You better have packed some extra batteries when the Alan Wake 2 release date arrives later this year, because the Remedy Entertainment sequel isn’t holding back on its scares. Though the forthcoming sequel’s title, which could be one of the best games to drop for horror fans, is more than just about being the second game. According to creative director Sam Lake and principal writer Clay Murphy, Alan Wake 2 is harboring plenty of meaning under the surface.
The tease of Alan Wake 2 gameplay seen in the PlayStation Showcase wet our appetite for the author’s next outing, and now, Murphy shares that “we have this theme of duality and echoes in Alan Wake 2. So we needed a counterpoint, like another perspective in the game, that was a play off of Alan’s.” Continuing the notions of split meanings, Lake says that “Alan Wake 2 has many twos in it. Two narratives. We are exploring two worlds. It’s not just Alan Wake this time.”
To bring a fresh perspective into the light, so to speak, Lake expresses that “there are a lot of things that tie the story to him [Alan],” one of which is the new character Saga Anderson.
“The character of Saga [Anderson], she’s an FBI agent and relative newcomer to the Bright Falls area. She is a really capable investigator, she is a mum, she is a teller of bad puns,” says principal narrative designer Molly Maloney. A new addition to the Remedy Connected Universe, Saga is brought to life by Melanie Liburd.
Liburd, while revealing that Alan Wake 2 is her “first time” working in the medium of games, expresses that she is “excited for the world to see Saga because I think she’s a brilliant role model, and just to see a woman in this role, a woman of color being a protagonist in a game, that [is something] we don’t see often.”
Players will able to explore Alan Wake 2 from both Alan and Saga’s point of view separately throughout the whole game, exploring Bright Falls and the Dark Place in the process. And don’t worry, if you haven’t played Alan Wake Remastered (which you should), you don’t necessarily need to know what happened in that game’s story.
“In the setup for Saga, she’s investigating these ritualistic killings. When we were looking for a narrative and tone perspective, looking at things like ‘True Detective’, we actually have a lot of like nineties references in terms of things like ‘Seven’,” details game director Kyle Rowley. When it comes to the hit HBO show, it’s very apparent visually that Alan Wake 2 is taking influence from the first season specifically – which is set in Louisana. We recommend watching it ahead of the True Detective Season 4 release date.
The Alan Wake 2 story already sounds fantastically spooky to us, so like you, we’re itching to see more from it alongside upcoming PS5 games this year.