We have few gameplay details for Alan Wake 2. WCCFTech got to interview Remedy’s Communications Director Thomas Puha after they showed off a demo of the game. Thanks to that, we can give you your first taste of what the game will be like here.
First things first, Thomas gives an estimate that it would take about 20 hours to play through Alan Wake 2 as it is now. That doesn’t mean it can’t be changed later, but you can tell that it lies somewhere between the length of a Call of Duty story campaign and a small open world game.
The demo has you playing as FBI agent Saga Anderson. Saga is investigating a murder, and has to gather the clues to figure out what happened. Saga’s main gameplay mode is the Mind Place, a virtual cabin in her mind where she can piece clues together.
Saga also has to make judicious use of light, because yes, she also faces the Taken down herself. You can aim a flashlight at a Taken so they can be killed with a small weapon, and turning a light on on a location makes it entirely safe. Thomas revealed that the light system is also present for Alan himself when he explores the Dark Place.
As an FBI agent, you can expect Saga to be in tip top shape for those combat encounters. But, Alan is in better shape than he was in the first game, so he won’t run out of breath as much as he did back then.
Saga and Alan sort of interact in this demo – if you collect enough lost manuscripts, it prompts Alan to tell you more of the story that Saga is in, to Saga herself.
Saga’s and Alan’s stories are apparently told in parallel. If you have played Remedy’s games, however, you know that they create twisting and ornate narratives, with stories within stories that slowly unravel.
So Thomas is also being evasive about the details on how this will play out. Apparently you will have some degree of freedom on where Saga and Alan can go in the beginning of the game, but somewhere in the middle it all has to tie in together to a bigger narrative and that level choice is taken from you.
Alan kind of goes to the same levels Saga goes, but their stories do not intersect, or at least that’s what Remedy is willing to share for now. You will definitely have to play as both characters for the duration of the game to find out what is really going on.
There are some more details we opted not to share since they are already spoiler territory, but from what Remedy is willing to share now, you can expect a compelling story that’s worth discovering on your own.
Alan Wake 2 will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S on October 17, 2023.
