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We go hands-on with Alan Wake 2 co-protagonist Saga Anderson
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Matt Cabral
Thankfully, during a recent hands-on demo for the sequel, Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake assured us this vibe is still very much intact in the survival horror-focused follow-up. “We deeply loved the setting we created [in Alan Wake]. That was a key part, the Pacific Northwest landscape, the idyllic small town setting. Those were definitely parts of the core experience and we wanted to come and revisit them 13 years later.”
Lake's comments were consistent with Alan Wake 2's first gameplay reveal, which saw new co-protagonist FBI Special Agent Saga Anderson investigating ritualistic murders in the original game's doomed vacation town. But as we discovered during a recent hands-on session, the sequel's doubling-down on this Twin Peaks-inspired energy not only invites brave fans back to Cauldron Lake, but lures them beyond the borders of Bright Falls into the neighboring town of Watery.
Come for the quaint atmosphere, stay for the cult murders
Unfolding in a mission dubbed “Local Girl,” the demo placed us on Watery's main street, where Saga is pursuing a lead on the mysterious cult behind the killings. While grisly business brings us to town, the quaint, rural environment almost fools us into thinking we're on a relaxing retreat. As Saga—appropriately sporting a rain slicker in the soggy coastal setting—we encounter a number of colorful locals, from a mayoral candidate stumping for supporters outside the local karaoke bar to a friendly bus driver who ferries nursing home patients from Bright Falls to Watery.
Nearby, a woman has parked her bicycle to relax at a picnic table; beyond her—just past an '80s-era phone booth—a man attempts to patch a boat that apparently hasn't seen water in quite some time. The lived-in town isn't picturesque enough to appear on a postcard, but it's an appealingly quirky, welcoming place that likely hosted many a happy tourist in its heyday.
But alas, we're here on business, and bloody business at that. So we follow one of our first objectives—“Ask around about the trailer”—and score a tip from the aforementioned bus driver on the location of a nearby trailer park. This lead brings us to the Koskelas brothers, who are jovial, local celebrity siblings who've got their hands in everything from the town's motorcycle club to its coffee-themed amusement park.
When we ask them about the cult, they brush it off as an “urban legend” and change the subject. They're far more forthcoming, however, when it comes to discussing their business endeavors, including that theme park. After the more talkative brother, Ilmo, gleefully recites its slogan (“Coffee World is a smooth blend of rides, food, and fun!”) we're convinced the brothers could have appeared as scene-stealing characters in an old Bob Newhart sitcom.
But as entertaining as our encounter with the Koskelas is, it's also tainted by the nagging feeling that something isn't quite right. Saga believes she's meeting the pair for the first time, but they behave as though they share a friendly history with her. They even reference her previous residence at the local trailer park, where they say she lived with her daughter. Saga plays along, but is befuddled by their familiarity with her and her family.
Cracking criminal minds in the Mind Place
The increasingly bizarre exchange introduces the game's profiling mechanic, an investigative tool that unlocks clues, connects evidence, and generally allows players to progress the story. We access the profiling table by entering the Mind Place, a real-time alternate reality that transports us to a cabin containing various other tips and tools, from a case board to a weapon upgrade station. The hub location essentially serves as a more organic version of the various menus and user interfaces you might find in other games with investigative elements.
In the Mind Place, Saga—now wearing a cozy seasonal sweater—can freely visit its different stations, using a radio, TV, manuscripts, cork board, file cabinet, and other intel-rich vessels to work her case. But we're here for the profiling table, which hosts a number of photographs, including one of the siblings Saga just met. Clicking on the picture produces a pair of index cards, titled “Urban Legend” and “The Trailer.” When we access the former, Saga enters a focused state while flickering cinematic clips of the brothers project around her.
The snippets don't reflect the same happy-go-lucky locals we just met, but a decidedly more somber duo who appear to appreciate—and even fear—the potential danger of the cult they'd all but dismissed during the earlier exchange. This fresh perspective has us reevaluating our encounter with the Koskelas, but the second card sheds even more light on Saga's apparent history with them. A new set of quick, short videos reveal the brothers think of Saga as family, and are safeguarding the spare key to her former residence.
Different town, same Taken
With this new information secured, Saga decides to go along with the siblings' version of her history, and asks to access “her” old trailer. Ilmo happily complies, but reveals its key is kept in the gift shop safe at the Coffee World amusement park. Our dangerous hunt for this key leads to a series of events that'll feel comfortably familiar to anyone whoever set foot in the wilderness as a flashlight-wielding Alan Wake.
Darkness soon falls, and Saga finds herself alone in the woods. As we navigate her increasingly creepy surroundings, we encounter a number of camper safety boxes—most containing batteries, ammo, and health packs—as well as a few clever puzzles that gatekeep valuable items. One such conundrum has us cracking a combination lock to access a crossbow. This comes in handy when Dark Presence-possessed Taken begin to emerge from the shadows just as Saga's pistol clip's running on empty. Alan Wake 2 trades its predecessor's action-focused pacing for tension-filled survival horror, an approach that stings with the discharge of each bullet and the careful consideration of every inventory slot.
Thankfully, a direct hit from your enemy-debilitating flashlight—followed by a few well-placed shots—still disposes of the quick, aggressive Taken. That said, the crazed, blade-wielding foes still catch us off-guard, killing Saga and returning us to our last checkpoint. On the plus side, the spawn point is nicely marked with a fan-pleasing nod—the series' iconic blue thermoses.
We eventually make our way to Coffee World, a former vacation destination that raises the bar on creepy abandoned theme parks. In addition to the requisite creaky rides and unsettling carnival music, the park's patrons now consist of locals who've woken up on the wrong side of the Dark Presence. As we approach a functioning tea cup-like attraction cheekily called the “Percolator,” it suddenly stops. We cautiously enter through the newly-opened gate, and the ride vehicles begin moving again as sickle-swinging enemies attack from all sides. Thanks to the ability to ward off close attackers by sticking a lit road flare in their mouths, we manage to thwart the threats and secure a maintenance worker’s misplaced screwdriver.
Just past the Slow Roaster Ferris wheel—where hanging cultist totems suggest we may be nearing our objective—we discover the Fresh Pot Gift Shop. The smiling-carafe mascot on the store's sign seems to welcome us inside, but the locked door tells another story. Using the screwdriver, we break in and ultimately secure the keys to Saga's trailer from the shop's safe. This completed goal frees us to pursue a path to the Watery Lighthouse Trailer Park, where vital intel on the cult hopefully awaits.
But when we pass beneath Coffee World's “See You Latte” exit sign and into Saga's supposed former residence, we can't reveal what she unearths beyond the trailer park's chain-link fence. What we can tell you is that our time spent in the incredibly immersive town of Watery—blasting possessed baddies and solving clever puzzles—evoked classic Alan Wake gameplay in all the best ways. We can also share that the significantly elevated visual presentation, fresh survival horror focus, and brand new mechanics only serve to complement the formula fans fell in love with 13 years ago.
For those story spoilers, however, you'll have to wait until Alan Wake 2 emerges from the Dark Place on October 27. It's now available for pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store.