There was an unsettling sense of dread as I stalked the streets of a twisted New York. Never sure which shadows could turn into enemies and which were harmless, I’d simply have to be ready to fight at any moment.

Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game unlike anything else out there, equal parts surreal, wonderful, horrific, and gripping. It’s a slow-burn, True Detective-style story with a supernatural twist that weaves layers of mystery and intrigue infused with intense action and horror. But the game’s defining feature is its dual-protagonist narrative, in which two parallel stories come together to reveal a groundbreaking work of interactive entertainment.

While there are hints of Remedy Entertainment’s past sprinkled throughout the game, it’s this dual structure that elevates Alan Wake 2 into something new and bold beyond anything we’ve seen before, from the studio or otherwise.

Invasion is not your typical alien-centric series. If anything, it’s a slow-burning character study set in the midst of an alien invasion. And as enticing as that can be on paper, the Apple TV+ series represented a test of patience for traditional fans of the subgenre — and even fans of showrunner Simon Kinberg’s more recognizable work.

The filmmaker has been a staple in geekdom for decades, from Fox’s longstanding X-Men franchise to beloved Star Wars series like Rebels, so it’s safe to say he knows his way around an ensemble. The cast of Invasion, by contrast, is scattered across the globe, connected only by the threat that the series’ unnamed aliens pose to their shared home. Season 1 found clever ways to connect a few of its disparate plotlines, but it’s in Season 2 that Invasion delivers the real payoff.