Cerebral, mind-bending, macabre, and thrilling are all words that describe Alan Wake 2 perfectly. A masterclass in survival-horror that doubles as the culmination of everything Remedy Entertainment has learned over its 20+ years in the games industry. Tensions are high throughout the entirety of the 20 hour runtime of Alan Wake 2, not only through combat, but through auditory cues, jump scares, changes in scenery, and striking shifts in color. Remedy utilizes all these tools to keep you on the edge of your seat while your heart pounds in your chest as you slightly turn your eyes from the screen in an attempt to reduce your anxiety. All of the best parts of Alan Wake 2 can be summed up in one word. Atmosphere.
Atmosphere is this games strongest aspect, and unlike other games of the same ilk that released this year such as Resident Evil 4 Remake and Dead Space, there is less combat here than you would expect. I found the majority of my playtime was spent piecing together the story, exploring the different locales and looking for collectibles, callbacks to other Remedy games, and hints at future events in the story or the greater Remedy Connected Universe rather than fighting Taken. That being said, combat is a delight in this game. Every encounter is important due to scarcity of ammo and other items, especially during boss fights, but I do wish there were more enemies to defeat. Graphically, this game astounded me at every cutscene and set-piece, and was enhanced by a robust and vivid color palette that truly nails the feeling of Autumn in a small rural town.
The story in Alan Wake 2 answers so many questions that players were left with after the first game’s ending, but tactfully introduces just as many (if not more) new questions and ideas into the fold. No spoilers, but I DO wish some of the new stuff that was introduced here was explained/explored more fully, as they really did a fantastic job of weaving new characters, plotlines, and genuinely intriguing concepts into the Remedy Connected Universe. If Alan Wake and Control are anything to go off of, I’m sure we can expect some DLC to tie up these loose ends before too long, and I am more than excited to return to this universe.
Atmosphere is this games strongest aspect, and unlike other games of the same ilk that released this year such as Resident Evil 4 Remake and Dead Space, there is less combat here than you would expect. I found the majority of my playtime was spent piecing together the story, exploring the different locales and looking for collectibles, callbacks to other Remedy games, and hints at future events in the story or the greater Remedy Connected Universe rather than fighting Taken. That being said, combat is a delight in this game. Every encounter is important due to scarcity of ammo and other items, especially during boss fights, but I do wish there were more enemies to defeat. Graphically, this game astounded me at every cutscene and set-piece, and was enhanced by a robust and vivid color palette that truly nails the feeling of Autumn in a small rural town.
The story in Alan Wake 2 answers so many questions that players were left with after the first game’s ending, but tactfully introduces just as many (if not more) new questions and ideas into the fold. No spoilers, but I DO wish some of the new stuff that was introduced here was explained/explored more fully, as they really did a fantastic job of weaving new characters, plotlines, and genuinely intriguing concepts into the Remedy Connected Universe. If Alan Wake and Control are anything to go off of, I’m sure we can expect some DLC to tie up these loose ends before too long, and I am more than excited to return to this universe.