David Lynch always found ways to make things seem normal while also otherworldly. He wasn’t afraid to make things weird and uneasy in his work. His small towns felt realistic but often harbored dark secrets or the supernatural.
Lynch’s characters were eccentric and unique, which made them seem real. His distinctive style inspired many in television and film. In the early 2000s, his work entered the video game industry. Without his influence, some of your favorite titles may have become something else entirely.
Here are eight games that take Lynch’s blueprints and make it their own.
The Silent Hill Series
Masahiro Ito stated that David Lynch heavily inspired the art of Silent Hill, even recommending people watch Mulholland Drive, which Lynch directed.
The use of Mary and her doppelgänger Maria to reflect guilt is something that Lynch himself has used in many of his works. The Otherworld seems to be heavily inspired by the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. The way the Otherworld changes depending on the person and the creation of doppelgängers matches closely with how the Black Lodge affects people.
Without the works of David Lynch or Stephen King, the Silent Hill series could’ve looked completely different.
The Remedy Connected Universe
If you know anything about Twin Peaks, you will see its DNA all over the Alan Wake and Control games.
Much like Lynch’s storytelling in Twin Peaks or Mulholland Drive, Alan Wake plays with reality and dreams, often blurring the line between the two. Control takes Lynch’s fascination with bizarre, unsettling bureaucracy to an extreme. The Federal Bureau of Control is very similar to the FBI in Twin Peaks in that it investigates paranormal happenings.
Like many of Lynch’s works, games in this universe use the mundane and surreal to create a mystery more about the questions than the concrete answers.
Deadly Premonition
Deadly Premonition reminds me of the “You can cheat off my work, but change it a little bit.” conversations from high school.
I feel like I could tell you David Lynch wrote this game, and you would believe me. The small-town mystery, quirky characters, and surreal tone bear a striking resemblance to Lynch’s iconic series Twin Peaks. The story quickly spirals into a blend of reality and the supernatural, including encounters with otherworldly creatures and mysterious red seeds linked to the murders.
Deadly Premonition is a homage to Lynch’s work and is so interesting that it tricks you into playing a not-so-great game.
Kentucky Route Zero
While Lynch’s influence is subtle and slightly filtered through the game’s vision, several aspects of Kentucky Route Zero resonate strongly with Lynchian themes.
Kentucky Route Zero exists in a world that feels grounded in Americana but is suffused with magical realism. The plot is slow and unhurried, making you soak in the hauntingly still environment. Ghosts, a sentient computer, and an underground highway that defies physics are presented without fanfare, almost feeling mundane.
Much like Lynch’s works, the game is hard to categorize, inviting players to lose themselves in its dreamlike journey in forgotten corners of rural America.
Oxenfree
Oxenfree channels Lynchian elements to create an unsettling, character-driven narrative that feels grounded and otherworldly.
Edwards Island is a small place tied to a haunted past filled with government experiments. The supernatural manifests as ghostly radio signals, time loops, and evil spirits. Like in Lynch’s works, these phenomena are not fully explained, leaving players with a sense of mystery and unease.
Oxenfree’s sound design, cryptic dialogue, and exploration of grief and identity all feel like they came out of David Lynch’s playbook.
Pathologic 2
The constant struggle for survival, the emotional weight of decisions, and the oppressive atmosphere make you experience a theme of suffering. Lynch’s many works tie themselves to this same theme.
Pathologic 2 is rife with moral complexity through your choices. Making difficult, often morally ambiguous choices, such as deciding who lives and dies during the plague. It shows the duality of your character, which is something Lynch often does in his works.
The cryptic storytelling and exploration of existentialism make it feel like a spiritual successor to Lynch’s unique brand of storytelling.
Disco Elysium
The wordiest game of them all shares a lot of striking similarities to a lot of David Lynch’s films and TV series.
The detective you play has no memory and is one of the strangest characters you will ever play. Conversations with characters in the world often feel surreal, blending absurd humor with existential weight. Disco Elysium creates dissonance and unease through abstract imagery and haunting soundscapes.
Disco Elysium evokes Lynch’s ability to create larger-than-life characters that are still deeply human. You will see the inspiration in the story and characters. A lot of events are left open for your interpretation, and some are kept a mystery.
Night in the Woods
You might not see the inspiration and DNA of Lynch right away, but the more you play, the more you will see the subtle nods to him and his works.
You have the duality of small-town life. Idyllic and nostalgic on the surface, these towns often hide deep dark secrets. Mae is a complex character navigating their inner turmoil. Late night visions and dreams seep into a mystery about a shadowy cult and a supernatural force tied to the town’s history. Night in the Woods‘s tone, themes, and structure reflect a shared fascination with the uncanny, the mysterious, and the deeply human.
While Night in the Woods doesn’t directly reference any of Lynch’s works, his influence is evident in almost every aspect of the storytelling and vibe.
Follow us on MSN for more of the content you love.
Read More:
Leave a Reply