Alan Wake 2 is a third-person survival-horror game and comes as a long-awaited sequel to Remedy Entertainment's 2010 cult classic: Alan Wake.
Alan Wake 2 will be released for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as for PC via the Epic Game store. Though Remedy has been tight-lipped when it comes to certain details about the game, what we know so far suggests a return to the thrilling horror fundamentals that made Alan Wake so iconic when it first came out.
The original Alan Wake channels Twin Peaks in a big way, offering rustic horror steeped in Americana. The disquieting thrills of Alan Wake have a compelling psychological element, too, drawing players into the dark and foreboding horror of its world.
For the sequel, it looks like Remedy is doubling down on the horror at the heart of the series. Want to know more? Read on for everything we know about Alan Wake 2 so far, including its release date, a look at gameplay, and all of the latest news.
Alan Wake 2: cut to the chase
- What is it? The sequel to psychological thriller Alan Wake
- When can I play it? October 17, 2023
- What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Epic Game Store)
Alan Wake 2 release date and platforms
Alan Wake 2 will launch on October 17, 2023. This was confirmed recently during the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, alongside some new gameplay details and a look at a new protagonist.
The developer has also confirmed that Alan Wake 2 will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC (via Epic Game Store).
Alan Wake 2 trailers
Latest trailer
The latest trailer for Alan Wake 2 was shown at Summer Game Fest, introducing a deep insight into the gameplay and showing off the game's two protagonists, Alan Wake and Saga Anderson. Although the trailer is fairly short, it's filled with tension, jump scares, and deer-headed foes. The full trailer can be seen below.
More trailers
Shown off during the May 2023 PlayStation Showcase, this trailer spotlighted gameplay and revealed a second protagonist called Saga Anderson. It does look as though we'll be playing as Anderson for much of the game, as she's being described as a 'co-leading protagonist.' Check out the trailer below:
It's worth keeping an eye on the Remedy Entertainment YouTube channel for any Alan Wake 2 trailers you might've missed. The channel also boasts an anniversary update which, though not a trailer per se, is full of exciting tidbits about the design decisions behind the game.
Alan Wake 2 story and setting
Though little has been confirmed about the specifics of Alan Wake 2's story, the finale of the first game, as well as the subsequent DLC have written some pretty big cheques, story-wise.
At the end of the first game, Alan found himself trapped in the “Dark Place”, the Lovecraftian parallel dimension from which the darkness that hunted him seemed to originate. In DLC episodes entitled “The Signal” and “The Writer”, Alan was able to free himself by confronting a twisted, mirror version of himself.
It seems likely that Remedy will seek to develop these themes in Alan Wake 2 – it's certainly what we want to see in the sequel. From what we've seen in the trailers so far, Alan Wake is definitely still trapped in a nightmarish Hellscape. He appears to be writing a horror story in an attempt to escape, a story which is becoming true in the real world.
Agent Saga Anderson is sent on an investigation to solve a string of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls. She then discovers a page from a horror story , which then starts to describe real world events happening in the town. This is how she learns of Alan Wake, and his disappearance almost 13 years prior.
Alan Wake 2 will play out over three hub areas: Bright Falls, the primordial forest surrounding Cauldron Lake, and the run-down town of Watery. The Dark Place will also feature, presenting a shifting, looping reality. In the latest trailer, Anderson and Alan Wake do meet each other, so it seems as though Alan may be getting out of the nightmare realm at some point in the game. Time will tell.
Alan Wake 2 gameplay
Things seem to be a pretty standard over-the-shoulder third-person shooter, akin to more modern survival horror titles like Resident Evil 2 remake. We know that guns will once again be used to dispatch monstrous enemies and that the flashlight will be a key tool for keeping them at bay and for exploration.
As mentioned previously, Alan Wake 2 will feature two playable protagonists in the form of Alan Wake and Saga Anderson. It's unclear how the two characters will differ in terms of gameplay, but it's clear that their stories are intertwined as featured in the trailers we have seen so far.
Though we've seen a decent amount of gameplay now, information as to what we might expect from Alan Wake 2 is still fairly sparse. There are a few nuggets of information floating about that can help us piece things together, however.
In a special 12th Anniversary blog post Remedy announced that Alan Wake 2 would be the developer's “first survival horror game”. The implication, here, is that we will see more survival elements in the sequel than we saw in the original Alan Wake, which focused more on psychological horror. This certainly tracks with the footage we've seen so far, especially with the cultish vibes represented by the deer-headed folk seen in the newest trailer.
Alan Wake 2 news
Alan Wake 2 now has build that can be played from start to finish
In February 2023, Remedy's CEO Tero Virtala announced that “Alan Wake 2 is in full production… and it is playable from start to finish” (via Video Games Chronicle). Virtala went on to say that the studio “will then move on to polishing the experience”, affirming that “Alan Wake is a unique brand that holds high value for the company today.”
It'll remain third-person with original voice actors returning
Sam Lake has confirmed on Twitter that Alan Wake 2 will be third-person, like the first game, and that voice actors from the original game (Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta) will return for the sequel.
That's everything we know about Alan Wake 2 so far. For more on the biggest game releases coming out this year, visit our Upcoming games 2023 schedule.