Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game and the next installment in a series originating from 2010, developed by Remedy Entertainment, known for Max Payne and Control. Unlike the previous installments, this one emphasizes the story and the horror atmosphere, deemphasizing combat.

The developers were inspired by such works as the True Detective TV series and Stephen King's literature.

Plot

The game is set on the American northwest coast, in the town of Bright Falls in Washington - the seemingly idyllic place has suffered from numerous occult-related crimes. FBI thus dispatches Saga Anderson, a profiler with expertise in difficult cases.

Upon arriving to the town, she finds pages of a horror novel, which seem to affect reality. They've been written by Alan Wake, an author officially declared missing in 2010. He's been held prisoner in the Dark Place for thirteen years by now, constantly struggling to stay sane and find a way to escape.

Both their paths end up crossing as they work together to save the town from the nightmare that plagues it.

Mechanics

The gameplay is shown in third-person, having us uncover the dark story of Bright Falls as two playable characters. We'll explore Bright Falls, the neighboring abandoned town of Watery and the volcanic Cauldron Lake. We'll also visit the dreamlike Dark Place, a distorted reflection of New York taken straight out of Alan Wake's novels. Both worlds feature some horrifying locations, within which we must gather items, solve environmental puzzles (such as finding keycodes or fixing electrical devices) and fight enemies.

The second game features less combat, though we'll still encounter aggressive humanoid enemies. Our primary weapon is light created by a flashlight, flares and flash grenades, which weakens enemies and makes them vulnerable to conventional firearms (pistols, revolvers, shotguns, etc). We can also dodge enemy attacks if they get too close.

Two playable characters mean unique mechanics for each one. Saga Anderson, for example, can enter the "mind place", a small cabin-like location. There she can upgrade her weapons with acquired items, examine the map and the evidence. Using the protagonist's profiling abilities we can comprehend certain events or make breakthroughs in the investigation.

Both characters have their own questlines, which we can either alternate between or stick to one of them for a bit longer.

Technical aspects

Alan Wake 2 runs on the Northlight engine, designed to generate virtual worlds. This proprietary toolset was previously used by Remedy Entertainment in such games as Quantum Break and Control.