Summary
Video game genres are an interesting thing. Over the last few decades, since the very first video game hit the public market, video game genres have continued evolving. What used to be strictly definedgenres like sport, racing, action, and RPGare slowly pairing back their restrictive boundaries, and learning to borrow elements from one another to create truly unique gaming experiences.Alan Wake 2, for instance, can’t be defined as just a simple action/adventure game, it instead brings together elements from a number of different genres and subgenres.
But while the firstAlan Wakewas very action-oriented,Alan Wake 2does make a noticeable leap in terms of genre, with the sequel instead drawing most of its inspiration from the survival horror genre. While genre leaps can often be pretty jarring for long-term franchises,Alan Wake 2’s feels seamless, as if it was the way the series was always meant to look and feel. And though the comparison may not be one-for-one,The Last of Uscould easily make a similar sort of genre leap.
The Last of Us Should Lean All the Way into Survival Horror Like Alan Wake 2
How Alan Wake 2 Made the Leap to Survival Horror
Released back in 2010,the firstAlan Wakeis considered primarily an action/adventure game, with a strong emphasis on action. Though it has psychological thriller elements,Alan Wakenever really leans all the way into its horror themes, instead always making sure that the player has plenty of tools to keep them from harm. That being said, the firstAlan Wakestill had plenty of hints towards the survival horror genre, such as limited ammo, slower-paced enemies, and plenty of spooky set-pieces.
When it came time to finally make the long-awaited sequel, Remedy Entertainment decided to lean all the way into survival horror this time, andAlan Wake 2is all the better for it. With a gameplay structure heavily inspired by the recentResident Evilremakes,Alan Wake 2is a true survival horror game from start to finish, with hard-hitting slow enemies, very limited ammo and supplies, and resource management being key to survival.Alan Wake 2’s survival horrornature also lets it go wild with the series' horror undertones, bringing them up to the surface at every chance it can get, from near-constant jumpscares to otherworldly enemies to grotesque imagery.
The Last of Us Can Make The Same Leap
It wouldn’t be a bad idea forThe Last of Usto follow inAlan Wake 2’s footsteps, and take the survival horror elements it already has to the next level. In many ways,The Last of Usis already essentially a survival horror game, even more so than the firstAlan Wakewas. Resource management and looting are integral toThe Last of Us' core gameplay loop, enemies can easily one-shot the player on harder difficulties, and there are plenty of horrific scenes of violence and intense set-pieces throughout the series already.
WithThe Last of Usalready essentially being a survival horror game, the next entry in the series should just take that final step, and deliver aLast of Usgame that embraces the survival horror genre fully. This could mean an even greater focus onThe Last of Us' infected, an increase in the number of intense stealth sequences that the series is already well-known for, and maybe even a greater focus on resource management and gathering. The nextLast of Usalready has some great foundations to work from, but a slight shift into the survival horror genre would help to shake things up just enough.
Alan Wake 2
WHERE TO PLAY
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
