Alan Wake 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular survival title Alan Wake, was released on September 27, 2023. The game has been an immense success, selling over 1.3 million units by February 2024, becoming the fastest-selling game from developer Remedy Entertainment.
The game has a massive community across social media, and the Alan Wake subreddit recently hit 50k members. Remedy held an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on the occasion and revealed several things about the game and its development, also confirming one long-rumored fact.
Remedy Confirms Alan Wake 2 Draws Inspiration From Silent Hill
Alan Wake 2 has received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics alike and has been praised for its captivating storyline, rich atmosphere, and stunning visuals and animation.
In the recent Reddit AMA, Alan Wake 2 developers Nathalie Jankie, Marko Muikku, and John Crossland answered several questions, including whether the team was inspired by other games.
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Lead Character Artist of the game, John Crossland, replied that he loves Silent Hill and that he listened to Akira Yamaoka whilst he was working on the characters, adding that he is also a fan of Takayoshi Sato, and Sato is a big inspiration. Marko added that Silent Hill was “definitely” one of the inspirations during the development of the “eerie atmosphere of the Dark Place and the slow-burning experience of Alan.”
Marko also said that Resident Evil was also one of the “principal influences” when the team was creating the “action-inclined journey” of Saga Anderson that players see in the game. Mission Designer Nathalie also mentioned that she has been inspired by games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Visage, and Alien: Isolation.
This confirms what fans have always thought about the game, as there have been several instances with the use of camera angles and perspectives that create a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere, like Resident Evil. The setting of Alan Wake 2 is also similar to Silent Hill.
Developers Explain the Design Behind Initiation 4: We Sing
A fan asked the developers what came first in Initiation 4: We Sing – the level design or the songs. It was revealed that an early version of the Herald of Darkness song was used to create the level design, summarizing Alan’s life from childhood to being in the Dark Place.
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The developers added that the whole point of the song was to recap the first game but also to show Alan’s struggle to escape the Dark Place. It was further explained that the song was divided into 4 sections, but it wasn’t giving out relevant beats, so the gameplay beats were designed first, and then the lyrics were matched to them.
Moreover, with the narrative theme, each section of the song had different gameplay concepts, such as fake enemies and shadow enemies, which gave proper focus to each section of the game, and hence, the amazing level design that has been appreciated by the players.
What are your thoughts about Alan Wake 2 taking inspiration from Silent Hill? Let us know in the comments.
