While Alan Wake II was on my radar, I didn't expect it to be THIS good. AW2 is a masterwork of surreal survival horror. With some many layers to unpack in its story and presentation, to its tense and engaging combat, AW2 takes you on a wild ride that you won't soon forget.
The shining star here is the story and presentation. Some may find Sam Lake's writing to be a bit pretentious at times, but I found this to be his best work. The game is separated into two stories: the titular character, Alan Wake, is trying to escape The Dark Place after the events of the first game, and the brand new character, Saga Anderson, is attempting to solve a string of murders that are occurring in Bright Falls. The story has so many surprising moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Those who enjoy a complex narrative will find themselves wholly engaged with every chapter, especially when playing as Alan.
The gameplay is expanded and more modernized from the previous game. With tons of stuff to collect, weapons to try, and intimidating enemy encounters. There are a few boss fights as well that help increase the tension even more. The general design of the game from both stories are unique and interesting.
AW2 just achieves a vibe that I haven't felt from any franchise since the golden era of Silent Hill. It isn't cheap horror, nor is it meant to be scoffed as some kind of stupid jump-scare fest (tho there is a fair share of those). The metanarrative and deeper themes only sink you more and more into the horror. I won't dare spoil anything, but this is most definitely the best narrative of the year.
In terms of negatives, I do think that the dodge that you're given for combat is a bit finicky, especially when trying to get a perfect dodge against enemies. I also found that exploration can be a bit tiresome. This may just be a me thing, but I don't really like when a survival horror game tries to have open world elements. I like a more linear approach overall, with some little side paths or optional little areas for some extra goodies to collect. Having the game be open world (mostly for Sagas story, but also somewhat present in Alan's) just made me feel like I was getting too drawn away from the main narrative and objective. It was fun sure, but it kind of took me out of the tense experience a lot.
All that being said, Alan Wake II is an absolute banger of a game. Yet another GOTY contender in my eyes. Remedy is continuing to put out some incredible games lately, and is quickly becoming one of the best developers around. This is a must play for any survival horror fan. Though I would recommend either playing through the original Alan Wake or reading up on the events of that game in order to fully enjoy this one.
The shining star here is the story and presentation. Some may find Sam Lake's writing to be a bit pretentious at times, but I found this to be his best work. The game is separated into two stories: the titular character, Alan Wake, is trying to escape The Dark Place after the events of the first game, and the brand new character, Saga Anderson, is attempting to solve a string of murders that are occurring in Bright Falls. The story has so many surprising moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Those who enjoy a complex narrative will find themselves wholly engaged with every chapter, especially when playing as Alan.
The gameplay is expanded and more modernized from the previous game. With tons of stuff to collect, weapons to try, and intimidating enemy encounters. There are a few boss fights as well that help increase the tension even more. The general design of the game from both stories are unique and interesting.
AW2 just achieves a vibe that I haven't felt from any franchise since the golden era of Silent Hill. It isn't cheap horror, nor is it meant to be scoffed as some kind of stupid jump-scare fest (tho there is a fair share of those). The metanarrative and deeper themes only sink you more and more into the horror. I won't dare spoil anything, but this is most definitely the best narrative of the year.
In terms of negatives, I do think that the dodge that you're given for combat is a bit finicky, especially when trying to get a perfect dodge against enemies. I also found that exploration can be a bit tiresome. This may just be a me thing, but I don't really like when a survival horror game tries to have open world elements. I like a more linear approach overall, with some little side paths or optional little areas for some extra goodies to collect. Having the game be open world (mostly for Sagas story, but also somewhat present in Alan's) just made me feel like I was getting too drawn away from the main narrative and objective. It was fun sure, but it kind of took me out of the tense experience a lot.
All that being said, Alan Wake II is an absolute banger of a game. Yet another GOTY contender in my eyes. Remedy is continuing to put out some incredible games lately, and is quickly becoming one of the best developers around. This is a must play for any survival horror fan. Though I would recommend either playing through the original Alan Wake or reading up on the events of that game in order to fully enjoy this one.