Summary
Alan Wake 2’s Saga Anderson is arguably one of the best female leads in gaming from recent years. The FBI agent is fearless and determined despite everythingAlan Wake 2throws at her. Beneath her cool jacket is a red sweater. It may seem negligible at first, but the sweater has a lot of meaning for Remedy’s culture and Anderson’s character.
Remedy is a Finnish studio. ThoughAlan Wake2takes place in the United States, there are elements of Finnish culture sprinkled in. Understanding the sweater and its design helps to shed light on both Saga and Remedy’s background.
The Finnish Influence on Alan Wake 2
It’s hard to miss the Finnish influences in the game, especially with a character likeAhti the janitoraround. The mysterious janitor speaks and sometimes sings in Finnish, and occasionally even shares Finnish sayings with Wake.
Perhaps the biggest way Finnish culture leaks into the game is through the copious amount of Norse mythology references. Characters like Odin and Tor make an appearance as part of the bandOld Gods of Asgard, and they mimic their mythological counterparts. Odin has a patch over one eye, and Tor parallels Thor, as they both have hammers.
Finland’s Love of Coffee
Some of the influences are a little more subtle but enjoyable if noticed. There are coffee thermoses everywhere, and even an entire amusement park calledCoffee World. This is a clever little nod to Finland, which has the highest coffee-drinking rate per capita in the world.
Why Saga Anderson’s Sweater in Alan Wake 2 Matters
Although it may seem negligible at first, Saga wears a red sweater under her FBI jacket. Sweaters are a staple in Nordic countries, and Saga says she wears hers to connect with her Swedish heritage. It also has deer on it, which is an animal she is strongly associated with. Furthermore, deer are seen as connections to other worlds in some cultures, which has obvious implications withinAlan Wake 2. The deer connection Saga has is strong, as antlers appear in her Mind Place, and one of the side quests involvesfinding all the taxidermy deer heads in Bright Falls.
The trees on the sweater aren’t arbitrary. Finland has an abundance of forests, and they cover over 75% of the country. It’s only natural that a sweater dedicated to Finland and Sweden would feature a bunch of trees. All of these small touches weren’t done easily, and it took a lot of planning and foresight. In a Reddit AMA,Remedy Entertainmentrevealed that the sweater was designed by Crossland worked with Minttu Wikberg from Pawlymade along with the directors to get it just right.
The Sweater and Saga’s Personality
In addition to all the cultural elements, the sweater does giveSaga Andersona bit of a softer side, as she can be intense when she’s working as an FBI agent. It’s also another sign of her dedication to her family, whether it be her Swedish mother or her little daughter. Any fans who want a Saga sweater of their own, whether for personal use or cosplay, can look into Remedy’s official knitting guide.
Alan Wake 2
WHERE TO PLAY
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
