Why Alan Wake 2 conjured two protagonists for the survival horror sequel

gamedeveloper.com:

The much-anticipated sequel to Alan Wake will see its titular protagonist return to face another ordeal against the forces of darkness. But the tormented writer's fight for survival is not the only story to be told in the sequel; he'll share the spotlight with new protagonist: FBI agent Saga Anderson, who will have her own ordeal with the darkness.

With Alan Wake II being Remedy's first true survival horror game and stepping further into the Remedy Connected Universe alongside 2019's Control, it's clear that the sequel has more ambitious plans for the follow-up to the original cult favorite. Alan Wake II features two protagonists and a twin narrative structure, a bold idea for a sequel to a fan-favorite property that Remedy Entertainment has been trying to get off the ground for some time.

At Summer Game Fest, I saw an extended developer-led preview of an early chapter of the game focusing on Saga's first encounters with the dark forces at work in Bright Falls. Creative director Sam Lake also shared some insights with Game Developer about how this revival of the Alan Wake series aims to lean further into quirky and meta-storytelling while putting its spin on survival horror.

"It's a unique approach; we have two separate narrative threads running beside each other with two different characters," said Remedy Entertainment creative director Sam Lake. "And yet, they are very much connected in mysterious and surprising ways, echoing and mirroring each other."

What's interesting about Alan Wake II's twin narrative is that the full game will have storylines for Alan and Saga, and players can switch between them at their choosing. During the presentation, the developers described it as a non-linear approach to a narrative-driven