Alan Wake 2 is the first proper horror game I’ve played all the way through. I didn’t play it out of desire, but out of necessity for work. My hesitation came from a deep-rooted fear of the horror genre, which started when I watched my brother and neighbor play Resident Evil and Fatal Frame 2 when I was young. Those games left a scar that lingered—until the day I finally enjoyed Alan Wake 2.
Here’s how that happened.
alan wake 2 Gameplay
Alan Wake 2 gave my co-workers nightmares. We had to buy the game for work, but I think I was the only one who genuinely enjoyed it.
I used to be extremely weak to horror, but I ended up falling in love with how much agency Alan Wake 2 gives you—to control your fear, your gun, and your flashlight. It let me—mostly—decide what to be afraid of, and when.
alan wake 2 Combat
Most of the time, what you fear in Alan Wake 2 isn’t the environment itself—it’s what comes out of it. Thankfully, you can fight back using your flashlight and gun. Enemies are always weak to light in some way, whether you’re playing as Saga Anderson or Alan Wake.
Yet while both characters rely on firearms, but there are some differences in what they can pack and use.
Saga can use a Pistol, Sawed-Off Shotgun, Hunting Crossbow, Hunting Rifle, and a Pump-Action Shotgun—giving her more room to take a guns-blazing approach. Alan, meanwhile, has access to a Revolver, Flare Gun, and Double-Barreled Shotgun, offering fewer options when it comes to raw firepower.
That said, not all enemies can be taken down with bullets alone. Some enemies are immune to gunfire unless exposed to intense light. To make them vulnerable, Saga or Alan must use their flashlight’s boost function, which consumes battery power but shines a powerful beam capable of breaking through the darkness.
Boosts aren’t just about using the flashlight during combat. Both Alan and Saga can “boost” their overall combat abilities—yeah, I know it’s forced but lets pretend the segue works—by collecting Manuscript Fragments and Words of Power. Manuscript Fragments let Saga apply improve her weapons, while Words of Power allow Alan to upgrade either his limited selection of guns or his flashlight. These upgrades make a noticeable difference in how each character handles threats.
Manuscript Fragments are hidden in Lunchboxes scattered throughout the areas Saga explores. Some of these are easy to find, while others require solving puzzles or finding ways to open up the way to it—adding a bit of challenge. Words of Power, on the other hand, appear as circular graffiti on walls or floors, but they’re invisible to the naked eye. Alan must focus his flashlight to reveal and collect them, adding a clever layer of exploration to his gameplay.
alan wake 2 Exploration
As mentioned earlier, players must seek out collectibles to help Saga and Alan grow stronger. Exploration isn’t just encouraged—it’s essential if you want a better shot at surviving enemy encounters.
One of the main reasons exploration is encouraged in Alan Wake 2 is that there are plenty of collectibles worth your time, like Deer Heads and Manuscript Pages.
I won’t spoil what happens when you collect all the Deer Heads (it’s a fun surprise), but I can talk about the Manuscript Pages. These are fragments of Alan’s discarded or unfinished drafts, giving you glimpses into the story’s deeper layers.
Other collectibles include Cult Stashes, Nursery Rhymes, Charms, Koskela Brother Commercials, and Writer’s Journey Videos—each offering some combination of entertainment and gameplay rewards.
Now let’s zoom out a bit and look at how levels are designed in Alan Wake 2. The game features multiple semi-open world regions, which you can gradually explore by progressing through the main story. Both Saga and Alan have their own distinct areas, though there’s some overlap between them. You can revisit these regions later, which adds a nice sense of continuity.
For the most part, story progression is fairly linear, but there’s a good amount of backtracking, similar to how it works in Resident Evil games. I think it’s fair to say these semi-open regions are very well-crafted. Each region contains several distinct locations that feel like their own self-contained levels. For example, in Bright Falls, you’ll come across areas like the main town of Bright Falls, the Wellness Center east of it, and Bunker Woods in between the two.
Each of these areas feels distinct yet organically connected, making traversal feel smooth and natural. That said, moving between regions isn’t seamless. You’ll need to use a car to travel between regions and a loading screen cutscene plays out when you do.
Alan Wake 2 Characters, Story, and Setting
As mentioned earlier, the main characters are Alan Wake and Saga Anderson.
Longtime fans already know Alan—he’s the protagonist of the first game, a writer who got trapped in Bright Falls while searching for his wife. Alan Wake 2 picks up after those events, filling in the blanks about what happened to him.
Saga Anderson, on the other hand, is a new face—unless you spotted her teaser appearance in Quantum Break as a mysterious white-suited figure. She’s an FBI agent sent to Bright Falls to investigate a disturbing case, and that’s about all we can say without diving into spoiler territory.
There is a lot of mystery as to who Saga Anderson is, what happened after the ending of the first game as people thought Alan already escaped Bright Falls, and about what the second game’s story is.
All of these characters and their stories are interconnected—maybe even with other games *wink*.
Alan Wake 2 expands its setting from Bright Falls to nearby areas like Cauldron Lake and Downtown Watery. More regions are featured too, but no spoilers! It’s a must that players go through these areas and get introduced to the new locations—they’re not just places where the action happens, but they also help tell the story.
As players are introduced to new areas, they are also introduced to new characters. A few I can share without sharing spoilers are Rose Marigold, Tor And Odin Anderson, and even Ahti—your beloved janitor from another Remedy Entertainment title, Control.
Is alan wake 2 A Good Game? Is alan wake 2 Worth it?
Definitely! This game made me fall in love with horror games. I wish I could write more about it, but to be honest, I’m having a bit of writer’s block—so I’m sorry if this isn’t much. The game I can most closely compare it to is Resident Evil 2 Remake—you explore different locations, shoot down enemies, and occasionally solve puzzles or talk to NPCs.
That said, even with those similarities, Alan Wake 2 is an imaginative and truly ambitious sequel that has its own unique identity. It builds upon what Alan Wake has set up both story and gameplay-wise very well.
More alan wake 2 Screenshots
alan wake 2 FAQs
Is Alan Wake 2 a short game?
Not really, but you could say it’s shorter than most modern games. Alan Wake 2’s main story has 19 chapters, each taking about an hour and a half—unless, like me, you get sidetracked or need breaks because of the scares. Overall, it should take around 25 to 30 hours, though you could probably finish it faster.
Is Alan Wake 2 story hard to follow?
Sadly, yes. I wish I could say no but if you don’t pay attention, you will easily get lost in the twists and turns of the game.
Was Alan Wake 2 a success?
Can I play Alan Wake 2 without playing Control?
Yes.
What is special about Alan Wake 2?
Everything! But for me, it is the convoluted yet well-written story.
What makes Alan Wake 2 so scary?
Some jumpscares here and there, the darkness, and the tension-building they were able to create.
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