With Alan Wake 2 fully embracing the survival horror genre, Remedy Entertainment has been looking at contemporary and art-house horror films for inspiration. Instead of gore and jump scares, the development team wants to focus more on the atmosphere and creating dread.
So it’s unsurprising to hear Remedy’s VFX head Johannes Richter tell PLAY Magazine that there won’t be any dismemberment. “We don’t do dismemberment…Alan Wake 2 doesn’t shy away from elements of body horror, but it’s far more focused on spine-chilling atmosphere and psychological frights.” He also said that dismemberment was “really hard” to do in the Northlight Engine.
The body horror element is more intriguing. The previous game focused on darkness, which fed into Wake’s inner conflict and ultimate battle. How body horror figures into the sequel’s plot and intertwines with its characters remains to be seen. As Richter notes, the focus is more on the psychologically terrifying.
Alan Wake 2 launches on October 17th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. It’s a digital-only release, which Remedy says allows more time for polish while also keeping the overall cost down. Check out the latest gameplay here and stay tuned for more details.
