Following the gameplay reveal at the Summer Game Fest stream, numerous gaming outlets have eagerly reported on what they witnessed during the hands-off preview of Alan Wake 2. As a result, more information about the game is now out in the wild. As it might be difficult as a fan to get a complete overview of what’s out there, we aim to compile a comprehensive summary of the media coverage surrounding the hands-off demo. Join us as we delve into the world of Alan Wake 2 and explore more about its captivating world.
What’s the story so far?
Alan Wake is a bestselling writer who is suffering from writer’s block. He’s best known for his action-thriller centered around FBI Agent Alex Casey. Wake and his wife Alice decide to go to Bright Falls to take some much-needed time off, away from New York, to recuperate from a turbulent time. However, their vacation takes a dark turn when Alice vanishes. Wake quickly learns she’s trapped in The Dark Place, a nightmarish alternate reality under a caldera lake. On his quest to find Alice, Wake finds pages of a manuscript he can’t remember writing. The pages come true right before his eyes, with shadowy entities lurking in the darkness. Through the help of various people he comes across, Wake eventually manages to enter The Dark Place to free Alice but becomes trapped.
Thirteen years pass. Alan is still trapped in The Dark Place. He has tried several times to write out of captivity, but all attempts have failed. His nightmares, his fears, and his stories manifest around him. Wake continues writing and hopes he manages to find a way out.
Who is Saga Anderson?
Saga Anderson is an FBI profiler agent sent to Bright Falls to investigate a string of ritualistic murders. She’s famous at the Bureau for being able to solve impossible cases. Anderson is joined by FBI agent Alex Casey. It’s here where the story starts raising eyebrows. Casey is a character made up by Wake for his thriller books. This could mean both Casey and Anderson were written into existence by Wake. Possibly to aid Wake from the outside to look for a way out of The Dark Place. Anderson keeps finding pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her. Some contain disturbing links to the disappearance of Wake. Along the way, she collects all clues and evidence to understand what’s happening in Bright Falls and where the missing writer went. This brings us to The Mind Place.
What is The Mind Place?
Alan Wake 2’s premise was inspired by various detective stories. It draws specific inspiration from the first season of the hit TV-Show True Detective. As detectives often do, they must analyze clues and evidence to know where to look next. Saga can do this in The Mind Place. The player can go inside Saga’s mind. Her mind is manifested as a physical room. Here Saga can upgrade her weapons, rewatch cinematics or catch up on manuscript pages she found. The main attraction, however, is the case board. It’s at the case board where all collected evidence and clues come together. Red threads connect events and point Saga in new directions while providing an overview of the plot. At various moments, her world and The Dark Place will overlap.
What is an Overlap?
Saga discovers through manuscript pages that she must perform a ritual. Before the demo picks up, Anderson has autopsied the body of Agent Robert Nightingale. She pulled the required manuscript out of his body, after which the body fled the morgue. The page leads Anderson and Casey to a crime scene, searching for an Overlap. Overlaps are specific places where Saga’s world and The Dark Place connect. There, Saga will need to push back the floodwaters to continue her investigation.
Part of the gameplay is piecing the clues together. At the crime scene, the two find footprints. Adding these footprints to the case board in Saga’s Mind Place will push the story forward, revealing that these footprints might indicate where Nightingale has gone. The player has to manually figure out what item is required to perform the ritual. In this case, Agent Nightingale’s heart. The heart is stored in a freezer, as seen in the gameplay trailer. The player has to venture into the world to find all the required clues to progress further. As it turns out, the Overlap is guarded by Nightingale. Saga will need to defeat him inside. This fight is described as an intense boss-esque fight. When Saga defeats Nightingale, Alan can connect with Saga in the overlap and tries to warn her of danger. Both are spat out and Alan tries to explain to Anderson the darkness is trying to change the story. Is this how Alan is freed?
Can you explore freely?
Yes. The player can explore three main areas: Bright Falls, Watery, and Cauldron Lake. Each can be explored at any given time. Even if clues point you in another direction. Exploration will be rewarded, but you can’t find critical items without the correct clues. This ensures the game remains a linear experience.
Venturing into Watery will be specifically exciting. This area has been mentioned in previous Remedy games, but we’ve never seen it before. Ahti, the FBC’s janitor, is known to spend his holidays there. Many fans believe we’ll be able to run into this beloved Remedy character while there.
Do we need to collect coffee thermoses again?
The iconic ‘Oh Deer Diner’ thermos is not a collectible this time. They now indicate manual save points in so-called Break Rooms. Often, these thermoses also offer the choice to switch from Saga to Alan or vice versa. During the demo, there was no gameplay shown where Alan was the protagonist. However, Sam Lake (Creative Director) made clear the two play an equal part in the game’s overall story. You can play in any order you wish, meaning you can finish Saga’s story first before switching to Alan’s.
What’s the gameplay like?
With the sequel, Remedy has revamped the gameplay entirely. Now a horror-survival shooter, the game’s pace is much slower. The focus now lies on exploration and connecting clues. When it comes to gunfights, the one-two-punch tactic makes a return. Saga’s torch can stun enemies after which she’s able to damage them with her pistol. Fights are being described as “fast” and “hectic”, as is common with horror-survival games. Although instead of heaps of enemies, this time around there’s more focus on closed quarters, one-on-one typed combat.
As we’ve speculated before, the player’s inventory space is limited, and thus managing it is very important. Ammo is scarce, and while healing can still be done from Safe Havens (only from a critical state) you will require painkillers from your inventory to return to full health. As is the case with your weapons, your inventory can also be upgraded so you can carry more. Items no longer required can be stored in Break Rooms to free up space.
How’s the game being received?
Gaming media have praised the game so far. Many outlets praise the game’s graphics and are pleasantly surprised with how well the detective elements fit in in the overall experience. The game has managed to grab the attention of many, rightfully marking a spot in their list as the most anticipated game to come out this year. We, the fans, can rejoice. From all I’ve read, I can safely say Alan Wake 2 is looking to be Remedy’s best game yet. October can’t come soon enough.
