stronger than Resident Evil, a sequel that knew how to reinvent itself

It's difficult to approach the story of Alan Wake 2 without spoiling the outcome of the first episode, as the two stories are directly linked to each other. Also, for the sake of understanding the events that will follow, we decide to brandish the prescription card, in order to explain to you that our dear Alan Wake will do everything possible to get out of the Dark Place, this macabre place in which he has been confined for 13 long years now, when he decided to save his wife Alice, by trading places with her. A sacrifice of heart, but also of reason, which risks changing the perception of our hero. However, it is not with him that the Alan Wake 2 adventure begins, but at the controls of Saga Anderson, a brand new character. FBI agent, but also mother, Saga Anderson is sent to Bright Falls to investigate a series of rather macabre murders. A mission that she shares with a certain Alex Casey, whom players of the first Alan Wake necessarily know. We will not go further in the description of the scenario of this sequel, but know that Sam Lake has once again used his pen to transport us into a story that is at once captivating, disturbing and sometimes disturbing.

We already suspected it, but with Alan Wake 2, the developers at Remedy Entertainment have readjusted a few parameters, and we can say with certainty now that we have finished the adventure, this sequel is not just a simple survival horror, it is also a striking, sometimes traumatic experience. Sam Lake wanted to make this Alan Wake 2 a memorable game, and for sure, there are many sequences that will remain engraved in our memory; starting with this intro scene, both unexpected and somewhat shocking. This is also one of the strengths of Alan Wake 2, namely its oppressive atmosphere, its heavy atmosphere where each jump-scare will end up liquefying us on our sofa.

NEXT GEN GRAPHICS

This palpable visual tension is essentially reflected in the graphics, by far one of the most surprising aspects of the game. We already knew that Remedy's Northlight engine was capable of many things, but with Alan Wake 2, the developers prove to us that they master their tool brilliantly. Whether it's the character modeling, all the elements that make up the environments, the textures, the lighting, the animations and even the facial expressions, everything is astonishingly beautiful and realistic. You just have to wander through the different levels to see the attention paid to details, to the point of having wonderfully transcribed these American towns in the Pacific Northwest. It's quite disorienting. We didn't necessarily expect Alan Wake 2 to be at this level of mastery, but we can say it with complete ease, it is one of the most beautiful games of 2023 and perhaps the most attractive since The Last of Us Part 2. Some will say that we are finally dealing with a next gen game, and they will not be completely wrong.

If Alan Wake 2 is more survival horror in its atmosphere, it is also in its gameplay. The structure of the first episode which consisted of releasing the player into more open areas where they had to face waves of several dozen enemies at a time has been abandoned. Here, we refocus on 1 or 2 enemies at the same time, sometimes three, but not more, since each confrontation must be intensive. You will need several bullets to defeat each possessed person, especially since you also have to reveal their weak point via this light mechanic linked to the flashlight. Basically, by pressing R1, Saga Anderson, like Alan Wake, are able to concentrate their jet of light in order to weaken an enemy. Only then is it possible to empty its magazine to eliminate it. But who says survival horror, also says limited ammunition, and you will have to make good use of each bullet to avoid finding yourself quickly destitute. Fortunately, it is possible to inflict melee attacks to weaken enemies, but also to dodge attacks, like in the first Alan Wake. With all these mechanics, we then gain flexibility in the clashes, which proves that the remake of Resident Evil 4 would have deserved an update of its gameplay, in order to get rid of its legendary rigidity…

HORROR FOR SURVIVAL

That said, if the fights in Alan Wake 2 prove to be more trying than in the first episode (thanks to the greater ferocity of the adversaries), we quickly realize that the clashes are not that numerous. Perhaps to the point of leaving behind those who expected an equivalent of Resident Evil, especially 4 and its remake, in terms of gunfights. The game includes shooting sequences of course, but not as many as in Capcom's survival horror games, far from it. No, what prevails above all in Alan Wake 2 is this feeling of advancing an investigation, it is better that you know that. The game will then require a certain requirement from the player in terms of reflection, but also concentration, in order to better understand how these murderous rites appeared in the region. You will have to pay attention to the slightest clue that you can find in the environments, from the simple letter to pick up, to boxes to open or audio notes found here and there. Those who don't like to search the environments can miss elements that are nevertheless important to better advance in the game, such as this shotgun, hidden in a room. We can simply miss it.

In order to reinforce this feeling of participating in a criminal investigation, Alan Wake 2 will push the player to do profiling. In-game, when you are in control of Saga Anderson, you will be able to enter the Mental Lair, accessible at any time by pressing the touchpad of the controller. We then find our FBI agent in a sort of office in which she can examine the clues recovered, draw up profiles of people, advance the investigation via a table, but also listen to audios, review videos, but also improve her skills. weapons. If the place is peaceful, the game reminds us quite often that the mental lair does not allow us to pause the game and that Saga Anderson remains vulnerable when we enter this special room. Same thing for Alan Wake, who will find himself in the writer's room, this place in which he was confined for 13 years where a typewriter awaits him, but also paintings which will allow him to better navigate the levels (via maps), but also understand his objectives.

NEW YORK SPECIAL UNIT

But the great wealth of Alan Wake 2 is to offer two characters with completely different approaches. If Saga Anderson happens to be the most down to earth character in history, with very real fights, the gameplay of Alan Wake brings its dose of the supernatural. Since the latter is trapped in the Dark Place and his objective is to escape, we will share his hallucinations with him. The game has fun with settings in saturated colors, clad in visual effects of smoke and distortion which are there to plunge the player into a certain form of madness. The idea is to transcribe the nightmare that Alan Wake is experiencing, unless it is an egocentric trip, who knows. But it's not just the environments that are deliberately disturbing, the enemies are also represented in an abstract way, like blurry specters that keep whispering words that are sometimes inaudible. Added to this is a special mechanic for Alan Wake, who has an angel lamp with unique abilities. Basically, if the device is within range of a large light source, Alan Wake can then change reality instantly. The environment can therefore change in the blink of an eye, opening new passages and allowing us to move forward. It is therefore up to the player to understand how to play with this angel lamp, which can quickly lose players in mazes and certain realities. No doubt the intention was also voluntary.

If the gameplay of Saga Anderson bears the signature of the first Alan Wake in terms of feeling, the section devoted to Alan is closer to the Kubrik-style psychological thriller. Remady also knew how to balance things, allowing us to move from one to the other, which has the effect of creating a feeling of variety in the proposal. Whatever happens, both are an invitation to a rather unexpected experience, which has been able to reinvent itself and not rely on what it has acquired, nor even copy what is being done by its neighbor. And that's also the mark of the great, namely bringing out your own talent.