Alan Wake II |OT| I'm blinded by the lights.........

Chuck Berry said:
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There is even better reference that honestly is just mindblowing that they were setting it up so much in advance. There is a blackboard on early Act 1 that has a really big reference to Alan Wake II that I don't think is mentioned as often as Return video or Alan's book
 
Finished the game today, got the platinum trophy after clocking 33 hours of playtime. Gotta say it's my goty.

Loved the atmosphere, music, characters, Finnish stuff (yay!) and it's pretty crazy that we actually got Alan Wake sequel.

This game made me wish I a had powerful gaming rig or PS5 Pro. I can't stand 30 fps anymore so I played performance mode on. The game's iq suffer greatly for the benefit of 60fps. I switched it to quality mode time to time but it was too painful for my eyes to keep too long.
The dynamic lighting in this game is just wow.

Towards the end I got REALLY frustrated of the combat in the "dark" so I switched from normal to story mode thanks to tommib tommib
That made a huge difference for my psyche and I was able to carry on.
I did like the combat while playing Saga and I don't get the lack of combat complain. I did got plenty of cannon fodder.

I won't even poke the hornets nest because I didn't find the game to be WOKE, but I gotta say that just one sentence which Saga says close to the end made me gringe quite a lot and made me a little dissappointed of the writing.
She said something like "just another asshole white guy"

Also I do find it funny that Bright Falls has such a diverse array of local people. I image such a town to be pretty much full of "whiteys".

The ending was meh.

hope we don't have to wait for AW3 the next ten years

I did buy the deluxe edition so the dlc WILL BE MINE.
 
Finished it.

It's great, close to a masterpiece, but some things drags it down.

First is combat. Coming from the team that made Control, it's actually surprising that the combat here feels like a downgrade even from AW1, which wasn't that good to begin with.

Second thing is story. They tried to make something "deep" and experimental, but it hasn't really clicked with me. The story feels undeveloped, as if they stuck with the first draft and didn't improve it as time went on.

A big offender is backtracking... jeez. If only there was a way to fast travel or sprint faster, but it is really a slog for those trying to 100% it.

Overall, amazingly directed game and experience, but there are some flaws here.
 
I'm playing Control after finishing Alan Wake 2. Holy shit that game has impressive gameplay! So much shit going on screen, i cant believe it released on last-gen consoles. I really enjoyed AW2, but I'm kind of bummed now that it was so average when it came to its gameplay. 80% of AW2 is just the amazing atmosphere, but if they made the combat gameplay actually enjoyable, it would certainly be in my favorite games ever
 
Finished my second playthrough. Yep, Saga was still boring, the ending still sucked, found a new game breaking bug. I hope the DLC is gonna be substantial and the sequel is not too far off.
 
I have mixed feelings about this game. I'm just on chapter 5 but so still less than halfway i think?, the atmosphere and graphics are good obviously but gameplay is not so good specifically the combat. The 3rd boss was frustrating. The dodge mechanic is not fun. The story is sort of boring. I don't understand how people are praising the story so much. Maybe it gets better as it progresses but some say it actually gets more confusing and have to go to youtube for answers. So far it feels like 7/10 to me, not a fan of those constant stupid jumpscares either. I love the songs at the end of each chapter though.
 
rhodesianshepard said:
I'm playing Control after finishing Alan Wake 2. Holy shit that game has impressive gameplay! So much shit going on screen, i cant believe it released on last-gen consoles. I really enjoyed AW2, but I'm kind of bummed now that it was so average when it came to its gameplay. 80% of AW2 is just the amazing atmosphere, but if they made the combat gameplay actually enjoyable, it would certainly be in my favorite games ever
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I Loved control but playing it on my launch PS4 was a horrible experience lol, you would get constant drops into the 1 figures and teens in FPS. The PS5 version is beautiful tho.
 
Holdfing said:
Finished my second playthrough. Yep, Saga was still boring, the ending still sucked, found a new game breaking bug. I hope the DLC is gonna be substantial and the sequel is not too far off.
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took 13 years for this to leave development hell so who knows when or if there'll ever be a third game
 
So I bought Control day 1 when it launched on PS4, loved it, got the plat trophy. I wanted to replay it immediately after Alan Wake 2 to directly compare the two titles plus I never played the DLC. Just finished the main story and it reinforces what I thought: Control is the better game (I love AW2 too though).

Control has all the Remedy weirdness (in fact, I'd say it's the stranger of the two) with absolutely sublime - and abundant! - gameplay. Narrative is more layered and the "character" of The Oldest House makes for a great environment to explore. Playing it on PS5 at a rock solid 60 FPS is how the game was meant to be played, the kinetic combat, glorious environment destruction and ragdoll physics shining through without a hitch.

If anyone hasn't played this but enjoyed what they got in AW2 I *highly* recommend it, can't wait for the sequel. Oh and everyone impressed with We Sing! needs to understand the genesis of where such an idea came to be: the Ashtray Maze 👌
 
I got back to it a couple days ago after pausing for a week to play Talos Principle 2. I'm in chapter 3, not super far I don't think. One of the things I'm not sure of is what to upgrade. I doubt I'll find enough collectibles to upgrade all my stuff. I upgraded my pistol capacity. Not sure if I should go for the shotgun reload speed or perk that heals you when you kill enemies. Not sure the healing will be enough to be worth it or if you kill enough enemies to make it worth it. Or if I should save my stuff for better perks.
 
Skifi28 said:
How's PS5 performance after all the patches? I might jump in if I see any Black Friday deals.
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I would wait quite a bit

Game is still very buggy and performance isnt solid in both modes on PS5

They are patching it fast, but hotfixes only. They dont address performance.

Something might come up next month or january
 
Hugare said:
I would wait quite a bit

Game is still very buggy and performance isnt solid in both modes on PS5

They are patching it fast, but hotfixes only. They dont address performance.

Something might come up next month or january
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To anyone with VRR, performance mode is flawless. Even if it looks like 640x480.
 
Finally finished it, after 30+ hrs, don't know exactly because I just couldn't care less and just rushed the last chapters.

I don't want to list the things I don't like as I would be seen as a major hater.

I will only say the things I like:
-The graphics, artistic touch and atmosphere is amazing.
-The lamp and story mechanic of AW chapters, those were awesome, wish they would have focused only on that, so much possibility there.

Played Control before this, and there really isn't a comparison to the gameplay, really don't know anymore what gamers really want or like, you would think the gameplay comes first.
 
I wasn't a huge fan of the original Alan Wake, I'm enjoying this more because it isn't just running from lamp post to lamp post. I love the atmosphere and the mood and the imagery. That said, the story is so absurd. I'll see how the story plays out and judge it when I finish it, but as of right now it's just so bizarre and out there, that I'm having trouble taking it seriously. I know all survival horror stories are out there, but this is a whole other level. The creepy parts are really creepy, then the absurdities kind of take me out of the mood of it.
 
Finally finished on PC. I'd give it a 7.5-8, great atmosphere, acting, soundtrack/sound design, story was just OK never surprised or shocked me as I'd hoped and the gameplay was kinda average, maybe worse than average, so no idea why ppl are calling this a masterpiece unless this is their first game? I would hardly even call it a third person shooter, the pacing is horrible, you walk 85% of the game more than anything, the enemies are dumb as a rock, animations are pretty bad. Still overall good game.
 
Anyone else having trouble with completing the optional goal of exploring the previously flooded areas of Watery with Saga? I was running around for ages trying to make sure I hadn't missed anything but just had to give up and go back to Bright Falls.
 
engstra said:
Anyone else having trouble with completing the optional goal of exploring the previously flooded areas of Watery with Saga? I was running around for ages trying to make sure I hadn't missed anything but just had to give up and go back to Bright Falls.
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check ranger cabin, pier at coffee world and the dock at the trailer park
 
New update:
www.alanwake.com

Alan Wake 2 update 1.2.8 notes — Alan Wake

Latest update notes for Alan Wake 2.
www.alanwake.com www.alanwake.com

These are the latest update notes for Alan Wake 2

17th November

PlayStation 5 (1.00.12)
Xbox Series (1.0.0.12)
PC (1.0.12)

Global

  • Made the player able to push certain movable objects that might block the progress when revisiting combat areas (just walk into them…).
  • Fixed an issue where loading a save game during an enemy grapple would leave the player without movement controls.
  • Fixed an issue related to the Nursery Rhyme doll "Father" disappearing if placed in the wrong location and the player saved their game.
  • Fixed a rare issue where the player could not watch the Drowned video and thus was prevented from getting an Achievement / Trophy.
  • Fixed an issue where auto-aim was not…auto-aiming correctly when Flashlight boosting a submerged Binder enemy.
  • Fixed an issue where Saga couldn't shoot or damage an enemy hiding in the bushes after throwing a flare at the enemy.
  • Fixed an issue where interrupting a charged shot by quickly selecting another weapon and then re-selecting the crossbow would launch the bolt without player input.
  • Fixed an issue where an Echo wouldn't reset after the player leaves the area.
  • Fixed an issue where the Dark Veil effect would be missing from Cynthia's boss fight after reloading a checkpoint.
  • Fixed an issue where the Wake insight at the Caldera Street station didn't trigger.
  • Fixed an issue where entering the Writer's Room during an elevator ride played a real number on preserving the correct game state.
  • Fixed premature notifications of Koskela brother's commercials being available in the Mind Place (Good things come to those who wait.)
  • Fixed Alan climbing next to the ladder when interacting with the ladder while opening a door.
  • Fixed conversation interactions outside the Nursing Home not being consistently visible.
  • After the Summoning boss fight, only Saga can pick up crossbow bolts (sorry, Alan)
  • Improved the zoom function in Dioramas (such as Cultist stashes and Nursery Rhymes) and the Map.
  • Optimized memory use to keep more cold, dead enemy bodies lying on the ground for added realism and spookiness.
  • It is now possible to skip the Alice documentary.
  • Corrected spelling errors.
  • (PC) Made the GPU crash dialog more user-friendly with understandable error messages for non-Remedy engineers and QA.
  • (PC) Fixed switching from full screen to window occasionally resulting in wrong rendering resolution.
Performance

  • (PC) Fixed performance and visual issues with Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation enabled when changing from real-time video to 3D rendering.
  • (PlayStation 5 Performance Mode) Optimized performance when aggressively walking stairs up and down in the Nursing Home.
  • (PlayStation 5 Performance Mode) Optimized streaming performance globally but predominantly around the hallways outside of room 666 in the Oceanview Hotel.
Animations and visuals

  • Numerous lighting and visual fixes and related improvements.
  • Fixed Alan's flashlight holstering animations when the writer is in a wounded state.
  • Fixed Alan's flashlight holstering animation triggering even without having a flashlight.
  • Fixed weapon-switching animations to work correctly when Alan is healing.
  • Fixed an issue where forward running dodge animation was playing for too long.
  • Fixed an issue where interrupting the manuscript pick-up animation by combat can lead Saga to stay in a broken animation state.


Audio

  • Added missing localized VO audio for French and Japanese languages.
  • Fixed an issue where in-world videos (including Koskela ads, Wake insight's, Alice videos, Darling videos, and Yoton Yo video) audio was sometimes out of sync.
  • General audio fixes and improvements.
UI

  • Fixed an issue where players could not select the inventory items on the far-right side of their inventory.
  • Prevent the Shoebox from eating away players' items when they were stacked erroneously.
  • Hacked OCD UI indicators in the Mind Place not clearing their "new" status.
  • Added "Restore to Default" option to the Control Key Customization Tab.
  • Improved the brightness calibration UI.
  • General UI fixes and improvements.
Case Board

  • Fixed an issue where Saga could only access the Case Board after Profiling but not via other Mind Place interactions.
  • Improved automatically placing clues for already solved questions to the Case Board.
  • Fixed a wayward Bright Falls station photo being in the distinctly wrong location on the Case Board.
Mission Specific

INVITATION

  • Hid interactions while dialogue plays around the Nightingale murder site.
  • Fixed a case where Saga is unable to pick up the pistol in the morgue corridor after waiting for a far longer time than we expected.
  • Fixed Nightingale's profiling with "The heart! Where is it?" not skipping the entire sequence.
  • Reduced chances of Nightingale ruining your day. Made the resourcing more generous for the Nightingale boss fight.
OLD GODS

  • Fixed an issue where clearing the Mulligan and Thornton encounter didn't trigger the end cinematic, thus blocking progress.
SCRATCH

  • Fixed an issue where Saga could not communicate the plan to agent Estevez. If you are not in the Bright Falls area, you must come back to trigger progress with the plan.
  • Fixed a case where players could miss a phone call from Tor, preventing getting a missing piece of evidence and thus blocking progress in the mission.
  • Fixed an issue where the conversation with Estevez would drone on after leaving the Sheriff's Station.
SUMMONING

  • Made Alex Casey's loot drops spicier by having him biased toward two-handed weapon ammo for Saga ("partners to the end").
  • Fixed a rare issue where a light array would disappear during the Scratch fight upon the player releasing the interaction button.
  • Added more ammo for the mission's Alan Wake section, making the trek to the parking lot somewhat more bearable.
WE SING

  • Fixed an issue with the Plot Board.
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Hugare said:
Look at the amount of fixes this far from release

Game came out very buggy

I've experieced more bugs with this game than BG 3

Hopefuly they will be able to do something about Quality mode on the PS5
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Shimmering never gonna be fixed, its their engine, all of their games has the same issue. Maybe some performance fixes later, but the way the community manager talks on resetera i wouldnt hold my breath for a fix. Might aswell wait for ps5 pro with my NG+ and DLC playthrough
 
Just like AW1 this just isn't a lot of fun to play. I don't see myself finishing this.

Also fuck Sam Lake for attention whoring his goofy face into the game nonstop. You are not that cool, dude.
 
Windom Earle said:
Just like AW1 this just isn't a lot of fun to play. I don't see myself finishing this.

Also fuck Sam Lake for attention whoring his goofy face into the game nonstop. You are not that cool, dude.
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oh, but he obviously is! at least, according to 'an international jury of over 100 global media and influencer outlets':

Alan Wake 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 lead Game Awards 2023 nominations
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https://www.gamesindustry.biz/alan-wake-2-and-baldurs-gate-3-lead-game-awards-2023-nominations
 
Ive come to the part where you can switch between Alan and Saga. Im liking it but those damn menu's. Everytime I check the map and want to back out I return to the mind place and have to click exit again and again. Annoying as fuck just like that stupid investigation board.
 
xClout said:
Ive come to the part where you can switch between Alan and Saga. Im liking it but those damn menu's. Everytime I check the map and want to back out I return to the mind place and have to click exit again and again. Annoying as fuck just like that stupid investigation board.
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You can click the map button again and return to the game without going to the mind place/writers room.
 
Well, latest patch fixed an issue with an easily missable vid with Alan, only one I needed for the last trophy and plat

yAbELMl.jpg


Very easy plat overall, wish devs did more to make you earn it but oh well. Really curious to see what they do with DLC.
 
Between the insufferable Saga and first "boss" chasing you around the jungle while trying to pick up ammo and deal with this combat, how the f*ck did you guys not drop this after 3 hours?? I'm really, just really, like wtf lol
 
midasmulligan said:
Between the insufferable Saga and first "boss" chasing you around the jungle while trying to pick up ammo and deal with this combat, how the f*ck did you guys not drop this after 3 hours?? I'm really, just really, like wtf lol
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i'm going with 'hell, it can't keep on being this terrible, can it?...

man up, dude! you've not even really begun experiencing the awfulness...
 
"Gee golly Tom, I sure do love me a serial killing crime story! Like so cool! I'm going to put on my girl scout badge, knitted sweater, and do it just like I see on those Netflix shows! Dead body reanimated? So cool Tom, this is really my jam sir!" This is who we have to play as?
 
midasmulligan said:
sooooo, it gets.....worse?
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well, your mileage may certainly vary from mine, but, for me? yes. i managed to finish the game, but much of it was kinda on a 'not being able to avert your eyes from a multiple car pile-up or a train crash' level - you're just sorta dumbstruck, & wondering if what you're seeing could possibly really be there...

but, hey, i don't wanna spoil anything. just keep telling yourself 'i can do this', & enjoy the nightma- 'experience', i mean. enjoy the 'experience'...
 
After 100% the game, I liked it but did not love it, and I'm surprised so many think it's GOTY material. I feel that the collectibles and back tracking really weigh the game down. It isn't fun to go back into unlocked areas to get resources if you have to waste resources and engage in the game's chore-like combat to do it.

The combat is clumsy and definitely worse than both Alan Wake 1 and REmake 2/3/4. The amount of times you're trying to fight unseen enemies who are attacking you through shrubbery and bushes is ridiculous.

Also please no more Sam Lake, it's absolutely obnoxious and egotistical at this point. Cameos are cute, but playing a main character is beyond the red line (Similar issue to David Lynch's Twin Peaks Season 3 shenanigans, but its worse here). Another issue is the amount of non actors, Lake and the model for Wake for example, being in the video cutscenes. The simply cannot act, the voices don't allign and sound artificial, and it stands in complete contrast to the likes of the actress who plays Alice who's excellent.
 
The summoning chapter for Saga is so fucking stupid. Seriously, what the fuck were they thinking putting a gameplay section like this in the game? It's like a complete reversal of what the style of this game has been about up until this point. Completely ruined all the fun I had tonight with my gaming session doing this part.

It's a slow paced, methodical, survival horror and then they throw in a section where you have to fight waves of enemies where your character is soooo sloooow even swapping weapons and there's like 10 enemies swarming you at once? What in god's name is this fucking bullshit? If I were a game reviewer I'd deduct a full point just for this stupid ass section. It's not fun. At all. I can't even see what the fuck I'm doing. There's darkness effects on the screen, there's flares, there's lights going off, enemies swarming me. So dumb.
 
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fatmarco said:
After 100% the game, I liked it but did not love it, and I'm surprised so many think it's GOTY material. I feel that the collectibles and back tracking really weigh the game down. It isn't fun to go back into unlocked areas to get resources if you have to waste resources and engage in the game's chore-like combat to do it.

The combat is clumsy and definitely worse than both Alan Wake 1 and REmake 2/3/4. The amount of times you're trying to fight unseen enemies who are attacking you through shrubbery and bushes is ridiculous.

Also please no more Sam Lake, it's absolutely obnoxious and egotistical at this point. Cameos are cute, but playing a main character is beyond the red line (Similar issue to David Lynch's Twin Peaks Season 3 shenanigans, but its worse here). Another issue is the amount of non actors, Lake and the model for Wake for example, being in the video cutscenes. The simply cannot act, the voices don't allign and sound artificial, and it stands in complete contrast to the likes of the actress who plays Alice who's excellent.
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This a great point and something that I remember notice. The actress playing Alice is in complete contrast with the rest of the cast. She's so much better that it makes her scenes feel like they're from something else. In a way it works because she's an artist working on her installation in a completely different world but I'm sure it wasn't intentional. Everyone else looks and sounds like a third rate actor next to her.
 
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