Why Remedy revived Alan Wake by reviving Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2

gamedeveloper.com:

Seeing Remedy Entertainment's cult favorite horror game Alan Wake make a comeback is a strange feeling. Arriving 13 years after the original, Alan Wake 2 sees the return of the titular protagonist who can rewrite reality, all while evading the creeping dark forces that's always one step behind him.

But with the sequel, Alan's story is only one part of Remedy Entertainment's shift to a more character-driven and sprawling take on survival horror—making this follow up an unexpectedly radical departure from the original.

At a recent hands-on showcase, I spoke with game director Kyle Rowley and principal narrative designer Molly Maloney about making the long-awaited return, building a “Remedy Connected Universe” with clear connections to 2019's Control, and how the extended wait resulted in a more introspective sequel about a grand return.

After 13 years in the metaphysical Dark Place, writer Alan Wake returns to the real world a changed man. He's still haunted by Mr. Scratch and the malevolent forces that kept him captive. Joining him is new protagonist Saga Anderson, who slowly gets sucked into the weird and all-too-real narrative of Alan's fight against the darkness. While Alan faces his demons, she'll face her own in the Cult of the Tree, whilst crossing paths with members of Control’s Federal Bureau of Control.

The original Alan Wake and its side-game spinoff Alan Wake: American Nightmare played with that familiar Remedy-style self-awareness for its plot, which made for an intriguing and unique take on a horror game. Alan Wake 2 continues with that by leaning into the fact that Alan has been gone for over a decade. The gap in time gives the sequel an eerie-but-familiar atmosphere that channels the same vibe as David Lynch's