What to know about Alan Wake 2 if you haven’t played the first
It’s been over 13 years since Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment’s psychological action-thriller about a writer trapped in a horror story of his own creation, was first released for Xbox 360. Despite the game’s critical success and cult following, plans for an immediate sequel to Alan Wake were stymied by the original’s disappointing sales. Now, after more than a decade, Alan Wake 2 is nearly upon us. This is cause for celebration for fans of the original game, but for anyone else, they might be left wondering what all the hubbub is about.
“We are not expecting everybody to do homework if they have not played the original game,” Remedy creative director Sam Lake said during Thursday’s Summer Game Fest presentation, emphasizing that Alan Wake 2 is both a sequel and a satisfying stand-alone experience. While you may not have done the homework, we here at Polygon certainly have.
If you’re looking for a quick and breezy rundown of what happened in Alan Wake, what to expect from Alan Wake 2, and how exactly this game exists as the centerpiece of the so-called “Remedy Extended Universe,” we’ve got you covered. Here’s the what you need to know before Alan Wake makes his long-awaited re-emergence from the depths of darkness.
In the first game, players assume the role of Alan Wake, the bestselling writer of a series of crime fiction novels centered on a hardboiled detective named Alex Casey (more on him later). Alan is suffering from a two-year period of writer’s block and, in an attempt to get the ol’ creative juices flowing again and patch things up with his wife Alice, goes on a trip to the small town of Bright Falls, Washington for a short vacation.
After acquainting themselves with the townsfolk, Alan and Alice arrive at
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