Below is a selection of previews from websites that were able to check out the demo during Play Days. This page will be updated as more previews are made available:
Survival Horror Alan Wake 2 Could Be Max Payne Developer Remedy’s Best Yet
Kotaku (by Alyssa Mercante)
"Part of the reason the studio is so sure Alan Wake 2 will take the crown is its concept: The dual protagonists, author Alan Wake and series newcomer FBI agent Saga Anderson, exist in two different realities, and you can swap between them throughout the survival horror gameplay. That means you could play nearly the entire game as Saga and Alan’s story, or vice versa, or swap between them as you see fit. There’s only one ending, though, and it’s sure to be a doozy, as Remedy says the team was inspired by Silent Hill, Fargo, and Midsommar while working on the long-awaited sequel."
Read the full preview, HERE!
Alan Wake 2 preview: 30 minutes is all it took to convince me Saga is a brilliant addition
GamesRadar+ (by Sam Loveridge)
"Remedy hasn't been shy about saying that Alan Wake 2 is the studio's biggest and most ambitious game ever. That much is evident from the sheer scale of this project, with Alan Wake 2 not only featuring three large hub areas in the Pacific Northwest region but also the fact that it introduces an entirely new playable character alongside the titular writer – Saga Anderson, a seasoned FBI Agent with a penchant for solving difficult crimes. This new co-protagonist is the focus of my hands-off preview of Alan Wake 2, with Remedy introducing us to its new co-protagonist with a playthrough of an early part of the game."
Read the preview, HERE!
The first gameplay preview of Alan Wake 2
Epic Games Store (By Craig Pearson)
"Welcome back to Bright Falls, a place where words on the page can shape reality. Alan Wake first discovered this twisted little town and its creepy surroundings over a decade ago when he encountered the Dark Presence that was slowly encroaching on the real world from the Dark Place. In Alan Wake 2, he’s trapped in the Dark Place, having sacrificed his freedom to keep the Dark Presence there. He’s now joined outside the Dark Place by FBI Special Agent Saga Anderson, a new playable character who is the focus of the gameplay sequence we’ve been invited to watch."
Alan Wake 2's 30-Minute Behind-Closed-Doors Gameplay Demo Was Outstanding
IGN (by Ryan McCaffrey and Destin Legarie)
"We saw a live 30-minute gameplay demo of Alan Wake 2 running on a PS5 and came away extremely impressed. We share our impressions as well as what we learned from Remedy during the demo."
(New!) Alan Wake 2 is more True Detective than Twin Peaks
Digital Trends (by Giovanni Colantonio)
If you’re expecting the same oddball, camp-horror vibe that made Alan Wake a cult hit, you might be surprised by what Alan Wake 2 has in store. From what I’ve seen so far, the sequel seems to be more True Detective than Twin Peaks, looking at the weird world of Bright Falls through the lens of a dramatic procedural this time. And it does that while modernizing the original’s horror formula, making it feel more in line with Capcom’s current wave of Resident Evil remakes. Though that’s not to say the sequel has lost any of its weirdness."
Read Giovanni's preview, HERE!
(New!) Alan Wake 2 Looks Incredible: Impressions from Summer Game Fest
Game Pressure (by Matt Buckley)
"It’s not easy to feel immersed in the cold and rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest while in Los Angeles, one of the country’s driest cities. Add that you are surrounded by a dozen strangers in a small room all wearing headphones, and it seems near impossible. But Alan Wake 2 is not your average game. Before continuing: there will be potential spoilers (from the beginning of the game) for Alan Wake 2 ahead. You have been warned!"
Read Game Pressure's preview, HERE!
(New!) Alan Wake 2 Gameplay Impressions | Summer Game Fest 2023
Gamespot (by Kurt Indovina)
"Kurt Indovina had the chance to see Alan Wake II for a hands-off demo, and interview with director Kyle Rowley and Senior Narrative Designer, Molly Maloney. These are his impressions of Alan Wake II so far."
(New!) Preview: Alan Wake 2 Will Be an Investigative Dream
Push Square (by Liam Croft)
"Remedy would never be the type of developer to phone things in, but Alan Wake II is undisputed proof it belongs in the top tier of the games industry. Following the new gameplay trailer revealed during Summer Game Fest, we were treated to a significantly extended hands-off demo at SGF Play Days. This PS5 sequel is the real deal, and its investigative trappings look set to be the star of the show."
Read Liam's preview, HERE!
(New!) Alan Wake 2 Summer Game Fest Preview
Video Game Chronicles (by Andy Robinson)
Alan Wake 2 is Greg Miller's most anticipated game of 2023. pic.twitter.com/b79nI5o5f0
— Kinda Funny (@KindaFunnyVids) June 10, 2023
GameRant (by Anthony Toarmina)
By Kurt Indovina
(New!) Alan Wake 2, A Look At Remedy's First Survival-Horror Game
Game Informer (by Brian Shea)
"The game universe has progressed in real-time, taking place 13 years after the 2010 first entry. Alan Wake II utilizes a dual-protagonist system, introducing Saga Anderson. Alan Wake has been trapped in the Dark Place, a nightmarish version of New York City, ever since the events of the first game. While there, Alan attempts to rewrite his reality and escape this alternate dimension. His story centers on Saga Anderson, an FBI agent investigating a string of murders in the Pacific Northwest. ."
Read the preview HERE (archived)!
(New!) Alan Wake 2 looks like a frighteningly good time
Destructoid (by Eric Van Allen)
"In a hands-off demo of Alan Wake 2 at Summer Game Fest 2023, I got to see an extended look at just how that adventure will play out. The first big note is that Alan Wake 2 will feature two protagonists, with different viewpoints and sets of missions. Alan Wake returns, but in the session we saw, we followed Saga Anderson—an FBI agent and profiler who’s looking into a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls."
Read the preview, HERE!
'Alan Wake II' stands out in a sea of sequels
Engadget (by Jessica Conditt)
I’m worried about Saga Anderson. She’s a seasoned FBI agent investigating a string of ritualistic deaths around Cauldron Lake, and she’s a little too impressed by all the supernatural gore she encounters. At one point, she’s talking to her partner about the cult activity they’ve seen – the dismembered body parts and necromancy and murderous villagers roaming the forests – and she says, “this place just keeps getting crazier… but this is exciting.”
Read Jessica's preview, HERE!
Alan Wake 2 PS5 Gameplay - What You Didn't See At Summer Game Fest
PlayStation Access (by Rosie Caddick and Ashmillman)
Alan Wake 2: Five Things We Learned Behind Closed Doors Gamespot
GameSpot (by Mark Delaney)
"Alan Wake 2 is Remedy's first survival-horror game, but it's also the team's first detective game. Sure, Max Payne was a cop, but the gameplay there was limited mostly to third-person gunfights. In Alan Wake 2, investigations play a huge role in the mind-bending story, and during a recent demo with Remedy behind closed doors at Summer Game Fest, we started to piece together the game ourselves. Here are five new things we learned from conversations and demos with Remedy."
Read Mark's top five HERE!
Alan Wake 2 Hands-off Impressions: Twice the protagonists, twice the thrill
GameReactor EU (by Ben Lyons)
"It probably doesn't surprise many to hear me say this, but Alan Wake 2 looks very, VERY good. Remedy Entertainment has a developer calibre that few can match, and following up on the excellent Control, Alan Wake 2 is shaping up to be a truly brilliant survival horror game. How do I know this? Because as part of Summer Game Fest Play Days, I had the luxury of attending a behind-closed-doors presentation, led by multiple members of the development team at Remedy themselves."
Read the preview, HERE!
