Alan Wake 2 might be the definitive game of late 2024, but what other scary games should you check out that will also give you the chills? Here are 7 more games like Alan Wake to try.
Alan Wake 2 is doubling down on the survival horror this time around after a creepy but experimental first entry. The sequel looks to be a much scarier experience which will likely please horror game fans everywhere. But while you’re waiting to play Alan Wake 2, or after you’ve survived the horrors of Bright Falls, you may fancy some other spooky third-person shooters.
Now we could simply direct you to the fantastic original Alan Wake game, and we urge you to try it if you haven’t already. However, Alan Wake is part of a special family of horror games, and there are a few others you should try if you enjoy the adventure. Here are 7 other games like Alan Wake.
Dead Space (2023)
Dead Space is a third-person shooter/survival horror game that takes inspiration from Alien and Resident Evil primarily. And while the game is grounded in sci-fi horror, it still shares a lot of similarities with Alan Wake in terms of gameplay. Rather than creeping around the woods or a misty town, you’re exploring a derelict space vessel that has been infested with horrific entities that all want you dead.
Like Alan Wake, the mental state of the protagonist is important to the story, as not everything you see can be trusted as real. Players take on the role of engineer Isaac Clarke who’s desperate to see his loved ones again – something the malevolent forces behind the outbreak will play on throughout. The 2023 remake of Dead Space is a horror masterpiece that all Alan Wake fans should try.
The Callisto Protocol
Keeping with the sci-fi horror theme for a while, the Callisto Protocol was actually inspired by Dead Space and came out around the same time as the remake. It was also made by developers who worked on the original Dead Space before its sequels and remake. The Callisto Protocol is set in a prison on an icey and isolated planet, while an alien contagion rips through the populace.
Players control the wrongly convicted Jacob as he fights to survive and escape the nightmare. Like Alan Wake, the game relies on third-person shooter mechanics, survival horror, and storytelling to deliver a stellar adventure that deserves a look by all fans of the genre. While not the classic that Dead Space was, the Callisto Protocol is well worth your time.
The Evil Within (1 & 2)
The Evil Within is a third-person shooter and survival horror game made by Shinji Mikami (the genius behind Resident Evil 2 and 4) and borrows heavily from RE4 for its own gameplay. The sequel is set in a semi-open world, but the survival horror gameplay is similar. Trapped in a nightmare world where sinister apparitions stalk his every move, players control Sebastian as he struggles to survive and escape.
The Evil Within shares a lot of similarities to Alan Wake 2 in terms of third-person shooting gameplay and creepy survival horror. However, the Evil Within leans more heavily into the gore and gunplay. But like Alan Wake, its atmosphere is top-notch and a testament to the horrors that lurk in the human imagination.
The Last of Us (1 & 2)
While The Last of Us and its sequel are so much more than just survival horror games, incorporating elements from Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series and other genres, this makes up the foundation of the gameplay. Both entries are absolute classics and the original game has even spawned a TV series that retells its story in a faithful and engaging way.
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However, at its core, both the Last of Us games share more similarities with Alan Wake than you’d think. Both tell a creepy and emotionally charged story, feature electric third-person shooting segments, and at times, can be utterly horrific in terms of the enemies and scares. Both The Last of Us and Alan Wake occupy a similar space in horror gaming and fans of one should try the other.
Control
Now technically, Control isn’t a survival horror game, it’s a bizarre third-person shooter where players take on the role of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) agent Jesse Faden while she works to contain a paranormal anomaly. The FBC is based on the fictional shared-writing internet phenomenon of the SPC Foundation, where a shadowy agency secures and contains supernatural threats.
While Control does feature some spooky moments, it’s mostly an action game that contains similar gameplay to Alan Wake. It’s also developed by Remedy, so Alan Wake’s DNA can be found throughout Control. The game is also set in the same fictional universe, with Alan Wake 2 promising to connect to the events of Control even more – as Wake and the paranormal events that surround him are now on the FBC’s radar.
Days Gone
While Days Gone didn’t set the world on fire in the way that celebrated games like The Last of Us did, and sadly has been denied a sequel, the game is still an essential experience for fans of third-person, survival horror shooters. Players take on the role of Deacon St. John, a biker gang member surviving on the road during a zombie apocalypse. The game features an open world that can be explored using Deacon’s motorcycle and players can fight hordes of zombies with a range of guns.
However, things can soon take a deadly turn should you run out of ammo while hundreds of undead ‘Freakers’ close in on you. While the game uses elements of survival horror, its atmosphere and story often fall short when compared to other games in the genre. Yet, Days Gone is still a fun way to spend a few hours for those who enjoy games like the others on this list.
Resident Evil 2, 3 & 4 remakes
Let’s just start by saying that the original Resident Evil 4 inspired every single game on this list and arguably changed the face of survival horror games and third-person shooters forever. The remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 were also designed to emulate this winning formula – which is why we’ve not included the excellent Resident Evil 1 remake in this entry. Alan Wake owes much of what it is to Resident Evil 4 – and the remakes of both RE2, 3, and 4 all push the survival horror envelope even further.
Resident Evil was the game that coined the term survival horror and with Alan Wake 2 set to double down on the spooky shenanigans and third-person shooting segments, anyone who’s not played Capcom’s legendary series needs to do so immediately. The Resident Evil series is the undisputed king of horror shooters, and without it, there would be no Alan Wake.
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