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If you were to take Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks, and various Stephen King novels and toss them all into a blender, you’d get Alan Wake. The first game is one of my favorite survival horror games of all time, only trailing behind the original Dead Space and Silent Hill 2 ever so slightly. It was such a unique take on the genre, and more of a psychological thriller than outright horror. I was delighted to hear that Remedy planned on ramping up the horror for Alan Wake 2, while still staying true to the core concepts of what made the original game and story so great.

The story picks up 13 years after the events of the first game, which is humorous to me, given that is exactly how much time it took to develop and release Alan Wake 2. Players are provided with a recap, to remind those who haven’t played Alan Wake in a while or are new to the franchise as to what’s going on. Alan is unfortunately still stuck in the “Dark Place” and we are introduced to a new character in this twisted tale.

You start out by assuming the role of Saga Anderson, an FBI agent drawn to Bright Falls with her partner, Alex Casey, to investigate the disappearance of a former agent, Robert Nightingale, and a series of grisly murders by a mysterious group known as the “Cult of the Tree”. What follows feels a lot like playing out a true crime documentary, as you actively survey the crime scene and gather evidence. This leads to a fun new mechanic known as the “Mind Place” where Saga can piece together information to draw conclusions and discover more about what really going on.

The situation swiftly turns dark and dabbles more into the supernatural as Saga travels into a parallel version of her current location, fighting shadowy creatures far more aggressive and unsettling than the first game. Movement controls and combat feel more refined, fluid, as well, but didn’t help me from getting destroyed the first few encounters before I shook off the rust. Enemies definitely felt like they were a bigger threat in Alan Wake 2, even on the standard difficulty (I’m getting too old and have too little time for harder difficulties). By the end of it, we are reunited with our second protagonist and favorite writer, Alan Wake.

From there, the game allows you to switch between Saga and Alan whenever you want, experiencing the story at your own pace and in whatever order feels right to you. While Saga relies more on the investigative aspect and gameplay mechanics, Alan progresses the story through puzzles, in the form of writing prompts and using a supernatural lamp to shift reality, altering parts of his surroundings.

Light is still your greatest ally when facing off against the Taken, the corrupted shadow beings throughout Alan Wake and Alan Wake 2, but you’ll also have a little more firepower this time around. Keep in mind that some weapons are missable, so it’s a great idea to explore, which is also how you can find helpful charms and other resources, as health and ammo are much more scarce than before. Finding lunchboxes (Saga) and “Words of Power” (Alan) also provide potential upgrades to your weapons, helping to even the odds.

Alan Wake 2 does an incredible job of expanding on the series’ mythos, and even ties into other Remedy games, such as Control (which I still need to play, and have heard great things about). The atmosphere always keeps you at the edge of your seat, with chilling ambient sounds and haunting musical score, but relies a little too much on jump scares at times. Speaking of music, the game is an auditory masterpiece, with catchy song after song playing at the end of each chapter, along with quite the musical number early in the game that sees Alan and friends dancing in a Broadway-like production. I am not kidding about this.

Taking everything into consideration, I personally feel that Alan Wake 2 was well worth the wait, and excels in nearly every way. The graphics are incredible, sound design is impeccable, gameplay and controls are solid, and the story had my full attention every step of the way. My only gripe is that the game felt a little short, same as the first, and the jump scares became more of a nuisance than a source of fright.

If you enjoy survival horror games, even more so if you enjoyed the original Alan Wake game, Alan Wake 2 is well worth adding to your collection. As of writing this (late) review, the game is only available for digital download, but a Collector’s Edition, with a physical copy of the game, will be available December 2024.

– Anthony

REVIEW SCORE: 9/10