Review
Played on: Xbox Series X
Released: 2024 (Deluxe Edition)
Original release: 2023
I fell in love with the first Alan Wake back in 2010, review here, standing out as one of the best experiences in the horror genre that generation. It’s unique psychological thriller style, narrated storytelling, the combat combining guns and light, with an excellent atmosphere of escaping nightmares in the woods at night, made it stand out as a memorable experience.
Even though we got a small reunion in 2012’s spin-off titled Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, review here, there’s been years of longing for a proper sequel. However, rumours began to emerge of it being in development and hype built when the first game received a remaster in 2021, review of that here. Finally, Remedy released Alan Wake II in 2023 to critical acclaim.
Sadly, I had a massive backlog and couldn't play it at launch. However, last year saw the release of the Deluxe Edition which contains all the DLC episodes in one package. I received it as a birthday present, it was time to jump in and finally play it. As such, my playthrough has been with the DLC episodes blended into the story. I can recommend fans of the old Alan Wake and Control to do this, as there's lots of references in those extra segments!
So, does Remedy's sequel live up to the first game? Let’s turn on our flashlights, walk into the woods and take a closer look!
Alan Wake II goes back to the idyllic setting of Bright Falls, a fictional town in the Northwest of the US. Situated close to a national park, it has a unique and charming pine covered and mysterious woodland surrounding the rural town. And how many other games have begun with you playing an old naked, chubby guy being chased in the woods and murdered by cultists in reindeer masks? But that’s how AWII begins, setting the premise of a much darker and more violent sequel than it’s predecessor.
This sequel really leans deep into the horror in a more visual and gory presentation. While it retains the psychological horror theme of the first game, it leans further into graphic horror. Making it a more shocking and an even creepier playthrough, complete with lots of jump scares and incredible tense moments. This overall darker theme echoes how Alan Wake and his evil counterpart Mr. Scratch has become desperate in the 13 years stuck in the darkness. I like how they've incorporated the time between the two game releases as an actual timeline!
Alongside the increased graphic horror and darker theme, gameplay sees a change from a somewhat sluggish Alan to a nimbler third person styled shooter. It echoes the Resident Evil 2 Remake of modern times, review of that here, with precise aim required for headshots and intense moments as enemies with dark presence act like zombies running towards you. There’s a small, but satisfying, selection of firearms, including a simple pistol, a powerful crossbow, a shotgun and a hunting rifle. Including assorted items like a flare gun, rocket flares and flash grenades to dispose of the darkness from the characters.
The balancing act of removing the darkness, working as a shield for the enemies, and then following up with firing guns to take them down is retained in this sequel. It’s still a unique concept and feels even better thanks to a modernised and faster control scheme compared to the first game. Ammo for guns and batteries for your torch are scarce, forcing the player to go scavenging and traversing the off-beat path in search of supplies. Definitely a survival horror at heart.
Since the time the first game released, I’ve kind of grown out of the whole amazement of cinematic storytelling in games. I tend to zone out in cutscenes, as I’m mostly a gamer that loves to focus on the actual gameplay. Recent years has seen the tendency for massive budget games to lean into the cutscene heavy storytelling, aiming at casual players simply wanting games to be a movie.
I fell in love with the first Alan Wake back in 2010, review here, standing out as one of the best experiences in the horror genre that generation. It’s unique psychological thriller style, narrated storytelling, the combat combining guns and light, with an excellent atmosphere of escaping nightmares in the woods at night, made it stand out as a memorable experience.
Even though we got a small reunion in 2012’s spin-off titled Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, review here, there’s been years of longing for a proper sequel. However, rumours began to emerge of it being in development and hype built when the first game received a remaster in 2021, review of that here. Finally, Remedy released Alan Wake II in 2023 to critical acclaim.
Sadly, I had a massive backlog and couldn't play it at launch. However, last year saw the release of the Deluxe Edition which contains all the DLC episodes in one package. I received it as a birthday present, it was time to jump in and finally play it. As such, my playthrough has been with the DLC episodes blended into the story. I can recommend fans of the old Alan Wake and Control to do this, as there's lots of references in those extra segments!
So, does Remedy's sequel live up to the first game? Let’s turn on our flashlights, walk into the woods and take a closer look!
Alan Wake II goes back to the idyllic setting of Bright Falls, a fictional town in the Northwest of the US. Situated close to a national park, it has a unique and charming pine covered and mysterious woodland surrounding the rural town. And how many other games have begun with you playing an old naked, chubby guy being chased in the woods and murdered by cultists in reindeer masks? But that’s how AWII begins, setting the premise of a much darker and more violent sequel than it’s predecessor.
This sequel really leans deep into the horror in a more visual and gory presentation. While it retains the psychological horror theme of the first game, it leans further into graphic horror. Making it a more shocking and an even creepier playthrough, complete with lots of jump scares and incredible tense moments. This overall darker theme echoes how Alan Wake and his evil counterpart Mr. Scratch has become desperate in the 13 years stuck in the darkness. I like how they've incorporated the time between the two game releases as an actual timeline!
Alongside the increased graphic horror and darker theme, gameplay sees a change from a somewhat sluggish Alan to a nimbler third person styled shooter. It echoes the Resident Evil 2 Remake of modern times, review of that here, with precise aim required for headshots and intense moments as enemies with dark presence act like zombies running towards you. There’s a small, but satisfying, selection of firearms, including a simple pistol, a powerful crossbow, a shotgun and a hunting rifle. Including assorted items like a flare gun, rocket flares and flash grenades to dispose of the darkness from the characters.
The balancing act of removing the darkness, working as a shield for the enemies, and then following up with firing guns to take them down is retained in this sequel. It’s still a unique concept and feels even better thanks to a modernised and faster control scheme compared to the first game. Ammo for guns and batteries for your torch are scarce, forcing the player to go scavenging and traversing the off-beat path in search of supplies. Definitely a survival horror at heart.
Since the time the first game released, I’ve kind of grown out of the whole amazement of cinematic storytelling in games. I tend to zone out in cutscenes, as I’m mostly a gamer that loves to focus on the actual gameplay. Recent years has seen the tendency for massive budget games to lean into the cutscene heavy storytelling, aiming at casual players simply wanting games to be a movie.
However, Alan Wake II has pulled me into that mindset of loving the engaging and chilling story of horror and genuinely appreciating the cutscenes and cinematic vibe. Cleverly, Remedy has perfectly balanced the shift between story cutscenes, exploring, combat and investigation. Resulting in a varied experience for the player, with each part not overstaying it's welcome. I appreciate how they've implemented live action movies with the actors seamlessly together with their in-game character counterparts!
Even more clever is the unique investigation part of the game. The "mind place" to both the main characters; FBI agent Saga and writer Alan Wake. At any time during gameplay you can swap into Saga's mind. An investigation room where you can look at her notes, character profiles and try to figure out how the murders in Bright Falls are connected.
Similarly, when playing Alan you swap into his writing room. Here his, ever changing, novel will alter environment elements, swapping story scenes out with new ones, allowing Alan to progress in his world. It makes exploring extremely satisfying and helpfully sums up the complex story to the player, through Saga's and Alan's thoughts.
While we've seen two main characters in horror titles before, a nod to many Resident Evil releases, Alan Wake II takes it to a completely new level. This isn't about replaying the game as two characters with some subtle differences, instead AWII switches between two different styles entirely. Saga is the detective, investigating and roaming around the woodland Bright Falls area, interviewing suspects and finding clues. Alan’s part is a jump into a bizarre, weird world of the dark place where things are ever changing as his evil nemesis Mr. Scratch is rewriting the novel Alan lives in.
While we've seen two main characters in horror titles before, a nod to many Resident Evil releases, Alan Wake II takes it to a completely new level. This isn't about replaying the game as two characters with some subtle differences, instead AWII switches between two different styles entirely. Saga is the detective, investigating and roaming around the woodland Bright Falls area, interviewing suspects and finding clues. Alan’s part is a jump into a bizarre, weird world of the dark place where things are ever changing as his evil nemesis Mr. Scratch is rewriting the novel Alan lives in.
The vastness of swapping from Saga to Alan is incredible, really underlining the sheer difference in presentation and atmosphere. From a detective thriller to Alan taking part on a charmingly presented, late night, talk show. Excellently portrayed by the actors, then walking out of the studio and arriving neon sign lit, rain clad tarmac, in New York at night. It's a bold visual statement on how vividly different this title can be and visually showcase.
Gameplay elements between the main characters are different too. I really appreciate that you can swap between them at your own will further into the game at certain save points, allowing the player to explore the part they want at their own will. You can find upgrades for them both, tempting the player to use extra time exploring and solving puzzles. Saga's upgrades focus on improving her guns, while Alan's are focused on improving his skills.
AWII is absolutely stunning visually, hands down one of the best-looking titles I've seen in recent years. There’s a keen eye for detail by the developers, making buildings, characters and the wilderness come alive and look incredibly real. Although it’s not a massive open world, think large areas segmented, it’s incredible to see the amount of small finesse put into the environments. Buildings are full of objects and woodlands have tons of foliage.
The usage of lighting is spectacular too, emphasising Remedy's skill at it and the premise of the franchise. Daytime and weather changes play a significant role in the atmosphere created. Allowing previously visited areas look and feel entirely different. Alongside the excellent lighting are eye catching reflective surfaces, and substantial amounts of special effects and debris. So when gunfights heat up and stuff gets smashed up there's parts of furniture and trees flying about.
There’s a nice mix of Alan Wake nostalgia from the first game sprinkled in too, yet at the same time there’s qualities that bring memories of Resident Evil and Silent Hill to mind. That Remedy magic that covers the whole experience too. From the director, Sam Lake, lending his persona to Saga's police buddy Casey, complete with late James McCaffrey’s voice, as nod to Max Payne. To Shawn Ashmore returning as hint of Quantum Break shows through and obvious Control references. Boiling it all down to feel like one single world all these incredible Remedy titles take part in!
With improved gameplay, shocking horror, an excellent story, fantastic balance of action and tension, there’s no denying that Remedy has created an incredible sequel!
Gameplay elements between the main characters are different too. I really appreciate that you can swap between them at your own will further into the game at certain save points, allowing the player to explore the part they want at their own will. You can find upgrades for them both, tempting the player to use extra time exploring and solving puzzles. Saga's upgrades focus on improving her guns, while Alan's are focused on improving his skills.
AWII is absolutely stunning visually, hands down one of the best-looking titles I've seen in recent years. There’s a keen eye for detail by the developers, making buildings, characters and the wilderness come alive and look incredibly real. Although it’s not a massive open world, think large areas segmented, it’s incredible to see the amount of small finesse put into the environments. Buildings are full of objects and woodlands have tons of foliage.
The usage of lighting is spectacular too, emphasising Remedy's skill at it and the premise of the franchise. Daytime and weather changes play a significant role in the atmosphere created. Allowing previously visited areas look and feel entirely different. Alongside the excellent lighting are eye catching reflective surfaces, and substantial amounts of special effects and debris. So when gunfights heat up and stuff gets smashed up there's parts of furniture and trees flying about.
The way the woodland always moves makes it come alive, with the sun peaking through the branches is just such an incredible visual treat. While on the complete opposite side of environments, rain covered New York feels how you'd expect it too, contrasting dark and mysterious woodlands with a gritty and dangerous urban environment.
Playing on Xbox Series X, you can choose between a fidelity and performance mode. As usual, the 60fps fluidity and responsiveness of the performance mode is my preferred setting. Although it takes a substantial hit on resolution, resulting in a more fuzzy picture. Fidelity looks sharper, with a bump up on texture detail, reflective surfaces and increased foliage. However, like Control, I feel the 30fps mode just isn't as smooth looking as something like Starfield or Forza Horizon feels.
Overall, it's mainly the resolution drop that's most noticeable in performance, something I quickly forgot about and enjoyed the responsive feel of 60fps combat.
I found little I didn’t enjoy along the ride. It’s challenging and tough at times, for sure. Remedy titles usually require skilled third person shooting skills. The combat is fast and the enemies are savagely brutal, you need to keep an eye on your health during combat. Like the first game, I could've done with an extended enemy design as well as more combat as it's satisfying and fun to play.
Perhaps the story can be tricky to follow for some as it delves into worlds within worlds, but then again Saga’s and Alan’s mind places aid the player through the more complex events. I highly recommend to play the first title before delving into this one, it makes the background story more comprehensible.
As the end credits rolled, around the 25 to 30 hour mark, I sat back and truly savoured the moment. What and incredible ride; tense atmosphere, shock value and incredible story presentation. In addition, the visual ride had made the whole world of Saga and Alan come alive in way that made it feel real. It truly is a masterpiece to play.
There’s a nice mix of Alan Wake nostalgia from the first game sprinkled in too, yet at the same time there’s qualities that bring memories of Resident Evil and Silent Hill to mind. That Remedy magic that covers the whole experience too. From the director, Sam Lake, lending his persona to Saga's police buddy Casey, complete with late James McCaffrey’s voice, as nod to Max Payne. To Shawn Ashmore returning as hint of Quantum Break shows through and obvious Control references. Boiling it all down to feel like one single world all these incredible Remedy titles take part in!
With improved gameplay, shocking horror, an excellent story, fantastic balance of action and tension, there’s no denying that Remedy has created an incredible sequel!
