Initial release date: October 27, 2023
Engine: Northlight Engine
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, GeForce Now
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Mode: Single-player video game
Nominations: The Game Award for Game of the Year, MORE
License: proprietary license
Alan Wake II reviewed by Tristan Ogilvie on PC. Also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. “Alan Wake II delivers one of the boldest and most brain-bending survival-horror storylines this side of Silent Hill 2, presents it with uniformly immaculate art direction and audio design, and reinvigorates the series’ signature light-based shooting as though it’s been locked and loaded with a fresh pack of Energizers. Even though its skill-upgrade systems seem a little superfluous and there were a few repeated cliches in Saga’s story that stuck in my craw, I nonetheless found both sides of this twisted tale to be endlessly fascinating, frequently fear-inducing, and consistently surprising.
