Good things come to those who wait, and if you are an Alan Wake fan, this has been a long wait. It has been thirteen years since the first game, but finally Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment have given the fans of this cult series what they want, and Alan Wake 2 is here.
Read More: Alan Wake 2 interview – Sam Lake on the Wait for Wake 2 and American Nightmare
And I am happy to report that the thirteen year wait has been worth every second. Alan Wake 2 delivers a truly mind-bending tale that has more twists and turns than the most thrilling of white knuckle roller-coaster rides. And this survival horror third-person shooter is so much more than what you may expect.
Cinematic Saga
It’s an extremely cinematic affair, that embraces everything that Remedy are known for. Alan Wake 2 brings solid gameplay mixed with live action sections inside a tale that never stops dragging you in.
Tonally, Alan Wake 2 errs more on the survival horror side of things than the first. There are more than a few jump scares. And the atmosphere, overall, goes for a more foreboding and dark feeling.
Read More: Remedy Have Max Control of Action Games
The tale picks up right where Alan Wake left off. It’s been thirteen years since bestselling writer Alan Wake went ‘missing’. And in this time a string of ritualistic murders have occurred in the sleepy back waters town of Bright Falls. These killings have been linked to a group known as the Cult of the Tree.
This turn of events sees FBI agents Saga Anderson and her partner Alex Casey sent to Bright Falls to investigate the killings. The pair quickly becomes entangled in the supernatural horror story written by Wake, as he attempts to escape from the Dark Place.
Bright Start
From here things kick off as you quickly question what’s happening as well as questioning reality itself. With the townsfolks of Bright Falls talking to Saga and Alex like the pair has lived there for years, but it’s in fact the first time they have been there.
It also hits you just how much Remedy are willingly embracing the overall universe they have crafted; with not only call backs, but deep cuts to the first game but also in the cross-over elements with their title Control.
These elements really help to enrich the tale and world as a whole, plus fans will get a kick out of discovering more than a few surprises along the way.
Stash or Dash
After finding your feet you’ll be given the choice to play the game as Saga or Wake – who finds himself trapped in a twisted version of New York, where he is trying to discover what’s happening, stop an evil darkness and ultimately escape as well.
With these choices letting you play the tale in the order you want, but ultimately all roads lead to the same conclusion, but with slightly different journeys getting there. This adds in a really nice element of replayability to things as you can go back and choose a different path.
Gameplay feels very much like the first game, but refined in ways. Combat is easily the weakest element of Alan Wake 2 by far. It’s overly clunky and stiff at times. The long reload times of the weapons and the limp, cumbersome dodging mechanic especiaully make combat more awkward than it should be.
However, if take it slowly, you’ll survive this control limitation. At least until you face more than one bad guy in a fight.
Sheriff in Town
The core combat loop of Alan Wake 2 also remains the same as the first game. You’ll be giving the possessed yokes one-two. First, you burn off the darkness with your torch and then use a gun or explosive to finish them off.
It’s a simple but a satisfying system that lets you use your small but powerful arsenal; that includes shotguns, crossbows, flare guns and a host of flares and flash bangs to help you get the upper hand.
There is also an upgrade system for your weapons based on finding manuscript fragments or Words of Power, but these are limited so you need to think about what you want to upgrade.
Alan’s Writer’s Room
New on the gameplay side is Saga’s mind place and Alan’s writers room, which serve as safe areas away from the threats of the game world, but also hubs for you to solve the games tale through a number of casefiles. Saga can also use her unique “skills” to profile people to collect more info on them.
Whereas Alan has a writer’s board that can also change the layout of levels based on what he writes here, which is a key feature to his sections.
These safe havens also let you check out your collectables, do any upgrades and re-watch any of the games numerous TV and radio shows.
Read More: Humankind (Xbox Series X) review – Conquering a New World
Saga’s side of things is very much based in the game world, whereas Alan’s side is a real mix of media and brings in a lot of live action content; from a pseudo TV talk show, to a full blown Broadway musical which is used incredibly well to add real layers to the game.
Alan, Wake Up
Alan Wake 2 is visually stunning in a dark, moody and grim way. The game presents a photorealistic feel to the world. From sleepy lake side town of Bright Falls, to the way moon light shines through the forest canopy, to the rain soak streets of a New York gone wrong.
Sound wise things are stellar from a custom soundtrack, to its ambient sounds – as you stand in a dark place feeling like you’re never totally alone.
Voice acting is also incredible. Both Matthew Porretta and Melanie Liburd steal the show as Alan and Saga. They’re backed up by the likes of James McCaffrey, Shawn Ashmore, David Harewood and Peter Franzén who breath real life into the supporting cast.
Read More: Payday 3 review – Heist Gone Wrong
There were a few technical issues I came across, ranging from losing all sound and being locked in the mind place. Nothing a quick reload didn’t fix but noteworthy nonetheless.
Wake of the Year
Alan Wake 2 is a tour-de-force of what Remedy does best. Every lesson learned by the studio in those thirteen years are visible in its well-woven adventure.
Fans will love this through and through. Alan Wake 2 gives them more of what they love. The game also broadens the universe and sets up some exciting crossovers going forward.
Newcomers, meanwhile, are in for something truly different. Alan Wake 2 is a great yarn in its own right. The gameplay, while clunky and stiff at times, carries the peril that the survival horror tone creates, and as a result the game is truly gripping.
Alan Wake 2 a Game of the Year contender. I only hope we don’t have to wait another thirteen years to see Alan and his ocean once again.