Alan Wake, the thriller game from 2010 about a struggling writer and his dark side, seems to have been a heavy influence for Resident Evil: Revelations 2; and despite the differences in the theme and the plot, the two games seem to have many things in common. Although it could be that it's just a matter of simply using elements from a game to make another, the way Revelations 2 is set and said elements are implemented, looks more like paying a tribute to Alan Wake, deliberately giving out vibes that echo Remedy's epic game.

The story in Alan Wake revolves around Alan, a successful young writer who is suffering from writer's block. To help him out, his wife, Alice, who is an established photographer, convinces him to take a vacation in an idyllic town by a lake in the mountains. The couple makes the journey, but as soon as they arrive at the town, strange things start happening and all of a sudden Alice disappears after seemingly falling in the lake. Meanwhile, Alan is tormented by nightmares and scary voices that threaten him, things that go on continuously as he begins his quest to find his wife. However the case is much more complicated and metaphysical, and goes back a very long way.

In Revelations 2, Claire Redfield and Moira Burton, members of the Terra Save organization which offers all sorts of help to victims of bio-terror, are abducted along with other co-workers and find themselves in a mysterious island which is occupied by monsters. The story follows their deperate attempt to escape while at the same time looking for clues that will possibly reveal the truth behind this situation. Later on, Moira's father, Barry, arrives at the island to find his missing daughter and meets a little girl, Natalia, who seems to know her ways in the place and helps him in his quest.

The episodic structure

Alan Wake, having David Lynch's legendary series of the '90ties, Twin Peaks, as a constant reference, is split in episodes which are introduced with a special title.

Revelations 2 uses this structure as well.

Each time a new episode starts in Alan Wake, there is a brief presentation at the beginning, summarising the previous events, like in a serial.

The exact same things happens in Revelations 2. Incidentally, the same episodic structure had been used in the first Revelations game as well.

Bookworms

Alan Wake's eponymous hero is a writer. The game is based on this fact, and all the files that you find scattered around the areas are pages of his manuscript.

Revelations 2 is based on Franz Kafka's works, and there are several direct and indirect references to him, his life and his books throughout the game (check this article for details). On a few occasions, you come across notes and files that feature segments from his works.

A broken bridge

Near the very beginning of Alan Wake, the hero is having a terrifying nightmare, during which he finds himself on the edge of a broken bridge.

In the first episode of Revelations 2, Claire Redfield and Moira Burton escape the mysterious prison where they were held and cross a bridge, part of which collapses soon after.

The darkest forest

The story of Alan Wake takes part in Bright Falls, an idyllic fictional town in the mountains. A huge part of the action takes place in dark forests which are occupied by evil powers. The atmosphere in these sections is compelling and particularly creepy.

There is only one specific stage in Revelations 2 that involves a forest (a relatively brief part in Barry Burton's Episode 1), but the overall setup and feel of this section are strikingly similar to Alan Wake, with the eery darkness and the horrific monsters hiding under the bushes or behind the trees.

A fishing village

Bright Falls is a mountainous town built on a lakeside. There are several references that identify it as a fishing region, like the trout trophies spotted in the tourist cabins, or the bass that the doctor got, or the 'Fresh Sea Food' building on the harbour. The town, although still inhabited by humans, is possessed by dark powers.

In Revelations 2, after Claire and Moira escape from their prison, they arrive at a fishing village which is abandoned and occupied by mutated monsters.

A ghost town

Still on the high mountains, Alan has to cross a ghost town in order to reach a specific area. This ghost town is very creepy, and has poltergeists to go with.

Claire and Moira in Revelations 2 go through a post-apocalyptic ghost town after leaving the fishing village. There are mutated dogs and humans in almost evey step they make there.

Possessed enemies

The evil power in Alan Wake is the Dark Presence, a mysterious supernatural force, which is able to possess both humans and inanimate objects. The possessed humans are called 'The Taken' and they are victims of the Dark Presence, as it possessed them to make them act like vicious villains. The Taken have no mind of their own, and they are always ready to attack.

The enemies in Revelations 2 used to be regular everyday inhabitants of the island where the story takes place, but they were tangled in the evil web of an evil mastermind that mutated them into terrifying monsters. They are called 'The Afflicted' and although their look is different from that of the Taken, they move in a pretty similar way.

The Taken in Alan Wake are extremely lethal in their attacks, and they are able to even kill Alan with just a couple of hits on certain occasions. They usually carry blunt weapons with which they don't hesitate to hit him hard.

The Afflicted in Revelations 2 attack in similar ways, either with their bare hands or with the pieces of iron and metal that are attached to their arms and forearms.

Some of the enemies in Alan Wake are very tall and huge, and they appear yielding an axe. They used to be loggers (later in the game, you come across similarly looking and moving enemies which may have been policemen or other workers), but it's unclear why they became so monstruous in size after they got possessed.

In Revelations 2, there is a special kind of enemies that are similarly huge and tall, and they carry an axe; only these here have an iron head (which is why they are called Ironheads), and they look like cousins of the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. The way they move is identical to that of the huge loggers in Alan Wake.

Many times in Alan Wake, the enemies will come charging at you, preferably in groups so that you can't get away easily.

This is a tactic that the enemies in Revelations 2 are also following, as it is guaranteed to scare the hell out of you.

The Taken can surprise Alan by jumping onto him and hitting him.

The Afflicted do something pretty similar, but they are able to jump even higher (ex-acrobats, maybe?)

The weak point of the Taken is that they can't stand the light. Once you shine a light onto them, they become blinded for seconds, they lose much of their power and become disoriented, and then you are able to kill them very easily. The best and most direct way to expose them to light, is to point your flashlight towards them. The flashlight is an essential tool in Alan Wake, and it is his most necessary item.

The Afflicted in Revelations 2 are not so vulnerable to light, but when Moira points her flashlight on their faces, they get blinded, so they become incapacitated for a brief period of time, during which you can attack them and kill them without putting yourself in danger. In the game, Moira refrains from using firearms, and the flashlight is one of her essential inventory items.

Mysterious crates

During his quest, Alan finds several crates which carry valuable supplies, like ammunition and flares. These crates are not always in obvious places, but there are signs that you can follow so as to find them.

In Revelations 2, there are military crates scattered around, which contain goodies like custom parts to upgrade your weapons. These crates can only be opened by Moira.

Barry and Barry

Alan Wake's agent is called Barry Wheeler. He appears soon in the game and after some point, he accompanies Alan for some time. Barry doesn't play an important part in the main game, but his role changes significantly in the special episode 'The Writer' where he is a prominent character in Alan's nightmare.

There is a Barry in Revelations 2 too, although of course Barry Burton had been already a well-known character in the Resident Evil series. But it's interesting that he re-appeared in this game, which shares so many other similarities with Alan Wake. Barry Burton is a protagonist in Revelations 2, sharing the lead role with Claire Redfield.

Imprisoned

In a turning point in Alan Wake, Alan and Barry find themselves locked in a prison. Soon they get released though, by the sheriff herself, who also helps them a lot subsequently.

In Revelations 2, Claire and Moira wake up in a prison, after their abduction. Soon their cells are mysteriously unlocked, but it will be a long way before they are able to leave.

A pair of horns

Bright Falls obviously has many deer; there are nymerous deer trophies in the town, and there is also the famous Deerfest that the residents are having every year. There are moose horns used as decoration in a few places as well, preferably above doors.

In the Wossek Inn in Revelations 2, where the Terra Save members are gathered, there are moose horns above the exit door.

Any requests?

The first place that Alan visits in Bright Falls is the Oh Deer diner. In a corner of the diner, there is an old juke box.

In Revelations 2, there is an old juke box in the Wossek Inn.

While at the Oh Deer diner, Alan meets two old brothers, Odin and Tor Anderson, who used to be famous heavy metal musicians in their youth. When Odin sees Alan, he asks him to play a specific song on the juke box.

In Revelations 2, when the Terra Save members unite, they have a very brief moment of fun as one of them, Pedro, accidentally hits the juke box, which starts playing a random tune; Pedro then asks if they have any requests.

A haunted playground

After the sheriff of Bright Falls releases Alan from prison, the two of them have to cross the town in the darkness. At some point they reach a playground which, like most places, is occupied by evil.

Claire and Moira in Revelations 2 (and later Barry with Natalia), as they are making their way on the island and reach the town, they go through an abandoned playground where only monsters are left to play.

Logs everywhere

Bright Falls is in the mountains with forests all around it, so naturally there are lumber yards in the area. Quite early in the game, Alan arrives at a lumber yard where he has his first serious battle.

In Revelations 2, as Barry is approaching the fishing village with Natalia, he has to go through a lumber yard where evil monsters lurk.

A mine

One of the places that Alan visits during his quest, is an old mine, which now is actually a museum.

Barry and Natalia in Revelations 2, as they get closer to the conclusion of the story, arrive at an old mine which has both exterior and underground sections.

A chopper to the rescue

After leaving the Bright Falls prison with sheriff Sarah Breaker, Alan is reunited with Barry and the three of them get to the helipad where a rescue chopper is waiting to take them to their next destination. Sarah and Barry get in the chopper and Alan stays behind to fend off the arriving enemies while Sarah is making the necessary preparations for the chopper to take off.

When the Terra Save members are reunited in the Wossek Inn in Revelations 2, a co-worker of Claire's, Gabe, takes her and Moira up a hill where a chopper is. Gabe claims that if they could find a battery and some fuel, he would fix the chopper so that then they could use it to escape.

Alan and his friends fly off with the chopper, but as it is about to land, it gets attacked by possessed ravens. Alan falls off and gets separated from his friends, but a bit later the chopper appears again and accompanies him as he goes along. Soon after, however, it crashes, and Alan finds its remains in the forest. Thankfully, Sarah and Barry managed to survive.

In Revelations 2, Claire and Moira are separated from Gabe before they are able to get on the chopper. Gabe flies off with the chopper, but later, as he is about to land and get the girls, he gets attacked and the chopper crashes inside a building, killing him.

The athletic kind

When Alan and his friends go up the mountain on foot after the chopper crashes, Barry feels exhausted from all the hiking and comments that he shouldn't have stopped his gym membership.

In Revelations 2, after Claire and Moira leave the fishing village, they are reunited with Neil Fisher, their boss. At some point, Neil mentions that he can run fast due to his gym membership. Obviously he never cancelled it, unlike Alan's friend.

Wuthering heights

In Alan Wake's special episode 'The Writer', Alan has to ascend a lighthouse. The path leading to it is extremely dangerous, with narrow wooden boards hanging from the rocks above.

In Revelations 2, as Claire's story reaches its conclusion, she and Moira need to escape through an emergency exit of the collapsing Monument. The path they have to take is insanely hard, with wooden boards connecting its sections.

Gone

At the beginning of Alan's story, his wife disappears and after this happens, he has visions of her being dragged into the darkness while she desperately holds out her hand for help.

In Revelations 2, as Claire and Moira are about to leave the Monument, part of it collapses, trapping Moira under the debris. Claire can do nothing as she watches her friend lying helpless under the pieces of cement.

When Alan realises that Alice might have drowned, he quickly dives in the dark waters of the lake, hoping to find her.

In Revelations 2, after Moira gets trapped in the Monument, Claire finds the only exit and dives in the vast waters of the ocean below, hoping to get somewhere and look for help.

Wicked ladies

The evil power in Alan Wake is the Dark Presence, which manifests itself in the form of a woman, Barbara Jagger, who has many connections to Alan' story. She appears dressed in black, and although she shows up very early in the game, it's not until much later that you begin to associate her with the events.

In Revelations 2, the wicked mastermind is another woman, Alex Wesker, who is obsessed with Franz Kafka and is carrying out a twisted experiment, aiming at gaining the ultimate power for herself. Alex wears white, she first appears in a photograph, and later Claire and Moira bump onto her, just as she is about to commit suicide.

During his quest, Alan can hear the Dark Presence talking to him through Barbara, frightening and threatening him.

Alex in Revelations 2 identifies herself as 'The Overseer' and talks to her victims through bracelets that she has attached round their wrists.

An evil twin

At the very end of the main plot in Alan Wake, Alan finds out that he has an evil doppelganger, Mr Scratch. Mr Scratch appears determined to take Alan's place in all aspects of his life.

In Revelations 2, Alex manifests herself as a dark version of Natalia, Barry's little partner. Dark Natalia is Natalia's doppelganger and even in the good ending of the game, it's implied that she still exists in Natalia.

Murdered: Soul Suspect

"We all got a dark side. Sometimes obvious, sometimes not. If we're lucky, we keep our dark side hidden."

These ominous lines, spoken by the lead character of Murdered: Soul Suspect at the finale of the game, pretty much sum up the general idea and the basic clues of its story. For Murdered, an exquisite installment by Square Enix, may look simple and straightforward but there are so many things lying underneath the surface of events; and such interesting characters that constitute its cast.

The plotline follows Ronan, a young man who grew up in the streets of Salem and was a rogue for pretty much all his teenage life. In his early youth, he met Julia, a gentle and good-hearted girl and fell in love with her. Julia managed to bring forward all the good elements of Ronan's character and the two eventually married, with Ronan leaving his wild days behind. Julia's brother, Rex, a distinguished chief at the local police department, having developed a brotherly love for Ronan, took him under his protection and guided him to become a detective. The happy days however were soon over, when Julia was fataly stabbed in a street clash, leaving both Ronan and Rex in deep sadness.

Ronan focuses on his job so as to be able to make it through, taking on even missions that were too risky. Meanwhile, a serial killer is running loose in Salem, killing teenage girls with no obvious motive and for no clear reason. One evening Ronan, following a lead related to this case, arrives at an apartment building where the killer is. After a brief but violent fight between them, the killer pushes Ronan out of the window of the third floor apartment, and Ronan ends up unconscious in the middle of the street. He comes to soon, wondering how he managed to survive such a fall but it is not long before he realizes that he can see his own body lying in the street. Seeing that he still has some life in him, he manages to come to his senses, but just then the murderer arrives and shoots him enough times to kill him for good.

Ronan witnesses his own murder

With his body still dead in the street, Ronan's ghost starts walking towards the Afterlife. Midway, he finds Julia, who informs him that he has unresolved business and for that reason, he cannot be united with her yet. She tells him that he has to take care of those issues first so as to be released. Following her advice as there is nothing else he can do, Ronan returns to the world as a ghost. Just then he sees a shadowy figure of a girl dressed in the fashion of a few centuries back and follows her. It is revealed that she is a ghost like himself, and gives him info and guidance about his condition. Ronan then starts investigating his own murder scene.
 
The clues lead him to the apartment where he first met his killer, and there he finds out about a girl, Joy, whom the murderer was after. When Ronan locates Joy in the local church, he discovers that she is actually a medium and she can see and communicate with ghosts. Joy, who has lost trace of her mother, Cassandra - also a medium and in some way connected to the case of the murders - is reluctant to help him at first, but soon Ronan persuades her and the two start working together to solve the mystery.

Based on events that took place during the Witch Trials in 17th century Salem and people that existed for real at that time, Murdered: Soul Suspect combines the fascinating exploration aspect of a good adventure game and the fast-paced sequence of events of the action genre. Its strongest point however is the atmosphere that it creates which progressively builds up, what with the grey-blue color tones that accentuate the feeling of mystery and suspense, and the chilling positioning of ghosts among the living people: there are white shadows of men, women and children hovering in the corridors, at the beach, in the parks and playgrounds, in the streets, the cemetery, even in the church, the police station and the museum; ghosts of the past that form a separate spirit world, of which Ronan is also part.

The ghost girl appears out of nowhere to guide Ronan

Although there are certain cute and slightly humorous moments, like a few dialogues between Ronan and Joy, the parts where the protagonist has to possess a cat so as to get to otherwise unreachable areas or when he can possess random people and eavesdrop their inner thoughts, the overall climate and vibe of the game are imposingly dramatic and compelling, elements that dominate throughout but become even more stressed in places like the Asylum or the Cemetery. The latter in particular is the stage of a major revelation, and for this reason everything in this area is riveting and blood-chilling.

The game has rather simple gameplay; Ronan can walk through walls, teleport, possess people and animals and he will almost never have to combat. The only enemies are few, but rather scary - floating red demons that are able to devour Ronan's soul and eliminate him. You have the chance to fight them, but this is via simple quick-time events that can be executed fairly easily. You can also organize your moves and just run past them making sure they won't see you, so that Ronan won't have to deal with them at all. The map of the game is vast, and there are lots of items that you can look for and collect as you go.

The characters are decently developed, and there is plenty of insight in the files that can be found scattered around the town. By reading them, which is highly recommended, you get to know more personal facts about Ronan, Rex and Julia; some of them are quite revealing. Very interesting also are Cassandra's notes about the murders, the psychology of the serial killer and her own thoughts and views on the case. Interestingly enough, Cassandra, who is never seen in person, is very similar to her ancient namesake from the Iliad, who was also a medium; and like her, the game's Cassandra can see things but it is difficult for her to convince the others - namely, the police - about her credibility.

Joy and Ronan consult Cassandra's notes for clues

Ronan, an anti-hero from all aspects, a drifter and outsider, is trapped between the world of the living and the world of the dead and cannot find peace unless he resolves his issues. His first thought is that this has to do with finding who his killer is, so he starts with investigating the scene of his murder. Joy, his valuable helper, accompanies him to most of his quests, although the most hair-raising one he experiences it on his own, albeit while at it, he is unable to sense or see how tragic it is for him, and it is not until he is close to the finalization that he will realize that the unfinished business Julia was talking about did not have to do solely with his murder. With his laid-back style, Ronan is easily likable; and his tragic fate makes you feel both compassion for him and rage for those who harmed him. Seemingly tough and cheeky, in fact he is deeply sentimental and fights injustice without knowing at first that he has a very personal share in this case.

Joy is not a character that you will instantly like; she is distant, solitary, anti-social and keeps to herself. However, as the game progresses, things change: she becomes more willing to help and opens up, showing a more sensitive and caring side that eventually makes her strongly likeable. Joy is a girl in her teens; obviously a rebel and an idomitable spirit. She is a medium, like her mother; but she seems to feel rather uncomfortable with this 'gift'. Although it is not analyzed further, yet it is somehow hinted that she would gladly trade her power for a normal life. Joy and Ronan are karmically connected because Ronan's murder literally saved Joy's life: the serial killer arrived at Joy's apartment looking for her, but just then Ronan burst in and unwillingly distracted the villain, who killed him instead before running away. This is something that Joy appreciates, even though she does not let it show.

Sophia is trying to say something to Ronan

The other characters that play an important part in the story are mainly the victims of the serial killer - some are ghosts, others are still alive - whose testimonies and accounts offer valuable clues to Ronan during his investigation. The appearances of Rose, Iris and Sophia are brief but unforgettable, and one of them is, for Ronan, literally haunting. Abigail, the ghost girl who appears to give Ronan guidance at the start, is a character of critical importance, although this becomes clear a long way down in the game. Baxter, Ronan's antagonistic colleague, is an ambiguous character for most of the story, until the moment when his real intentions are revealed.

Rex, the strong and intimidating police chief who also happens to be Ronan's brother-in-law, seems to have been strongly attached to Ronan - this becomes more than clear from Julia's notes - and is devastated and desolate with his loss. Having also lost his beloved sister not a long time ago, he is now in deep lament and distress. Rex appears only a few times but nonetheless his role is essential and pivotal for the plot. I have to say that the game developers did a great job in maintaining the mystery around certain characters, to the degree where the final revelation comes as a shock, in a series of consecutive twists that are guaranteed to blow your mind.

Rex is shocked with Ronan's death

Basically a mystery / crime story, Murdered digs a bit deeper and explores the human psyche in a way that may not be too elaborate or impressive on first look, but still notes things that are linked to the essence of being. How much do we know ourselves, and how prone are we to allow our dark side prevail? Like Ronan says in the end, we all have a dark side. Some manage to keep it hidden; but still, this does not make it disappear nor it means that it will not lurk somewhere, waiting for the right moment to burst out. The game's main antagonist is, in plain terms and vaguely putting it to avoid spoilers, an evil spirit that manages to sneak into people and make them act in apalling ways. Noone is able to resist it because when it possesses people, it does it slyly and they do not take notice. For as long as it possesses them, they have no control over their actions, and later they are themselves killed before being able to realize what was going on.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is a captivating game which stays faithful to its universe and unfolds its story methodically, in a smart and swift way. The action is flowing, while you are free to explore the world at your ease and even trigger a few side-quests that are not directly related to the plot but are adding to the atmosphere of mystery: there are several hidden objects that, once revealed and collected, unlock ghost stories of the past which you can then listen to as they are narrated by witnesses. Additionally, some of the ghosts that are wandering around the town will ask for Ronan's help so as to resolve issues that won't let their souls rest. Apart from the files, you can also collect plaques related to the town's history, and reveal ghost graffiti on the walls that are creepy and cryptic, and can be added to Ronan's long list of clues.

The ghost graffiti look as if they were drawn by a child's hand

With the lead character being a detective, the exploration takes the form of investigation as you examine each related scene and take note of the clues. The plot is woven masterfully, dropping in sublte hints that may or may not catch your attention. That said, the tragic irony is that you get a clue about the identity of Ronan's killer almost at the start, and that clue is so obvious and revealing that it's hard to believe it was actually there all the time in plain sight.

The clue about Ronan's killer is surprisingly obvious if you know where to look

You can click here to read what it is, but preferably only after having played the game, as the description is a very huge spoiler itself.