Alan Wake 2 review – a confidently strange horror thriller | Games

Inspired by Twin Peaks, The Twilight Zone, and Stephen King 2010’s Alan Wake informed the story of an creator with a case of author’s block so extreme he grew to become actually haunted by his personal creations. It was an formidable however muddled psychological thriller that struggled to beat the inherent silliness of its premise.

Alan Wake 2 isn’t any much less ridiculous, however this time the story is penned extra assuredly. For the sequel, Finnish developer Treatment Leisure splits the story between two completely different views, utilizing them to alternately floor and embrace the sport’s narrative absurdities. The result’s a completely entertaining mix of detective procedural and surrealist survival horror, one which powers via some mechanical weaknesses with robust characterisation and endlessly creative imagery.

At first, the narrative perspective belongs to not the titular Alan however to FBI agent Saga Anderson, a younger black lady with Swedish heritage. Saga arrives within the Pacific north-west city of Vibrant Falls to analyze a collection of ritualistic murders, 13 years after Alan Wake vanished in the identical city. The early scenes of crime-scene investigation are tonally distinct from the unique sport, extra David Fincher than David Lynch. Saga’s logical, centred persona contrasts with Alan’s extra frantic mindset, making her a reassuring presence when occasions take a supernatural flip.

Saga retains the sport’s ft on the bottom in different methods too. Her Thoughts Place (she’s far too wise to name it a Thoughts Palace) is a traversable menu display she will enter at any time. Right here you’ll discover an interactive homicide wall the place Saga retains observe of instances, and a Profiling desk that lets her delve into the minds of suspects and witnesses. Little deduction is required to unravel the sport’s mysteries, however these options additionally assist untangle the knotty threads of the story. This helps keep away from the feeling that occasions are being made up on the fly, even when, in accordance with the sport’s personal fiction, they really are.

Ultimately Saga’s investigation brings her into contact with Alan, and the narrative shifts to his standpoint. The place Saga’s story takes place within the lush forests surrounding Vibrant Falls, Alan’s scenes primarily happen within the Darkish Place: a twisted alternate dimension formed round his reminiscences of New York, ruled by “loops and rituals” that make no logical sense however may be understood intuitively. Alan carries with him a lamp that may take up gentle from one supply and deploy it in one other; this not solely switches the sunshine on or off however reshuffles the whole scene. He can even train his writerly skills to change the setting round him. In a single notably mind-bending chapter, he pursues an interactive theatre expertise wherein a play a couple of homicide cult is infiltrated by an precise homicide cult.

As soon as each characters have been launched you’ll be able to pursue their parallel tales as you select, switching between the logical world of Saga and the wild dreamscape of Alan. Nevertheless you select to expertise the story, the 2 sides develop extra entwined as they progress. As Alan rewrites the Darkish Place, his adjustments bleed out into the true world, affecting Saga’s investigation and her private connection to the story.

Alan Wake 2 is nice at promoting you on its metafictional hokum, equally assured in its critical and foolish modes. It additionally options the very best implementation of developer Treatment’s extra idiosyncratic concepts, reminiscent of its fondness for blended media and self-referential throwbacks to its earlier video games. Dwell motion cutscenes are properly shot and acted (together with a pleasant efficiency from David Harewood because the enigmatic Mr Door), and woven naturally into the sport.

For all it does properly, Alan Wake 2 disappoints with its fight. It’s a slower, extra methodical shooter than the primary sport, closely impressed by Capcom’s current Resident Evil remakes. Treatment’s facsimile of that system is powerful sufficient, with weighty capturing and fights that may really feel like a scramble for survival. However the trademark use of sunshine to weaken enemies is barely developed, and the entire thing feels conservative in contrast with the slow-motion spectacle of Max Payne or the debris-flinging battles of Management. Fight encounters are additionally sparser than you would possibly anticipate, and barely problem you for lengthy.

If Alan Wake 2 matched its narrative charms with larger depth in play, you’d be taking a look at a really particular sport certainly. Because it stands, it’s a thrillingly spooky experience that may, at occasions, really feel an excessive amount of such as you’re simply urgent ahead whereas bizarre issues occur round you. That stated, I very a lot loved these bizarre issues, and whereas Alan Wake 2’s fight lacks the developer’s regular pizzaz, it’s Treatment’s greatest narrative journey but.