The first Alan Wake game was released in 2010, and it became a cult classic. Fans eagerly awaited to see how the eponymous protagonist's story would continue. Thirteen years later, they can finally find out. Whereas the first game was more action-focused with narrow paths and combat arenas, the sequel completely reinvents itself as a survival horror game similar to the recent Resident Evil remakes.
Alan Wake II's scale is so much more massive and open-ended than its predecessor. With two characters to play as, new investigation features, and tweaked gameplay mechanics, Alan Wake II surpasses the first game in virtually every single way. However, some technical issues and user interface problems prevent it from being perfect.
The Storyline
The story follows FBI agent Saga Anderson and writer Alan Wake, the latter disappeared thirteen years ago. You get to play both characters in their individual story arcs, which are equally as fascinating. Saga has to investigate a group called the Cult of the Tree and its gruesome murders, while Alan must find a way to prevent a malevolent force called the Dark Presence from rewriting history. What makes both their storylines engrossing is Saga's own life gets entangled by the Dark Presence, so both she and Alan have to work together to stop it.
Alan Wake II also does a great job distinguishing both characters with different gameplay mechanics outside combat. Instead of just trudging forward to the next combat encounter as the first game did, much more thought went into plot progression. Saga can piece together evidence and statements like a real FBI agent, eventually moving the story forward. Alan, on the other hand, can change his immediate surroundings depending on other people's testimonies.
These are presented in the form of the Mind Place for Saga and the Writer's Room for Alan, sort of like a separate dimension where players can move around and interact with these elements. This makes for a more engaging and immersive experience, as I can literally see the story unraveling right before me.
The split between the two characters creates an excellent dichotomy where Saga has a more grounded environment with some supernatural elements, while Alan's segments go absolutely bonkers and paranormal.
Remedy made some small tweaks from the previous game in direct gameplay combat to provide a much more survival horror feel. For instance, Alan and Saga have to focus their flashlights on enemies to break their shields and make them vulnerable to bullets. In Alan Wake II, flashlights no longer regenerate batteries when not in use, whereas in the predecessor, they would.
This forced me to be more conservative with my battery power. Instead of blasting through cult members as Saga or ghostly apparitions (the Taken) as Alan, I often tried to dodge them. It was a smart change to make me think about my survival in the long term. Should I save my bullets for a potentially more dangerous encounter later, or should I play it safe and clear the Taken in this room?
Saga can also solve small puzzles to earn Charms and collect Manuscripts to unlock new abilities and upgrade her weapon, such as adding an auto-fire function to her pistol. On Alan's side, he can find certain graphics called Words of Power, which give him more passive upgrades, creating 20% less noise when navigating around enemies. These side objectives reward players for venturing out of the main quest, immersing themselves in the world more seamlessly.
Alan Wake II Map Systems
Unfortunately, a problem that persists throughout Remedy games is their map systems. The studio's 2019 game, Control, had an atrocious map that initially failed to provide any context with elevation, which was important to a game that relied on floating around. Remedy has created a better map for Alan Wake II with clearly marked areas. However, the main objectives aren't, and running around in circles is often frustrating.
During one of Alan's gameplay segments, I was given the clue to follow some neon lights, but I was in a noir-styled New York area filled with neon lights. So, the tip proved quite useless since I didn't have any objective marker to guide me.
What's particularly annoying is the absence of a mini-map in the corner to help navigate, and it sometimes discourages active exploration, motivating players to continue the critical path instead. Constant button-pushing to bring up a full-screen map really impedes the minute-to-minute gameplay pacing.
One aspect deserving of enormous praise is the game's excellent sound and level designs. As I crept through dark forests with Saga and ventured through claustrophobic train tunnels as Alan, I'd be on high alert whenever I heard an object falling or a door open. Since there aren't traditional combat arenas, enemies pop in unexpecteldy, which adds to the tension and suspense. With my flashlight in tow, there was nothing more frightening than just simply looking around, accidentally shining it on a Taken in the corner, and hearing "WAKE!" out of the blue.
Jump Scares and Technical Performance
Alan Wake II does utilize several jump scares. At certain parts of the game, the Dark Presence will show up without warning and flash a screaming black-and-white image. They do add to the overall horror atmosphere, but they also felt like a cheap scare tactic when the atmosphere constantly had me on edge throughout the game.
In terms of technical performance, Alan Wake II is absolutely gorgeous. It's an incredibly realistic-looking game with live-action segments similar to those in Remedy's Quantum Break. The specification requirements on PC are quite demanding, but the console versions play just fine. Additionally, players have the choice to prioritize performance or graphics.
There were some instances where my game locked up in the Mind Place or Writer's Room, but a simple relaunch from the home page seemed to solve these issues. Fortunately, I didn't experience any hard crashes when playing the game. Remedy has clarified they will fix these issues at launch with an upcoming patch.
Remedy clearly had a vision for Alan Wake II. Rather than creating a by-the-numbers sequel with minor upgrades from its predecessor, they completely overhauled the world and level designs to make a much more captivating experience. It feels familiar to the first game, yet so different. The focus on survival horror rather than straight action allows Alan Wake II to carve out its own identity, and the supernatural elements behind the cultists and the Dark Presence help the game stand out amongst its contemporaries. If the Alan Wake franchise wants to elevate itself from cult classic status, Alan Wake II is just what it needs.
Alan Wake II is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation October 27, just in time for Halloween!
