Alan Wake 2: A Cinematic Masterpiece That Stands Out in the Elite Gaming Lineup of 2023

There probably hasn’t been a better year to be a horror gaming fan, thanks to Alan Wake 2. The highly anticipated sequel to 2010’s survival horror classic had a lot of expectations to match up to. While this might be an added pressure to most of the developers, it seems like Remedy took it as a challenge, as the final offering was nothing less than a masterpiece. Along with fans, even critics loved what the game had to offer. But what makes this sequel stand out in the horror genre? 

For around thirteen years, fans had waited to experience the spooky world of fan-favorite writer Alan Wake. However, Remedy took a fair amount of time to introduce the gaming community to the next chapter of the universe. Apparently, the wait was worth it as there’s nothing more the fans could have asked for. In just days of its launch, Alan Wake 2 has become a possible contender to GOTY. While the GOTY nomination is a strong dilemma for 2023 itself, there’s no debate on the fact that this might be Remedy’s best work in recent years. 

Alan Wake 2 a prodigy of decade-long hard work of Remedy 

Alan Wake 2 is just another example of Remedy’s talent for creating a cohesive universe across all of their games. For those who have played their prior games, the game is a pleasure because it is full of nods, winks, and references to them. The game feels like a mash-up of Remedy’s best games to date, with appearances from Sam (who many may recognize as Max Payne), the Sheriff (a throwback to Quantum Break), and even Ahti and Casper Darling from Control. 

Then there’s the graphics. Although not required for gameplay, ray tracing and path tracing take the visual experience to a new level of cinematic quality. An insider, hailing praises for the Remedy creation, reacted to some breathtaking cinematic shots from the gameplay. They wrote, “Alan Wake 2 FEELS like a game that’s been worked for 13 years, the creativity in writing, story direction, and world are impeccable. It’s very rare to play a game that FEELS innovative, don’t get me wrong we have had a ton of fantastic games this year but this is smth else.” 

Hardly, a player who has played the game would beg to differ on the expression. The story in the sequel revolves around two protagonists, Alan and Saga. While Saga’s introduction to the dark world of the universe makes the players root for the new protagonist, the game doesn’t give you the space to access the chaos. The edge-of-the-seat experience with constant twists is what makes it a standout thriller.

Pushing the boundaries of graphical excellence! 

Besides a gripping narrative and twists in the storytelling, the graphics for the game evidently work wonders. The sequel is a heavy performance. It’s reminiscent of Alan Wake’s first attempt to push the limits of what was possible with gaming hardware in the past. Probably even a greater challenge to the GPUs than its predecessor ever was. Throughout its operation, Alan Wake 2 isn’t letting Nvidia’s GeForce RTX GPUs unwind. The company released some startling figures to the public as soon as the game began to load. The survival horror sequel is operating at 32 frames per second on an RTX 4090 and 22 frames per second on an RTX 4080, as the data suggests. Regretfully, players with outdated GPUs might not have the best experience with the sequel.

Read More: Alan Wake 2’s Graphical Demands Make Top Graphic Cards Seem Obsolete

The latest installment in the writer’s universe scores an exceptional score of 89 on Metacritic testifying to the excellence of the game. Amidst all that makes Alan Wake 2 an alleged ‘masterpiece’, the storytelling remains the chart-topper. 

Undoubtedly, if you haven’t played Remedy’s latest release yet, you might be missing out on a lot. Played already? Share your experience from the sequel. 

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