Alan Wake 2 Review
I am a big fan of the original Alan Wake. I embrace it as greater than the sum of its parts, and even 13 years ago I recognized its many flaws that have only been amplified with each passing year. The stilted acting and stiff gameplay meant nothing to me because the presentation and world building was fun and imaginative. Unfortunately, it was a 360 exclusive that was released the same day as Red Dead Redemption, so it was quickly forgotten. I never thought Remedy would make a sequel, but when Alan showed up all over Control and Remedy was making it a cornerstone of their connected universe, I was excited.
So how do I feel about Alan Wake 2? I mean this with all sincerity and without a hint of hyperbole: this is the biggest improvement in a sequel I have ever played. It’s as if a completely different studio made it. It’s the best use of multimedia I’ve ever seen in a video game. The production design is so unique and top notch that any minor glitching I experienced did nothing to detract from the experience.
The game plays like true survival horror, sharing more in common with Resident Evil than the original Alan Wake. Every confrontation could lead to death. Combat is frenetic and intense, inventory management is crucial, and our trusty flashlight has limited use and acts mainly to stun enemies. Gone are the days of waiting 5 seconds to drain an enemies shield with the light. But that’s only one small portion of the game. Two completely separate storylines that weave and intersect. Environmental puzzles with instantly shifting environments are plentiful, using a mind palace to place clues and string as you uncover the secrets of the game, physically rewriting the environment to progress the story. All of this is hard to explain but works seamlessly in practice.
It’s a fine line the game manages to walk between showing respect for the original while also removing the portions that don’t work for this narrative. Certain characters are dropped for new ones while still acknowledging their continued existence in the universe. This game also shows more respect to spin off game Alan Wake’s American Nightmare than just about anyone else ever has. Indeed, this game is so good that even the cheesiest parts it keeps manage to feel normal (using the word “clicker” so much would feel absurd if the game didn’t treat it with such respect).
Remedy manages to successfully create a shared universe that is inconsequential to newcomers but feels natural to fans of control. And I’ll be honest, I was hooting and hollering when a Finnish janitor shows up or the use of the words “luck and probability department” like it’s Avengers Endgame. Not only that, it shows respect for everything Remedy has done: having Max Payne (in everything but name) play a major role, and even a certain X-Men actor that was the lead of Quantum Break is here.
I’m happy that Alan Wake has properly returned, but I never expected it to be this good. It’s the type of game where I don’t need to revisit this universe because I’m not sure how you could top this. Instead, I cannot wait to see what Remedy does next. Much like Larian did to other RPG studios, Remedy has put all other single player story based action studios on notice. This is the new standard for immersive narrative gaming.
|