Long ago, in the age before the internet, videogame release dates were not really known. Thanks to magazines at the time, we knew that Atari had licensed Pac-Man for the 2600, but not when the game was coming out. Also, the lead time on magazine articles often meant that by the time the magazine had news or even a review of an upcoming game, it was showing up in stores.
As gaming got bigger, game releases became an event, such as camping out at Gamestop for a midnight opening. We watched the internet for trailers and release dates and couldn't wait to get a copy of the new game in our hands. Maybe some still do that, but for me, I just don't get hyped up for a game these days like I used to.
So when I heard that Alan Wake II was finally in the works, I was nonplussed, thinking "Yeah, so is a sequel to Beyond Good and Evil". I paid no attention to any release dates, as those are frequently optimistic and/or inaccurate, and I did not scrape the internet for tidbits. I just heard about the game's imminent release a few weeks before it came out, watched the trailer, and decided that it looked good enough to purchase a new XBox Series X console.
The first Alan Wake came out the same day as Red Dead Redemption, so it was not a commercial success for Remedy, the company that created it. Microsoft did not want a sequel, so the few of us who were hoping for one were told it is not coming. Remedy moved on to other projects, like Quantum Break (which I hated), and then Control (which I haven't tried), which was not only a hit, but was apparently set in the same universe as Alan Wake.
This apparently was what the company needed to do to get where they could make Alan Wake II, and it was a smart strategy. Without any interference from anyone else, they were free to make the game they wanted to, and they really pulled it off.
Alan Wake II is a worthy sequel for the faithful among us who waited, and I'd certainly recommend playing the first game and its DLC ahead of this sequel. My fears that the big budget would transform the game into an Ubisoft-style endless open world (Assassin's Creed/Farcry) and that the combat would be less flashlighty and more bullety, were unfounded.
Everything that the first game had at its core, from mood to gameplay to graphics, has been improved. The world is bigger, including not just the first game's town of Bright Falls, but neighboring areas as well. The graphics on the XBox Series X are amazing, load times are fast, and the sound effects and mood music are all top notch.
This is a game that is mostly about story, though, and boy does it come packed with it. It takes the amount of time since the first game and owns it, and starts with a new character - an FBI agent - who is investigating serial murders in Bright Falls, which ties into Alan Wake's disappearance there all those years ago.
Play switches between this FBI Agent and Wake, who is trapped in some dark dimension thingy, during the game. The back and forth between the characters works really well and ties together at the end in an epic fashion. Exploring, combat, and careful item management are all a part of the gameplay and are carefully balanced.
Enemies called "taken" are back from the first game, requiring a blast from the flashlight to weaken them and sometimes reveal a weak spot, before the player sends bullets their way. It's a really cool and original combat style that is easy to learn and fun to execute. Batteries are as important as bullets in this world.
Did I mention the members of the band from the first game, the Old Gods of Asgard, are back and get plenty of time to shine as characters and as musicians. There is also the plot thread of Alan Wake's wife, who has been dealing with his disappearance. Night Springs, a Twilight Zone type of TV show, still airs on some TVs in the game, along with a set of crazy local commercials from two of the other characters the player meets.
As mentioned earlier, Remedy's previous release Control tied into the Alan Wake universe, and that tie is strengthened as members of the Federal Bureau of Control, whatever that is, show up due to the supernatural goings-on. It definitely made me want to go back and play Control at some point.
I only had one instance of the game locking up, but other than that it ran smoothly. Alan Wake II is an absolute masterpiece in every aspect. The story expands and continues, the gameplay is more fleshed-out and fun, everything cool about the first game is carried over, and the conclusion is much more satisfying than the cliffhanger at the end of the first Alan Wake game. I put over 50 hours into Alan Wake II and none of it felt tedious or unapproachable.
To conclude, I'll just say that this is how you do a sequel.
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