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dkirschner's Alan Wake 2 (PS5)

[October 30, 2025 02:28:23 PM]

If I had to offer one word for Alan Wake 2, it would be “ambitious.” The production on this monster is next-level. It integrated live action video and gameplay in ways I have never even imagined. There is a part where you, as Alan, have to navigate the backstage area of a talk show production while the talk show is ongoing and being displayed on screens throughout the backstage. Except you are also in the talk show, and except instead of talking, the show is being sung, to the backing of original heavy metal music complete with a band performing, choreographed dancers, and a light show. Add to this that sometimes the characters in the live action portion appear to be interacting with you through the screens, pointing you where to go, following you with their eyes, singing to you, and so on. And during this massive metal backstage area, enemies begin appearing and so you are fighting them with all of this going on around you. This was my favorite part of the whole game and one of the most mesmerizing parts of any video game I’ve ever seen.

The ambition extends to the story, which I think is really interesting. It’s a direct sequel to the first game after Alan disappears into Cauldron Lake and the Dark Place. He spends this game trying to get out of the Dark Place, and in so doing, messes with some of his characters' lives, one of whom is the other playable main protagonist, an FBI agent named Saga Anderson. Saga and Alan's stories intersect time and again, and in the game you alternate between playing them. However, I wish the story was presented more concisely because this game can drag.

There were so many neat ways that narrative was presented and ways that narrative moved forward, but this works to the game's detriment too because it beats you over the head reviewing plot details in so many different ways. For example, a key feature of the game is entering Saga's "mind place," a sort of supernatural room in her mind where she can think about cases. You might find a picture as you are exploring, or speak to an NPC, or whatever, and be prompted to go to the mind place. Go there and you are presented with a giant corkboard where Saga places pictures, notecards, and connects everything with string. You have to place clues/pictures/pieces of information on the corkboard in the correct spot. You read the description of the clue, then when you place it, some writing appears providing a little more information from Saga, and when you complete a string of clues, Saga chimes in with her thoughts. You may also have a manuscript page that says more or less the same thing you put on the board. Then you may need to profile someone in the mind place, and they may say basically the same thing you already found out. Then you go back to the game and Saga will comment again the same thing you already found out. Sometimes you have to go through all this to move things forward; other times placing all the clues on the corkboard (literally probably 200 throughout the game) seems optional. It's just like...SO slow, tedious, and repetitive. I love the mind place in theory, and I thought it was unique and engaging at first, but I became so tired of it by the end. Saga will say "So I need to go to the cabin in the woods to get the Clicker" (or something) and I am like "OMG I knew that 15 minutes ago, but I had to profile someone who told me the same thing, then go to the corkboard and pin clues that told me the same thing, and I already heard you Saga say that I need to go to the cabin in the woods in the mind place 3 times, and the person I profiled said it again, and Alan Wake narrated it because it was also in a manuscript page, AAAAAH!" The game wants you to "get into the heads" of the characters, and it certainly succeeds, but sometimes less is more.

The other frustrating aspect of the game, unfortunately, was the combat. Alan and Saga control like tanks, while enemies can be much faster. I died probably 50 times. I have no problem dying in a survival horror game, don't get me wrong! But these deaths often felt unfair. I got backed into a corner and couldn't see to get out or couldn't dash past enemies. I didn't hold R2 down long enough to heal all the way and so the health kit failed. An enemy changed direction at the last second and there is just no way Alan or Saga could turn fast enough to shoot. I couldn't pick up what I needed during a fight from the ground because I would get killed while waiting for the "pick up item" animation, and even if I did pick it up, I can't equip it in the middle of combat because pulling up your inventory or map doesn't pause the action. Timing dodges, especially with fast enemies or thrown objects, is really hard to do. Etc. At some point, I realized I could run past a lot of the regular enemies, so I quit engaging except when necessary. Also, I definitely enjoy the flashlight mechanic less than I remember from the previous game.

In the end, I was glad for this to be over. The story (while really interesting) and combat (while generally fine) just seemed to like bloat the game because of the repetition and slow speed. There's also Remedy's whole tie-in to the Federal Bureau of Control now, which, again, while interesting, adds a bunch of extra layers to a story that already has like 5 layers of reality going on. I'm impressed by the game. It's technically pretty amazing and the story is wonderfully complex. I liked the game. But I didn't love the game, and it went on for nearly 30 hours, which is really long for survival horror.