![]() Is it the zombie-like Taken wandering the woods? Is it the evil Mr. We know the sequel’s victims, but it’s harder to make out the monsters stalking them from the shadows. It posits that there are only victims and monsters in horror tales, an artistic philosophy that guides Wake’s supernatural pen. In its opening hours, it stops to reflect on the laws of the genre. ![]() That’s what’s so effective about Alan Wake 2 as a horror story. He’s a victim of the Dark Place’s pull, but he doesn’t hesitate to drag everyone down with him. Like its predecessor, the sequel doesn’t shy away from portraying Wake as a deeply flawed character. That’s only strengthened by Alan’s own story, as the lost author attempts to literally write himself out of a mental prison at the expense of characters like Saga and her hard-nosed detective Alex Casey. Though Saga can feel like a dry detective in a cast of memorable local eccentrics at first, her slow descent into a personal hell that’s entirely out of her control makes for a gripping psychological horror tale. What really drives the story, though, is its two protagonists and their intersecting journeys. From hysterical small-town TV ads to a full foreign art film send-up starring Alan Wake 2 Creative Director Sam Lake, each piece works to build a fully realized world running on its own oddball internal logic. All of its explorable locations - from the Dark Place’s twisted version of New York City to a coffee-themed amusement park nestled deep in the woods of Watery - are loaded with lively details that are a consistent delight to discover. ![]() Remedy is at the top of its game here when it comes to worldbuilding, topping the creative heights it reached with 2019’s Control. What starts as a standard FBI procedural soon morphs into a reality-bending chronicle that involves the paranormal Federal Bureau of Control, interdimensional talk shows, and a hair metal band whose music might just contain the secrets of the universe. Over the course of nearly 20 hours, the studio weaves together an engrossing series of interconnected mysteries made possible by its ambitious shared game universe. It’s perhaps a bit on the nose in its establishing chapters, but that inspiration - along with loving nods to Steven King, True Detective, and more - quickly soaks into Remedy’s own distinct voice. Remedy is at the top of its game here when it comes to worldbuilding … Hell, Saga’s chapters are even titled “Return.” Meanwhile, Wake seeks an escape from the Dark Place just like Dale Cooper trapped in the Black Lodge. Saga’s investigation into the deer-obsessed Cult of the Tree starts with a bloated corpse, just as The Return’s own FBI investigation does. The original Alan Wake drew clear inspiration from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, so it’s only fitting that the sequel pays homage to its third season, The Return, which released in the 13-year gap between games. It fully pays off the long-simmering potential of the studio’s interconnected universe to create a densely detailed, cerebral experience about the nature of horror – both in the nightmares we face in everyday life and the scary stories we create to cope with them. Save for a few odd gameplay quirks and frustrating tech issues at launch, Alan Wake 2 is Remedy Interactive’s most confident, fully realized creative vision to date. Where to find all inventory upgrades in Alan Wake 2
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