In 2010, an action-adventure horror game was released that made a very huge impression in the gaming world. That game was Alan Wake. Through the years the game continued to grow popularity among the gaming public, especially among horror gaming fans by which the game had attained the level of a cult classic. Aside from the main game, several downloadable additions to the main storyline were released, as well as a new game taking place in the same gaming universe as Alan Wake. Notwithstanding the awesome presentation and quality of the game (gameplay, graphics, and game audio) the main factor that drew crowds of gamers into the eerie and horrific world of Bright Falls was the story of the game.

The mystery behind the mysterious and supernatural disappearance of his wife and his struggle to save her, and in the end, taking her place in the dark and antagonistic alternate reality in the game, created a storyline cliffhanger that has entranced the gamers and the need to see the story through. So in 2023, the sequel of the story about everyone's favorite detective thriller novelist continues. Judging by the recent reactions expressed from playing Alan Wake II, it looks like Remedy has not disappointed its Alan Wake fandom, and the game has turned out to be a masterpiece just as the first one has. With this, let us delve into the reasons why part 2 of Alan Wake's story has turned out to be a worthy sequel to the Alan Wake horror saga.

Narrative Storyline

The story of Alan Wake is no doubt one of the best game storylines of all time. Alan Wake belongs in the classic horror game category along with the likes of Gabriel Knight, Phantasmagoria, and Silent Hill. A psycho-thriller mystery, supernatural, and horror story divided into several episodes and parts that pull the gamer into the chaotic and horrific world of Alan Wake and his disastrous stay in Bright Falls. The story with its myriad of twists and turns and the introduction of FBI Agent Saga Anderson as another victim to the psycho-meat grinder of the Dark Place adds to the already twisted plot that Alan has to unravel and escape from along with any other ally he would be able to save in the process. Regardless, how a story or novel is well fitted into the reality, or the design of a game, is what makes Alan Wake stand out among the rest.

Immersive and Awesome Gameplay

Once you start playing the game, you get so immersed and intrigued by what is happening as you see the direct results of your decisions and movement within the game you can't seem to stop playing it. Really good story-driven adventure games have this kind of quality. If you love reading novels, well, you get the idea. However, with a (horror) novel in game form, and because you have an active (and not just a passive) role in the outcome of the story, you get digested much more thoroughly, so to speak. The world will eat you up, and good and user-friendly game mechanics and, thus, game flow contributes a major part to the enjoyment of the game. Alan Wake 2 is still a horror game, and when you get to beat the horror in the game, it feels rather good.

Character Creation and Voice-Overs

Graphics, Ambiance, and Sounds

If you are able to run Alan Wake 2 at a high setting, and both your PC and GPU card can handle it, you're in for an amazing visual of both beautiful and horrifying/disturbing in-game environments. The ambient sounds and music are just as good as the graphics and can give you peace and wonder or turn your gaming experience into an adrenaline-pumping horror dash to save your character and gameplay. Eitherway, Alan Wake 2 delivers one of the best ambient graphics and sounds among the current games of today. Playing the game is like practically watching a fast-paced, heart-riveting interactive movie that moves through thinking, investigating, defending, and running for your life until you reach the end of the story, which unfortunately stipulates a "To be continued" rather than "The end".

Alan Wake II shows Remedy Entertainment's commitment to the game franchise and intent to follow up on it. With the way the story of our hapless favorite horror-mystery bestselling novelist is currently going, it's quite obvious that there's more to come. Despite being just recently released, the game has already garnered three awards. The Game Award is for Best Narrative, The Game Award is for Best Art Direction, and The Game Award is for Best Game Direction. These three awards tie up with the reasons above as to why the game is such a masterpiece, and since Alan Wake II is a continuing horror story of Bright Falls, it is no doubt a horror masterpiece as well. Not everybody likes to play horror games or watch horror movies, but for those who love the horror genre and the things that go "Boo!" in the middle of the night, the Alan Wake game series is one storyline that should never be passed up (even if agent Casey looks like Max Payne).

"Boo!" Hahaha...