in 2010, my young teen brain was rocked by Remedy’s survival thriller title, Alan Wake. With its deep, and often times, confusing story, immersive backdrop, and compelling gameplay, this title was unlike anything that I’d ever played at that point. That game cemented itself as one of my favorite titles of all time, as it was really the first game to have a narrative that made me stick it out from beginning to end.

However, Alan Wake ended on a cliffhanger, one that I never really thought would come back around again. Even with the American Nightmare sequel-ish title, the story never fully tied up. Not many of us thought that Alan Wake would come back around again until he made an appearance in Remedy’s Control game, with the Alan Wake Experience which made sense that his full return would be inevitable, and it was.

So with the release of Remedy’s Alan Wake 2, players finally have yet another full Alan Wake title to help tie things together in a neat little bow. But does it actually? Is Alan Wake 2 the return to form that players have been waiting nearly fifteen years for? Alan Wake 2 does more than what players may have expected, delivering a sequel that nails the landing, becoming the Empire Strikes Back of video game sequels.

Gamplay and Story

For much of its runtime, Alan Wake 2 is a slow burn. It focuses heavily on both the typical Alan Wake investigation of running head-first into danger and the methodical crime noir aspects of our other protagonist, Saga Anderson. Saga is an FBI agent tasked with uncovering the truth behind ritualistic murders happening in Bright Falls. Without getting too deep into things, these murders are directly tied to Alan Wake’s plight in some form, and the two begin working together between worlds.

At a certain point, the game actually allows you to begin finishing each of the character’s arcs and storylines, which is pretty cool, seeing as the entirety of the game’s story takes place in mere days. And while the original Alan Wake game felt like a thriller television show of its time, the same can be said of Alan Wake 2 which gives each game its own unique way of telling its story.

Alan Wake 2 can, at times, be a bit more confusing with its story than the first title, but it makes sense as it’s fleshing out a pretty ambiguous force of evil that the original had created. The first game was more like The Twilight Zone, and this game feels more in line with something that Mike Flanagan would create. I get strong Midnight Mass vibes at times, as the story is pretty deep, even when it doesn’t have to be.

You can tell that a lot of time and care has gone into this title. From start to finish, this game delivers things that players may not have expected to see in an Alan Wake game. There are definitely more horror aspects in this title than the last, making the other feel more thriller and this one more killer. As you play through the game though, there are more glimmers of the old game that begin to shine through in place.

Though, I’d say that this game is less combat-heavy than the first. You’ll spend more time walking and solving lighter puzzles and using the Case Board in Saga’s mind or the Writer’s Board in Alan’s to uncover answers, with each character’s way of doing so. It’s actually pretty cool, even if confusing at times. You can also upgrade each character as you play and find environmental collectibles as well, which adds more depth to the gameplay, even if not too complex.

Audio and Visuals

Aside from Red Dead Redemption 2, all those years ago, Alan Wake 2 is really the only other game to blow me away with some of the visuals at play. Though the characters look realistic, it isn’t the factor that steals the show, it’s the way of just how cinematic it all looks. This game is extraordinary. The lighting, water effects, and facial animations are the best I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t look like any other horror game these days, as it’s on a whole other level.

Something I personally enjoyed was seeing Sam Lake take such a large part in the game, both in modeled and live-action moments. His face has been part of Remedy’s games since the beginning, so it was nice to get to see him take on a role for the modern landscape of his and his team’s games.

As far as audio goes, there’s a great deal that’s gone into mixing the audio just right as well as getting the actors to sound as great as they could. I didn’t find delivery hokey, or performances hollow. Every character felt real and engaging to me. The live-action sequences didn’t take me too far out of the game either, since most were happening during gameplay, blending the two perfectly.

Feedback

My only complaint about Alan Wake 2 is that it took so damn long to release after the first, but I guess that’s really for the best. I say that, because I really haven’t had another game I felt as connected to since the first one. This game is perfected in every possible way.

Conclusion

If there’s one thing that has to be said about Alan Wake 2, it’s that it delivers players the type of project that should be the standard for this modern way of telling stories through video games. With its polished gameplay, dynamic storytelling, and gorgeous visuals, this really is the ultimate video game experience.

Remedy has time and time again delivered us games that deserve a standing ovation, but Alan Wake 2 may be the most deserving of that praise. My jaw was agape for most of my time with the Alan Wake 2, as my eyes were glued and my sleep schedule was reduced to ashes.