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.
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.
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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.
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