Review: Alan Wake 2 is the most cinematically ambitious game I've ever played
Remedy has created something that transcends gaming. Alan Wake 2 is equal parts video game, film, and interactive art installation. My full review after 40 hours: The dual protagonist structure — switching between FBI agent Saga Anderson in present-day Bright Falls and Alan Wake trapped in a nightmarish version of New York called the Dark Place — is executed with a confidence I've never seen in gaming. The Mind Place mechanic, the live-action sequences, the in-game musical number that made me stop and stare for 10 minutes straight. This is the rare game that does something genuinely new. 10/10.
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Alan Wake 2
445 Comments
The musical number destroyed me. I had to pause the game and just sit with it for a while. Gaming has never made me feel that way before.
My concern going in was the combat — Remedy isn't known for great shooting. How does it hold up over 40 hours? I found the original game's combat pretty frustrating.
The Mind Place mechanic is what sold me. The idea of treating your psychological state as a literal case board you manipulate is inspired. Hope more games steal this.