Rock Paper Shotgun recently returned to the mysterious forests of Bright Falls in search of the myth that inspired the team. For the article, Edwin Evans-Thirlwell (News Editor) spoke to Sinikka Annala (then Narrative Designer, now Writer), Clay Murphy (Principle Writer), and Ciara Creagh-Peschau (Foliage and Photogrammetry Artist) on the magic of Metsänpeitto.
Inspired by Finnish folklore, Metsänpeitto is the belief that the forest could hide or imprison people in a hidden landscape. Someone walking through may not be able to recognize their surroundings, or some visitors may be rendered paralysed or unable to move or speak. Those lost in these wildernesses may free themselves by reversing a garment or seeking a guide. If certain aspects of Alan Wake 2 were jumping out at you as you were reading that that's no accident; the myth feeds into many situations and locations from the game.
Speaking to Rock Paper Shotgun, Clay states that "Numerous parts of Alan Wake 2's design and story relate in some way to the core concept of metsänpeitto, to the idea of traversing parallel spaces using dream logic and rituals. The light shifter puzzles in the Dark Place change the environment into different versions of itself. Saga has to navigate through three distinct loops of an Overlap, each one slightly different, to reach its centre. Saga and Wake see glimpses of one another between realities at the end of an Overlap or murder site. These are all speaking in some way to the idea of different realities touching our own."
You can read the full article on Rock Paper Shotgun, HERE, to learn more about the appeal of mythology as story inspirations, capturing that authentic pacific northwest forest feel, and the team's approach for the Overlaps.
