This Alan Wake II review contains minor spoilers.
Unless you played Alan Wake Remastered when it was released back in 2021, it has likely been more than a decade since most people stepped into the world of Bright Falls. The 2010 original has a cult following, but it was somewhat confused about what it wanted to be. The same cannot be said for Alan Wake II.
This new sequel from Finnish developer Remedy is unmistakably a survival horror title. Gone is the genre-blending uncertainty that bogged down the original. In its place is a survival horror game that fits right alongside Resident Evil and Silent Hill. In fact, its enthralling meta-narrative and Remedy’s undeniable attention to detail make it one of the best games from the genre in years.
Alan Wake II returns to the fictional town of Bright Falls – the same place that the titular author visited and later disappeared from in 2010. The town is meticulously crafted and masterfully authentic. Unique points of interest – including a diner, retirement home, and theme park – demonstrate Remedy’s commitment to creating a world that is both varied and rich with detail. I came away wishing I could visit Bright Falls for myself.
This sequel splits the narrative between two protagonists: FBI agent Saga Anderson, who kicks off the game, and Alan Wake, whose sections take place in an alternate reality known as The Dark Place. Later on, the game opens up and you are free to play Anderson’s and Wake’s stories in any order you like by switching between realities using a supernatural mop bucket (yes, really). Most interestingly, progress in each reality has an impact on the other. This adds a nice level of player freedom to what would otherwise have been an entirely linear experience.
The sequences with Agent Anderson and her partner, Alex Casey, feel like something straight out of The X-Files or Twin Peaks. In fact, some nice little references (talk of UFOs, Anderson being both a coroner and an FBI agent a la Dana Scully) imply that the game was heavily inspired by such 90s classics. As a huge fan of The X-Files, I enjoyed Anderson’s sections the most.
Her side of the story kicks off with the pair of FBI agents venturing to the rural town to investigate a ritualistic cult murder that appears to follow the pattern of previous unexplained homicides. She pieces events together using her Mind Place, a mental technique that acts as an interactive case-board where you can track the investigation’s progress. Soon, the murder victim is revealed to be a former FBI agent and scattered pages from an unknown novel appear to mirror the case as it happens.
The pages are actually an attempt by Alan Wake to create a reality that allows him to escape The Dark Place, a dimension that takes on the form of a distorted New York City. While there, Wake can use a special light to shift reality around him. Similarly, he can write new plot threads from his mental Writer’s Room which alter The Dark Place’s physical environment.
Many of Wake’s sections are spliced with well-acted live action scenes that perfectly compliment the game’s meta-narrative. David Harewood’s performance as the enigmatic chat-show host Mr. Door is a highlight.
Visually, Alan Wake II looks fantastic. It boasts some of the best graphics you’ll find anywhere. Lighting is also used to great effect – be it the twilight sun bleeding through the trees or the comforting glow of a street lamp in the pitch black. Unfortunately, the excellent visuals take a real performance toll on PC. Anything but top-end machines will struggle to get consistently high frame rates in 1440p/4K with ultra settings enabled.
Voice acting and sound effects are top notch, although volume inconsistencies occurred when I turned away from a sound source. This latter fact could be immersion breaking at times.
Combat in Alan Wake II is perfectly functional but mostly one-dimensional. There are several weapons to choose from, including a pistol, shotgun and crossbow, but enemy encounters are repetitive and follow the same formula of focussing your torch/igniting a flair before unmercifully firing on your target. With that being said, guns pack a nice punch and are satisfying to shoot.
There are also many puzzles to solve as you explore Bright Falls and The Dark Place. Refreshingly (because of its growing rarity these days) Alan Wake II offers very little in the way of hand-holding and challenges you to solve brain-teasers by yourself. These usually provide you with a vital piece of evidence or a useful bit of kit, so are always worth solving if you’ve got the nouse for it.
Alan Wake II review: Verdict
While Alan Wake II lacks the action-packed combat that players enjoyed in Control, it is a more methodical experience that is meticulously designed, intellectually stimulating, and down-right scary. Performance blips notwithstanding, it is a game that any survival horror fan should go out of their way to play.
This sequel is a significantly better game than its predecessor owing, in part, to the fact that it knows exactly what it wants to be. It is a true survival horror experience from start to finish. Alan Wake II is one of this year’s best games and cements Remedy and its creative director, Sam Lake, at the top of the industry.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Version played: PC
A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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