Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is a marvel, serving up intense gameplay, a twisty, dark story, and more secrets and surprises than you could possibly imagine. Remedy has outdone itself here, delivering a truly remarkable experience.

While Alan Wake 2 drove me up the wall as I pieced together its fractal story and resisted the urge to succumb to its mind-bending live-action scenes, it continually impressed me. I was genuinely sad as I edged closer to the game's conclusion. I want more of this tantalising cast of characters and ever-so-creepy town… more of this big psychedelic trip that refuses to let you predict where it's going. I can’t get enough of this story about the battle between dark and light, good and evil, and the fight to overcome our own protagonist’s subconsciousness.

Alan Wake 2 is a spectacular sequel that was more than worth the wait, with a story that simply has to be experienced to be believed.

Just as it gives equal screen time to its two protagonists, Alan Wake 2 is a fine blend of equal parts narrative and survival horror. Both aspects are brought together in brilliant fashion to create a game that is going to mess with your head, scare the hell out of you and make you grin about it as you plunge forward once more, eager to see what's next.

The mere existence of an Alan Wake 2 would have, at different points over the years, felt like a minor miracle, but for it to be this one, that feels singular in its achievements, and coming from a studio that refuses to shy away from the paths less traveled, makes Alan Wake 2 a miracle illuminated.

Alan Wake 2 is the perfect release for Halloween as it presents a psychological horror movie into video game format. Fans of the original title will thoroughly enjoy what this game has to offer as it keeps its core design while offering much deeper story content. The design with the intersecting character arcs and the ability to basically play two different playthroughs side-by-side offer a new element to survival horror (it’s not the Resident Evil Zero zapping system).

Alan Wake II delivers one of the boldest and most brain-bending survival-horror storylines this side of Silent Hill 2, presents it with uniformly immaculate art direction and audio design, and reinvigorates the series’ signature light-based shooting as though it’s been locked and loaded with a fresh pack of Energizers.

Alan Wake 2 stands out as a champion among modern survival horror games. Its beautifully woven story encompasses everything you could want from a blockbuster horror title. Expertly crafted cutscenes meld together reality and video games while thrilling combat and frightening chases keep things interesting as you dig into a gripping narrative.

Alan Wake 2 is a strange, imaginative, and truly ambitious sequel that never fails to upend your expectations. While some of the bigger concepts presented by Remedy Entertainment lack refinement, a few rough edges don't detract from a consistently confident and startlingly original adventure. You won't find anything else quite like Alan Wake 2 this generation.

If Alan Wake 2 matched its narrative charms with greater depth in play, you’d be looking at a very special game indeed. As it stands, it’s a thrillingly spooky ride that can, at times, feel too much like you’re just pressing forward while weird things happen around you. That said, I very much enjoyed those weird things, and while Alan Wake 2’s combat lacks the developer’s usual pizzaz, it is Remedy’s best narrative adventure yet.

This feels like the game this developer has wanted to make for years, unrestrained in the best possible way as it goes hard on layered storytelling, flawed yet fascinating heroes and a series which for over a decade now has been harbouring untold potential. To see that ambition finally realised is a delight, and the end result is one of the best survival horror games I’ve ever played. It’s Remedy let loose, debuting a shared universe that is bound to continue changing the game for years to come.

Alan Wake 2 is an incredible achievement. Visually, it is one of the most impressive and haunting games available and the ability to seamlessly change and alter the world on a whim is a technical feat that few have done successfully. In many ways, Alan Wake 2 feels like a love letter to the history of Remedy and its universe.