Mr. Door from Alan Wake 2

In some ways, Mr. Door feels like the lynchpin of Alan Wake 2’s narrative: the cool, steady center around which everything else chaotically spins. This feeling that he occupies a position of power emerges not just from how the mysterious, likely nefarious character functions in Wake’s odyssey, manifesting as a talk show host who, again and again, probes Alan’s neuroses and lays bare the poor writer’s struggles for his adoring (if totally imaginary) studio audience.

No, it’s also the wonderful performance by actor David Harewood, who moves nimbly between thoughtful interviewer, song-and-dance man, and menacing villain. Whenever he’s onscreen, it’s impossible to avert your eyes because of the sheer charisma and intellectual power Harewood radiates in the role. Alan Wake 2 ends with the figure’s true nature and ultimate aims still unclear, which strikes me as a good thing. It’s all the more likely, then, that we’ll get way more of him in a future Remedy game. — Carolyn Petit