How Alan Wake 2 Could Improve This Classic Survival Horror Trope

The survival horror genre has a long history stretching back generations, containing a number of now familiar and expected elements. From limited resource and inventory management to key hunting for bizarre lock puzzles, players often have a good idea of what to expect from them mechanically. One of the other major survival horror design elements is backtracking through previously visited areas. For a while this was a fine feature, and when used well can still be effective. At the same time, it is now so ingrained that it often seems old hat, and runs the risk of feeling lazy or uninspired in the modern era.