Last year's Alan Wake 2 was a triumph, not only in the survival horror genre but in AAA gaming in general. Given the high praise, it's no wonder we declared it one of our favorite games of 2023. And for good reason, too.

As well as great reviews all around, the Alan Wake follow-up has also been selling well. According to developer Remedy Entertainment, the long-awaited sequel has sold 1.3 million units, as of February 2024. A post on the developer's website says it's the fast?est-selling game the company has ever released "so far."

Indeed, it's not been out for too long, so time will tell how big the game can get in terms of sales, especially once DLC hits. By comparison, Control has sold over four million units since it launched in 2019. However, AW2 has sold "over 50% more copie?s and over three times more digital copies in its first two months" than that.

Awards, they keep a-comin'

On top of this, Remedy was proud to announce that Alan Wake 2 recently received the DICE Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction." That's one more accolade to be thrown on the pile, right next to?? such wins as "Critics Choice Award" at Golden Joystick, "Best Direction" and "Bes??t Narrative" at The Game Awards 2023, as well as some others.

Selling 1.3 million units in just a couple of months is mighty impressive, even if you take? into account the fact that the game wa??s launched not long before the holidays.

Of course, we also need to consider that Alan Wake 2 is a digital-only release. Whether you agreed with that decision or not, one can't help but wonder how many more could have been sold by now if there was a?? physica?l copy available as well.

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[Update: According to a statement made to IGN, the dispute between Take-Two and Remedy was "resolved amicably late last year???."

According to IGN, Remedy said, "Unfortunately, it took a litt??le longer to complete than we had hoped due to some holiday scheduling. The legal filing was simply an initial formality, and Remedy and Take-Two continue to work together in partnership."

Yeah, I mean, considering Rockstar is reportedly remaking the first two Max Payne games alongside Remedy, you would certainl??y hope that they could come to some sort of a??greement. Our original story follows.]

As reported by RespawnFirst, Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games, has filed a trademark dispu?te against Remedy Entertainment over the latter’s new logo.

The application was made in April 2023, shortly after Remedy revealed their new logo, ?and appears to still be ongoing as of writing. It currently looks like Take-Two has not followed through with a lawsuit, and it’s unclear if they have any intention of doing so. It seems more like Take-Two is trying to pre-emptively protect their claim to, uh�the capital R.

Take-Two has been aggressive in protecting its trademarks in the past, including over the use of the letter R in a logo and merely the word �a href="//tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn97482049&docId=DRW20220702114650&linkId=15#docIndex=14&page=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rock Star.�This kind of stands out since it’s against the developer of Alan Wake 2, whi?ch won many awards last year ??and is in the public consciousness.

Another notable example of this is the 2021 co-op title, It Takes Two. The developer of that game had to drop their trademark on the name after Take-Two disputed its use of the words “Take(s) Two�

It’s also, in my opinion, ridiculous. The logos aren’t really that similar. They both feature a long capital R, and that’s about it. The fonts are different, they’re stylized in different ways, and the Rockstar logo has a star on it. I’m more likely to get Rockstar confused with Rockstar Energy Drinks, which apparently are unrelated. But then, Take-Two sometimes waves the trademark stick at PepsiCo, as well.

Again, this? application may not go anywhere, but Remedy still has to op?pose it if they want to maintain the trademark on their logo.

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Though they're wildly different games on the surface, Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2 are sequels representing massive achievements for their respective studios. In an IGN interview, Remedy's Sam Lake and Insomniac's John McAdam discuss some of ??the intricacies of game development, and how they dealt with having two pro??tagonists.

Alan Wake 2's story is split between Alan Wake the writer, and Saga Anderson the FBI agent who has been dragged into a twisted tale. In Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker's b?ack but he shares the spotlight with Miles Morales.

According to McAdam, having the two protagonists forced the studio to shift from the original ideas driving the narrative. At first, Venom was going to be a central character that "was going to weave in and out of all the?? other characters in the story and affect them."

However, with two protagonists to juggle as well, it felt like there was too much going on. Consequently, things had to change. This was mostly driven by writer Lauren Mee who decided that Miles should have his own arc with Mar?tin Li. This change ensured that it doesn't feel like Miles "was not participating in the stor??y because it's Peter who succumbs" to the symbiote.

Lake highlights how dual protagonists complicate the process of building suspense. Typic?ally, you'd "lead the character into a cliffhanger and that's the point to switch." But players have freedom concerning when they switch, so that tool isn't available anymore. Like McAdam, Lake relied on a lot of other writers to get the two character arcs right, including Clay Murphy.

Of course, the challenges that come with having two protagonists aren't limited to narrative. There are also gameplay elements to consider. Though it was tough to include the feature to switch between characters in an open-world game like Spider-Man 2, it was worth it becaus??e it's "so freei??ng for the player."

What goes into creating Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2

The two creatives also discuss how they go about planning these large narratives. Lake admits he takes an old-school approach and relies on a whiteboard. As his theoretica?l backbone, he uses "three helper structures: the ??three act structure, the hero's journey, five or seven stages of grief." McAdam has an approach that isn't too different, as he also uses a whiteboard and describes himself as a "structure nerd."

Both creatives also seem quite obsessive in just how detailed and planned t??heir narratives need to be. Lake describes his stories as having multiple layers that begin with a synopsis. But he's usually not satisfied at first, which motivates him to "write a proper treatment that can be anything from 30 pages to 50 pages on the detail level of what is actually going on and happening." This is something McAdam relates to, and he also likes "to do a detailed treatment."

We also get a glimpse into the editing process. Even at the heights Lake and McAdam work at, they still occasionally have a hard time with th??e editing process and letting go of ideas that they and the team love but might not work for the project.

As Lake explains, you need to be in a mental place where you "bear the fact that th??ings are not locked. And for some people, it's harder and a lot more stressful." McAdams relates, though he admits the following: "one of the things I've learned to embrace as I've gotten older is it's okay if we change things, because if we're changing it, w??e're changing it for a good reason."

Both Spider-Man 2 and Alan Lake 2 have been well-received and have collected plenty of accolades. At The Game Awards, Remedy's sequel nabbed three awards while Insomniac's project dominated the player-voted PlayStation awards.

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After winning big last night at The Game Awards and bagging trophies in three major categories, Remedy Entertainment has just announced "The Final Draft" for Alan Wake 2; a major update that? not only introduces the New Game Plus mode we've been waiting on, but also unlock??s an additional ending to the main story.

With all the intricate plot threads and surrealist narrative developments in Alan Wake 2, a few more playthroughs are definitely in order to wrap your head around Sam Lake's acclaimed sequel. And why start from scratch when you can retain all your equipment and instead contend with more challen??ging mobs?

The studio is teasing numerous "subtle additions" in the New Game Plus experience, including a Nightmare Difficulty setting and even new manuscript pages and videos. There are also bug fixes and performance optimizations, which might help the demanding game run more smoothly on older PC hardware. The Fi????nal Draft is scheduled to go live on December 11.

How to unlock the New Game Plus mode in Alan Wake 2

It goes without saying that a completed playthrough of the game is required to unlock the New Game Plus, but it looks like the new additions in The Final Draft will also require you to finish the game at least o??nce.

You retain all your Charms and character upgrades, but the weapons will be found in the character's first available shoebox, as opposed t?o the??ir inventory.

It's unclear if the new ending can be unlocked during your first playthrough, though with two more expansion packs (Night Springs and The Lake House) coming our way in 2024 and beyond, this probably won't serve as the definitive conclusion ??to the storie?s of our main protagonists.

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Sam Lake is one ?of the creative powerhouses behind the eclectic masterpieces released by Remedy. If you're trying to make sense of the Finnish artist's incredible imagination, it would be a great idea to start by having a look at his recommended reading list, which he has recently shared.

Lak??e reveals that the?se were the books he grabbed off his bookshelf when a friend asked for recommendations. In case you're having trouble seeing all the books, here's the list:

• As She Climbed Across the Table - Jonathan Lethem
• Blood: A Southern Fantasy - Michael Moorcock
• Falling Out of Cars - Jeff Noon
• House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
• Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Murakami
• Imperial Bedroom - Bret Easton Ellis
• Lighthousekeeping - Jeanette Winterson
• Lunar Park - Bret Easton Ellis
• Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem
• Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Buried Giant - Kazuo Ishiguro
• The City - China Mieville
• The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon
• The Etched City - KJ Bishop
• The Magus - John Fowles
• The Secret History - Donna Tartt
• Vurt - Jeff Noon
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

There are also a few books by a perso?nal favorite of ?mine, Paul Auster:

• Leviathan
• Moon Palace
• Oracle Night

This is far from the first time we've gotten a glimpse at Lake's reading list. In past interviews, he has spoken at length about the books that h??ave inspired him and influenced his current creative style. A Tweet from Remedy Entertainment revealed the books on Lake's desk, and plenty of them are video game adaptations.

There are other texts, and though?? I struggled to figu?re out all the titles, the following do appear in the pile.

• Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
• Magnolia: The Shooting Script - Thomas Anderson
• On Writing - Stephen King
• The Witcher: Ronin - Rafal Jaki

Analyzing Sam Lake's reading list

Anyone familiar with Lake and Remedy won't be shocked to see Stephen King's works. I like his books because once you reach the last page the horror is over unlike in real li??fe where you can close all the books in your local library but the harrowing horror of the human condition will continue unabated.

King, with both his personal life and his writing, pretty much forms the backbone of the Alan Wake ?franchise. Several parallels can be found between King and the fictional Wake, including excessive drug use and an unkillable fascination with the horror genre.

If you're interested in improving your writing skills, On Writing is a stupendously good text. It won't revolutionize your artistic abilities overnight, but it doe?s give some ?insight into the grueling dedication needed to master the craft. You also get a slice of some of King's most visceral writing, and the description of him getting his eardrum pierced has never left my mind.

It would be impossible to not see Paul Auster appear multiple times. His influence on Lake's work is massive, and the New York Trilogy, which contains City of Glass, features many of the metafictional elements found in Alan Wake 2. When it com?es to detective themes, an interrogation of identity, and a mind-bending dive into postmodern narrative storytelling, Lake is essentially the Auster of gaming.

Understandably, some replies on Twitter express shock that Conrad's Heart of Darkness is on the list. It doesn't alarm me at all. Inasmuch as it is plagued by its exoticization of Africa and ignorance regarding pre-colonial African civilization, it's still a tale that manages to capture the intertwined excitement and anxiety that comes with the exploration of a new land. This is a constant in both Control and Alan Wake 2.

The Crying of Lot 49 is another text that would find it impossible to not sneak onto Lake's bookshelf. It's a book with detective themes that refuses to give you any definitive answers. In an interview with The Ringer, he discusses how he studied the novel in college and most of his peers did not like the fact that they could not make head-to-toe of it. Lake, on the other hand, loved the sense of the unknown Pynchon creates, which is something we also get to explore in Remedy games.

A few more books to consider

In many ways, Alan Wake is the ultimate gaming franchise for bibliophiles and writers alike. ??There's no true required reading list needed to enjoy the series or any of Remedy's other games, but there are certainly books availab??le to condition your mind for some of the wackiness the Finnish studio brings.

• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - I'm shocked that this isn't one of the first books Lake has recommended, considering it features a woman named Alice falling into an alternate, logic-bending world.
• Create Dangerously by Albert Camus - Camus' entire bibliography would be relevant but Create Dangerously is particularly noteworthy in its interrogation of art and its creation, a topic Alan Wake 2 is beautifully obsessed with.
• How to be a Heroine by Samantha Ellis - Some of the rhetoric I've read around Saga Anderson as a co-protagonist has been pretty disgusting, and a book like How to be a Heroine shines a light on why strong female protagonists are vital.
• Michelle Remembers by Lawrence Pazder - It's an old text that found most of its popularity during the Satanic Panic, but I was surprised at how much the protagonist shares parallels with Alan Wake, as they both clash with the forces of evil in ways that leave them feeling like their identities are fragmented.
• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende - The fantasy tale features a boy named Bastion who gets lost in a book that begins to influence reality in strange ways.

Stephen King is a given, and once you're done with On Writing, then you should hit up The Shining, Misery, and the Dark Tower series next. H.P. Lovecraft's texts are a must as well, as they feature cosmic forces beyond our ??comprehension, with horrors nigh indescribable, much like the Dark Presence.

It'd also be wise to immerse yourself in the fantastically weird world of the SCP Foundation. It's collectively made by fans, so a lot of the entries are hit or miss, but the good ones present some of the most mind-melting sci-fi concepts I've ever come across. The Remedy Connected Universe also borrows heavily from Twin Peaks and other works by David Lynch, but I lack the expertise to adeq??uately ?dive into the connections.

Despite all these inspirations, games from the Finnish studio are like nothing you'll find in any bookshop or gaming storefront. Though mimicry can get you quite far, games like Alan Wake 2 demonstrate?? that true artistic achievement comes from treating these influences like rocket ships to propel you to new creative heights.

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Celebrate the festive season Remedy style with Saga Anderson's cozy sweater. With the studio's knitting guide, you'll have a sweater of your own in no time.

The guide is adequately detailed, giving you charts for each of the p??????????????????????????atterns on the sweater, as well as measurements and different yarn colors. Remedy has described the sweater as "distinctly Nordic."

If you want to really nail Saga's look, you can also follow Remedy's cosplay guide. It covers all the details you might need inc?luding her hairstyle, gun holster, and stylish FBI jacket.

Saga is seen in a couple of outfits in Alan Wake 2. She usually wears her FBI jacket, but you also catch her in a blue Oh Deer! sweater. There??'s also a red jacket available for her if you've purchased the delu?xe edition of the game.

Season's greetings from Remedy

It's no surprise to see ??the guide coming from the Finnish studio, as knitting is a beloved pastime in the country, as well as in other neighboring Nordic countries, including Sweden which is part of Saga's ancestry.

This isn't the first time Remey has attempted to get its fans into the festive spirit. Notably, in 2015, Sam Lake appeared in a somewhat unsettling video wishing players happy holidays while teasing a bit of what was to come in both Quantum Break and, quite interestingly, Alan Wake 2 as well.

If you do decide to purchase Alan Wake 2's deluxe edition, you'll receive the game's two upcoming DLCs. The first one, Night Springs, is scheduled to arrive in Spring 2024.

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After 13 long years, Alan Wake has returned and his flashlight is brighter than ever. Ilkka Villi, who stars as Alan in Alan Wake 2 and its predecessor, recently had an interview with Wassup Conversations where h?e discu??ssed his experiences playing the writer.

Villi explains how he landed the role over a decade ago. He claims he was already familiar with Remedy in 2005, and he went for an audition for the studio. Not long after, he got a call from Sam Lake and found himself as the protagonist of Alan Wake.

It's no easy feat playing Alan, as s??eparate people perform the character's voice and motion capture. While Villi handles the motion capture, Matthew Poretta voices the writer. Achieving this requires fine-tuned coordina??tion, as Villi has to ensure his performance matches the voice acting.

Alan isn't the only character Villi has played in the franchise. He reveals that he also did motion capture for one of the Anderson brothers and even a few female NPCs in the first game. In Alan Wake 2, he also plays Scratch and Thomas Zane.

When discussing Alan's personality, Villi points out how? the character can be quite angry and abrasive at times. Alan "really gets a punishment" by being trapped in the Dark Place, though Villi admires how the character never gives up despite his monumental challenges.

Working with Sam Lake

Villi also discusses working with the creative genius Sam Lake. He reveals how it's a pleasure working with Lake because of how full of ideas he is. Despite this, he's always open to suggestions and he always wants to know how others feel about ideas. Thanks to the use of his face for Max Payne and Alex Casey, Lake has become a recognizable figure in gaming but Villi claims that the writer remai??ns humble despite the fame.

Lake plays a large role in Alan Wake 2 where he play??s Casey and sometimes even himself. Villi compliments Lake's acting skills, though he also hilariously describes how the writer was later reluctant to perform scenes he had written for himself.

Since its launch, Alan Wake 2 has been cel??ebrated by critics, and it managed to snag 8 The Game Awards? nominations. Though Alan may be in the Dark Place, it's clear that Remedy's future is looking bright.

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There are plenty of mysteries to solve and secrets to uncover in Alan Wake 2. Don't forget to get to the bottom of Mayor Setter's campaign, as it comes with a surprising revelation. Alan Wake 2 spoilers are below.

As you explore Bright Falls, you'll l??ikely notice all of Mayor Setter's ad campaign. The ads are eye-catching, especially because despite the passionate campaign, it doesn't seem like Mayor Setter has much competitio?n. The game does give you hints along the way regarding who the mayor is, though it's easy to not piece the story together if you're not paying enough attention.

Meeting Mayor Setter

There are six Mayor Setter ads scattered throu??ghout Bright Falls and Watery. You'll find them on the parts of the map marked below.

By Return 6: Scratch, you will have access to all the ads, but don't go any further, or else you'll be locked out of full exploration. Find them all then head into Saga Anderson's Mind Place where you'll find a poster depicting the cutest dog. Go to Suomi Hall, an??d you'll discover the dog on stage, waiting to be petted. That's May??or Setter!

It's worth petting the dog, as you'll earn the Nice Things in Life achievement, and you'll score a charm that allows you to see? all collectibles on the map. This is very useful to have if you're a??iming to 100% complete the game.

Mayor Setter has become quite popular among Alan Wake fans on Twitter and Reddit, indicating that the pup politician has a good shot at winning debates without barking a word. Petting Mayor Setter is also a nice break from the more morbid petting Saga does when she encounters taxidermy deer heads.

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In an interview with Game Developer, Remedy's Sam Lake and Kyle Rowley spoke at length about Saga Anderson, her importance? in the story, and how the team went about creating this intriguing character.

Though Alan Wake 2 still tracks the story of the fictional famous writer who finds himself up against supernatural forces, the inclusion of Saga Anderson allows players to switch between two realities and experience the narrative from different perspectives. It was a bold move, especially considering how long fans have waited ?to finally spend some time with Alan, but judging by critical reception, the risk paid off.

Making Saga? wasn't easy, and finding her took more time than any previous game from the studio. Remedy had to get some help from narrative consultant Kim Belair of Sweet Baby Inc. who helped the studio refine Saga's voice and perfect her?? character arc.

The birth of Saga Anderson

Saga, who is played by M??????????????????????????elanie Liburd, was added to the game because the creators felt that players would benefit from having an outsider perspective on the supernatural shenanigans in Bright Falls. She contrasts well with Alan. While Alan tends to be dramatic and emotionally motivated, Saga is a cool-headed FBI agent who prefers to deal with facts.

She nonetheless finds herself embroiled in a reali?ty-bending world and has to quickly learn how to defeat the Dark Presence if she wishes to save her daughter. To help her piece clues together, she has an internal Mind Place where she organizes the facts of the cases she's dea?ling with. It's a neat way to keep players in the loop regarding the game's several sinuous plotlines.

Crafting Saga was a collaborative process, Lake explains. They would spend a lot ?of time discussing the character with Melanie who would also give her input regarding the direction the character should take.

Remedy's first Black protagonist

Alan Wake 2 presents quite a few firsts for Remedy. It's the first survival horror title from the Finnish team, and it's the first title to feature a Black protagonist. Because of this, developer??s took extra care to ensure she wouldn't be sidelined and she would have an equal amount of the game's attention as Alan. As Lake explains, "a lot of thought and dedication especially went into Saga."

There are also multicultural elements to Saga. As we learn in the game, she has Swedish ancestry, which is more than an incidental fact, as her st??ory ends up intertwining elements of ?Nordic mythology. This made things interesting for Lake and the rest of Remedy, as they got to witness "these different aspects coming together to form a very unique and fresh character."

Alan Wake 2 ends on an ambiguous note, leaving us with many burning questions. They'll hopefully be answered in the upcoming DLC.

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Alan Wake 2 is already a scary game. Having a guy who looks and sounds like Max Payne coming at you like an aggressive red panda probably isn't necessary. Luckily, a new update for Alan Wake 2 fixes a T-posing Alex Ca?sey while addressing progression-halting bugs.

To be fair, the latter is arguably far more terrifying. Most should agree that a bug stopping your story progress in a game is both scary and frustrating. In fact, it actually happened to me yesterday in Alan Wake 2. The rides at the Espresso Express were clipped into the wooden platform, and the capsule that was supposed to move out of the way wasn't. And I didn't feel like pushing a wheelbarrow around. Luck?ily, things should be sorted?? out after today.

Alan Wake 2 update addresses Espresso Express and other bugs

The update brings a lot of other fixes to issues that have plagued Alan Wake 2 players. For one, the game's first boss battle ?has been rebalanced in the players' favor. The HDR toggle in the menu now does what it's supposed to do, and it shouldn't rai??n inside from here on. Of course, my favorite in the list: "Fixed instances of Alex Casey t-posing menacingly." I just love how that's written. Another issue involved being unable to speak with Casey after the autopsy section, but you should be able to now.

The update also addresses some mission-specific issues. A button-mashing segment in the Subway no longer requires as much mashing. The Room 665 E??cho has once more been tweaked, and will respawn if players fail to "watch the video to the very end."

Developer Remedy Entertainment has been quick on updating the game since its launch. The last patch is only a few days old, and it follows a previous update that included 200 fixes. Fixing games is a laborious process. I doubt we've seen the end of them for Alan Wake 2, but hopefully, th??ere are fewer progression-blocking bugs left after today.

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The Oh Deer Alan Wake thermoses have been sought after by franchise fans, but it has proven difficult to secure one. They were briefly restocked by iam8bit, but?? not many have m??anaged to get one for themselves, as they have sold out in seconds.

The "super limited batch" of thermoses went on sale at 09:00 AM PT today and there wasn't much of a window available, as by 09:01 AM, they were already sold out. Un?derstandably, this has resulted in a lot of upset fans who are once again left without a thermos.

As many on Reddit report, they were there as soon as the blue thermoses went live, but the stock was cleared before they could even finish processing payment. The frustration is compounded by the fact that prior runs were very limited and came with some pretty high shipping costs depending on w??here you live. Remedy's response hasn't helped calm the situat??ion either.

On Twitter, many have already been complaining about how quickly the thermoses have sold out, with some suspecting that there may be bots scalping them so they can be resold at exorbitant prices. A Tweet from the studio's communications director Thomas Puha doesn't deny this, stating that it is "common at popular merch drops and restaurant bookings where bots are often used to do the buying??" without giving any assurance that genuine buyers will be protected from scalpers clearing stock.

For th?ose still itching t?o get their hands on one of the blue thermoses, you'll have to wait until a restock, which won't be coming until next year.

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Developer Remedy Entertainment dropped a new update for Alan Wake 2, one that should clear a few progress-halting issues some pla??yers are having. Oh, and apparently it fixes that one annoying problem that seemingly keeps coming back.

The latest update is on the smaller side, but it's likely a welcome sight for anybody stuck due to a bug. Last week's update brought a whopping 200 improvements and fixes to the game, covering everything from lip-syncing to overall polish. However, there was one that came back �ironically enough, just like an echo.

Latest Alan Wake 2 update fixes Hotel progress-halting issues again (maybe)

The last patch attempted to fix an Echo not aligning correctly i??n the Oceanview Hotel Lobby. Remedy itself called it "annoying" while issuing an apology. The bug has been a hard one to squash and is addressed once more in the new patch. Remedy writes that it was "fixed in the previous update, but Echo hell still persisted."

Here are the patch notes via Remedy:

• Xbox Series

  • A workaround fix for the issue where the audio cut out intermittently in the Prologue. We are expecting a full fix for this issue in an upcoming update.

• ROOM 665

  • Fixed an issue (again) with the Echo scene not aligning and unlocking correctly (this was fixed in the previous update, but Echo hell still persisted)  

• LOCAL GIRL

  • Fixed an issue with a mouse (with a big presence) blocking progress.

Hopefully, Remedy managed to slay the Echo dragon on??ce and for all. Of course, we'll know for sure when the next upd?ate rolls our way.

Remedy is also working on an update that will add New Game Plus mode to Alan Wake 2. There is no solid release date for it, but the mode will a?dd new Manuscript pages and video content to slightly alter the narrative.

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Alan Wake 2 is not only a great horror game; it also loo?ks pretty. While it's not always about what something looks like, a recent video really hammers home just how far graphics and graphical technology have come over the ye?ars.

In the most recent episode of Digital Foundry, we get an analysis of Alan Wake 2, with particular reference to its use of ray tracing (RT) and path tracing (PT). Side-b?y-side comparisons really demonstrate just how effective algorithmic-based tweaks can improve the look of a video game.

For example, we can see that without ray tracing, small details are lost, such as sharp shadows, accurate reflections, and some general degradation in global illumination. We can then ??see that with RT and PT on, there's a noticeable difference in vi??sual acuity.

It's lacking in some areas, though

However, it's by no means perfect. The DF video is a little critical of Alan Wake 2's inability to use path tracing to its fullest. The analysis sugge?sts that native global illumination is likely overstepping on any attempts for the PT tech to make improvements, which we see in certain reflections or lighting. It still l??ooks great, but it seems clear that the game could make improvements to path tracing to make it more effective.

So why does all this matter? For many gamers, it's probably not too important whether a shadow has sharper clarity or windows reflect the condiments of a diner. However, for more graphical purists, especially those who are using top-end AMD or Nvidia hardware, many will want to get the most out of their system.?? Ray tracing, path tracing, and image upscaling AI are pretty much standard these days, and it's nice to see that extra bit of work go into making a game look incredible, especially when you consider the price of graphics cards.

The Digital Foundry video also gives some advice on how to optimize Alan Wake 2 to?? get the best frame rate, without losing too much of that graphical fidelity. While it seems as though Remedy Entertainment could always make it better, we get a nice idea of just how?? far things like RT and PT have advanced.

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Remedy is known for its weird and subversive games. However, what is less acknowledged? is just how frequently the studio has significantly influenced and changed the indu??stry.

Max Payne popularized bullet time in video games, while Control was one of the most complex implementations of ray tracing ?at its launch. With Alan Wake 2, Remedy has done it yet again, this time with its narrative, offering a mind-bending postmodern experience that goes places no other gaming story h??as.

Alan Wake 2 (PC, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Epic Games Publishing
Released: October 27, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Welcome to Bright Falls!

In my Review in Progress, I went quite in-depth regarding the gameplay, visuals, and audio. After completing the sequel, my opinion only improved, and I'm convinced that Alan Wake 2 is one of the best-??looking games you can ge?t your hands on today.

There are so many gorgeous moments that make me curse the absence of photo mode. When Saga's exploring Bright Falls at dusk, the setting sun gives everything a deep red hue, and the light reacts to the environment in astonishingly realistic ways. In the Dark Place, I was treated to an interesting medley of lights and baroque architecture. Rainy, isolated streets and grimy subways set an eerie, nightmarish mood that's nonetheless irresistibly beautiful??.

I've spent more ??time toying around with both Quality and Performance mode, and I've noticed that the framerate isn't as stable as I initi?ally thought. It's especially evident when you dodge as Alan and the framerate suddenly tanks. On the same note, Remedy just released another hefty patch, so these hiccups are probably on their way out.

With Alan Wake 2, Remedy aimed to set new graphical benchmarks. That goal has inarguably been achieved. The studio teamed up with longtime partner Nvidia, and the game is one of the first to feature the "new R??ay Reconstruction feature in DLSS 3.5." It also pushes boundaries with its gameplay, using the fast SSD to load new environments rapidly, which makes traveling between the regular world and the Mind Place/Writer's Room seamless.

Compared to its predecessor, gam??eplay improvements are bountiful but still not fantastic. About halfway through my playthrough, I slid the difficulty down to Story mode because I wanted to get past the combat as fast as possible and get back to exploration and progressing the story. The encounters with the few bosses were mostly forgettable, with ??perhaps the last boss being the exception.

However, where Alan Wake 2 does succeed lies in its horror �ex??ploring eerie environm??ents make the moment-to-moment trudge forward a delight. The jump scares felt like a jolt of electricity that kept me on edge, and there were several moments where I opened a door or turned a corner and was not prepared for what I encountered.

The story is a monster

My last report also mentioned Alan Wake 2 was still throwing plenty of surprises my way, and that never changed. After finishing the game, I'm left stunned by what Remedy crafted. Its?? postmodern narrative pushes forward storytelling within the medium, and while it's not perfect, it's impossible to hate a game that sincerely has something to say.

I found myself captivated by the idea of the Dark Place and its intimate relationship with creativity and the arts. As the story unfolded, it became evident that the Dark Place was a fan?? of swallowing up artists in particular. However, it is also through art that one has a hope of escaping the corrupting Dark Place. The Dark Place also has a negative influence on Alan's writing, twisting it into something more depraved than he ever wanted.

The overall writing will be divisive. Alan's internal monologues tend to be long, flowery, and dramatic. I liked it, but it's easy to see how some will find it pretentious. The sequel also effectively builds up perfectly punctuated moments of tension, making you ache for answers to the mysteries raised. Most of the se?quences involve surprising twists that are almost impossible to predict. Others are left dangling, but more on that later.

A love letter to the arts

Part of what makes Alan Wake 2 stand out among the cornucopia of AAA hits released this year is just how much genuine passion exudes from it. Of course, the game is beholden to capitalistic demands. It was funded by Epic Games Publishing, and as a result, it's an Epic Games Store exclusive title on PC. Furthermore, there have been no physical copies released on any platforms?? to cut down on costs.

None of this gets in the way of what is evidently a sincere love of the arts. Almost every medium gets some appreciation in Alan Wake 2. With its two protagonists and survival horror gameplay, it pays homage to the Resident Evil franchise, a cornerstone of the gaming industry. Heavy movie references are plentiful, with The Shining being one ??of the biggest influences. The Oceanview Hotel is reminiscent ??of the film's Overlook Hotel, and the winding road Saga drives down seems borrowed from Stanley Kubrick's film based on Stephen King's horror novel.

There are also several literary allusions present. Most notably, the game features a postmodern narrative that blends horror with the detective genre. It's set in New York, and features an artist whose true identity is questioned as the plot progresses. This closely follows Paul Auster's City of Glass, which also features a New York detective with a plot that bends back on itself and eventually features Auster himself. It shouldn't be a surprise to see Auster elements pop up, as Remedy's Sam Lake has named the author as an influence.

Music maintains just as much prominence in Alan Wake 2, with prophetic lyrics and melodies integrated into gameplay a??t several points. On this front, the Poets of the Fall are of great aid, and they assist in bringing a chapter that manages to surpass Control's Ashtray Maze. There are also several more obscure art f?orms you'll find littered throughout the game, such as photography and graffiti with subliminal messaging.

The end result is an eclect??ic mix of influences that coalesce to form a unique a??nd often weird experience that only Remedy could pull off.

A vain nightmare

The passion poured into Alan Wake 2 is evident. Everything from the music to the visuals to the live-action performances are top-notch, and with this game, Remedy has once again solidified itsel??f as an industry leader. Nevertheless, there are certain points where the passion seems to cross over into vanity, and the overall experience beco??mes a little too navel-gazey.

This occurs with the appearance of Sam Lake, who you'll see as Alex Casey and also as himself. You'll also be hearing the word "Lake" a lot, which isn't a coincidence. As the plot progressed and Alan ?went through the anxieties of being a writer and crafting the perfect ending, it became increasingly harder to determine whether I was playing?? a game about Alan or a game about Lake.

The experience is not just Lake-obsessed. It's also very Remedy-obsessed. It's easy to overlook if you aren't familiar with past titles from the studio, but the references included go far beyond the Remedy Connected Universe and include titles like Max Payne. Alex Casey really looks and acts like Payne, and you're constantly reminded of this.

These ?moments pulled me out of the game and reminded me I was consuming a work of fiction. That may have been the point, but it's a little too heavy-handed.

It's not a loop, it's a spiral

Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game with heavy mystery ?elements. This is highlighted by the detective gameplay elements that have you piecing together clues and collecting information on different characters.

The point of most detective stories is to finally solve the case and reach a satis??fying conclusion. Remedy, not being one to follow conventions, subverts expectations and provides an ending that strips all the events prior of their weight and leaves you with a cliffhanger.

On some level, it's understandable why the choice was made. Alan Wake is being molded into a franchise, so there needs to be a bridge fr?om this game to the next. However, it would have been satisfying if the game stuck to its guns and given us a conclusive ending, sans the post-credits scene.

Ultimately, the ending didn't stick the landing, but it wasn't enough to ruin the experience �just d??ampened my overall perspective. After so many br??ave and iconoclastic choices, it was disappointing to see the finale take such a safe and conventional route.

After spending a week with Alan Wake 2 and finally seeing the credits, I can say tha??t it's one of my favorite titles in an extremely competitive year. Not only has it redefined what I believe video game narratives are capab??le of, but it also left me invigorated to see how Remedy will innovate once again.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Alan Wake 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Alan Wake 2 has been out for around a week, and it has been getting impressive reviews. Remedy isn't ready to rest yet, and a patch has been released for all p??latforms.

The update brings over 200 improvements and fixes, resulting in a smoother gameplay experience regardless of where you're playing. Although the game has been well-received, there have been some minor complaints of audio glitches and bugs that have stopped some players from progressing. Hope??fully, the patch will solve some of?? these problems.

Alan Wake 2 Patch 1.0.8 notes

You? can expect the following features on all platforms:

• Various localization fixes, such as improved subtitle timings for all languages
• Improved localized audio for live-action cinematics
• Various audio-related improvements and additional polish
• Improved lip sync in some instances
• Fixed various graphical issues in the environments
• Fixed various minor issues in cinematics
• Minor improvements to image aliasing in Performance mode and Xbox Series S
• Improved lighting
• Fixed lighting bugs in multiple locations
• Various UI-related fixes and additional polish
• Various gameplay fixes and improvements
• Minor gameplay fine-tuning
• Improved auto-aim for specific circumstances
• Fixed rare player character animation issues
• Fixed various issues in the Case Board
• Fixed various map issues
• Several conversations failing to trigger and thus blocking progress later have been fixed
• Fixed Rose’s dialogue choices, sometimes not being selectable, blocking progress
• Fixed a rare issue with Saga’s lines not playing when going to the Sheriff’s Station, blocking progress
• Resolved a potential problem in the player getting stuck in a Case Board Tutorial
• Fixed exploration rewards for Lighthouse 

There have also been some mission-specific fixes, which should help som??e play?ers who have had trouble progressing:

INVITATION

• Fixed a bug where Saga could get stuck in the environment (“Crazy forestâ€?

CASEY

• Fixed potential issue with players able to get stuck when falling from ladders
• Fixed potential issues with Dark Presence (it remains a threat)
• Fixed a rare crash

ZANE’S FILM

• Fixed a bug where Alan could fall through the environment

SCRATCH

• Fixed a bug where Saga could fall through the world
• Fixed a bug in where a gate could get locked after reloading a save game, causing the player to get blocked from progressing
• Fixed an issue where, in rare circumstances, the player could end up outside of the game world when opening the map
• Fixed an issue where, in rare cases, the Lighthouse key could not be picked up

WE SING

• Fixed a bug where Alan could get stuck in the environment

ROOM 665

• Fixed an issue that caused the Oceanview Hotel Lobby Echo not to align correctly

MASKS

• Fixed an issue where if the player performed specific tasks in an unpredictable order, the mission progress could get blocked

DEERFEST

• Fixed an issue with physics-related props that could block the player in and halt progress

COME HOME

• Fixed an issue where the player, in rare instances, could not exit the radio, TV, or manuscript interact modules. 

Lastly, some PC-specific fixes have been added:

• Fixed a bug that could cause graphics settings to reset when launching the game
• Improvements to PC Window handling logic
• Fixed mouse cursor sometimes not appearing in menus 

Though the u?pdate is much appreciated, the absence of a pho??to mode is still painful. Hopefully, one gets added soon because a game as gorgeous as this deserves the most stunning images.

The post Alan Wake 2 receives bulky update appeared first on Destructoid.

Last April, it was announced that Max Payne 1&2 are getting remade with help from Rockstar Games. N??ow, studio Remedy Entertainment has said the project is in the next stage of d?evelopment.

Hot off the recent success of Alan Wake 2, a recent note to investors outlines a number of titles Remedy is currently busy with. While Control 2 is still in the "proof-of-concept stage," Max Payne has "progressed into t?he production readi??ness stage."

Non-developers like me don't fully understand what this?? entails, but it sure sounds like things are moving forward for the remake. The note goes on to say that the studio has "gained clarity on the style and scope of the ga??me" and is confident it has an "exceptionally well-organized team working on it."

Bringing the Payne once more

Released in 2001, the first Max Payne entry was notable for its gritty, noir storyline and Matrix-inspired bullet time mechanic. It was also only the second g??ame by Remedy Entertainment, b??ut it certainly put them on the map.

Following the 2003 sequel, the series ?went on hiatus until Rockstar took over the IP for the third installment, which was released in 2012.

We still don't know when the remake of the first two games will see the light of day, but progress is coming along, it seems. We know that both Max Payne titles will be releasing "as a single title" that will launch on PC,? PS5, and Xbox Serie?s X|S.

With the warm reception Alan Wake 2 has received since launch, a lot of attention is on Sam Lake? and the team at Remedy to see where things go from here. Many reading this will no doubt look forward to a modern retelling of the bleak story about a man whose name basically means "a large amount of agony."

The post Remedy Entertainment: Max Payne remakes now in ‘production readiness stage’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Despite being an Epic Game Store exclusive, people have figured out how to play Alan Wake 2 on Valve's handheld??. Though it is possible, poor performance means it's not necessarily a good idea.

To get Remedy's latest game running on the Steam Deck, you'll need to jump through a few hoops. Your first obstacle is the fact that the game is exclusive to the Epic Game Store launcher. To? get around this, sw?itch to Desktop mode then download the Epic Games Store launcher. You can then launch it from Steam by adding it to your library as a non-Steam game.

Alternatively, you can use the Heroic Launcher which is an app that combines your libraries from a few launchers including EGS and GOG. Either way, once you've got your EGS library accessible on your Steam Deck, all that's left is to download Alan Wake 2 and play. You may need to download Proton too??ls to force compatibility.

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should. Those who have gotten the game to run on the Deck don't report good performance. With settings at low, YouTuber Deck Wizard manages to have the game running at around 24FPS in the woods. Steam Deck Review and Tips' FPS sits in the low 20s as well.

It's no surprise that the Deck struggles to run the game, as it extremely demanding even on regular PCs. When the recommended PC specs were revealed, it shocked many, as DLSS is heavily relied upon. It is arguably worth it, as Alan Wake 2 is one of the best-looking games of ??the current generation.

Alan Wake 2 isn't the only game released this year that the Deck struggles to run. It also had a hard time with Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3.

The post You can play Alan Wake 2 on the Steam Deck (but you shouldn’t) appeared first on Destructoid.

Alan Wake is the cornerstone upon which Remedy Entertainment's magnum opus rests. This magnum opus is, however, not any specific game, but their interrelationship, resulting in the creation of the Remedy Connected Universe.

And, though Control established RCU i??n concrete terms, und??erstanding how it all began is crucial.

Naturally, it all began with Alan Wake proper. As Remedy's Sam Lake will attest, neither Quantum Break nor Max Payne are a part of the official RCU, and they will therefore be left aside for the purposes of recapping and explaining the full story of Alan Wake. We will, however, need to take a look at Control and American Nightmare to make sense of what's been going on, and how it all sets the stage for Alan Wake 2.

Oh, before we begin, it might be good to set the stage properly: Twin Peaks is one of the core inspirations for Remedy's Alan Wake and, as such, the Remedy-verse as a whole. Expect Lynchian logic here and there, then, with a dash of SCP slathered on top. Do expect plenty of spoilers below, for the previous Alan Wake games and Control.

Full recap and explanation of what happens in Alan Wake

As one might expect from a piece of media inspired by Twin Peaks, there are layers upon layers of narrative development present in Alan Wake, and there's no feasible way for us to cover all of them in a sensible manner. The story, as it were, begins with Alan himself and his wife, Alice, entering the Americana-core town of Bright Falls, Washington for a vacation. They rent out a small, lonely cabin at the Cauldron Lake, and intend to rest up for a little while.

Howev??er, while unpacking, Alice reveals to Alan that she has an ulterior motive for going to Bright Falls, specifically. As Alan had been struggling with severe writer's block for years at the time, Alice worked out a plan to get him to meet Dr. Emil Hartman, a famous psychologist. Revealing this twist to Alan does not go according to plan, however, and the pair get into a huge fight that wraps up with Alice disappearing into the lake.

Cauldron Lake is no ordinary body of water, as Wake slowly realizes. Instead, it is something that Control would later define as a threshold: a connection between Earth and some other paranatural location. Cauldron Lake, specifically, connects to the Dark Place, a strange and malleable plane of existence that houses the aptly named Dark Presence, the main antagonist of Alan Wake. Thus begins the story!

Departure

The core of Alan Wake's gameplay loop? is centred around the titular character's attempts at figuring out what on earth is going on in Bright Falls, who kidnapped Alice, and how to save her. The reveals are dished out in a bit of a meandering way, in typical Lynchian fashion, but the very gist of the tale is simpler than it seems at a glance.

Basically, the Dark Presence needs a?? talented and prolific artist to write it into existence on Earth, and Cauldron Lake is a powerful threshold where creative works can be turned into reality. ?Dr. Hartman, specifically, has been angling for artists like Alan Wake to come to Bright Falls, so that he could use them as vessels for the Dark Presence, and that's precisely what happens here.

Though the Dark Presence only has a limited amount of power on Earth at the start of the game, it is a formidable paranatural force that can affect living beings by a huge margin. The humans and animals that attempt to capture or kill Alan in the game, for example, are Taken by the Dark Presence to?? do its bidding. Yet, if it could leverage the writings of Alan Wake at Cauldron Lake, the Dark Presence would become far ??more "real" on Earth, giving it more power.

Initiation

It doesn't take long for Alan to come across his agent, Barry, and to recruit him as he looks for Alice. All manne??r of hell breaks loose along the way, including a fight with a Darkness-possessed mammoth skeleton, only for Hartman to eventually trap Wake and try to gaslight him into thinking he's simply having a mental breakdown caused by Alice's drowning.

Thankfully, Barry helps Alan escape from Hartman's psychiatric hospital, and the pair eventually end up getting drunk on moonshine distilled from Cauldron Lake water. This, in turn, gives Alan the ability to remember writing the mysterious Departure manuscript, the pages of which he had been collecting throughout the story. Aping the meta-myth of the Hero's Journey, Wake's Departure is, once completed, going to allow the Dark Presence to pour o??nto Earth and do whatever it wants, which is obviously not a good thing.

While Wake couldn't put a stop to the madness, he figured that there might be a way for him to save Alice at least. To do so, he dives into Cauldron Lake to enter the Dark Place, and completes Departure. Doing? so meant that Alice would be free to go away, but Wake had to stay and navigate the Dark Place all on his own. The main story's narrative wraps up with the words: "It's not a lake, it's an ocean."

Return

Alan Wake rec??eived two additional "episodes" to continue its main narrative. Titled 'The Signal' and 'The Writer,' they're not outright crucial for our understanding of the Remedyverse lore, but they give valuable context and deal with Wake's adventures in the Dark Place.

The implications posed by these two stories are numerous, but the most important of them all comes in the end, after Wake had already battled it out with his own frenzied mind. Wake, now having grown accustomed to the logic of the Dark Place, begins writing the final third of the meta-myth, Return, which sets the stage for Alan Wake 2 way before American Nightmare and Control were even announced.

One notable tidbit of lore here is that the artists affected by Dark Presence cannot write whatever they want into being. Some sense of balance must ?be maintained, which is why Alan had to stay behind in the Dark Place, in order for Alice to escape.

The events of American Nightmare

While there's some discussion about whether American Nightmare is canon, as it wasn't included in the remaster of Alan Wake, everything points to it being quite crucial for Remedyverse as a whole. Firstly, it features Mr. Scratch, the evil doppelganger of Alan Wake who'd go on to haunt Alice Wake later on. Secondly, its ending poses the implication that Wake cannot make anything and everything into reality just by virtue of writing it down from the Dark Place, and? might instead simply be able to nudge certain events into reality.

Since Wake wrote the events of the American Nightmare as if they were an episode of an in-universe TV show, they only ever happened in the Dark Place, rather than on Earth. He never did reunite with Alice, and he didn't take down Mr. Scr?atch, either. Instead, the events played out as a nightmare that Wake's buddy, Barry, woke up screaming from.

The events of Control

Finally, there's Control. More so than any other Remedy Entertainment game, Control provided a wealth of context as to what's actually been going on in the background. Thresholds, Places of Power, Objects of Power, all of Alan Wake makes perfect sense when considered from the perspective provided by Control. In fact, many of the anomalies that the protagonist, Jesse Faden, deals with over the course of Control are extremely similar to what Wake has been dealing with all along, except fro?m a slightly more scientific perspect??ive.

After Wake disappears into Cauldron Lake and the Dark Place, Dr. Hartman decides to follow him, only to immediately get overtaken by the Dark Presence. This eventually led the Federal Bureau of Control to investigate and capture the infected, mutated Hartman, and take him back to the Oldest House. The bit that complicates things is that, during the events of Control, Hartman got infested by the Hiss as well, stacking one paranatural meme/parasite on top of another. Jesse, of course, kills Hartman in the end, but the ending of the AWE expansion pack suggests that a new Altered World Event will be taking ?place in Bright Falls - several years in the future.

As both Alan Wake and the standalone American Nightmare DLC explain Wake cannot outright change the real world, but might only be able to piece events together in a somewhat desirable way, it is unlikely that Wake wrote the entirety of Control into existence from scratch. Instead, the alternative theory is that Wake set the stage for the ??Hiss, the FBC, and Jesse herself to cross paths, so as to hopefully turn Jesse into the saviour that Wake needs to finally escape from the Dark Place.

Will Jesse Faden appear in Alan Wake 2? We don't know yet, but Entity A-001 sure see??ms to be making itself at home in Bright Falls.

The post What you need to know about Alan Wake’s story, before jumping into the sequel appeared first on Destructoid.

Alan Wake 2 launches this week, and developer Remedy Entertainment has detailed post-launch c??ontent includ?ing the two expansions and New Game Plus mode.

The first expansion, Night Springs, is reportedly arriving sometime in spring 2024. Taking place in the eponymous fictional TV show, Night Springs has you play as "several familiar characters from the world of Alan Wake."

Here are the full details courtesy of Remedy:

• Visions and dreams. Fiction is written and coming true. Fiction collapses and remains just words on a page. These are those storiesâ€?in Night Springs. â€?nbsp;
• Play as several familiar characters from the world of Alan Wake and experience the unexplainable in multiple self-contained episodes of Night Springs, a fictional tv-show set in the world of Alan Wake.â€?nbsp;

The Lake House is the second of the Alan Wake 2 expansions to get detailed. There isn't currently a release window, but it sounds like more of a contin?uation of the base game's story. You ??once more take on the roles of Alan and Saga in their own respective stories.

• The Lake House is a mysterious facility situated on the shores of Cauldron Lake set up by an independent government organization to conduct secret researchâ€?until something goes wrong. â€?nbsp;
• Explore the Lake House and embark on two separate adventures as the realities of Saga Anderson and Alan Wake collide again. 

Alan Wake 2 New Game Plus mode changes the narrative

Remedy will release a New Game Plus mode for Alan Wake 2 after its launch. It sounds intriguing. The mode does the usual NG+ thing and lets you take all your weapons and upgrades, but comes with a classic Remedy twist. It changes the story by some unknown degree, introducing "new Manuscript pages and new video content." And if you're feeling spicy, you can play the mode in the new Nightmare difficulty tha??t launches alongside it.

Alan Wake 2 launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via the Epic Games Store on October 27. It's already struck a chord among critics. Our own Smangaliso Simelane says "there's nothing else quite like it."

The post Ala??n Wake 2 gets details for its two expansions and New Game Pl?us appeared first on Destructoid.

Alan Wake 2 is a paradox. It's inspired by television shows like Twin Peaks, books like Paul Auster’s Book of Illusions, and games like Resident Evil 2 Remake. Yet it feels like nothing else out there.

With its FMV scenes, mind-bending plot, and references to Control, the game is easily identified as a Remedy on??e, but it manages to do things even the most avid Remedy ??fans won’t anticipate.

I happen to be one of those avid Remedy fans and after spending several hours with the game, I feel like Alan Wake 2 may be one of the most interesting and experimental games? in recent years, both in terms of its metafictional plot and unorthodox gameplay.

Alan Wake 2 (PC, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Epic Games Publishing
Released: October 27, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

I write to escape

Though Remedy has stated that you can jump into Alan Wake 2 without playing its predecessor first, I tend to disagree and struggle to imagine what little sense the plot will make to players who are completely unfamiliar with Alan Wake. The game does attempt to bring you up to speed on Alan's story (I'll let you discover that one for yoursel?f) but it's not the same unless you've spent time with Alan and understand his relationship with his wife.

As a quick recap, Alan is a famous horror fiction writer who travels to Bright Falls to overcome his writer's block and mend his marriage. Here, his wife goes missing, leading Alan to uncover the mysteries of the Dark Presence which dwells in Cauldron Lake. The adventure culminates with Alan entering the Dark Place to rescue his wife, but in the pr?ocess, he becomes stranded there instead.

The sequel kicks off thirteen years later. Detective Saga Anderson, along wi?th Alex Casey, are visiting Bright Falls to investigate cult murders. Her search takes a supernatural turn when she discovers pages of a manuscript that seem to be telling her story. She finds the person behind them - Alan Wake - which kicks off a quest to stop the writer's evil doppelgänger, who wants to alter Alan's story to give it a bad ending.

The story is split between Saga and Alan's stories which are intertwined but can be experienced somewhat separately. So far, Alan's tale has been a metafictional rabbit hole that blurs the line between fiction and reality. This feeling of fiction spilling out into reality is heightened by the liberal use of live-action scenes within the ??game world, as though two dimensions have intersected.

To say the plot is weird is an understatement, and at times it can be hard to keep track of. Despite how absurd things get, I haven't felt like the story devolves into nonsense. Quite the opposite, I've found it to be a very heady game that interrogate??s the creative process an?d its relationship with the Dark Place, as well as the role of the author within a work of fiction.

It's not a lake, it's an ocean

Though Alan Wake was well-received, many compla??ined about its combat which quickly gets tedious and is somewhat shallow. This is a criticism I ag?ree with, which is why I was surprised with how much gameplay has improved in the sequel.

You still have to burn away the Darkness Shield with your flashlight before you can attack enemies, but it's not nearly as tedious any longer. The Resident Evil inspiration shines strongly on this front, and everything from the inventory management system to the dodge maneuver seems lifted from the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3. This isn't a bad thing, as the game pulls it off well, though depending on who you play as you won't be spending too much time in comb??at.

On that note, one of the features that had me intrigued is the ability to switch between Saga and Alan's perspectives. You don't get the ability straight away - I unlocked it after about six hours of play - but when you do, you can switch protagonists by entering one of the several Break Rooms (they function like the Safe Rooms of RE) scattered everywhere.

When you play as Alan, you gain access to the Writer's Room inside his ?head. Her??e, you can organize all the manuscript pages in your quest to piece the story together. When Alan visits different locations, he can head to his Writer's Room where, by changing plot elements on the board, he is able to alter his surroundings. It's not easily explained and it's better to experience it for yourself, but it complements the plot well.

Alan also gains a ?cool new tool that allows him to absorb sources of light and use them elsewhere. When light is snatched up, the Dark Presence changes things, which may open up new pathways for Alan.

Instead of a Writer's Room, Saga has a Mind Place where she works on her clues and pieces them together to solve the mystery behind the murderous cult. The detective theme fits perfectly in a game like Alan Wake 2 which is chocked full of mystery a?nd suspense. Admittedly, I've been spending far more time with Alan than Saga, simply because the themes of his story appeal to me more, but I'm itching to unravel more of Saga's character.

The Remedy experience

When it comes to its visuals, Alan Wake 2 attempts to break boundaries. The game looks near photorealistic at times, and character models are emotive and feel weighty. On PS5,? you've got two options when it comes to visuals.

Quality mode favors visuals, giving you a ??4K output experience at 30 FPS. Switch to Performa??nce mode and the game will target a 1440p output at 60 FPS. I tested the mode in Bright Falls when playing as Saga, and it managed to stay relatively stable at 60 FPS with a few dips into the low 50s.

Thanks to the game's use of SSD storage, it's able to pull off complex tasks nearly instantly. Switching between the regular world and Alan's Writer's Room, for example, happens in a flash, and environments?? chan??ge before your eyes when Alan steals light or adds a new plot point to a scene.

My impression of Alan Wake 2 thus far is that it is Remedy at its most self-indulgent. The studio's love of FMV is intensified and implemented innovatively. Once again you have a plot that is trippy and self-referential, but Alan Wake 2 takes things a step further by attempting to rip through the border between fiction and reality i??n absurdist ways.

If you're a fan of Remedy's work, Alan Wake 2 is going to feel like the culmination of everything the studio has learned over the years?. For first-timers, brace yourself, because there?'s nothing else quite like it.

Alan Wake 2 is still throwi??ng surprises my way, and I can't wait to see how it all ends. I'll need more time with the game before giving my closing thoughts, but so far, the game has been everything I'd want and more out of a sequel.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: Alan Wake 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

With Alan Wake 2's launch rapidly approa?ching, fans are more than ready to jump back into Bright Falls. Before you get too excited, you should check your PC specs to ensure your graphics card supports mesh shading.

On Twitter, a Remedy developer stated that the Nvidia GeForce 10 series and AMD Ryzen 5000 g??raphics cards aren't mentioned in the PC spec requirements because "only cards with mesh shaders are officially supported" and they're "not sure it will run without it." Hence, just because an RX 5700 XT can perform in the same ballpark as some of the supported cards, this doesn't guarantee you'll be able to play the game.

The tweets have since been deleted, though screenshots are still available on Reddit. Remedy was going to implement vertex shaders, which the cards support, but t??hey dropped?? after it caused performance issues and bugs. The developer states that vertex shaders could, in theory, be added later via a mod, but it's not something you should hold your breath for.

This news comes as fans are still reeling from the high PC spec requirements for the game. A new Nvidia trailer showcasing ray tracing in Alan Wake 2 makes it apparent why Remedy has made the choices it had. With ray ??tracing on, Bright Falls becomes a visual treat filled with reflective puddles, accurate shadows, and shiny surfaces that reflect light.

It has been a 13-year-long wait but Alan Wake 2 will finally launch on October 27.

The post Graphics cards that don’t support mesh shading may not be able to play Alan Wake 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

While Alan Wake 2 can certainly fall under the horror category, it's hard to know whether the game will be scary or not. However, what we can say for certain is that ther?e will be some additional content coming post-release, some of which will be free.

Director Sam Lake confirmed at EGX (in a Twitter post retweeted by Lake himself) that Alan Wake 2 will be getti??ng some "free DLC drops" which are said to be "pretty significant." At this stage, there's no information about what this new content will be.

However, in the short clip attached to the twee??t, Lake goes on to say that the team will be able to go "more into detail pretty soon after the game? is out," and that all this DLC "will be free for everyone" who has the game.

A turn-up for the books

It also looks as though Alan Wake 2 will also get some paid DLC. Again, not much is known about this yet. The sequel itself has yet to come out, but it's nice to know that there's m??ore on the horizon.

It's been 13 years since the o?riginal installment came out on Xbox 360. While it may not have been much of a horror game-changer, it certainly left an impression on fans of the genre.

Now, with the second entry releasing on October 27, the long wait is finally nearly over. Also, if you're looking to get a new graphics card soon, you might be interested to learn that Alan Wake 2 is free with purchases of select Nvidia GPUs.

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Alan Wake 2 is alm??ost upon us. After 13 years, fans will soon experience the sequel to the cult horror Xbox 360 hit. I?f you're excited about the game, would you be interested in a free copy? Let me rephrase: would you be interested in a free copy if you're already purchasing a new graphics card?

That's what Nvidia is currently offering, at least. If you're in the market for some current-gen graphical firepower, and you want some survival horror goodness to go with it, you can get Alan Wake 2 free with purchases of select GPUs.

According to the Nvidia website, you'll be eligible if you buy an RTX 4070, 4070 Ti, 4080, and 4090 (if you feel like splashing out). It's not just PCs, either. A laptop powered by the mobile versions of the 4070, 4080, a?nd 4090?? graphics chips also qualify.

T's and C's apply

Nvidia is offering this bundle until November 13, so you have a couple of weeks after the game comes out to take advantage of it. Of course, not everyone can afford?? brand-new hardware right now, but if you are looking to upgrade, this might be an enticing offer. Do check the site for full terms and conditions, though.

Alan Wake 2 i??s also one of the few games that features version 3.5 of Nvidia's DLSS upscaling tech. As such, it kind of makes sense that Team Green would want to partner with developer Remedy Entertainment.

As for the game itself, we're fast approaching spooky season, so horror is going to be everywhere by the time Halloween rolls around. Fans of the original are no doubt looking forward to the much-anticipated sequel. Hell, even I'm keen to check it out, and I wasn't a huge fan of Alan Wake to begin with.

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Alan Wake 2 received casual confirmation that i a Performance Mode for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is on the way. Although Remedy Entertainment divulged plenty of story details for the upcoming horror game, specific performance details on consoles remaine?d unknown??.

That changed recently when Communications Director at Remedy Thomas Puha confirmed a Performance Mode for the more powerful systems. Since "visuals and ambiance" were Remedy's priority, Puha stated that Alan Wake 2 aimed to be a 30fps experience. According to his Twitter pos?t, t?his has since changed as the studio included a "solid" Performance Mode.

Puha noted more details would come later and clarified a few points in the comments. Among these include confirming the 30fps restriction didn't impact the PC version and that Performance Mode is being twe??aked. Other comments asked about a potential 40fps mode for HDMI 2.1 compatible TVs and a physical release, but Puha didn't answer these.

A glaring omission in the tweet is any mention ??of the Xbox Series S. With concessions, Microsoft's less powerful system and its beefier sibling have to run the same library. It wouldn't surprise me if the Series S version lacked a Performance Mode, but it may be disappointing for those who've yet to upgrade.

Alan Wake 2's focus on visuals over framerate isn't surprising either. Remedy Entertainment wears its cinematic inspirations on its sleeve, along with any influences it takes from gam??ing.

It's still great knowing 60fps is an option for many console owners at least. Hopefully, we will know if the Series S version also has a Performance Mode before Alan Wake 2 drops on October 27 ?for PC, PS5, and X??box Series X|S.

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Remedy Entertainment is gearing up to release Alan Wake 2 which adopts the survival horror genre and features two protagonists. In the lead-up to the game's launch, Remedy has been sharing information about Wake's next adventure. We know that the othe??r protagonist is a d??etective named Saga Anderson and that we'll be heading back to Bright Falls for her segment of the story.

Recently, Remedy spoke to IGN and revealed a bit more about the Remedy Connected Universe and how it will play out in the upcoming game. Fans of the studio will know that while games did occasionally feature Easter eggs referencing other titles, Control was the first time the RCU was formally established and it was confirmed that Jesse F??aden and Wake exi?st in the same world.

According to Remedy's Sam Lake, the Federal Bureau of Control will play a "key role" in Alan Wake 2, though he is careful to not share too many details. We may have already seen hints of the FBC in a prior gameplay trailer which featured Ahti, who is an FBC janitor in Control. The entire process is quite exciting to Lake who is?? enjoying the "very tasty opportunities of referring to and doing callbacks and ??adding extra layers of meaning, building this kind of a web."

As previously established, the Remedy Connected Universe consists only of IPs owned by Remedy. Consequently, Alan Wake and Control are part of the universe, but Max Payne and Quantum Break aren't. This doesn't mean that the studio's other games won't get winks and nods. For instance, Wake's Alex Casey novels are inspired by Max Payne. In Alan Wake 2, the titular Alex Casey (voiced by James McCaffrey) ??will serve as a central character.

To find out more about how Faden and Wake's worlds collide??, you'll have to wait until the game launches on October 27 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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