Summary
In its final form,Alan Wake 2is an incredibly unique video game, pushing the survival horror genre to some bold new territory by incorporating some complex Sci-Fi concepts and themes. But while there’s nothing else really like the sum ofAlan Wake 2’s parts, each of its individual elements could trace their origins to a variety of different influences from across the video game landscape. And rather than shy away from those influences, Remedy Entertainment embraces and acknowledges them wholeheartedly.
When it comes toAlan Wake 2’s biggest influences, theResident Evilfranchise is the obvious pick, at least in relation to the sequel’s gameplay. Rather than be another action-thriller,Alan Wake 2leans all the way into survival horror, and in doing so borrows a lot of the same framework present inResident Evil’s recent remakes. But when it comes toAlan Wake 2’s story and overall tone and atmosphere, it’s really David Lynch’sTwin Peaksthat should receive the most credit.
How Alan Wake 2 Takes Inspiration from Twin Peaks
Alan Wake 2’s General Premise Is Taken Almost Directly from Twin Peaks
Practically every element ofAlan Wake 2’s story, setting, and atmosphere can trace its roots back toTwin Peaksin some way. Originally aired in 1990,Twin Peaksis a mystery drama directed by David Lynch, a filmmaker known mostly for his work on surreal dramas likeEraserhead,Blue Velvet, andMulholland Drive. Much like the rest of Lynch’s work, whileTwin Peaksstarts as a grounded drama, it quickly introduces some supernatural elements, and isn’t afraid to get pretty weird with it.
Alan Wake 2’s initial story premise is almost ripped directly fromTwin Peaks. Theopening ofTwin Peakssees FBI Agent Dale Cooper venture to the sleepy mountainside town of Twin Peaks, Washington, where he’s tasked with solving the murder of the young Laura Palmer.Alan Wake 2opens in almost the exact same way, with the FBI venturing out to Bright Falls, another sleepy mountainside town in Washington, where they’re attempting to solve a string of recent ritualistic murders. But in both, things aren’t immediately what they seem, and these sleepy towns are hiding some deep and dark secrets, and some supernatural stuff is almost definitely afoot.
Alan Wake 2’s Dark Place Is Heavily Inspired By Twin Peaks' Black Lodge
Another huge point of inspiration forAlan Wake 2isTwin Peaks' Black Lodge. DuringTwin Peaks, FBI Agent Dale Cooper finds himself entering a mysterious alternate dimension known as the Black Lodge. This alternate dimension takes the form of an endless room filled with dangling red curtains, and it’s believed that evil spirits like the one responsible for killing Laura Palmer originally came from this dimension.
Alan Wake 2’s Dark Place is clearly heavily inspired byTwin Peaks' Black Lodge, and Remedy has all but confirmed that during recent interviews. On top of this, the Dark Place’s role inAlan Wake 2’s story is also very similar to the Black Lodge’s inTwin Peaks. InTwin Peaks, Dale Cooper is trapped inside the Black Lodge during the second season’s finale. He remains trapped there untilTwin Peaks: The Return, the show’s third season that aired 25 years later.
EvenTwin Peaks: The Return’s title is referenced inAlan Wake 2, with his book encompassing his reappearance in the real world being named “Return.”
By the timeAlan Wake 2begins, Alan has been trapped in the Dark Place for 13 years, awaiting an eventual sequel just likeTwin Peakswas. BothAlan Wake 2andTwin Peaksalso see their main heroes facing off against evil doppelgangers. InTwin Peaks, Dale Cooper has been replaced in the real world by an evil doppelganger that contains the evil spirit that escaped the Black Lodge, and inAlan Wake 2, Alan is hunted by Scratch, a Dark Presence version of himself. There are a ton of other references toTwin PeaksinAlan Wake 2, from specific camera angles and general vibes to even the series' creators having cameos as FBI agents.
Alan Wake 2
WHERE TO PLAY
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
