When Alan Wake's American Nightmare arrives as part of Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade House Party 2012, Mr. Wake will have more than just the darkness to worry about. There will also be Mr. Scratch, a deranged serial killer who has Wake's wife Alice in his sights, and looks just like Alan.

A new gameplay-free trailer offers a chance to spend a little up close and personal time with Mr. Scratch. Players are apt to enjoy the experience more than Scratch's companions, who -- how shall I put it? -- don't talk much.

In a recent developer diary covering Alan Wake's American Nightmare, the team at Remedy Entertainment describes the game as Quentin Tarantino meets From Dusk til Dawn. The new, live action Mr. Scratch trailer, however, hues much closer to Frank Booth/Blue Velvet territory, with a little Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs thrown in for good measure. Too bad the accompanying song isn't half as catchy as  Stealers Wheels's "Stuck in the Middle With You."

Enjoy your visit with Mr. Scratch.

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Mr. Scratch is sure to be a formidable opponent, though he is hardly the only foe Alan will have to face. Recent American Nightmare screenshots conspicuously feature that enduring staple of loot-driven role-playing games, the giant spider. Somehow, I doubt that health potions or armor will erupt from those bad boys once they've been dispatched. Then again, with Alan Wake's American Nightmare pitched as a full episode of the Twilight Zone-inspired "Night Springs" program from the original game, anything could happen.

On top of American Nightmare's four to five hour campaign, the game also includes "Fight till Dawn," an arcade action mode tasks Alan with surviving an entire night's worth of shadowy terrors. The promise of unlockable weapons (nail gun!) and the chance to dominate the leader boards should keep "Fight till Dawn" players busy in the short term, though whether it will appeal to fans of the first game's literary horror is anyone's guess.

Ranters, will you play Alan Wake's American Nightmare? What other XBLA House Party titles are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare arrives February 22, 2012, on Xbox Live Arcade.

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