Alan Wake 2 Video Game Review 2023

The Alan Wake 2 release date was Friday 27^th October 2023, 13 years after the original Alan Wake was released. The upcoming survival horror adventure game has been massively hyped up within the last year, with fans of the original hoping it would be just as engaging and terrifying as the original. Once the game was released, it was met with positive reviews from players who stated the game had strong visual elements, extremely immersive graphics that felt like a movie and an excellent story that’s compelling and engaging.

But with all the positive reviews, is Alan Wake 2 worth it? It’s time to take a look at the game to determine if its really worth the hype.

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Pros:	Cons:
Dark, enticing atmosphere Compelling, survival horror game Realistic graphics	Difficult to find next objective

  

What is the story of Alan Wake 2?

The game takes place in Bright Falls following an FBI profiler Saga Anderson and the iconic writer Alan Wake. Players can control both characters, with Saga investigating a string of murders in the town whilst also getting mixed up in with a supernatural story written by Alan that she must escape. The plot was praised for being very creepy and atmospheric. Alan Wakes Angel Lamp Light Absorbing Wand is a great addition which has a great power to alter the environment and the atmospheric creepy feel of the game.

However though, there still were some faults players found within the plot of the game, one being that there were frequent lack of directions and poorly explained tasks, where sometimes it was difficult to work out what the next task was within the game.

 

Visual Graphics:

When scouring the endless positive reviews, one that was very frequent was the influx of praise for the visuals and graphics within the horror game. One of the most thrilling parts of the game was its visuals and graphics, the game has path-traced lighting with stunning illuminations making the player almost feel like they were in a movie. Compared to Alan Wake 1, the game has taken a huge leap when it comes to visual effects. The characters look like actual humans rather than a computer created character, the photorealistic and immersive character visuals make this game one of the most visually impressive games of 2023.

But with all this positivity, there were still a couple bugs that players discovered. One being that whilst the graphics are so amazing and realistic, this does have an impact of the games loading times, sometimes taking a while to get started, which can become annoying when trying to keep engaged.

 

Is Alan Wake 2 too scary?

Of course, players were most excited to see Alan Wake 2’s horror aspects, seeing how the game would bring back the spooks and frights. And when it comes to the fear, Alan Wake 2 doesn’t disappoint. The game never makes you feel safe, its dark design makes players feel unaware of what to expect next highlighting a feeling of uncertainty.

A huge aspect of the horror within this game though, is through the music, its loud noises working with the visual flashing graphics creates jump scares making players constantly feel on edge.

 

Music:

When it comes to the Alan Wake 2 soundtrack, again, the game didn’t disappoint. With 20 songs in the soundtrack, the music has been highly praised for helping to build up the atmosphere, elevating the players journey holding emotional weight for gamers. Players are able to understand the characters emotions more through these created and handpicked song choices made specifically for the game.

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Overview:

Overall, Alan Wake 2 is a great long awaited sequel which has definitely impressed fans. Focussing on the sequel aspect, it was definitely worth the wait, surely exceeding many fans expectations. And focussing on the horror aspect also, it is an amazing horror game that’s filled with frights and thrills. The atmosphere in the game keeps gamers fully immersed at all times, with an engaging narrative that is guaranteed to keep players on the edge of their seats!

Looking for another video game to play? Maybe one a little less spooky? We have plenty of video games over on our website, no matter what kind of game you enjoy, there is something waiting for you!

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