O designer do jogo, Rob Hewson declarou em uma entrevista que os flashbacks que você vê no jogo se relacionam diretamente com a raiz do medo da água de Kate, em particular um incidente envolvendo um afogamento.
Q. Other than being an engineer, is there anything special about protagonist Kate Wilson?
RH: We wanted a lead character that starts out as a reluctant hero, somebody with flaws who has room to grow and evolve. We took inspirations from protagonists like Ripley in the first Alien movie; we really wanted to get away from the beautiful but deadly stereotype for a female lead. Kate has been deeply affected by some traumatic experiences in her past giving her an intense fear of drowning, and although her external battle is with the neo-Malthusians, she is also fighting internal demons.
Q. How does Wilson’s fear of water affect gameplay?
RH: Kate will experience hallucinations and flashes of the traumatic memory which is the route cause of her phobia. As Kate endures she begins to learn to use the flow of the water against her enemies, and ultimately by facing up to her own nightmares she will begin to unlock the power to control the water itself.
Logo no início do jogo, você vê uma jovem garota aparentemente se afogando (enquanto canta o assustador assustador rima de berçário . Em uma cena posterior você aprende que esta é ela ...
... sister ...
... quando você vê uma foto emoldurada na mesa do quarto de Kate.