SGF 2023: Alan Wake 2 Is Already Giving Me Nightmares, And I Only Saw 30 Minutes Of It

mmorpg.com:

When Alan Wake 2 was first unveiled at The Game Awards 2021, I found myself in a conundrum: I loved the first game, and I loved Control and its AWE DLC, so I should be over the moon for this new game. However, I don't do horror well. I don't mind the type of slow burn, psychological unease side of horror, but jump scares and high-adrenaline sequences aren't my style. After seeing a hands-off demo of Alan Wake 2 at Summer Game Fest, it's becoming clear that I'm going to have to bite the bullet because this game looks too good to miss. 

The demo focused on the story's newest character, Saga Anderson, and her partner Alex Casey – whose very existence should be a red flag to the lore-hungry fans, but I digress – as they investigate a killing in the Pacific Northwest. The slow burn spookiness I mentioned earlier immediately sets in as Saga walks through the woods searching for clues, but so far nothing is out to kill her. She reaches a general store, where she startles a deer (jump scare number one) into retreating, only to then be attacked by a massive cultist wearing a deer skull (jump scare number two). 

Combat is very similar to the original Alan Wake, where you'll aim a flashlight at an enemy to remove its darkness, and then damage it with your weapon of choice. However, fighting this battle seemed a lot less chaotic than the previous game, as it felt more like taking on a Ganado from Resident Evil 4…which says it all really. Alan Wake 2 is taking a lot of its cues from Capcom's survival horror series, and while some may scoff at the idea, it's a fitting direction for Remedy to take. As much as I personally don't do horror, Alan Wake is a game about the darker elements of the supernatural – Alan is stuck in «The Dark