Alan Wake 2 is my Game of the Year

The genre-pushing Alan Wake 2 proves that Remedy Games is bending the rules of storytelling much like its reality-warping protagonist. The trippy and well-written tale stands out particularly well since it come hot off the heels of Spider-Man 2 -- a good, but admittedly by the numbers, single player adventure.

After a graphic intro that is pure nightmare fuel, you will start by investigating a grisly murder in the wilderness. After the arrival of FBI Profiler Saga Anderson and her partner, Alex Casey, It does not take long for things to get surreal, uneasy, and yes -- very, very meta. For starters, Alex Casey is played by Sam Lake -- the mo-cap actor for the original Max Payne, a Remedy Games classic. Alex Casey is very much modeled after the film noir detective -- cranky, skeptical, and obsessed with coffee.  Casey happens to share the same name of a in-universe fictional character -- the detective from author Alan Wake's novels – who has been missing for 13 years.  This very small "can't be a coiendence" detail immediately made me feel uneasy, and like I already wasn't prepared for what would unfold over the 20 or so hours. 

The opening hour of the game is a slow burn in terms of how long it takes you get to combat; the action here is very carefully crafted and expertly paced, a testament to the sharp writing of this supernatural tale. The pairing of our investigative duo immediately has the feel of a classic tv show episode and drives home the police procedural tone. The chemistry between the two is instant – the grisled old detective paired with a young clever FBI profiler. Saga has a kindness and warmth to her that is the perfect counterbalance to hard-edged Casey.  

Apon arriving at Bright Falls, Saga will talk to witnesses, work with overwhelmed Police officers and question witnesses. You will be introduced to Saga’s mind Palace, a detective board where you will piece together clues to open new dialogue options and unlock new story objectives. Side missions, (usually tied to collectibles) will appear in the form of optional cases that you can solve. You can upgrade your weapons by finding manuscript fragments. Weapon upgrades are meaty and really do improve the flow of combat, and sometimes a challenge to find.  

The town of Bright Falls has a small-town charm and is filled with Remedy’s Finnish-roots. One of the those towns where everyone is friendly, a little weird, but also very suspicious of each other. Vising simple locations like a simple small town Sheriff station that likely will be revisited later when everything falls part furhter gives it more of that TV show vibe, complete with digestible chapters that play out like your next singable obsession.

It is one of the clever ways that the game sets up several layers in how it tells a story early on -- from uncertainty to dread -- to terror. The story is practically teaming with X-Files influences -- from its mid-western setting, to Saga's transition from skeptic to believer in the supernatural forces she is forced to confront. Before long, you will encounter Alan Wake 2’s adverasaires, the Taken – a poor soul taken over by the shadow-like energy of The Dark Place. They will growl and snarl and often shout about memories, srambling to hold onto their last gasp of humanity. Hitting enemies with your flashlight will break through the Taken, causing a weak spot to form. The light doesn’t really stop or stagger them as much as they did in the first game, but the light will slowly replenish some of your health.  

The enemy encounters are not as frequent as they would be in a title like Resident Evil 4, but when they do happen it is a moment – the compilation of tension. Hitting the dodge button as you reload while a monster screams Saga’s name that is trying to hit you with a tree, is always tense. Eventually Saga will find breaches between the real world The Dark Place, giving Alan Wake 2’s excellent boss fights. They give you just enough of an edge over your darkness-induced denizens, while also giving you the nagging feeling that you are in over your head. You'll start with just a pistol, but there are many optional weapons in Alan Wake 2, many locked behind puzzles -- Like the surprisingly powerful shotgun.  

Changing your perspective to the titular Alan Wake will find him still trapped in Dark Place, a pale reflection of his neighborhood in New York. Alan’s chapters are less about combat, and more about solving environmental puzzles, as you change by writing new scenes and make changes to the story. You will face shadow Taken here, and many times you will find yourself very underpowered. Alan is constantly low on ammo and your Flashlight does little stop the monsters trying to kill you. The puzzle elements in these chapters are often very confusing, and with reality constantly shifting, it is quite easy to get lost. While these areas can be frustrating, it is very satisfying when you solve the literal wall you sometimes are stuck behind. Alan will also find beacons of light that he can use to upgrade his abilities. 

 Remedy is known for visually compelling games, and Alan Wake 2 is no exception. Saga will walk the rain soaked streets of a midwestern town traversing through foliage covered mountains. Lighting effects are great here too, playing up the theme of light against dark. Light sources burst though darkness, and even the presence of light amounts darkness adds to tension when looking for a save room. In Alan's chapters, The Taken are made of forms of shadows that are there, but not quite there -- and burst with light, when their weak points are exposed.

Alan Wake 2 is a surreal blend of survivial horror psychlogical terror and a police procedural. It wears its originality on its sleeve, regularly breaking boundries in storytelling and its game world reality itslef to tell a compelling story about the weight of writers being responsible for their own universes. It still has a pretty clunky inventory system and sometimes obtuse puzzle elements. While a sequel, it does a great job of incorporating new comers to its weird wild connected. This is one title that deserves you to shine your flash light on it and free it from Darkness.