Alan Wake 2 is a psychological thriller of the highest order

13 years have passed since the first game. That’s how long Alan Wake has been stuck in the Dark Place. It’s a kind of manifestation of what the horror writer penned in his books. His last battle ended with a partial victory and imprisonment in eternal darkness. Now he’s getting help from FBI agent Saga Anderson.

Murders are once again piling up in the sleepy fishing village of Bright Falls. Saga starts her investigation with her partner Alex Casey. Wait, Alex Casey? Isn’t that the fictional detective from Alan Wake’s novels? Yep. He sports obvious parallels to Max Payne, another game from Finnish studio Remedy. That’s because he’s played by Sam Lake, real name Sami Antero Järvi. He was the face of Max Payne in the very first game, becoming the studio’s creative director and a writer since then. Lake returns in Alan Wake 2, lending his appearance to Alex Casey, who is voiced by James McCaffrey. McCaffrey also gave Max Payne his unmistakeable drawl. If you think that’s confusing, then you know what to expect in Alan Wake 2. It doesn’t take long before Saga is drawn into a swamp of conspiracies, a murderous cult and the reawakened darkness.

The first Alan Wake is a suspenseful horror thriller suffering from repetitive gameplay. Nevertheless, I loved the game – like every Remedy title. From Max Payne to Control, they don’t only inspire with a concentrated salvo of action, but also with unique stories thanks to Sam Lake. And Alan Wake 2 is his best work yet.

Two characters, one story

In Alan Wake 2, I play as both Saga and Alan. You begin in the role of an FBI agent investigating a ritual murder. I look for clues in an enchanted forest clearing, bringing them together in my Mind Place. This is displayed in the game as a separate room that I can travel to at the touch of a button. In this cosy forest hut, I can link clues using a classic red thread until a picture emerges. The process is mainly there to help me, as I can only arrange the clues in one way.

I can also profile people in my Mind Place. Saga uses her intuition to find out, for example, that witnesses to the ritual murder have planted evidence. Early on, I wonder whether Saga is really only using her intuition to figure out seemingly impossible connections.

The brutal ritual murder, in which the victim’s heart was cut out, marks the beginning of a dark and gripping story that continues to unfold in the supposedly sleepy town. It doesn’t take long for the first shadowy figures to appear, possessed inhabitants of Bright Falls, shrouded in darkness and muttering threats in distorted voices. They’re linked to Wake’s stories, which, as we know from the first game, increasingly merge with reality.

I fight shadow creatures by first weakening them with a flashlight and then rendering them harmless with my pistol. The controls are much more precise than in the first game and the variety of enemies has increased. Even better: there’s way fewer fights. Alan Wake 1 is very action-heavy – too action-heavy. In the sequel, it recedes into the background, for the better. It gives me more time to explore the beautiful areas in more detail.

A feast for the eyes

The feel and design of the game grabbed me from minute one. Alan Wake 2 looks stunning. From Bright Falls, inviting you to linger in the early morning sun and light mist, through dark forests that only the light of my flashlight can cut through, I dive headfirst into the world. Remedy masters the interplay of light and colour perfectly. They already proved this beyond doubt in Control. Alan Wake 2 now incorporates all the lessons learned from previous games. From detailed facilities, only rivalled by Naughty Dog’s crunch games, to varied areas, there’s an enormous amount on offer. The fact that the story mixes fiction and reality means that there are virtually no limits to the imagination.

The story is grippingly staged with an unusual mix of cutscenes and full-motion video sequences. Remedy already dared to experiment with this in Quantum Break. There, gameplay and live-action scenes are separate, making it difficult to immerse yourself in the action. In Alan Wake 2, the two elements are intertwined. Whether you’re profiling or running into jumpscares, the game characters and their real counterparts are mixed.

Game meets live action

Then there are moments when the game completely turns into a movie. For example, when I get to control Alan for the first time. He finds himself in a studio dressing room. A talk show featuring a well-known author is playing on a television: Alan Wake, of course. But Alan can’t remember it at all. With a click, I suddenly find myself in the talk show. Bam, I become a spectator for a few minutes. A perfect mix, in my opinion. The actors convey more emotion and credibility than their animated counterparts. And those are already impressive. This is also helped by fantastic writing.

As is typical of Remedy, there are plenty of oddball characters. First among them Ahti, the janitor. He made his first appearance in Control, hereby sweeping away the last doubts that the two games aren’t set in the same universe. Ahti regularly shows up, bucket by his side and cryptic wisdom at the ready, which he delivers in a mixture of Finnish and English. Thematically in-tune with the mysterious cleaner, I can jump back and forth between the protagonists via a puddle next to his bucket. Don’t ask, it’s still one of the more normal things in this game.

Pick locks with math

Whether I play through all of Saga or Alan’s episodes first doesn’t seem to matter. It speaks for the quality of the game that I always want to play both. Chapters are usually located in larger, semi-open areas that invite you to explore, with some parts sectioned off. Be it with locks which first require bolt cutters or doors that can only be opened with the right key. Here the game resembles the Resident Evil series. Despite the omnipresent supernatural phenomena, the puzzles are reasonably plausible. Ammo and medkits are hidden in crates – the cult has stored them there for later use.

However, codes for the padlocks seemingly can’t be exchanged via a group chat, despite the growing number of cultists. I usually find instructions for the codes nearby. Sometimes I just have to find a piece of paper with the code, sometimes I have to combine several clues. Those equations resulting in a three-digit code make me sweat the most. Fifth graders could probably solve them within minutes. I’d still be at it today if my wife hadn’t helped – still, 11 p.m. isn’t the ideal time for brain workouts, no?

Writing my own story

Little by little, Saga and Alan uncover more and more secrets about the cult and the darkness. Alan is helped by his supernatural writing skills. Like Saga, he also has a kind of Mind Place in which he collects photos and notes. This in turn inspires him to rewrite scenes in the game. A wall suddenly becomes a passageway or a flooded cellar is drained. Even if the Mind Place is strictly speaking just a glorified menu, it fits in well with the game. Only once did the mechanics get on my nerves when I had to fetch a certain item. I already knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t interact with the object. At first I thought it was a bug, but even restarting didn’t help. Only when I combined the last clues in the Mind Place and Saga realised what to do was I able to take the item. Fortunately, this only happened once.

Already a masterpiece

The mix of detective work, exploring detailed environments, battles with possessed creatures and a complex story make Alan Wake 2 something very special. The production is some of the best I’ve ever seen in a game. Even Cyberpunk 2077 has to admit defeat in this aspect. I play on PC with all details at maximum, but the game still knows how to impress on consoles.

This also has to do with the various styles of presentation. Interweaving video sequences loosen up the gameplay and make characters more approachable. This also includes the typical Remedy short films that occasionally flicker across TV screens. Alan Wake 2 features absurd commercials in which a local entrepreneur duo present their various business ideas.

I also have to mention the fantastic sound design. It starts with the fabulous voice cast, above all James McCaffrey and his wonderfully raspy timbre. Just like the eerie soundscape, it regularly gives me goosebumps. The soundtrack accompanies everything, sometimes loud and opulent, sometimes soft and gentle. And always fits perfectly.

I still haven’t finished Alan Wake 2. At just under 15 hours, I should be just over halfway through. I can’t wait to experience the rest. It’s hard to imagine an absolute trainwreck ending. For me, this is therefore already Remedy’s best work. Alan Wake 2 is a gripping psychological thriller that you shouldn’t miss.

Alan Wake 2 is available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series and was provided to me by Remedy.