Alan Wake 2: The Movies and TV Shows That Inspired Remedy’s Survival Horror First
Remedy has long been a studio that wears its influences on its sleeve. From the hard-boiled police files of Max Payne to the New Weird foundations of Control, movies, TV shows, and books have long served as inspiration. This is no different in Alan Wake 2, which blends horror and detective fiction in creatively unsettling ways. We talked to Remedy to find out why these genres work so well together, discuss some of the game’s cultural touchstones, and how they bleed their way into the survival horror story, characters, and gameplay.
“A really great detective mystery in my opinion is when you can put yourself in the shoes of the detective and pay close attention to things, look at the connections, put it all together”, says Principal Narrative Designer Molly Maloney. “What makes really great horror in my opinion is when you wish you could look away, but you can't. It's that balance of I don't want to look, but I need to. So detective and horror I think are a great mix because you wish you could look away, but you really need to pay attention. And the delicious dance of those two feelings.”
Remedy’s Creative Director Sam Lake concurs: “There is this aspect of horror as a genre having a lot to do with detective fiction, because usually, the premise is something strange is happening, which is very close to a crime has happened. And on one part we are afraid to find out, but we are driven to find out.”
The genres of detective fiction and horror have long been bound together within book spines and film reels. Like twins separated at birth, they are rooted in the same emotional DNA: suspense and fear of the unknown. Both suspense and the suspension of disbelief are something Game Director Kyle Rowley is seeking to build in Alan
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