Alan Wake 2 Is Slower And Features Less Combat Than Predecessor

Since its initial announcement in 2021, Alan Wake 2 has been the target of immense anticipation. The game serves as a sequel to 2010’s Alan Wake and appears to be an impressive sequel.

However, it has now been revealed that the game will depart from its original roots as Alan Wake 2 would be slower-paced and feature less combat than the first game. This information comes from Co-Director Sam Lake.

Why it matters: Alan Wake is among Remedy Entertainment’s most iconic IPs. The developer is best known for action titles, but the studio aims to branch out to more genres with the sequel.

According to Sam Lake, the first game was an action-adventure title because of the intensity and tempo of the combat, but the developers wanted to change it up for Alan Wake 2.

The sequel marks a shift to the survival horror genre because it makes more sense for the sequel. Sam Lake states that the first game’s combat was very ‘samey,’ and there was a lot of it throughout the whole game, which the team wanted to fix in Alan Wake 2.

They believe this can be achieved by slowing the game’s pace and introducing fewer combat scenarios than in the first game.

Sam Lake further stated:

“When there is less combat, every combat encounter is a bigger event.”

Alan Wake had its fair share of horror elements in the game, but the sequel aims to take things up a notch. Recently, Sam Lake also stated that Alan Wake 2 would stand out from other horror titles, focusing more on the story and atmosphere of the game rather than gore and jump scares.

Additionally, Remedy Entertainment has stated that Alan Wake 2 would be over 20 hours long and have the best visuals in 2023.

The upcoming horror title is just a few months away, scheduled to release on October 17, 2023. The game will be released on next-gen consoles and PC, but it will be a digital-only release.