Alan Wake 2 is the much-anticipated sequel to 2010's psychological thriller, Alan Wake. Unlike its predecessor, it's a full-blown survival horror title, a first of its kind from Remedy Entertainment. The 13-years-in-the-making sequel was revealed at The Game Awards 2021.
Since then, the studio has slowly and steadily provided details that should excite any Remedy or survival horror fan. With that said, here's everything you need to know about Alan Wake 2, including its story, setting, gameplay, platforms, price, and more.
Update: We now have gameplay from Alan Wake 2! This trailer shows off exactly how the second character in the game plays, in addition to showing a return to our favorite writer, Alan Wake. You'll be able to hop between characters in the game, meaning you can choose how you beat the game and which character you play first.
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Alan Wake 2 release date & platforms
Alan Wake 2 arrives on 17 October 2023 for PC (Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Alan Wake 2 Story & Protagonists Explained
Alan Wake 2 takes place 13 years after the events of the original. Wake, the horror writer remains trapped in an alternate reality he manifested from his writings. In the real world, an FBI agent named Saga Anderson starts to investigate ritualistic murders in Bright Falls (the setting of the first game) and slowly gets wrapped up in a similar nightmare as Alan Wake on the other side.
The game features two playable protagonists, each navigating the horrors of their own realities. While the story kicks off with Anderson, Remedy has confirmed that after reaching a certain story junction, you will be able to choose between playing Wake and Anderson's respective storylines in any order you want.
Alan Wake 2 setting
As mentioned previously, Alan Wake 2 takes place in two different realities. Saga Anderson's story takes place in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, featuring fictionalized locations like Bright Falls, the woods surrounding Cauldron Lake, and the town of Watery. Alan Wake's story takes place in the nightmarish alternate reality called Dark Place, which's loosely based on the streets of New York City. Since Alan Wake 2 is part of RCU (Remedy Connected Universe), expect to see some familiar places (and faces, but more on that later), for instance, the Oceanview Hotel from Control.
Alan Wake 2 gameplay
Like the original, Alan Wake 2 plays from a third-person perspective with gunplay being the primary way to fend off enemies. Both Anderson and Wake also seem to carry a flashlight, which, like the original, should be useful against shadowy monsters.
One of the prominent gameplay mechanics from that first game saw Alan Wake using light as a powerful weapon in dispelling enemies who were consumed by darkness. From flare guns, flashlights to the reading lamp, light weapons were proven to be more important than traditional weapons such as handguns, shotguns and knives. This was confirmed in the first teaser trailer where we saw the titular character clutching the lamp whilst standing in the rain.
Alan Wake 2 pricing, pre-order bonuses, and editions
Alan Wake 2 is getting a digital-only release across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. On its official website, Remedy has stated three reasons why there won't be a physical version, with the most notable one being that it helps keep the game's price in check.
The standard edition of Alan Wake 2 costs $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99 on PC, whereas it costs $59.99 / €59.99/ £49.99 on consoles, something that's surprisingly lower than most modern AAA releases.
Pre-ordering Alan Wake 2 on any platform will get you the following items:
- Ornate Revolver Skin for Alan
- Survival Resources Pack for Saga
The Deluxe edition of Alan Wake 2 costs $69.99 / €69.99 / £54.99 on PC, whereas it costs $79.99 / €79.99 / £64.99 on consoles.
The Deluxe Edition also consists of:
- Expansion Pass (Night Springs Expansion and Lake House Expansion)
- Nordic Shotgun Skin for Saga (Part of the Expansion Pass)
- Parliament Shotgun Skin for Alan
- Crimson Windbreaker for Saga
- Celebrity Suit for Alan
- Lantern Charm for Saga
Alan Wake 2 Will Have DLCs
As mentioned above, yes, Alan Wake 2 will get two paid story expansions - Night Spring and the Lake House. You can get them both by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of the game. Nothing else is known about these upcoming story DLCs though you find them scope-wise similar to Control's expansion packs. Remedy has also confirmed that there will be free content release post-launch, but there are no details on them whatsoever.
Is Alan Wake 2 connected to other Remedy Entertainment games?
Yes. Aside from being a direct sequel to the first game, Alan Wake 2 is also part of Remedy's connected universe. Expect references to the characters and events from games like Control and Quantum Break. Characters like Ahti, the Janitor from Control, may as well make an appearance.
Notable survival horror enthusiast Dusk Golem has also made a massive analysis thread for Alan Wake 2, pinpointing all the connections between this upcoming game and Remedy's past endeavors.
However, with all that said, Remedy has confirmed that newcomers can still enjoy Alan Wake 2 without any knowledge of the previous game as well as other Remedy titles.
That's everything you need to know about Alan Wake 2
