Alan Wake 2 has been given a major spotlight in a new 11-minute gameplay trailer shared by IGN – and while the clip begins with little context, it’s a very intriguing spotlight for the game’s second main protagonist, Saga Anderson. It also begins with a rather strong connection to Remedy’s Control.
The fresh gameplay trailer opens with Anderson walking through the gloomy town of Watery, which appears to be a small roadside locale littered with strange folks. She enters a hall, and stumbles onto a morose live song performance delivered by the mysterious Ahti, who first appeared as a janitor in Control. His appearance is not explained – and then, the scene shifts, and Anderson meets two other townsfolk, who appear to know her.
“They act like they’ve known me for years. This keeps happening,” Saga thinks to herself. While she remains in the dark, this is likely a product of her story being ‘written’ to life by Alan Wake, as he attempts to free himself from his watery prison.
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Later in the trailer, Anderson is seen analysing a variety of photographs, diving deep into her memories to solve the mysteries of her place in Watery. She then enters the woods, and encounters a fast, skittering beast, and a number of possessed townsfolk, who wield axes.
As in the first Alan Wake, they are dispatched with a combination of torchlight and shooting. Saga wonders aloud if these beings are a result of the Cult she’s investigating – or whether they’re part of “the story” – suggesting that by the time she gets to Watery, she’s aware of Alan Wake’s power to rewrite reality.
Following a brief and bloody battle, Anderson enters a virtual ‘Mind Palace’ which allows her to place clues together, and sort her thoughts into chronological order. This is likely to be very helpful for players, as it seems to keep track of new developments as they arise.
There’s a neat Twin Peaks reference as Anderson continues her trek, and encounters an abandoned fairground named The Percolator. Various Taken appear amongst the rides, and as a spooky dirge emanates from the spinning tea cups, Anderson must put them down.
Her brief trip ends with a cliffhanger, and leaves plenty of questions behind. That said, this extended look at gameplay is packed with fresh details and references that hint at the deep and spooky sequel to come. While there are light spoilers in the clip shared by IGN, it’s well worth checking out.
Alan Wake 2 launches for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 on 27 October 2023.
