Remedy Entertainment
Alan Wake 2: Do you need to play the original and American Nightmare to understand the story?
The long-awaited Alan Wake 2 by Remedy Entertainment is releasing in October, but fans are wondering if they need to do homework before playing it.
We are going to say goodbye to September with a clear objective for the coming month: enjoy Alan Wake 2, coming to PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S in just under a month. Remedy’s survival horror title is highly anticipated among lovers of the genre, as they retain a great memory of the famous writer’s nightmare in Bright Falls. As you well know, the Finnish studio is fond of crossing its works and creating a kind of narrative web based on different universes, so let’s answer the million-dollar question: Is it necessary to play Alan Wake, its DLC, or Control to understand the story of Alan Wake 2?
Short answer and to the point: no. Remedy does not want anyone to be left behind, so this is an original story that can be enjoyed starting from scratch. However, as expected, the company reminds us that it is “Totally recommended, although not essential”, enjoy both Control and the first Alan Wake, since there are connections and details that fans of both titles will easily find.
What is the story of Alan Wake 2 about?
The starting point is the following, extracted from the official website of the game:
“Saga Anderson, an FBI profiler with a reputation for solving unsolvable cases, arrives in Bright Falls to investigate a string of ritualistic murders. The case slides into a nightmare when Anderson discovers pages of a horror story, a horror story that starts to come true…
Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare prison beyond our world, writes a dark story to shape reality in a desperate bid to escape. Hunted by an insatiable horror, Wake struggles to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.
Anderson and Wake, two heroes on two desperate journeys. Two separate realities connected in ways neither of them can understand. Echoes become reflections. Reflections that can reach out to each other.Trapped in a horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?”
When is Alan Wake 2 coming out?
The game will go on sale October 27 on PS5, Xbox Series XS, and PC.