More than a decade after the release of the original, Alan Wake 2 is upon us, its release date giving us the chance of visiting Bright Falls once more and checking in on the troubled writer.
As much as it’s a sequel, Alan Wake 2 ventures into survival horror territory, a first for developer Remedy Entertainment. That’s also not the only thing it does different from the original and below, we cover everything we know about the title, including details about its release date, gameplay, story, and more.
Alan Wake 2 Release Date
During May 2023’s Playstation Showcase, Alan Wake 2’s release date was locked down to October 17, 2023. The sequel joins a steadily increasing number of titles that opt to skip last-gen consoles, heading to PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
Alan Wake 2 Story
Built in such a way that fully enjoying it doesn’t require playing the original, Alan Wake 2’s story remains centered around the troubled writer while also introducing a new co-leading protagonist: FBI agent Saga Anderson.
As a string of ritualistic murders threatens the small town of Bright Falls, Anderson, who has a reputation for solving impossible cases, arrives to investigate.
Soon enough, she discovers the pages of a horror story that start to twist reality around her and which seem to be linked to Alan, who disappeared 13 years ago.
The sequel sees Alan Wake, writing a dark story in an attempt to escape the Dark Place and the dark horror that haunts him, preferably while retaining his sanity.
Alan Wake 2 Gameplay
Developed using Remedy’s Northlight Engine, Alan Wake 2 aims to stay true to one key survival horror principle, as the developer intends to “make the gameplay challenging for experienced players yet easy to navigate for those who want to focus on enjoying the game’s rich, layered story.”
After certain events take place, we’ll be able to play through Saga Anderson and Alan Wake’s stories in any order we choose.
Along the way, we’ll explore several hand-crafted locations. As Saga Anderson, we get to investigate and fight our way across three hubs in the Pacific Northwest.
We’ll start in Bright Falls, before getting to see “the stunning primordial forest surrounding the mysterious Cauldron Lake, and the run-down town of Watery.” Alan Wake’s story takes place in the shifting realm known as the Dark Place.
As a single-player survival horror title, Alan Wake 2 sees us employing limited resources to battle supernatural foes.
Guns and other weapons are bound to make an appearance, but light continues to play a major role in our survival, given the dark nature of our opponents.
During Summer Game Fest 2023, we got a brief look at a gameplay sequence featuring Saga Anderson, which confirmed that we can use the flashlight to weaken opponents.
Where can I buy Alan Wake 2 and how much does it cost?
Alan Wake 2’s PC version is only available digitally and is an Epic Games Store exclusive. Its console counterparts are available through their respective storefronts.
Alan Wake 2 Trailer
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