A Year Later, Alan Wake 2 Still Stands as the Ultimate Psychological Horror Experience for Halloween

When Remedy Entertainment decided it was time for another twisted and gripping narrative about a troubled protagonist, Alan Wake 2 came to light. The psychological horror title is a sequel that explores Alan Wake’s journey as a writer and storyteller. Thanks to the Night Springs and The Lake House DLCs, the game feels like an ever-evolving tale to be told around a campfire in a dark (preferably haunted) forest.

If you’ve been enjoying horror games for a while now, perhaps it’s time to dive into something deeper. Something that’s not just an experience filled with jumpscare clichés and predictable plot lines. This one’s a game that feels like Remedy Entertainment’s dive into Alan Wake’s many stories as it clutches onto the remaining fragments of a broken mind.

Note: there are no spoilers for the story. But, if you end up playing the game and have nightmares—that’s not on us.

A Tale of Two Psyches

It’s time to venture into a world that lives and breathes mysteries. Image Credit: Remedy Entertainment

While a lot of Alan Wake 2 centers itself around a story narrated by no other than Alan Wake himself, there’s more than just one protagonist you play as. This happens through the base game as well as the Night Springs DLC. A similar theme is to be followed with the upcoming DLC, The Lake House.

If games can’t make a linear story non-linear, having multiple protagonists does the trick. Living through similar paces and experiences as multiple people can add the much-needed flair to an otherwise monotonous story. As a developer, Remedy understands this well, and Alan Wake 2 showcases it through linear objectives that are being accomplished by different individuals.

Moreover, the game’s eerie environments woven together by detailed structures and sound design leave room for further venturing. We explored this at length in our Alan Wake 2 review.

If you take the concept of spooky forests and abandoned structures and add a silent, creepy anticipation to it, you get Alan Wake 2’s backdrop that’s explored by two protagonists – Saga Anderson and Alan Wake. What’s a horror game without some apprehensive investigation and mysterious storytelling?

The Fragility of the Human Mind

The human mind is a complicated entity with infinite vastness; it stretches, shrinks, expands, and imagines. That’s what it’s meant to do, after all. However, if you start breaking it inch by inch and story by story, you’re left with a feeling of sinking that’s tough to swim out of.

Alan Wake 2 uses this emotional tactic to further put its narrative into a gameplay loop that leaves you eagerly anxious at the edge of your seat. The psychological horror genre is a fascinating space for storytellers to dive deep into the fragility of it all.

Remedy manages to mix these ideas with a philosophical and often poetic take on the strangeness of Alan Wake 2’s environments and the supernatural powers that surround them. There’s no longer a question of, “Is that even possible?”, instead, you’re left with a lingering introspection along the lines of, “What’s my part in all of this?”

Many aspects of the game try to build on these ideas by playing with the concept of light and dark. This was a prevalent gameplay mechanic in the first game, and it’s much more intense in Alan Wake 2. Not only does it work as a storytelling tool, but it also makes itself a viable combat mechanic as players fight and survive against different kinds of threats.

A World Beyond Worlds

As a Halloween treat, you deserve the most gripping tales based on eldritch and obscure settings. That’s where the Remedy Connected Universe (RCU) becomes a torchbearer for the studio’s nothing-short-of-bizarre ideas. In a sense, all of its games are connected to a shared consciousness fashion. It’s not as easy to spot at first, but once you dive into games like Control, Quantum Break, and Max Payne, the dots start connecting.

This is quite evident when you play as Jesse, Rose, Tim Breaker and Kiran Estevez in Alan Wake 2’s DLCs. With a variety of perspectives, it’s tough to answer the question, “Who’s the protagonist after all?”, other than the characters Remedy wants us to focus on.

Alan Wake’s world isn’t just a psychological thriller for you to enjoy this Halloween, it’s your deep dive into some of Remedy Entertainment’s best ideas. For once the veil of fright is lifted, you’ll start seeing the reality of deft storytelling – only to ask for more, and that’s where Alan Wake and others have something to share with you.

Have you played Alan Wake 2 yet? What’s your take on the game and the genre at large? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.