If you haven’t noticed yet, I really like Alan Wake II.

Usually, when I like a game, I play it all the way through and then write a big ‘ol review for it. However, as I’m playing through Alan Wake II, there are so many little interesting things that I want to talk about.

So, here is part 3 of my Alan Wake II series, and this time I’m talking about the unpredictable enemies and how they create tension and horror.

In the Alan portion of Alan Wake II, you progress through a dark, twisted version of New York. Pamphlets and newspapers litter the streets, abandoned cars are collecting dust, and movie posters for the new Alex Casey movie are plastered on almost every surface.

Neon signs reflect in the wet streets, and throughout the world are shades shuffling through the darkness.

“Wake,” They say as you squeeze your way through the littered path. Most of them just stare at you as you pass, but some will start to approach. Some will slowly walk toward you, others will jump in your direction, and if they get too close, they will beat you senseless.

Don’t worry though, if you point your flashlight at one of these shades, they’ll start to fade away and eventually disappear, at least some of them will. Others ignore the light and continue their pursuit of putting their axe into your skill. These enemies will need a healthy dose of focused light and a couple of rounds of your six-shooter to deal with.

These enemies are unpredictable. Some of them don’t bother you, others want you dead, some will disappear in the light, while others will materialize into a monster requiring lead to be put down.

A quick montage of how the enemies work in Alan Wake II

Unpredictability is scary.

Consider the common archetype of the chaotic, unhinged, childish, and unpredictable villain. The twins from Gladiator 2, Joffery from Game of Thrones, and the Joker from The Dark Knight.

You never know what these villains are going to do. Are they going to be talked down from doing something heinous? Will they kill without warning? Or maybe they’ll just leave.

That chaos is scary. It causes tension and makes us feel uneasy.

That tension caused by the unpredictable is on display in Alan Wake II.

Game developers need to consider the pacing of their games, and this is especially true of horror games that include action. Alan Wake II has the ability to be an action game. In fact, it sometimes is.

Throughout the game, players with the Nightspring DLC can find playable episodes of the in-universe show, Night Springs. I haven’t played the final episode, but the first two give players hundreds of bullets, and they throw tons of enemies at you.

The episodes are so fun, but they aren’t scary. And that’s partly because you have more than enough resources to deal with the enemies coming at you, but also because you no longer have to worry if an enemy will charge you. Unpredictability doesn’t matter anymore.

Alan Wake II can be an action game, but the developers chose to keep the enemies unpredictable and keep the resources scarce.

When I think about video game pacing, I think of 3 important factors:

Horror games need to address the issue of pacing and balance action well, or else the game won’t be scary.

Outlast was one of the first notable games that removed all fighting from horror games. Instead of giving players tools to deal with enemies, players can only run. This is one side of the spectrum. On the other side are games like Dead Space 2, and the later Resident Evil games. Over time, as players shoot their way through necromorphs or zombies, they become desensitized, and the game swings from horror to action.

Alan Wake II refuses to fall into either of these categories (as far as I know) by keeping the action questionable. Will I need to use my gun? Or are these shades just a figment?

Alan Wake II maintains the tension by hiding whether or not an enemy is going to attack. This lets them pace the game in such a way that having lots of enemies on screen doesn’t always mean fighting will take place.

Enemies don’t automatically mean it’s time to fight.