Remedy's magnum opus
By Ameer Ammar
I've always been a fan of Alan Wake 1, Remedy are one of my fave studios and i was a big believer that this game would turn out great, however I didn't expect it to be THIS GOOD. I can't believe I'm saying this: Alan Wake 2 is my Game of the Year and quite possibly one of the best games I've ever played, It exceeded every single one of my expectations.
Remedy led by Sam Lake have crafted a sequel that takes every single thing they've learned since Max Payne 1 on crafting a narrative and world, to create a sequel to one of the most underrated horror games ever that manages to exceed every other game they've ever made.
Story:
Taking place 13 years after Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2 is split into two experiences:
Saga Anderson's story is one of the best detective stories in a video game I’ve played, investigating crime scenes and piecing together clues in the “mind place” which is one of the most interesting takes on a game menu I’ve seen in a while. pressing the menu button instantly teleports you to a separate detective room with various different things to interact with,, mind place feels cozy and piecing together clues never stopped feeling kinda satisfying throughout.
Alan Wake’s side of the story is where the insanity happens, Alan now looking like John Wick with an awesome black suit and long hair, A journey taking place in the dark place, this blend crafted one of the most interesting, innovative and creative stories I’ve ever seen, Seeing Alan’s struggle here and slowly unraveling the mystery of what has transpired in the 13 years that he’s been missing ended up being one of the most memorable and fascinating stories I’ve ever seen told in gaming, combining the live action cinematography of TV, the structure of a book and the interactivity of a game. Remedy knocked it out of the park and the acting from everyone is top notch.
Gameplay:
Alan Wake 2 is Remedy’s first survival horror game, survival horror games have really been fantastic for the past few years so to see Remedy throw their hat into this genre and actually do a fantastic job at it is great to see, It feels smooth to play, using light like to the first game to open up enemies for attack a wide arsenal is slowly given to you and all weapons have a strong kick, dodging enemies at the last minute also never stops being cool, it’s a great dance and so much variety in the levels that it never gets boring, If I had to nitpick I’d say I wish there were more unique boss fights but there are already many so it isn’t a huge issue.
Graphics:
Alan Wake 2 is one of the best looking games I’ve ever laid eyes out, if you can play this on a 4k screen then DO IT, Remedy’s north point engine delivers insane visuals at 60FPS on the PS5, it’s an achievement that they got it running this well.
Alan Wake 2 is one of the best horror games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing and one of the best games I’ve played, delivering an insane narrative that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Alan Wake 2 - 10/10 - MUST-PLAY
