Alan Wake 2 Has Surprising Gameplay Difference Compared to First Game
Remedy Entertainment has unveiled that the combat in Alan Wake 2 will have a more leisurely pace compared to the original game. According to Co-Director Sam Lake, the combat in Alan Wake 2 will be slower to align with the survival horror genre.
Despite its horror setting, Alan Wake always approached combat with more action-like elements. The game featured fast-paced shooting sequences where the main character had to fend off waves of enemies using a flashlight and a gun. However, the high-speed combat encounters in the original game do not align well with the survival-horror genre.
As a result, the pace of combat in Alan Wake 2 will be “slowed down” compared to its predecessor. In the latest issue of PLAY Magazine, Co-Director Sam Lake explained that the game will feature fewer combat encounters as it embraces the survival horror genre. Lake stated that the combat in the original Alan Wake was too repetitive, and the shift to survival horror was a logical decision. The slower combat will provide players with more meaningful encounters and elevate each fight into a significant event.
Despite its horror setting, Alan Wake always had a more action-like approach to combat. The game featured fast-paced shooting sections in which the protagonist had to shake off hordes of enemies using the power of a flashlight and a gun. While the original had fast-paced combat encounters, they don’t fit well in the survival-horror genre.
Because of this, Alan Wake 2‘s pace will be “slowed down” compared to the first game. Co-Director Sam Lake mentioned in the latest issue of PLAY Magazine that the game will feature less combat as Alan Wake 2 shifts to survival horror genre. According to Sam Lake, the combat in Alan Wake was very “samey” and shifting to survival horror was an approach that “made a lot of sense.” The slower combat will allow players to have more meaningful encounters and make a bigger event out of every fight.
This contrast in combat encounters found in Alan Wake 2 can be felt from the very first gameplay trailer, as enemies looked to be a lot tougher compared to the previous game. With Sam Lake’s comments in mind, this approach makes much more sense as the game focuses on making the enemy density lower compared to the original game. “The first game was an action adventure game – it had horror elements, but it was an action adventure game. And there were elements there that we wanted to fix, if you will – the fact that the combat is very samey and there is a lot of it through the whole experience. […] Less combat, the pacing is slowed down – it allows us to be more ambitious with the story.”
Alan Wake 2‘s atmosphere was the most prominent feature during the Summer Game Fest. However, the game will retain the elements that defined the first game such as having to shine enemies with the flashlight in order to purge the darkness for a short period of time and exposing them to gunfire. While Remedy Entertainment still hasn’t revealed too much regarding the combat, this new comment gives fans a lot of perspective about where the game will go from here.
Alan Wake 2 releases October 17, 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox X/S.
Source: PLAY Magazine (via mp1st)
