The Downsides That Diminish the Scares in Alan Wake 2

Article Key Points

Alan Wake 2 fully embraces a dark and twisted horror tone, making it a very scary game from start to finish.

The game adeptly establishes a haunting atmosphere through its eerie settings, otherworldly terrors, and expertly crafted narrative. Nonetheless, the frequent jump scares in Alan Wake 2 undermine the horror ambiance, ultimately growing monotonous and losing their impact.

The original 2010 Alan Wake is primarily categorized as an action-thriller game and has a few mild frights. While the overall tone is slightly dark, there are occasional eerie moments, especially involving the Dark Presence and its alternate Dark Place reality. However, Alan Wake isn't particularly frightening overall, and its gameplay is more intense than horrifying. In contrast, Alan Wake 2 fully embraces a dark and twisted horror atmosphere.

In general, Alan Wake 2 is widely regarded as a very scary game from beginning to end. Upon arriving in Bright Falls, players are immediately immersed in a story filled with murderous cults, possessed shadow monsters, and nightmarish dimensions steeped in blood and gruesome imagery. Alan Wake 2 offers ample reasons to feel fear, but despite maintaining a consistent horror atmosphere, one notable flaw detracts from the experience: an overabundance of jumpscares.

Alan Wake 2's Constant Jumpscares Ruin The Atmosphere

Alan Wake 2 Does a Great Job of Setting the Mood

Alan Wake 2 kicks off with a clear tone that sets the stage for the entire game. As players guide FBI Agent Saga Anderson through a quiet and eerie forest, they are on a mission to investigate a murder. It becomes apparent right away that this murder is anything but ordinary, and players quickly become unsettled as they are enveloped in a chilling mystery. However, the horror intensifies as players progress through Alan Wake 2, as supernatural terrors begin to seep into the gameplay.

While playing as Saga Anderson, players encounter more grounded and realistic dangers like cult members, often in hauntingly dark and gritty settings such as pitch-black forests or abandoned amusement parks. But when players take on the role of Alan Wake, things take a much more disturbing and surreal turn. Trapped in the Dark Place, Alan's journey leads him to encounter shadowy creatures that move unpredictably, along with exceptionally well-crafted environmental storytelling. The lighting, sound design, and enemy placement all contribute to making Alan Wake 2 an exceptional survival horror experience that will keep players on edge throughout.

Alan Wake 2's Jumpscares Then Get in the Way of That Mood

However, it is far from perfect. Alan Wake 2's horror atmosphere is significantly hindered by its excessive use of jumpscares. Right from the start of the game, players will experience moments where the screen suddenly turns black for a few seconds, while an unnaturally contorted face with a white outline moves erratically against the dark backdrop. This disturbing visual is accompanied by a piercing and ear-splitting shriek.

The initially effective jumpscares in Alan Wake 2 lose their impact as the game continues to bombard players with them. They become tedious and bothersome, despite the in-universe purpose they serve as indicators of the Dark Presence's approach.

When there is a significant gap between the jumpscares in Alan Wake 2, they become exceptionally effective and consistently unsettling. Unfortunately, this occurrence is quite rare when fans engage in extended play-sessions. If Remedy had decided to eliminate just a quarter of the game's jumpscares, it could have completely avoided this issue. This would have ensured that Alan Wake 2 remained one of the scariest survival horror games of all time, a reputation it may still hold for many fans.

Alan Wake 2

Franchise: Alan Wake

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X

Release Date: October 27, 2023

Developed By: Remedy Entertainment

Published By: Epic Games

Genre: Survival Horror

Metascore: 89

Availability on PS Plus: Not Available

For more information, visit the official site or check it out on the Playstation Store.

Editor's P/S

Alan Wake 2 is a game that has a lot to offer horror fans. It has a dark and twisted atmosphere, otherworldly terrors, and a narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat. However, one of the things that detracts from the horror experience is the overuse of jumpscares.

Jumpscares can be an effective way to scare players, but when they are used too often, they can become tedious and annoying. This is the case in Alan Wake 2. The game bombards players with jumpscares, and after a while, they start to lose their impact. This is a shame because the game has a lot of other things going for it, but the overuse of jumpscares prevents it from being a truly great horror game.