Here at Pure Xbox HQ we're still working away to bring you an Alan Wake 2 review on Xbox Series X, so, expect our thoughts to go live in the coming days. But for now, let's take a look at what other critics are saying about Remedy's new adventure.
"After more than 15 hours spent mostly in Saga's timeline, I had already felt like Alan Wake 2 was one of the year's best games. Then I played Alan's campaign, which routinely subverts expectations in never-before-seen ways that I dare not spoil."
"Just as it gives equal screen time to its two protagonists, Alan Wake 2 is a fine blend of equal parts narrative and survival horror. Both aspects are brought together in brilliant fashion to create a game that is going to mess with your head, scare the hell out of you and make you grin about it as you plunge forward once more, eager to see what's next."
"I was genuinely sad as I edged closer to the game's conclusion. I want more of this tantalising cast of characters and ever-so-creepy town… more of this big psychedelic trip that refuses to let you predict where it's going. I can’t get enough of this story about the battle between dark and light, good and evil, and the fight to overcome our own protagonist’s subconsciousness."
"Alan Wake 2 is a sensational sequel that was worth waiting over a decade for. The story of Saga and Alan takes some serious twists and turns on its journey through darkness, and features some of the greatest (and most unexpected) moments of this wonderful year of gaming. Remedy has truly made something special in Alan Wake 2, and I simply wasn't prepared to love it as much as I do."
"13 years since its predecessor, Alan Wake 2 was absolutely worth the wait. Improving on the original in every way, with Remedy embracing their inspirations, and honing their craft, Alan Wake 2 is a surrealist horror masterpiece."
IGN (9/10)
"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."
"Alan Wake 2 is smartly written, visually arresting and thematically complex. It can be obtuse and perplexing, but that's a feature, not a bug. It brings together not only the worlds of several Remedy games, but demonstrates all the narrative and gameplay lessons the studio has learned over the last thirteen years. Alan Wake 2 rewards fans of the first game for their patience, and invites new players along for a wild, sometimes terrifying and mind-bending ride."
"Alan Wake 2 takes you to the quiet locales of Washington and the streets of New York, places where darkness has taken root. Along the way, you can expect a tense and foreboding atmosphere, frantic action, and a memorable, mesmerizing romp. Sadly, there were several glaring issues that became prevalent during the course of this review."
Wow! Alan Wake 2 is landing very favourably with the critics so far, then. Remedy's new title has a Metacritic score of 89 and a 91 on Open Critic at the time of writing. Impressive overall ratings so far!
