WithAlan Wake Remasteredcoming soon, now is a perfect time for new fans to try the game. Stephen King fans, in particular, seem like they’d be drawn to the game.Alan Wakeis packed full of content that feels right out of a Stephen King book, and feels akin to the gaming equivalent of a “recommended reading” companion piece to much of King’s work.
It doesn’t seem Remedy Entertainment was trying to hide the fact that it took a lot of inspiration from Stephen King withthe creation ofAlan Wake. This is most evident as the first line in the entire game is Alan Wake saying the writer’s name, followed by a quotation regarding the idea of how nightmares exist “outside of logic” - a central theme thatAlan Wakeexplores. Throughout the game,Alan Waketakes on plenty of other Stephen King horror staples, from the game’s small-town setting to its psychological horror elements.
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Alan Wake’s Stephen King Inspiration
Wake also name drops King in the game’s third episode after objects are possessed by the Darkness and begin attacking him. He mentions that the poltergeist objects are similar to the works of Stephen King stories, most notablyChristine, which feature inanimate objects coming to life and attacking people.Christineis about a possessed car, similar to the several cars that become possessed which Wake needs to defeat in the latter half of the game.
So much ofAlan Wake’s DNA feels inspired by Stephen King that one could argue it seems like he worked on it as a ghostwriter. The game takes inspiration from plenty of other psychological horror works, but it still feels like it’s most tied toStephen King and his vast body of work.
In-Depth Character Exploration in Alan Wake
Alan Wakedoes more than reference Stephen King in its script, however. It feels like the central themes and plot lines are ripped right out of a King book that never came to be.Alan Wakerevolves around a writer on vacationin a small town that becomes possessed by a dark entity. After his wife gets kidnapped, Wake searches for her while fighting the darkness off with nothing but a flashlight and a revolver. Early on, he discovers a book that he allegedly wrote is playing out in front of his eyes and trying to kill him.
The game revolves around concepts like light versus dark, as well as other themes that King writes about frequently.Alan Wake’s exploration of what happens to a man when he’s pushed to his psychological limit in a situation that’s out of his control and outside of regular logic speaks to many elements of Stephen King, so much so that the entire game feels like a love letter to the author.
What’s more, while plenty of King’s written works have been adapted into films, a good portion have been adapted into limited-run TV series as well.Alan Wakeshares a similar structure to that of a limited seriesas, like much of King’s work, its story would be too much to fit in a normal-length feature film. The game is perfect for those who love the many twists and turns of King’s works, especially those that dive into the psyche of people placed in illogical and horrific situations.
Alan Wake Remasteredis set for release on October 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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