Alan Wake 2: 5 Things You Should Know

The best-selling author and his trusty flashlight are back for yet another round in the shadow realm. Alan Wake 2 lays dormant on the nearby horizon, and it'll only be a matter of time before both the curator and the beacon reunite to chronicle an all-new story that reverts back into the darkness, where shadows and lore go hand-in-hand. Question is, what do you, the quill-bearer, need to know about the world and its wonders?

5. What Is Alan Wake 2?

Alan Wake 2 is an upcoming survival horror game that serves as a direct sequel to 2010's Alan Wake. The game, which will draw several elements from the first chapter, will be based largely around the Dark Place, a shadowy locale in which Alan is forced to scrounge for pages to a manuscript that foretells the future of the harsh reality he is trapped within. This is, at least for the time being, as much as Remedy Entertainment has let slip about the follow-up chapter.

The last we saw of Alan Wake was in the aptly named Dark Place, a deeply disturbing alternate dimension that the writer entered in order to save his kidnapped wife. This is, at least to our best knowledge, a plausible anchor point for the sequel to begin from. It remains unclear, though, and Remedy Entertainment doesn't seem all that keen on unraveling any key details just yet, either. Needless to say, there's plenty of meat for the sequel to pry on, so Remedy probably isn't overly concerned about finding content to source.

4. “Alan Wake 2 Is Our Big Fish”

Alan Wake may have looked like a horror game, and it may have even played out like a horror game. The fact is, though, it wasn't anymore of a horror than it was a third-person shooter — and Remedy Entertainment acknowledged this during the aftermath of its release. And it's because of this, that the developer is keen to make amends for the lack of horror by shaping the sequel into a much darker experience.

“Leading up to the announcement, our internal codename for the sequel has been Project Big Fish,” says Sam Lake, creative director at Remedy Entertainment. “David Lynch has said: ‘Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper.' Alan Wake 2 is our big fish. We are diving deeper than ever, into an ocean of darkness.” Going by this, you can expect a much darker, and a more all-round atmospheric experience in the upcoming sequel.

3. Development

Alan Wake 2 was first brought to the table following the release of the 2010 original. However, in spite of Remedy Entertainment's best efforts to construct a prototype and pitch it to Microsoft, the publisher instead proposed that the studio build a whole new IP. This revamped IP later became 2016's Quantum Break, and the blueprints that Remedy had already designed for Alan Wake 2 went on to lay the foundations for the American Nightmare DLC.

In 2019, Remedy Entertainment purchased the rights for Alan Wake from Microsoft over a one-time $2.5 million deal. Following on from the acquisition, Remedy partnered up with Epic Games Publishing, striking a two-game contract, one being Alan Wake Remastered, and the second being the upcoming Alan Wake 2, which is currently set to release in 2023.

2. Engine & Genre

It's no secret that the first Alan Wake game had a slew of horror elements. That said, it was still an action-adventure game at heart, and Remedy was adamant that any potential sequel would alter this chosen course. Well, the good news is, Alan Wake 2 will finally rectify this by branching out to a darker narrative, all while keeping a firm grasp of its familiar third-person perspective.

Northlight Storytelling Engine, Remedy's very own in-house software, will also build Alan Wake 2. This was the same engine that originally constructed Quantum Break, a multi-platform interactive drama that incorporated photorealistic elements and next-level motion capture. Prior to Microsoft's proposition and Quantum Break's development, Alan Wake 2 was to pilot the newfound engine.

1. Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Alan Wake 2 will release in 2023 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via the Epic Games Store. Although Remedy Entertainment has yet to confirm a concrete date for the sequel, the developer has coined a hopeful summer window, which could put it somewhere between June and August next year. It hasn't been confirmed whether or not Alan Wake 2 will be launching as a day-one exclusive for Xbox Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate, PlayStation Plus Extra, or PlayStation Plus Premium. This is subject to change, of course, though it's slightly too early to tell.

At the time of writing, Remedy Entertainment hasn't opened the floodgates for fans to pre-order Alan Wake 2. It's also unclear as to what editions potential buyers will be able pick up, either. That said, seeing as the first game released a Standard Edition, Collector's Edition, and a Digital Edition, it is believed that the sequel will follow up with a similar pattern. Pre-orders are likely to become available after the next formal announcement, which is likely to be after year's end.

You can follow Remedy Entertainment for even more updates on Alan Wake 2 over on the official social handle here.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up Alan Wake 2 when it drops next year? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.