Introduction to Alan Wake 2: A Survival Horror Masterpiece
FBI Agents Saga Anderson and Alex Casey arriving in Bright Falls to investigate a mysterious murder in Alan Wake 2, setting the stage for a terrifying survival horror experience.
Thirteen years after the eerie events of the original Alan Wake, we return to the Pacific Northwest, but this time through the eyes of FBI Special Agent Saga Anderson. Partnered with the familiar face of Alex Casey, Saga arrives in the seemingly tranquil town of Bright Falls to unravel a perplexing murder case. This investigation quickly spirals into the unsettling, echoing the disappearance of Alan Wake, a renowned crime novelist. As they delve deeper, the agents uncover a series of ritualistic killings, realizing they are facing something far from ordinary. Manuscript pages, eerily predicting their investigation’s progression, begin to surface, blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Soon, the world around them warps and distorts, mirroring the nightmarish narrative unfolding in these pages.
Alan Wake 2 marks a significant shift in tone compared to Remedy’s previous titles like Control and even the first Alan Wake. It plunges headfirst into the depths of survival horror, emphasizing atmosphere and tension over the action-adventure elements of its predecessors. While familiarity with Control and Alan Wake enriches the experience, newcomers are equally invited to immerse themselves in this uniquely crafted story. Discard any expectations of power fantasies or straightforward gunplay; Alan Wake 2 offers a masterfully told, deeply unsettling narrative that stands alone as a benchmark in the survival horror genre. This Alan Wake 2 Guide will navigate you through every chilling corner of this game.
Story Recap: The Story So Far in Alan Wake (Spoiler Warning)
Spoiler Alert: This section contains major spoilers for the first Alan Wake game. Proceed with caution if you wish to experience the original story unspoiled.
Alan Wake, a celebrated author best known for his Alex Casey detective novels, finds himself creatively and emotionally drained after penning six books in seven years. His writer’s block intensifies after he controversially concludes his Alex Casey series with The Sudden Stop, killing off his beloved protagonist. Two years of silence follow, crippling both Alan’s career and his well-being, straining his marriage with his wife, Alice. In a desperate attempt to reignite his creative spark, Alice plans a getaway to the serene landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, hoping the tranquility will break Alan’s creative paralysis.
Unbeknownst to Alan, Alice has secretly contacted Dr. Emil Hartman, a psychiatrist operating a clinic in Bright Falls, specializing in treating artists and writers. Alice hopes Hartman can help Alan overcome his crippling writer’s block.
Upon arriving in Bright Falls, Alan heads to meet Carl Stucky, the cabin owner, to collect their key. He encounters a cryptic old woman who informs him of Stucky’s sudden illness, handing over the key and directions to a cabin nestled on an island in Cauldron Lake, a volcanic caldera. At the cabin, Alice goes upstairs to unpack while Alan starts the generator. Inside, Alice reveals a “surprise”—a typewriter and ream of paper in the study, hoping to inspire Alan. She attempts to discuss her consultation with Dr. Hartman, but Alan, frustrated, storms out.
Suddenly, the cabin plunges into darkness, triggering Alice’s severe nyctophobia. She screams, and Alan rushes back inside, only to find Alice missing, apparently fallen into the lake. Without hesitation, Alan dives in after her.
He next awakens disoriented, behind the wheel of his wrecked car, having crashed through a roadside barrier. A gas station light flickers in the distance, and Alan stumbles towards it. On his way, he is attacked by Carl Stucky, now possessed by a dark, malevolent force. In self-defense, Alan is forced to kill Stucky, who vanishes, leaving no trace. Adding to the bizarre events, Alan discovers pages of a manuscript he doesn’t recall writing. The manuscript, titled Departure, speaks of a malevolent entity known as the Dark Presence, and chillingly, seems to narrate the very events unfolding around him.
Reaching the gas station, Alan learns a week has inexplicably vanished from his memory. He calls Sheriff Brightman to report Alice’s disappearance, omitting the unsettling encounter with Stucky. Sheriff Brightman interrupts, revealing a shocking truth: the island in Cauldron Lake ceased to exist after a 1970 volcanic eruption, making Alan’s account impossible.
Back at the sheriff’s station, Alan receives a call from a man claiming to have kidnapped Alice. To prove his claim, Alice is put on the phone, and the kidnapper demands Alan meet him at Lover’s Peak at midnight.
Alan’s literary agent, Barry Wheeler, arrives in Bright Falls, concerned by a week of radio silence from Alan. They rent a cabin, and despite Barry’s vehement objections, Alan prepares to confront the kidnapper. At Lover’s Peak, a confrontation ensues, and Alan manages to disarm the kidnapper, who then flees into the darkness.
On his way back to the cabin, Alan receives another call from the kidnapper, now demanding the manuscript at the Coal Mine museum, insisting it be delivered within two days, not the week Alan claims he needs to finish it. Returning to the cabin, Alan and Barry find it besieged by flocks of possessed birds. Alan fights them off, rescuing a terrified Barry, who finally understands the gravity of Alan’s situation.
Rose, a diner waitress, calls Barry, claiming to possess Alan’s manuscript and offers to let them retrieve it from her trailer. However, Rose is manipulated by the same mysterious woman who gave Alan the cabin key. When Alan and Barry arrive, Rose drugs them.
Alan awakens to find the deadline for the manuscript delivery rapidly approaching. He decides to offer the kidnapper the few pages he has collected, hoping it will suffice. Leaving the trailer park, he encounters a heavy police presence led by FBI Agent Robert Nightingale, who harbors a deep prejudice against writers, particularly Alan. Nightingale opens fire, and Alan escapes amidst the chaos.
Alan eventually finds a car and drives to the Coal Mine museum, only to find the kidnapper absent. Just as he is about to give up, the kidnapper calls again, changing the meeting location to Mirror Peak, overlooking the lake. Approaching Mirror Peak, Alan overhears the kidnapper’s terrified voice pleading with an unseen entity, confessing he never had Alice and knows nothing of her whereabouts. He reveals that the “boss” underestimated the situation. The Dark Presence swiftly silences the kidnapper, dragging Alan into the lake.
Hartman, who has been observing the events, rescues Alan from the lake and takes him to Cauldron Lake Lodge, his clinic. He sedates Alan, and upon regaining consciousness, Hartman gaslights him, claiming he is experiencing a psychotic episode triggered by Alice’s supposed death. Alan is convinced Hartman is lying, a suspicion confirmed when he spots a photograph of Hartman and the kidnapper during a clinic tour.
The clinic’s “patients” exhibit signs of emotional distress and mental decline, consequences of their exposure to the Dark Presence. Among them are the Anderson brothers, Tor and Odin, former members of the 1970s band, The Old Gods of Asgard. Despite their apparent confusion, they hint at a message awaiting Alan at their family farm.
Later that night, the Anderson brothers incite a riot, providing Alan an opportunity to escape. He breaks into Hartman’s office to retrieve his manuscript, finding Barry locked inside by Hartman’s men. Hartman enters and attempts to reason with Alan, revealing his knowledge of the written word’s power around Cauldron Lake and his intention to control the Dark Presence. Alan refuses to cooperate and flees just as the Dark Presence claims Hartman’s life.
Alan and Barry escape the clinic grounds, heading towards the Anderson farm. However, the Dark Presence triggers a landslide, causing their car to crash and separating them. Alan continues the perilous journey to the Anderson farm on foot, eventually reuniting with Barry. In the farmhouse, they discover a record player with an Old Gods song, The Poet and the Muse, on the turntable.
The song narrates events from 40 years prior: poet Thomas Zane lived in the cabin on Cauldron Lake with his partner, Barbara Jagger. Barbara drowned in the lake, and Hartman suggested Zane could write her back to life. Cauldron Lake is revealed to be a threshold, a place where dimensions blur. The other side is the Dark Place, domain of the Dark Presence, seeking to be written into reality. While written words can manifest, balance is crucial – every positive action demands a negative consequence. The Dark Presence exploited this, possessing Barbara’s body. Realizing his grave error, Zane tried to undo his actions, writing himself and the island out of existence after entrusting a powerful object (an object of power) to Cynthia Weaver.
Alan and Barry realize the “lady of the light” refers to Cynthia, a local eccentric always carrying a lantern and obsessed with light bulbs. They decide to seek her out after resting for the night.
During his sleep, Alan recalls the missing week. The Dark Presence awoke with his arrival, taking Alice. Diving into the lake, Alan entered the Dark Place where the Dark Presence, still in Barbara Jagger’s form (now an aged woman), falsely declared Alice dead. The Presence promised Alice’s return if Alan wrote as dictated, leading to the Departure manuscript. The Dark Presence manipulated Alan’s writing, twisting Departure into a horror story enabling its escape into the real world. Yet, Alan, despite the Dark Presence’s influence, subtly wrote his own escape from the Dark Place into the narrative.
Alan awakens to Nightingale’s arrival. However, Sheriff Breaker now doubts Nightingale’s FBI credentials, realizing Nightingale is acting out pages he confiscated from Alan. As Nightingale searches for the specific page, the Dark Presence overwhelms him. Alan and Sheriff Breaker then set out to find Cynthia, now residing in a decommissioned hydroelectric power station outside of town.
Finding Cynthia, she reveals Zane’s object and the Well-Lit Room, a WWII bunker in the dam, perpetually illuminated to eliminate shadows, maintained meticulously for forty years through Cynthia’s strict bulb replacement routine.
After another dangerous journey, Alan reaches the dam, narrowly ahead of the Dark Presence, now intent on killing him rather than control. After a brief reunion with Barry and Sheriff Breaker, Alan insists on facing the final confrontation alone, as only he can conclude the story.
Taking the object of power, the Clicker (a switch from a lamp cord), Alan heads to Cauldron Lake, defying the Dark Presence’s desperate attempts to stop him. Diving into the lake, he confronts the Dark Presence, using the Clicker to destroy its current form. Seating himself at a typewriter, he remembers the necessity of balance – a completely happy ending is impossible. He chooses to remain in the Dark Place, ensuring Alice’s freedom.
Alan Wake 2 Walkthrough: A Step-by-Step Guide
First, please be aware that the screenshots in this walkthrough may appear dark, reflecting the game’s intense atmosphere. Alan Wake 2 is designed to be a visually dark and immersive experience.
While the game is divided into chapters, the transitions are seamless; chapter titles appear on screen without distinct start or end screens immediately following. For clarity in this Alan Wake 2 walkthrough, chapter sections begin when a new chapter title is displayed.
Alan Wake 2 presents two interwoven narratives: Return, following Saga Anderson’s investigation in Bright Falls, and Initiation, chronicling Alan Wake’s struggle to escape the Dark Place. Around the midpoint of Haunting in the Return storyline, you gain the freedom to switch between these stories. Online, you’ll find various suggestions for the “best” chapter order, and you are encouraged to explore these based on your preference. However, for the purpose of this Alan Wake 2 guide, we will primarily switch narratives only when the game necessitates it, providing a structured and easy-to-follow path.
This walkthrough aims to guide you to all of the game’s numerous collectibles. Throughout, you will find labeled maps indicating the locations of these items, using the following abbreviations:
| Key | What |
|---|---|
| MP | Manuscript Page |
| CS | Cult Stash |
| LB | Lunch Box |
| NP | Nursery Rhyme Puzzle |
| WP | Word of Power |
| ST | Suitcase Stash |
| EC | Echo |
Each walkthrough subsection includes a checklist detailing the number of each collectible type to expect in that area.
Detailed reference sections for each collectible category are provided later in this Alan Wake 2 guide. When a collectible is located in the open world, a map screenshot will accompany the description. Opening these screenshots in a new tab will display them in full size for better visibility. For ease of navigation, most collectible sections are further divided by chapter.
For Saga’s collectibles, you can generally revisit areas to collect missed items until you reach the point of no return at the start of Summoning, although it is recommended to collect them as you progress. Alan’s collectibles, however, are often missable. Story progression may prevent you from returning to earlier areas, so it’s crucial to collect them when you encounter them.
Walkthroughs for the game’s expansions, Night Springs and The Lake House, are included after the main walkthrough in this Alan Wake 2 guide.
Finally, a reference section for the game’s trophies and achievements is included. Trophies will also be highlighted within the walkthrough with callouts like this:
Name of trophy – What you need to do to unlock the trophy.
Note that the controls mentioned in this guide are primarily for the Playstation 5 version of the game, as this was the platform used for playthrough.
Final Draft
Final Draft is Alan Wake 2‘s New Game Plus mode. It allows you to replay the game with all your previously unlocked and upgraded equipment. This Alan Wake 2 guide will point out narrative differences and collectibles exclusive to Final Draft mode. A spoiler-heavy appendix dedicated to Final Draft mode is available here.
Related Walkthroughs
For players interested in exploring more of the Remedy Connected Universe, we offer walkthroughs for two previous games:
- Alan Wake Remastered – https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps5/330504-alan-wake-remastered-ps5/faqs/81217
- Control – https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps4/241157-control/faqs/78194
Gameplay
Alan Wake 2 masterfully weaves together two distinct yet interconnected narratives. Saga Anderson’s storyline, Return, unfolds primarily in three semi-open world regions of the Pacific Northwest. These areas encourage exploration, rewarding players with numerous collectibles scattered throughout. Initially, flooding restricts access to certain areas, but as the story progresses, the waters recede, unveiling new locations to explore.
Saga’s investigation adopts a police procedural style. She utilizes “mind palace” techniques to organize clues related to people, locations, and events. In-game, this is represented by the Mind Place, where you’ll piece together evidence on the Case Board and analyze character profiles to advance the narrative. Engaging with optional cases is at your discretion, allowing you to tailor your investigative depth.
Alan Wake’s story, Initiation, is set within the Dark Place, a nightmarish dimension shaped by Alan’s subconscious. This dreamscape, a twisted reflection of New York City from his hard-boiled detective novels, defies real-world rules and spatial logic. Traversing the Dark Place often involves manipulating light sources to reshape the environment, a mechanic known as Light Shift.
Another crucial aspect of Alan’s gameplay is reality alteration through writing. Alan possesses his own mind space, the Writer’s Room. Progressing through his quests requires unlocking Scenes and Plot Elements, then creatively combining them to forge paths through the surreal levels. This Alan Wake 2 guide will detail these mechanics as they appear in the walkthrough.
Combat
Combat in Alan Wake 2 is deliberately infrequent but consistently challenging and perilous. Saga’s starting pistol proves underwhelming, even with upgrades, often requiring a significant portion of a magazine to defeat even basic enemies. Alan’s default weapon, a .357 magnum revolver, is considerably more potent, typically dispatching enemies with three well-placed headshots. Saga gains access to more effective weaponry relatively quickly, while Alan’s shotgun offers only marginal improvement over his revolver, and ammunition for his flare gun is exceedingly scarce.
The Taken, Saga’s primary adversaries, are relentlessly aggressive. Unlike in the first Alan Wake, enemies do not despawn upon reaching Safe Havens. They persist, continuing to pursue you even after leaving safe zones. This means when you engage enemies, direct confrontation is often unavoidable. Alan Wake veterans expecting enemies to disappear at Safe Havens will find Alan Wake 2‘s approach significantly different.
Stealth, achieved by dimming your flashlight and moving cautiously, is ostensibly an option. However, in practice, Saga’s enemies possess highly sensitive detection, rendering stealth largely ineffective for her. Stealth is more viable for Alan, especially with upgrades that enhance his stealth capabilities.
For both characters, survival hinges on resource management rather than automatic health regeneration. Painkillers are the most practical healing item during combat. Trauma Pads can be used during brief lulls in combat or when retreating to a safe haven. First Aid Kits provide full healing but are too slow for combat situations and occupy two inventory slots, making them best suited for use in Break Rooms and storage in shoeboxes.
Loot within stashes is predetermined. However, items in supply containers are semi-randomized, tending to provide resources you are currently low on. For instance, if you are critically low on batteries, you are more likely to find battery packs. This dynamic system encourages using resources rather than hoarding them. If you are well-stocked, you might find supply containers less rewarding, and you can choose to leave them for later.
In combat, enemy damage resistance is significantly high until you weaken their Darkness Shield with your flashlight. Each flashlight burst consumes a charge. A battery provides four charges (five with an upgrade), and you can carry up to five battery packs per inventory slot. The hunting rifle offers an invaluable upgrade that allows shield bypass, arguably one of the most effective upgrades in the game, especially when combined with the FBC charm, enabling one-shot kills on most non-boss enemies from a distance.
While there is a trophy for fully upgrading a weapon, consider unlocking it on a temporary save. Manuscript fragments are limited, insufficient for fully upgrading every weapon. Save fragments for new weapons you acquire. Prioritize upgrades like reload speed and health restoration for the sawed-off shotgun, the two-shot and magnetic bolt upgrades for the crossbow, and upgrades for the hunting rifle.
Alan’s weapon upgrades are less impactful overall. Flare gun upgrades might seem appealing, but flare gun ammo is extremely limited throughout the game. The “It’s Personal” Word of Action upgrade is more practically beneficial, given Hostile Shadows’ close-quarters combat style.
Before boss encounters, equip a Coffee Mug Charm for an extra “life.” Five of these charms are available (more in Final Draft), making them valuable, high-grade consumables. Note that Alan’s storyline does not feature boss fights.
Both protagonists have personal sanctuaries – the Mind Place and the Writer’s Room. However, these spaces exist solely within their minds. Retreat to them only when you are safely out of danger.
When playing as Saga, woodland explorations often trigger random combat encounters. If you save frequently in Break Rooms and encounter a resource-draining combat scenario (wolves are notorious for this), reloading your last save might eliminate the encounter entirely. This Alan Wake 2 guide encourages strategic saving to manage resources effectively.
Enemies
The adversaries in Bright Falls are variations of Taken, while those in the Dark Place are Shadows, categorized into two primary types.
- Taken: Introduced in Return 2, these are the basic melee enemies. They rush Saga, requiring you to burn away their protective Darkness Shield with your flashlight and then target their weak points (head or a glowing “Source” area) until they are defeated. Cultist Taken wear masks, which can absorb a single headshot.
- Taken Thrower: First encountered in Return 3, Throwers maintain distance and hurl hatchets before repositioning rapidly, making them difficult to target. Stunning them with your flashlight causes them to split into two weaker enemies. The hunting rifle is the most effective weapon against them, allowing for preemptive elimination.
- Taken Bruiser: Introduced in Return 3, Bruisers are tougher, heavily armed Taken wielding two-handed weapons. Their attacks are telegraphed and evadable, but successful hits inflict significant damage and knock you down. Shotgun blasts to the head or weak spot at close range are the most effective counter.
- Taken Diver: Encountered from Return 5 onwards, Divers are among the toughest non-boss enemies. They appear as two conjoined upper bodies, as if submerged waist-deep in water, with a reflected lower half. They attack from range with damaging waves and grapple at close range, requiring a Hand Flare to escape. They can also briefly disappear and become invulnerable. Engage them at range with the hunting rifle or crossbow, switching to the shotgun when they close in.
- Taken Wolves: Found in wilderness areas, often as random encounters or triggered by Nursery Rhyme Puzzles. Their dark coloration and rapid movements make them challenging targets, especially in low light. Shotguns are recommended for dealing with them.
- Hostile Shadows: Most Shadows in the Dark Place are non-threatening, designed to deplete flashlight batteries as they dissipate. However, Hostile Shadows are substantial and aggressive, closing quickly for melee combat. Burn away their darkness shields and target their heads with the revolver. Some Hostile Shadows launch projectiles that damage and knock you down; these can be evaded or burned away with your flashlight.
- Fast Shadows: Introduced in Initiation 5, Fast Shadows are tougher and quicker than regular Shadows, making them difficult to hit. They are relatively uncommon, allowing for strategic use of the flare gun against them.
- Painted: Exclusive to the Lake House expansion. Painted enemies ambush you, emerging from walls. Conventional weapons are ineffective against them. Flashbangs can stun them, allowing for escape.
Tips
General Tips
The difficulty in Alan Wake 2 is notably high. Normal difficulty can feel more challenging than Nightmare in Alan Wake Remastered. Do not hesitate to lower the difficulty if needed. Combat is not the game’s primary strength; enemies are resilient, and bosses can be frustrating. Lowering difficulty allows you to better appreciate the game’s atmosphere and narrative without compromising the core experience.
Manually save your progress frequently. The checkpoint system is sparse, making reliance on autosaves risky.
Inventory space is limited, preventing you from carrying every weapon, even after acquiring all inventory upgrades. Excess items can be stored in shoeboxes found in save rooms, but storage is also finite. Consuming items regularly, rather than hoarding, helps manage inventory. Crossbow bolts are particularly space-inefficient, stacking only four per slot (compared to 50 for pistol ammo). Use the crossbow frequently or leave bolts behind. Uncollected items remain in place, but if you prefer a clean map, you can choose to destroy unwanted items.
Healing in Alan Wake 2 is item-based, not automatic. Painkillers are ideal for combat healing. Trauma Pads are useful during brief pauses or in safe havens. First Aid Kits, while providing full heals, are too slow for combat and occupy two inventory slots, best used in Break Rooms or stored in shoeboxes.
Loot in stashes is fixed, but supply container items are semi-randomized to provide needed resources. Low on batteries? Supply containers are more likely to yield them. This system discourages hoarding. If well-stocked, consider leaving containers for later, as they might be more beneficial when resources are depleted.
Torch usage is crucial in combat. Damaging enemies is significantly reduced until their Darkness Shield is weakened by your flashlight. Each flashlight charge depletes battery, but batteries are relatively plentiful. The hunting rifle upgrade that bypasses shields is highly recommended, especially with the FBC charm for efficient enemy elimination.
While a trophy exists for fully upgrading a weapon, consider doing so on a temporary save due to limited manuscript fragments. Prioritize sawed-off shotgun upgrades (reload speed, health restoration), crossbow upgrades (two-shot, magnetic bolts), and hunting rifle upgrades.
Alan’s weapon upgrades are less critical. Flare gun upgrades are less useful due to ammo scarcity. The “It’s Personal” Word of Action upgrade is more practical for close-range Shadow encounters.
Equip a Coffee Mug Charm before boss fights for an extra life. Five are available in a normal playthrough (more in Final Draft), making them valuable consumables. Alan’s story has no boss fights.
Utilize the Mind Place and Writer’s Room for strategic breaks, but only when safe, as these spaces are mental constructs and do not pause the game world.
Saga’s woodland explorations can trigger random combat encounters. Frequent Break Room saves allow reloading to potentially avoid unfavorable encounters, particularly with resource-intensive enemies like wolves. This Alan Wake 2 guide emphasizes proactive resource management and strategic saving.
Trophies
The Platinum trophy in Alan Wake 2 is achievable in a single playthrough with careful planning. No difficulty-related trophies exist, so patience in collecting items is the main requirement. Collectibles include Cult Stashes, Lunch Boxes, Nursery Rhyme Puzzles, Koskela Ads, and Writer’s Journey videos. Solving all Nursery Rhyme Puzzles also unlocks trophies for collecting every unique charm and finding all Nursery Rhyme Dolls.
Collectibles can be gathered until the end of Return 6: Scratch, but visibility is significantly reduced by then. It’s best to explore and collect items as areas become доступные.
Certain combat-related trophies can be challenging during normal play. During Return 3: Local Girl, a guaranteed enemy encounter occurs en route to Coffee World, near a Break Room. Lowering the difficulty here provides an opportunity to unlock combat trophies like In One Go (crossbow headshot kill), This is the Moment (dodge practice), or Gone for Good (propane tank kill). This Alan Wake 2 guide suggests using this controlled encounter for trophy hunting.
Copyright and Acknowledgements
Copyright 2024 Christopher Williams
This guide may not be reproduced without my express permission for anything other than personal use. Use of this guide on any site where permission to use has not been sought and given is a violation of copyright and forbidden. Permission to use is extended to gamefaqs.gamespot.com.
Walkthroughs and strategies are my own original work and taken from my own playthrough.
I used the trophy guide by boomber85851 and FIDO1337: https://psnprofiles.com/guide/17938-alan-wake-ii-trophy-guide
I made use of Dan Webb’s collectables listing: https://www.playstationtrophies.org/game/alan-wake-2/guide/all-collectibles-weapons-echoes-words-of-power-manuscript-pages
