All much as to be expected from an Alan Wake sequel.
I understood the need for silence during Ahti’s show, and continued on with my exploration.
The rest of Watery lived up to its name, with an omni-present dampness permeating the surroundings.
And yet, Saga did not know them.
To try and make sense of things, I went with Saga into her Mind Place.
This includes reading over discovered manuscripts, skillfully profiling characters and listening to various recordings.
It’s also here it’s possible for you to check Saga’s Case Board to gain new objectives.
Remedy describes this as a “visual representation of the investigation”.
(And there’s likely a tutorial on this our demo skipped past.)
Leaving the relative safety of the town behind, I headed into Watery’s primordial-feeling woods.
shouted Saga, as I jumped from my seat.
The fight had begun.
Much has been made of the game’s move to survival horror.
Away from these encounters, there were several puzzles to solve around the area.
I came across cases and cabinets secured with padlocks as I weaved and backtracked my way through the woods.
Alan’s New York was hostile, and there was no doubt he was trapped inside.
I can’t fully express how visually disarming the Dark Place was.
He needs to find Alice.
Despite both these characters and chapters being in the same game, they feel incredibly different to each other.
No, not even slightly.
I watched live-action cinematics in bewilderment.
Echoes of another world seeped through.
As with the Mind Place, this is where Alan can take a step back and think.
He has a Plot Board, rather than a Case Board, and he can unlock Plot Elements.
It is also here Alan is able to ‘Rewrite Reality’, which will alter the world around him.
For me, it made everything feel even more personal, and even more desperate.
I will say this, though.
Remedy has nailed the atmosphere in Alan Wake 2.
It was an all-encompassing moment, and the thrill and fear combined made for a darkly delicious experience.
Still, despite the atmosphere and tight, familiar combat, I do have some small concerns.
Still, these issues are worth mentioning.
I experienced several instances of animations freezing, or my camera presenting me with Alan’s distorted face.
Here’s hoping these issues are all resolved before release.
Another disappointment was Alan Wake 2’s accessibility options, which look to be lacking at launch.
Overall, I was impressed by my time with Alan Wake 2.
Perhaps that ‘2’ is more than simply to denote this is a sequel.
Perhaps it’s to denote the second character, and second gameplay perspective as well.
