After 13 long years, Remedy Entertainment has at last released Alan Wake 2, much to the delight of fans. However, it seems that those devoted followers who have eagerly awaited the next chapter in the story will likely be left feeling somewhat disappointed.
Unlike its predecessor, which had elements of horror but did not fully embrace the genre, Alan Wake 2 fully immerses itself in the world of horror. Yet, those hoping for a truly frightening experience may find themselves let down. While the game does feature plenty of eerie moments and disturbing visuals, it heavily relies on tired jump scares, where a sudden face appears on the screen accompanied by a loud noise. It becomes evident that these attempts to startle the player are rather cliché and lose their impact quickly, especially considering their excessive frequency in Alan Wake 2.
Alan Wake 2 may not succeed in delivering fear, but this doesn't imply that the game lacks moments that unsettle or unnerve players. One such instance can be found in the live-action segments of Alan Wake 2, particularly those centered around Alan Wake himself. These portions of the game possess a disquieting quality, amplified by Wake's predicament of being trapped in The Dark Place, a nightmarish rendition of New York City.
In Alan Wake 2, players are not limited to just controlling Alan Wake himself. Joining him on his thrilling horror journey is FBI agent Saga Anderson, accompanied by her partner Alex Casey, as they investigate a series of haunting ritualistic murders in Bright Falls. Saga proves to be an incredible addition to the already captivating Alan Wake ensemble, with Melanie Liburd delivering an exceptional performance, effortlessly portraying the character's believability even in the midst of extraordinary circumstances.
Saga's role as an FBI agent adds a captivating true crime element with a touch of Twin Peaks to the game. Players are assigned the task of gathering evidence through the discovery of key items and conducting interviews. Saga keeps track of her cases within her own Mind Place, similar to how Hannibal Lecter does in the Thomas Harris novels. This Mind Place serves as a physical storage space for information, maps, weapon upgrades, and more. Players have the advantage of accessing Saga's Mind Place at almost any time to add new evidence to the case wall or "profile" the various intriguing characters Saga encounters throughout the game.
It's a sound concept on paper, but the detective work in Alan Wake 2 is a major disappointment in practice. The game fails to make the detective work immersive or challenging in any way. There is no critical thinking required from players when placing evidence on Saga's case wall; most of the time, it's obvious where each piece belongs. Even if players mistakenly place evidence in the wrong spot, there are no consequences other than Saga muttering under her breath. While Saga's profiling technique could have presented an opportunity for players to unravel mysteries, the game instead uses it as a means to simply provide information. Saga's profiling enables her to draw conclusions that would be impossible to deduce from the evidence she has collected, and although there is an explanation for this, it is unsatisfying.
In Alan Wake's Mind Place, which takes the form of his writer's room, he has the ability to manipulate the unfolding story. By solving simple puzzles, Alan can collect story ideas that can then be applied to scenes to dramatically alter the environment in The Dark Place. It is remarkable to witness how the game world instantly transforms after attaching a new plot idea.
While Alan Wake 2 incorporates unique reality-shaping elements that make it stand out, the gameplay otherwise follows the conventions of a traditional survival-horror game. Fans of the newer Resident Evil games will find the combat mechanics familiar, but with the added twist of needing to first stun most enemies using a flashlight. Shooting in Alan Wake 2 is satisfying, powerful, and enjoyable, although limited in quantity. Many enemies can be easily avoided, leading to a lack of necessity to engage in combat. The game features only a few mandatory combat encounters, resulting in survival horror enthusiasts appreciating this aspect, while others may accumulate unused flares and med-kits throughout their playthrough.
Most of the adversaries players face in Alan Wake 2 are the "Taken" – humans corrupted by The Dark Presence. However, there are also a few distinct types of enemies that add variety to the mix. One memorable highlight is the colossal wolves that players stumble upon in the woods near Cauldron Lake. Especially captivating is the initial encounter, under the shroud of night, when players catch the glimmer of their flashlight reflecting off the piercing eyes of these formidable creatures.
Alan Wake 2 offers a few notable combat encounters, but the majority of the gameplay centers around solving puzzles and navigating the intricate, sometimes confusing environments. The game provides detailed maps for each area, which aid players, but it remains easy to become disoriented, particularly in the Dark Place as Alan Wake. The size of each area in Alan Wake 2 can be a hindrance, necessitating lengthy walks between locations and repeated treks throughout the game. While the expansive areas allow players to explore off the beaten path and discover collectibles and extra resources, it also results in additional backtracking.
The gameplay experience in Alan Wake 2 primarily involves walking, dialogue, and puzzle-solving, with occasional combat encounters. Some fans may appreciate this balance, while others may desire more action. Similarly, the game's narrative is likely to be divisive. Some players will find it captivating from beginning to end, while others may be frustrated by its reliance on deus ex machina, which could be interpreted as a meta commentary on Stephen King's work but ultimately falls short. The narrative also lacks the much-needed levity provided by characters like Barry Wheeler in the first game, resulting in an overwhelmingly somber and serious story that craves a touch of humor.
Alongside the narrative deficiencies, Alan Wake 2 suffers from additional drawbacks that hinder the overall experience. Throughout the game, the presence of a yellow dot suggesting new evidence for the case wall would frequently mislead players as there was actually nothing to contribute, causing confusion regarding story progression. Additionally, a minor yet vexatious glitch prevented access to any items on the far-right side of the inventory when using a controller. Although this issue could be resolved by resorting to a mouse instead, it remained an ongoing problem during our playthrough.
Alan Wake 2 doesn't have an abundance of technical issues, but the few it does have can be incredibly frustrating. For example, there was a glitch in Saga's case wall that allowed evidence to be placed anywhere, regardless of its intended position. Initially, this seemed like a silly yet harmless bug. However, the situation worsened when it became apparent that Saga was trapped at her case wall, unable to exit the Mind Place or continue playing the game. As a result, a reset was necessary, resulting in the loss of 30 minutes of progress.
Saga encountering immobilizing scenarios was a recurring problem in Alan Wake 2, especially with more catastrophic bugs. During an intense boss battle, Saga was knocked down and upon rising, she found herself unable to use her gun or flashlight. All she could do was run and punch, rendering the boss fight impossible since the flashlight was crucial for completion. This forced yet another restart, tarnishing what could have been a standout boss battle in the game.
Another problem arose towards the end of Alan Wake 2, causing the momentum of the conclusion to be derailed. Following a particularly spectacular moment, the screen suddenly turned black, leaving only a few UI elements visible. Given the game's theme of light versus dark, it appeared as though this could have been an intentional decision. Consequently, we waited eagerly to see if anything significant would happen. However, nothing ever materialized. Even after reloading the saved game, we encountered the same issue. Eventually, we tried loading an earlier save and reached the same point, only to be greeted once again by a black screen. It was only after adjusting the graphics settings from High to Medium quality and reloading once more that we were able to resolve the problem.
Alan Wake 2 was tested on a PC equipped with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. Although the game's recommended specifications call for an RTX 4070 for optimal performance on Ultra settings with Ray Tracing, the 3080 performed well on High settings overall. There was a minor issue with a black screen at the end, and it appears that DLSS 3.5 is needed to fully experience the effects of Ray Tracing. However, even with reduced Ray Tracing, Alan Wake 2 remains one of the most visually impressive video games to date.
Featuring incredibly lifelike facial animations and a remarkably detailed game world, Alan Wake 2 is truly breathtaking. Some areas in the game are so realistic that they could easily be mistaken for real life. Although the high PC requirements may deter some, there is no denying that Remedy has created something truly exceptional in terms of graphics.
Alan Wake 2 should be applauded for its impressive graphics and meticulously crafted audio design. Nevertheless, players may find themselves disappointed by the lacking gameplay and story. Even if the game were free from its frustrating technical issues, Alan Wake 2 would still fall short in these aspects. That being said, this game does showcase some truly remarkable moments, particularly two standout sequences. Revealing any further would spoil the experience for those planning to play, but rest assured that despite its flaws, Alan Wake 2 does offer glimmers of brilliance that may still entice devoted fans of the original. Others might prefer to wait for a patch and a discounted price before indulging in the adventure.
Alan Wake 2
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Alan Wake 2 is set to launch in 2023, marking a thirteen-year gap since its predecessor's initial release. The first installment of Alan Wake mesmerized viewers with its psychological horror narrative inspired by Stephen King. Sam Lake, from Remedy Entertainment, reveals that the upcoming game will be a survival horror experience, in contrast to its predecessor, which he characterized as "an action game with elements of horror."
Key Point: Exceptional visuals
Incredible audio design
Brutal and engaging combat
Cons Disappointing story
Some areas are confusing to navigate
Frustrating technical problems
Too many cheap jump scares
Alan Wake 2 launches October 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Our website was provided with a PC code for this review.
