are also seen wielding traditional firearms like pistols and shotguns. Ammo will likely be scarce, a typical survival game trope!
Another question the sequel hopefully will answer is; will Alan finally be able to escape from The Dark Place and be reunited with Alice? The trailer surely teases this will happen. But what reality can we trust? After more than a decade, our light-wielding hero has suffered enough.
