Description
Alan Wake 2 for PC is a survival horror action-adventure game, the sequel to the first game of the same name. This sequel has taken a staggering thirteen years, the original having been produced in 2010. Like the first game, this one is played from a third person perspective and, uniquely, has some detective elements to it.
About the Game
Thirteen years after bestselling thriller writer Alan Wake vanishes in mysterious circumstances, a string of creepy murders has occurred in Bright Falls, Washington. An newish FBI agent is sent to Bright Falls to investigate the killings, but soon she finds herself tangled in a supernatural horror story written by Wake as he tries to escape from his otherworldly captivity.
In this game, there are two playable characters: The first is the eponymous Alan Wake, a novelist who has been trapped in an alternate reality for thirteen years, and the second is Saga Anderson who is an FBI agent, trying to get to the root of a number of disturbing events that have occurred in the area. Another character is Alex Casey, who is an FBI agent starring in the horror story that Alan is writing in his efforts to escape from his spectral prison.
(It all makes sense once you start playing!)
As you play through, you can switch characters as you progress through the story – or stories – Alan is trapped in an otherworldly New York where nothing is what it seems and everything is subtly wrong, while Saga tries to get to grips with murders and ritual crimes playing out in and near Bright Falls. If this doesn’t appeal, you can play straight through as one character first and then as the other.
Saga is new to the story, which makes her the perfect companion for players who were too young for the first game. She is also great at guiding players through the puzzles and mysteries, sometimes offering clues and hints which help players glide through the game without too much frustration.
The Nitty Gritty
This game features a dialogue tree system, something that wasn’t around during the first game, and both protagonists can progress in this manner. You will use various weapons to fight and defeat your enemies, one of which is a torch – more about which see below.
Save your progress by finding blue thermos flasks in Break Rooms and chugging some coffee – a quirky and memorable way to keep track of where you are without being thrown out of your immersion in the game’s world. These points are also places where you can switch from Alan to Saga or vice versa.
The game consists of moments of fast-paced, jump scare action and other moments of brain twisting puzzling. You have, as always, an inventory, but this one has limited slots so you must practice diligent housekeeping to ensure you have what you need at all times. Weaponry can be upgraded, and your inventory too, can be tweaked so it suits your purposes better
Unique Features of the Game
While there are some standard weapons in the game, ammunition tends to be scarce so make sure you use it judiciously, and make good use of the other game features that will help you to make the most of your time in the game, no matter if you are playing as Alan or as Saga.
Flashlight: Villains arrive cloaked in darkness that bullets cannot penetrate. To weaken these invincible enemies, you must use your flashlight to shine or focus a light on them. The light literally shreds the darkness over a few moments, rendering the villains vulnerable to a precisely aimed bullet. Using the flashlight drains the battery, so use this resource with care too, even as you seek out batteries and ammo
Manuscript pages: Every now and then you will come across pages of the manuscript which are read aloud in Alan Wake’s voice. They often offer advice or warnings about events that are upcoming in the story, so use this knowledge wisely!
Mind Place: Saga has a mind place in her memory to where she can retreat to mull things over. It is an enemy-free zone, where you, playing as Saga, can arrange and rearrange your clues and information until things fall into place or pieces of evidence suddenly make sense. She can use a pin board, strands of string, and information about suspects to plot out her theories
Writer’s Room: Alan has the equivalent of Saga’s Mind Place: a Writer’s Room where he must fit together his plot. This is important for the player as it is necessary to play through the storyline and complete it before you can progress to the next levels
Alan Wake 2 for PC is available for purchase on Instant Gaming for a fraction of its retail price. You will receive an official key and be able to play the game in seconds. Play smart. Pay less.
