Alan Wake 2 Review: Singular, Hyperbolic Horror
Perhaps while trying to formulate my thoughts on Alan Wake 2, a game about a writer so paralyzed by writer's block that he creates an evil double of himself to sabotage his work, I too fell into despair. I stared at a blank screen for the better part of 24 hours. Thank God I haven't gotten to the point where my psyche is split in two (yet), but this spiral of uncertainty has gotten to the point where I'm simply putting my words, each word in front of the other, and writing my exit. . . from this hellish pit of despair.
Alan himself faces a similar escape challenge as he tries to find his way out of the prison-like dimension known as the Dark Place, where he was trapped after the events of the first game, and I'm glad he succeeded. This is definitely tricky territory, even for the Remedy guys, given the forensic accuracy of how it's portrayed on screen: a chaotic, supernatural tornado threatens to expose not only Alan's identity, but the entire world as we know it. A. It's liar syndrome and, frankly, Remedy makes a lot of money from it. Horace can't be a good task manager when the words stop coming.
As mentioned last week, Alan Wake 2 is a more visceral and, well, scarier horror game than Remedy has produced before. At its core, it's still about a man, now a woman in the form of FBI agent and fellow deuteragonist Saga Anderson, shining a flashlight on some ghosts and bringing them kicking and screaming into the real world so he can kill a second time. until several pistols, rifles, shotguns, and crossbows were vaporized into an oily blob of ectoplasmic wind. But this time the drama, tension and stylistic presentation of these matches are more stressful.
Firstly, it deliberately takes time to create its atmosphere, stopping all movement for about two hours. However, the process doesn't feel slow at all, as Saga gathers evidence of a ritual murder cult rooted in the Twin Peaks town of Bright Falls, where you immediately become immersed in their detective work. Alan Wake 1's location saga is a well-founded presence in Alan Wake 2, helping to anchor the game in a way that wasn't possible when we first saw Alan's motorized narration, detailing his every move. . His approach to detective work is equal parts relaxed and methodical, achieved primarily through interaction with objects and parts of the environment, although interaction with people can also reveal important clues, using Sagan's Profile special ability to achieve great results. advances in their field of research. This information is then compiled in his Sherlock Holmes-style mind palace, where he provides clues to questions written on a board at the back of the room.
In my previous experiences, I wrote that there really aren't many discounts here, and that's true now that I'm done. For example, each piece of data has its own default place in the table, and it's often obvious where it should be placed (and if all else fails, you can force it until it's correct). Before the corresponding question appears in the table, the collected data will also have a "For Later" label, so you don't need to try to fit an infinite square into a round hole, but in some other cases, indicate that it is "For later". ".in the background" and you might miss it if you're not paying attention. On the other hand, when I came to the conclusion, it didn't make much difference to leave these problems unresolved. It's a shame, especially considering that this is one of the last games in the series, Saga Lines is "proof" of her and Alan's success, which meant it would be important.
But while collecting evidence is at the core of Saga's progress in the game, unfortunately the player has no part in solving the problem. However, once Saga has put together all the necessary pieces, it will simply announce its results in a few lines of exposition, allowing the player to accept and internalize the answer on autopilot. There's nothing wrong with this approach, of course, but it also seems like Remedy wants to have its cake and eat it easily, making you feel like you're playing an episode of True Detective but robbing you of the thrill of active participation. . . . . (Although there is a particularly provocative moment late in the game where the problem is automatically resolved, but it's too late to have any impact.)
However, while Alan Wake 2's detective work feels a bit like the first draft, it's otherwise significantly more confident and assured of what it's trying to achieve. When Saga and Alan finally take up arms, each battle becomes tense and meaningful due to their numerical superiority. Enemies hit hard and fast, and careful crowd control with an equally small amount of flashlight batteries and ammo is key to your survival. Its protective nets on streetlights are equally fragile and its immersive soundtrack always follows you, even when the coast is clear. All of this makes Alan Wake 2 more like previous Resident Evil games, as well as the little logic puzzles you'll encounter as you discover new weapons and items hidden around the world. Of course, the combat never really develops during the game (perhaps a step back from the brute force we saw in Control), but it manages to maintain a palpable sense of dread and tension for another 25 to 30 minutes. “non-stop” is a testament to Remedy's perfect sense of rhythm.
The field sections are more disappointing. Since the dark place is practically the center of the real world, you will see dozens and dozens of people walking in the wild and aggressively shouting "WAKE UP!" as soon as they see you. Not everyone is hostile, and knowing what's right and what's wrong makes approaching an enemy a frustrating game where you have to size them up and wait for them to go away by looking at them with a flashlight. You constantly wait for the warning flash of a warrior teleporting to your side, or the gleam of a crowbar, axe, or key in his nervous, hungry palm, and the catharsis of anticipation immediately replaces all other moments in which you ask yourself. .
Its segments also more successfully combine reality with imaginary images transposed from live-action images of the game world to realize the idea of cyclical dream logic, like its interconnected chameleon-like dimensions. Dark place. For example, Alan's progress involves finding new ideas for scenes in the story he is trying to write. When these are applied to predetermined areas of the environment through the Saga's version of the mind palace, the Writer's Room, the landscape before you becomes a new version of itself, breaking new ground in the process. It is lavishly presented with subtle use of light, exciting colors and stunning visuals, making each performance unique and captivating. Likewise, the shot of Alan's hands drumming on his car fades in until the scene fades and finally comes to light. This interweaving of different environments not only cements Remedi's position as one of the greatest technical masters of the modern era, but is also one of the most unique and well-executed creative representations of space I've seen in a video game.
To be fair, Alan's sections also feature live-action scenes that are often just straight cutscenes, with some moments almost bordering on Hideo Kojima levels of verisimilitude. I'm not kidding, if you want, here's a full 15-minute short film featuring not only Alan Wake 2 co-director and co-creator Sam Lake, but all the other voice actors as well. and meet characters in other parts of the game. It's all very confusing and stupid, but saying this game is self-referential and incredibly meta doesn't even begin to cover it.
I should add that this is not a criticism. Ultimately, this is what sets Alan Wake 2 apart from the rest of the horror genre and remains special and unique despite its flaws. The sense of place he creates by boldly using different media is truly remarkable and visually one of a kind. It's horrible, absurd, surreal, tragic and terrifying all at the same time, and this pure strangeness permeates every fiber of your being. This isn't just a game about a man with terrible writer's block whose world may or may not collapse on him in real time. It also speaks to some very real fears we live with today, such as the horror of misinformation and the enlightening effect of fiction that erases the truth that lives and identities can be rewritten in an instant. A Dark Place allows all of these ideas to be taken to their most terrifying extremes, but Saga's attempts to craft his story in the face of these overwhelming odds provide a compelling counterpoint to Alan's mania.
Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Whether Remedy is holding back its true conclusion to the already announced DLC expansions or simply sitting in the water until the inevitable Alan Wake 3 arrives, the climax of the saga and Alan's story loses a bit of meaning in its final moments. . It's deliberate enough that it's not completely frustrating, but it hangs in the air enough to be somewhat satisfying. “This is not the ending I wanted,” says Alan Wake himself, and true friend, at the beginning of the game. However, even if Remedy's astonishing achievement is undone at the final hurdle, it will still be a horror game like no other. Let's hope Remedy doesn't suffer from writer's block as it continues its journey through an evolving interconnected universe.
This review is based on a review of the game provided by developers Remedy Entertainment.
