Alan Wake 2 arrives as a triumphant conclusion to a series of high-profile AAA game releases, ensuring that the gaming community bids farewell to the year with a resounding bang. As a technical masterpiece, it stands as the pinnacle of this generation's achievements. The last time I was as captivated by a game's visual and atmospheric prowess was back in 2018 with the exceptional Red Dead Redemption 2. Although the scale of the latter was more awe-inspiring, Alan Wake 2 feels like the culmination of Remedy Games' endeavors over the past decade, solidifying their status among the most exciting developers in the industry. There are not many developers that can keep up with the cinematic presentation of sony first party studios games and remedy rightfully will be the first one to come to mind from now on.
While not flawless, Alan Wake 2 grapples with a recurring issue in Remedy's games: the writing of Sam Wake. Much like Hideo Kojima's style (albeit not as egregious), it occasionally veers into being too on the nose, overly goofy, and at times, outright annoying. However, these narrative hiccups can be overlooked, especially considering the game's competent replication of the survival horror formula. Nonetheless, the combat lacks the smoothness and satisfaction found in the Resident Evil series, a genre titan.
Where Remedy truly flexes its muscles is in the technical achievement of Alan Wake 2. Playing it with maxed-out settings with an RTX 4080 on an OLED screen is a mind-boggling experience. Yet, it's not just the technical prowess that makes it exceptional; it's the art direction and creative abundance evident in every scene. The game immerses players in bat-shit crazy set pieces, one after another, overwhelming them with diverse environments that can be explored and manipulated through mechanics like rewriting scenes and altering entire landscapes.
I have played almost all of Remedy's games and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them, especially the Max Payne series will always have a place in my heart. I like how all this seems to tie into a larger Remedy Universe, but I have to say I'm not fan enough to get everything. I guess a good youtube video will do the trick here.
Personally, I believe that media should evoke a specific feeling more than anything else, and Alan Wake 2, akin to its obvious inspiration in Twin Peaks, does just that. This sentiment made every second of the game thoroughly enjoyable for me, propelling it to the top of the list of outstanding games in 2023. It's undoubtedly a fantastic time to be a gamer.
While not flawless, Alan Wake 2 grapples with a recurring issue in Remedy's games: the writing of Sam Wake. Much like Hideo Kojima's style (albeit not as egregious), it occasionally veers into being too on the nose, overly goofy, and at times, outright annoying. However, these narrative hiccups can be overlooked, especially considering the game's competent replication of the survival horror formula. Nonetheless, the combat lacks the smoothness and satisfaction found in the Resident Evil series, a genre titan.
Where Remedy truly flexes its muscles is in the technical achievement of Alan Wake 2. Playing it with maxed-out settings with an RTX 4080 on an OLED screen is a mind-boggling experience. Yet, it's not just the technical prowess that makes it exceptional; it's the art direction and creative abundance evident in every scene. The game immerses players in bat-shit crazy set pieces, one after another, overwhelming them with diverse environments that can be explored and manipulated through mechanics like rewriting scenes and altering entire landscapes.
I have played almost all of Remedy's games and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them, especially the Max Payne series will always have a place in my heart. I like how all this seems to tie into a larger Remedy Universe, but I have to say I'm not fan enough to get everything. I guess a good youtube video will do the trick here.
Personally, I believe that media should evoke a specific feeling more than anything else, and Alan Wake 2, akin to its obvious inspiration in Twin Peaks, does just that. This sentiment made every second of the game thoroughly enjoyable for me, propelling it to the top of the list of outstanding games in 2023. It's undoubtedly a fantastic time to be a gamer.