If you know me at all, you knew this had to be here. I love this game so much!

At its core, Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror game, but it’s so much more than that, it honestly feels like a disservice to call it just a survival horror game.

Alan Wake 2 might be the least video-gamey video game that I’ve ever played, and I don’t mean this in a bad way at all. The way that it blends traditional gameplay with live-action segments is honestly impressive. The “Herald of Darkness” segment is simply unforgettable. At times, I questioned whether I was watching a real person or a rendered character. It helps immensely that the game looks absolutely stunning, even on lower graphical settings.

Going back to the gameplay, it’s nothing out of this world. You use your flashlight and guns to defeat enemies, collect supplies like ammo and health, along with upgrades and collectibles. You’re probably thinking something like “Wait, a flashlight? To defeat enemies?”. I’m not gonna talk about the game’s lore in detail (even if I wanted to, it’s very hard 🤣), but yes, the enemies in this game are weakened by light. This mechanic actually leads to interesting in-game moments, like using streetlamps as temporary shelter. The game is also very scary at times. There are a couple of jumpscares and other tense moments that will put you in the edge of your seat.

There’s also a “detective” mechanic in Alan Wake 2, mainly when you’re playing as Saga, one of the two playable characters in the main game, along with Alan himself. Saga is an FBI agent who is able to collect clues throughout the game and use her mind palace to put the clues together and solve the many mysteries of this world. The “mind palace” is nothing more than a fancy pause menu, but it blends so well with the gameplay that you end up forgetting about this fact most of the time. On the other hand, Alan, who is trapped in the Dark Place, has the ability to alter reality by writing, and must use his skills to escape the Dark Place and defeat Mr. Scratch, the game’s antagonist. You technically never rewrite reality directly, but there are some parts in the game where you must change the world around you in a fixed number of ways in order to progress through the story.

Now, why do I like Alan Wake 2 so much? Well, as you know, I’m a sucker for a good story, and Alan Wake 2 has an incredibly interesting plot. It’s a sequel to the first Alan Wake, which despite not having the best gameplay, contains an amazing story (if you’re planning on playing Alan Wake 2, I’d recommend reading or watching a recap of the first game’s story). It’s also a sequel of sorts to Control, another game made by Remedy Entertainment. You see, Remedy’s games are all set in the same universe, so despite being part of a different franchise, Control contains many elements from Alan Wake and vice versa. You don’t need to play Control to understand Alan Wake 2, but I’d still heavily recommend it, since in addition to being another excellent game, by knowing what happens in Control and who the characters are, you’ll have an easier time understanding Alan Wake 2, and will feel much more immersed in the world.

One more thing… if you like David Lynch’s work, particularly Twin Peaks, you’ll absolutely love Alan Wake 2. It draws heavy inspiration from the show, and as you play you’ll notice the many homages to Twin Peaks sprinkled throughout the game. I actually played Alan Wake 2 before watching Twin Peaks, so I had the opposite reaction, while watching the show I kept thinking “Wow, this is just like in Alan Wake 2!”.

I’ll stop writing now, since you’re probably dying to go play this game! Go, I won’t waste any more of your time. 😉

Alan Wake 2 is available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (exclusively in the Epic Games Store, since it was published by Epic).