11mo ago

Just finished Alan Wake 2

I just finished Alan Wake 2 and the 3 episodes of the DLCs. Alan Wake 2 is a literal masterpiece in my opinion, the gameplay was similar to its first game but refined, the story dark, mood, mysterious and weird. I also loved the references to the other games. Like Ahti. The ending of Alan Wake 2 made me wonder and sad (I won’t mention it to avoid spoilers).

The 3 DLCs made me immensely hyped up though - they were weird and like a love-letters to their fan-base of all three games. Spoiler tagged, don't open if you have not played the DLCs (you have been warned);

I was not certain how much, I could write without spoilers therefore it might be a little underwhelming or not much.

I assume they're planning a second DLC for Alan Wake and I will get that one as well. In the meantime, I will take a little break and then replay Quantum Break and Control.

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Perhaps someday it'll come to Steam so I can enjoy it. :/
- Oh man, wanted to play AW2 someday. I didn't know it was only on Epic. Fuck those guys.
  
  Yea it's just dumb and a waste of effort imo (Epic should focus on actually providing a functional store first, not second)
  Supposedly Control 2 at they very least should be on Steam...
- Alan Wake 2 was published by and likely would not exist without Epic. It is unlikely it will come to steam
  
  Is Control on steam? I have the GoG version. But that game is "multiplatform" then Alan Wake very well could be too
  
  Epic would make more money selling it on Steam :/
Alan Wake 2 was by far my standout choice for GOTY last year. I'm still bummed it didn't win more awards, particularly narrative ones as I think it handily beats BG3 in that department. I love Remedy and Sam Lake, and I love them pushing the envelope of AAA games. It's one to add to the example list of "video games as art" in my opinion.
I'm glad the DLC was great, I've been trying to hold off until I can play both at once but maybe I'll need to cave soon...
- If it helps you decide, the Night Springs DLC is technically a prequel to AW2 but more or less standalone. The DLC is also pretty short with 3 separate chapters that are just a couple hours long total, and locations are reused from the base game. I believe there were supposed to be a couple extra chapters that got scrapped (partially due to James McCaffrey's passing). That being said, I did enjoy it and think the third episode in particular was pretty interesting.
I'm currently playing The Final Draft. Totally agree, I think AW2 is a masterpiece and has sold me as a big fan of Sam Lake and his work. I liked the first game (and loved Control), but the sequel is a lot more fun than the first gameplay-wise.

After I finish the Final Draft, I will have to play Quantum Break. I think a Max Payne remake is rumored, so hopefully that will see light not long after. I have already played Control and it's DLCs multiple times and can't wait for that sequel.
- I'm debating to play ''The Final Draft''. I read its basically the same game but with a slightly more story regard the ending of the game. I did not notice/ know that; ::: spoiler spoiler The three stories were written by Wake to escape prior Alan Wake 2 story. I probably have missed that somehow. ::: I unfortunately never played any Max Payne games, are they worth to get into?
  
  Yeah if you just finished your first playthrough it might be a little soon for the Final Draft. I beat it a few months ago and just finished the DLC a week or so ago, so I think it's a good time for me. I bet you could just watch the cutscenes or differences on YouTube though.
  I actually haven't played the Max Payne games, but I've heard good things. I think there's a remake of those rumored, so I'm probably going to wait and go check out Quantum Break next!
  
  The original two Max Payne games are lovely and a favorite of mine to replay every few years or so, personally. They are very straight forward shooters though and can be a little hard at times, but extremely fun.
  If you enjoy Sam's writing, you'd very much enjoy Max Payne 1+2. Experience where it started, as it were.
SHOW ME THE CHAMPION OF LIIIIIGHT
Alan Wake 2 was our GOTY last year. The story was amazing, the game was polished... I didn't hate Baldur's Gate 3, but we played it on couch co-op and the experience was very unpleasant (plus the Act 3 was very unfinished).
Does it play like the first one? If so, I'll just go read a plot synopsis. The gameplay was so dull and frustrating for me in the first one, but the story was good.
- I find the game plays a lot better than the first one. I played the remaster recently and found it a bit of a slog to get through but absolutely adored the sequel
  
  Good to know! Thanks
- Totally agree that the first one's gameplay doesn't hold up. The second is a HUGE step up. Night and day difference.
  
  Oh, good. Might be worth a look, then
- The gameplay is similar/ the same. You have a light and a gun/ shotgun. Though the game is much more about the immensely dark atmosphere, storytelling and characters played in it. Honestly the game has some great shock-moments. I played it in PC with mouse and keyboard and the controls were (butter) smooth in my opinion.
  Don’t forget the very first Alan Wake was released in 2010. So the gameplay will feel dull and lackluster in comparison to todays gaming standards. It’s unfair to compare the two games due to the amount of years and technological advancements of today.
  You can watch a video or read synopsis but you’ll do yourself a disservice.
  EDIT: changed ''fill'' to ''feel''
  
  Thanks! I'm no stranger to old games, so I don't hold the age against the first one. I just know I wouldn't have fun if the actual gameplay (not the story elements) was largely the same.
  I might watch someone play the first hour only, to see if it fits my playstyle.

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