Alan Wake, the infamous horror writer, has been stuck in the Dark Place for 13 years, desperately trying to write a story that leads to his escape. The fans of Alan Wake haven’t had it as bad as the titular character, but they have been waiting quite a while for the sequel. At the end of the first game, Wake muttered, “It’s not a lake, it’s an ocean,” leaving fans perplexed by the seemingly nonsensical line. Perhaps it was foreshadowing the Alan Wake universe featuring Control and even some Max Payne Easter eggs, which is culminating in Alan Wake 2, finally being released on October 27. The series prides itself on being a chaotic enigma, but we have pieced together everything we know so far about the game.
Survival Horror
One of the first things we learned about Alan Wake 2 was the genre: survival horror. The first game had horror elements, but it would fit a lot better under the action genre. One scene had you protecting the old stage for a rock concert from a horde of The Taken while fireworks went off and rock music played in the background. If I were to guess, Alan Wake 2 leans more on the survival horror elements that made Resident Evil so iconic (before it went off the rails). Even the camera is closer in on the character’s back instead of the wider shot from the original game. The tighter camera can often create a more claustrophobic, slower feel. Additionally, there will be a bigger emphasis on resource management. In the original, at least on normal, there was rarely any stress about your lack of ammo. However, the sequel may increase the intensity by making ammo, flares, and the like less abundant.
The Storyline
Alan Wake 2 takes place 30 years after the first game and follows two simultaneous storylines. One where Wake tries to escape from the Dark Place and another that follows Saga Anderson, an FBI investigator who is looking into ritualistic murders in Bright Falls. She is accompanied by Alex Casey, played by the game’s director, Sam Lake, who may or may not be the real-life manifestation of one of the characters in Alan Wake’s novel. Players can switch between both storylines whenever they want, which is confusing because they will probably play off each other, as Wake’s writing in The Dark Place affects reality. In terms of settings, the Dark Place will take place in a nightmarish New York City that mixes reality with distortion. Saga’s storyline will take place in the predominant town from the first game. Lastly, the most recent trailer also teased a dark Alan Wake doppelganger, which could serve as an antagonist hiding in familiar skin.
The Mind Place
The Mind Place serves as an in-game menu of sorts. In practice, while playing as Saga, going into The Mind Place pauses the gameplay and places Saga inside a subconscious room. Here, you can walk around and look at the map, case boards, and manuscripts. The case boards, specifically, look like a detective mechanic where you connect clues by literally pinning evidence to the wall and seeing how everything connects together. Going between the Mind Space and the actual game is instant, making it almost like a gamified pause menu. Lastly, Wake will have his own version of The Mind Space, but it will be specific to him and the Dark Place
Connection to Control
In the Control AWE expansion, we found out that the Federal Bureau of Control sent a team to investigate Bright Falls shortly after the events of Alan Wake. This resulted in an encounter with Dr. Emil Hartman (from the first game), who became a dark presence avatar. Also, in AWE, we found out that Alan Wake probably created the Hiss, the enemies of Control, and perhaps the bureau itself in an attempt to escape the Dark Place. It’s crazy to think that the events of Control only happened because of Alan Wake’s inner workings getting plastered on the page. Near the end of an Alan Wake 2 trailer, we see the titular character walking along a railroad track covered in ominous red light when a flurry of papers launches toward him with a terrifying roar. The tease may be a clue that the Hiss will make a return in Alan Wake 2, further interweaving the two games.
Mixing Media
Remedy Entertainment is no stranger to including live-action elements in their games. Quantum Break had four 20-minute episodes of an original TV show interspersed throughout the game. The original Alan Wake had a more subtle inclusion of live-action, such as watching a talk show where we see live-action Alan Wake getting interviewed about his new book. The second game will take a similar approach but probably with greater integration. Wake’s portion of the game, within the Dark Place, will include live-action sequences mixed with in-game content. The goal is to create a perplexing tone that capitalizes on the reality-bending nature of the Dark Place.
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