Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is an upcoming survival horror third-person shooter game and the sequel to the first Alan Wake game from 2010. The sequel is developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games Publishing.

The game is set for release on October 17, 2023 for Sony's PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Xbox Series X/S consoles. The game now features two player characters: a horror novelist Alan Wake and an FBI agent Saga Anderson.

Plot and location

As with the preceding Alan Wake title from 2010, the game is set in the small town of Bright Falls, Washington. The game takes place 13 years after the events of the first Alan Wake game, following the bestselling horror writer Alan Wake. Wake has gone missing and may be trapped in a dark, nightmare world shown in the first game which birthed the Taken.

Meanwhile, Saga Anderson, an FBI agent, has been assigned to investigate the murders in Bright Falls. In order to escape from the dark prison, Alan writes a horror story about Saga Anderson. The two protagonists' stories will eventually intertwine as the game progresses.

Gameplay

Like the first game, Alan Wake 2 has elements of survival horror and third-person shooter gameplay. But it is more like the Silent Hill franchise rather than the action-horror of the Resident Evil series.

In this sequel, the player can now switch between controlling two main characters: Alan Wake and Saga Anderson. The plot will follow their two separate stories, while having a unifying thread. The opening and closing sequence can only be played with both Alan and Saga, respectively.

To survive, the two player characters can use and equip flashlights and firearms to kill darkness-borne enemies while exploring areas. They will also need batteries to recharge flashlights and ammunition to reload firearms. The mechanic of a slow-motion dodge from attacks when enemies are close enough to them makes its return in Alan Wake 2.

The player character Saga can have an access to the Mind Place, a location where she can visualize her thoughts. Saga can use the case board in the Mind Place for various tasks including pinning documents and profiles to find their connections, which leads to finding clues and solving mysteries. She can also view manuscript pages and map pieces, as well as upgrade her weapons and skills in the Mind Place.

Alan Wake 2 features new dialogue trees, allowing players to select their responses to other characters. The game brings back manuscript pages, which players can collect to gather information, as well as gain bonuses for completion.

Visuals and other features

Alan Wake 2 is built on the Northlight Engine, which was previously used in Remedy's video game titles, Quantum Break and Control.

The Standard Edition comes with the base game with two pre-order bonuses: the Ornate Revolver Skin for Alan Wake and the Survival Resources Pack for Saga Anderson.

Meanwhile, the Deluxe Edition of the game will include the Expansion Pass (Night Springs and Lake House), Nordic Shotgun Skin for Saga, Parliament Shotgun for Alan, Celebrity Suit for Alan, Crimson Windbreaker for Saga and Lantern Charm for Saga.