While tropes can be seen as overused and clichГ© features in-game, it depends on how they are used and what genre they are used in. However, having diaries and reports directed more toward the story would allow for more narrative beats to be told. While it would slow the gameplay down, the player would have to focus on it entirely, creating an opportunity toВ introduceВ horror aspects of the game, further immersing the player. It is similar to how Subnautica: Below Zero uses Thalassophobia as horror, creating an environment of insecurity. Translated into the Alan Wake 2, the use of darkness in the game would create an immersive atmosphere, making the player hypervigilant to any changes in the surroundings. Related: Why Alan Wake Coming To PlayStation Consoles Is A Big Deal At the same time, the journals and reports explain the hospital's situation giving the player to 'follow the bread crumbs' approach. The levels with dark segments demand more focus by the player. It does this in two ways: revolving gameplay around the use of darkness and having the narrative driven by diaries and reports. While the premise of Outlast is relatively straightforward, the game leans and benefits from expository info while focusing on immersion. Also, alluding, rather than telling, to how the Taken were transformed would allow the player to not only discover their origins naturally but leave an ounce of mystery. Shifting away from the faceless minion would be similar to other frightening horror experiences from sci-fi games in the same genre. Alan Wake 2 could benefit from making the enemies feel and look more imposing, making each encounter an event rather than an obstacle. However, their appearance is relatively tame, and the origin of their transformation is relatively self-explanatory the Darkness took them over.

In contrast, in the first Alan Wake, the player fights the Darkness and its minions known as the Taken. Moreover, the context of the creature's transformation is not fully explained and adds to the mysterious, almost Lovecraftian horror already in the psychological-warping game. The creatures had a presence that was both imposing and eerily unsettling as they stumbled or sprinted toward the player. One of the most beloved horror series, Dead Space, is a game built on body horror, putting players aboard a spaceship infested with creatures made of the crew's corpses called Necromorphs. Integrating a puzzle unique to the Alan Wake world would naturally slow down the action and add exposition through the player's actions. While it benefited the direction of the first game, it was more of an obstacle rather than a narrative device. Likewise, the puzzles from the first game leaned on the supernatural aspect of Alan Wake.

Adding the horror trope of hard-to-find weapons that are ultimately useless could benefit Alan Wake 2, creating a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty despite finding a gun. Related: How Alan Wake's Clunky Mechanics Made the Game BetterДЄmong the ways Alan Wake 2 can improve the original, the combat is the most glaring concern while scary at first, it became oversaturated and routine.

These moments not only allowed for the narrative to be unveiled at the player's pace but added exposition up that point of the story. Besides the combat, the game was spaced with detective puzzles that would break each combat encounter. This forced the player to face the horrific or mutilated faces of the enemies head-on. While there were guns in the game, they were sporadically placed and sometimes lacked ammo. The classic from the Xbox 360 era, Condemned: Criminal Origins, focused on melee combat above the gunplay.

Alan wake 2 gameplay