More research and finished script

Here is a site I found with a lot of references in Alan Wake:
http://alanwake.wikia.com/wiki/Cultural_References_in_Alan_Wake

What to say, (roundabout) with pictures:

Another example of how this appearance is present in Western games is in the game FEAR. FEAR is an American psychological horror game which revolves around a paranormal force taking the form of a young girl. This already shows a strong link to Japanese horror through the use of a young girl to create a feeling of terror.

Japan first used this to create fear in the audience as young girls are stereotypically associated with innocence and this challenges that stereotype completely replacing it with a feeling of fear and creating a strong icon of horror. Japan have been using 'yuurei', as young girls ever since Japanese theatre whose actors played them with long black hair and white skin. Well known uses of this in Japanese horror are Ju-on, Ringu and also films such as Battle Royale use this as well.

The use of young girls as aspects of horror as well as child like objects has spread throughout Western horror as they are objects of innocence used in a way that scares the viewer. Evidence of this is Western media includes films such as Insidious and The sixth sense as well as programs such as The Walking Dead.

A game that also uses children as a horror aspect is Alan Wake. The use of the rocking horse moving by itself and the sound it makes in the darkness creates a horrific atmosphere.

Alan Wake also successfully creates a horrific atmosphere through the use of darkness and fog. This links back to what was discussed earlier with Stephen Kings The Mist. Alan Wake was directly inspired by Stephen King, even using a direct quote of his.

Quote from the game:

"Stephen King once wrote, ‘Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear’."

 The game uses aspects of horror created by Stephen in his various books and films. Fog and Mist are used throughout in the game in the darkest woodland areas as well as in the opening dream sequence. The fog adds much more to the darkness in the game, creating suspense and tension in the player as they venture forwards.

This is a direct influence from The Shining by Stephen King, with the use of the Axe through the door creating terror and suspense in the player. There are also many other aspects of horror created in Alan Wake which are similar to those used by Stephen King.

The game itself is based around darkness, and how darkness spawns enemies. In the daylight, all is calm and safe, but the darkness is connoted as dangerous and gives a very ominous atmosphere. Darkness has always been stereotypically frightening and this game uses that to its advantage.

Another aspect of horror used in Alan Wake is the use of environments, as I touched on briefly before, this game is based mainly is empty woodland areas. This could be said to be influenced by films such as the Blair witch project. There are also other areas such as the maze and the mental home which are used regularly in Western and Eastern horror to create terror. The maze is also most famously used by Stephen King in his film The Shining.

Nightmares are also another aspect of horror and these are also used in the game. At the very beginning Alan has a nightmare which then becomes reality. Nightmares are also a very strong form of terror, being a very real aspect of peoples lives. This also could be said to be influenced by the film, The Nightmare on Elm Street, in which people can die in their nightmares by being killed by the main antagonist.