Xbox Playstation PC Gaming Alan Wake II

[David76]

Alan Wake 2 finally has a release date, but Remedy Entertainment has shared that it will have a digital only release.

Earlier this week, Remedy Entertainment finally shared a proper look at the upcoming survival horror game Alan Wake 2, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2010 original. It's looking incredibly good so far, but for the physical collectors out there you're going to hit a bit of a snag: according to Remedy itself, a physical release isn't planned at this point in time, apparently because this means it can keep the cost of the game lower.

Alan Wake 2 - Gameplay Reveal Trailer | PS5 Games

• David76
• 29 May 2023

Monsters wear many faces Alan Wake 2 releases on October 17, 2023! The long awaited sequel to...

Remedy shared an FAQ shortly after the reveal at the PlayStation showcase going over some of the most pressing questions some of you might have had, as well as some you might not. Pretty early on in the FAQ Remedy wrote that it will be available digitally on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, later explaining why it made this decision. In response to the question "Why is Alan Wake 2 a digital-only release?" Remedy wrote, "There are many reasons for this.

"For one, a large number of [players] have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft's Xbox Series S is a digital-only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only. Secondly, not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99 / €59.99 and the PC version at $49.99 / €49.99. Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game - we do not think this would make for a great experience either."

That last point is likely in reference to the growing trend of games with physical discs essentially just being glorified download codes, something that many players have expressed frustration at. The FAQ did also note that "there are currently no plans to release Alan Wake 2 on disc." This obviously doesn't rule out a release in the future, but don't place any bets on there being one.

At least we know that there'll be plenty of Alan Wake to come, as the FAQ also shared that there will be an Expansion Pass that will include two bits of big DLC, the Night Springs Expansion and the Lake House expansion. While these don't have a release window, we do also know Alan Wake 2 will be out October 17, just a few months away.

 

[Franco Pinion]

Anyhone bought this? The reviews are overwhemingly positive.

Do we know what is included in the season pass - is the deluxe version the best option?

 

[Random Guy]

Played through the first chapter tonight. Very slow-burn, only one combat encounter (at the end - basically a tutorial) in two hours, and lots of exploration. But promising so far.

 

[Tom]

It appears Remedy has significant plans to support Alan Wake 2 beyond release, including free DLC packs as confirmed by one of the game's directors at EGX.

Do we know what is included in the season pass - is the deluxe version the best option?

Remedy revealed details about two upcoming DLC expansions. This insight appeared in a FAQ on the official Alan Wake website, although no release date has been confirmed for either one.

The first of the two Alan Wake 2 add-ons will be called Night Springs. It will see players taking control of multiple characters from the game's world, each with their own supernatural story to tell. These stories will be presented as episodes of Night Springs, the fictional in-universe TV show inspired by The Twilight Zone.

The second expansion will be called The Lake House. This will focus on a mysterious facility on the banks of Cauldron Lake, which belongs to "an independent government organization" conducting research in the area. This will feature two adventures with Saga Anderson and Alan Wake, just like the main game.

 

[John Steed]

Very interested in trying it, I loved Control, are Control and Alan Wake connected in some way?

 

[Gemma]

I've bought this but not installed it yet

 

[Gemma]

Very interested in trying it, I loved Control, are Control and Alan Wake connected in some way?

In the same universe so it was Alan Wake, then Alan Wake DLC (not spin off), then Control and Control DLC with Alan Wake in it.

 

[David76]

Remedy has released its very first patch for all versions of the game including Xbox.

It's also shared "update notes" on its official website but it's pretty vague. According to the Xbox section, there are some bug fixes, and multiple other issues have been addressed - like one problem where players could get stuck.

Here's the full rundown, courtesy of Remedy's official website:

Xbox Series (1.0.0.4)

• Bugfixes
• Fixed multiple visual issues
• Fixed multiple UI-related issues
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in interacts and not exit

 

[David76]

Played through some of the middle chapters of Alan's section tonight and wow the game really goes places with its live-action footage integration. Delightfully playful stuff, sometimes pure spectacle and sometimes outright disorientating in the perspective trickery.

Jason Schreier notes on this week's Triple Click that Lance Reddick was meant to play Mr Door before he passed away. Would've loved to see him perform some of that stuff, although David Harewood does a great job.

Love the environment-changing mechanics too - always a sense of dread when changing a room to a more sinister plot device.

 

[Scotty G]

Big fan of Remedy and even if not all their ideas are executed flawlessly, their games are always interesting/fun to play.

Alan Wake 2 is no different - it's an experience you just don't get elsewhere with so much creativity.

 

[Tom]

It's time for the Alan Wake 2 New Game Plus update! This was announced at The Game Awards 2023 last week, and it officially begins rolling out this week.

This update includes a new ending entitled "The Final Draft" along with extra videos and manuscript pages which add new lore to the game, while other "subtle additions" are also apparently tucked in there as well. To access the New Game Plus mode, you first need to have completed the main story.

Better yet, there's even a new Nightmare Difficulty level for those who are feeling particularly brave!

Check out the full patch notes for the Alan Wake 2 New Game Plus update down below:

Alan Wake 2 Version 1.0.13 Patch Notes Xbox​

New Game Plus mode​

• New ending
• New Nightmare difficulty level
• New Manuscript pages and video content
• Retain all unlocked videos, Charms and upgrades

NOTE: To access the New Game Plus mode, a completed playthrough of Alan Wake 2 is required. In New Game Plus, you will find the unlocked weapons in the first available shoebox for the character.

Performance​

• Improved overall quality of the occlusion culling algorithm, improving GPU performance especially on locations with a lot of geometry.
• The performance upgrade is most visible in the PlayStation 5 Quality mode, where (incredibly) there are up to 1.8ms improvements. Cauldron Lake should be coughing less.
• Optimized HUD UI content setup so rendering the HUD takes less time. This brings between ~0.5-0.7ms improvements to performance.
• A few selected tweaks and optimizations for path tracing and rendering.
• Improved streaming by removing occasional 10 – 100ms stalls that mostly affected Xbox Series platforms.
• Reduced memory usage by 16 MB on all platforms.
• [PC] Slightly improved performance on by removing some error diagnostics instrumentation.

Tutorials​

• Changed when some Tutorials appear in the Tutorials menu.
• Added a timeout to the Tutorial about Fadeouts.
• Players can now slow down to walking speed while a Tutorial is open.
• Tutorial messages are not slowing down player movement speed anymore.
• If tutorials are disabled, the player won't be locked in the diorama when the first investigation clue gathering tutorial would take place…

Stability​

• Fixed several infuriating Lua script errors that made the game more stable and less unpredictable.
• Fixed a hang on Xbox that could occur when attempting to suspend the application during launch.
• Fixed audio middleware crash on Xbox Series platforms.
• Fixed a rare crash that could happen during streaming.

Visuals​

• Somewhat reduced specular aliasing ("shimmering") on shiny surfaces with a new algorithm.
• Improved Trailer Park cinematic lighting.
• Improved shadow quality inside the Valhalla Nursing Home to respect the elderly even more.
• Flashlight shadows are now prioritized to avoid a blocky look in locations featuring heavy dynamic lights usage.
• Fixed (or ruined, depending on your view) the "chameleon chair" visible in front of the sauna. It's not changing color anymore.
• Fixed LODs on the hotdog stand.
• Fixed a variety of broken or ugly LODs.
• Fixed incorrect rendering culling mode on leaf and coffee pot materials to prevent path tracing issues.
• Fixed broken materials on the garage building in downtown Bright Falls raising property value.
• [PC] Improved quality for low ray-tracing preset, fixing flickering fireflies on character's faces during cinematics.

Audio & localization​

• Improved overall audio quality on PlayStation 5.
• Fixed lip sync being off during the cinematic where Saga and Casey arrive at Cauldron Lake.
• Localization fixes for agent Estevez audio lines.
• Additional fixes for localized subtitles.

We are still working on the audio sync being off for some players on Xbox Series and expect to address this in our next update.

Global​

• Fixed an issue with Koskela Brothers Coffee World ad that prevented some players from unlocking the related trophy.
• Father Doll should now be easier to find on the map so that players can complete the last Nursery Rhyme.
• Fixed an issue where the player could be blocked by medical balls by resetting the Wellness Centre props when the mission Return 09 starts.
• Fixed an issue where skipping a cinematic during Deerfest would bring forth premature darkness by fading the screen to black.
• Added heavy duty blockers to stop the player potentially falling out of the world in Return 05 near the Nursing Home.
• Removed the force camera look-at of the Dark Substance at the Witch's Ladle if the player walks away.
• Disabled the Reality Switch VFX bleeding in the lodge in Return 04.
• Fixed a mysterious blocky shadow in the Sheriff's station staircase.
• Added a loading screen if skipping a cinematic in Initiation 02 so that lighting can take its time to load correctly.
• Fixed pesky FBC light arrays in Return 06 and 09 to restore their state after loading a save game, and to show the correct visuals when powered on/off.
• Fixed an issue of not being able to pick up some items from red toolboxes after loading into a saved game.
• Fixed a rude manuscript page that was visible but not interactive in Valhalla Home forest shack.
• Fixed an issue where an invisible collision was active near the Bright Falls Sheriff's Station, making a section of a nearby street narrower than intended.
• Fixed an issue where manuscript pages would stay blank after switching levels when a single page was available in the Mind Place.
• Fixed English being sometimes unselectable in the language drop-down menu after changing language.
• Found manuscript pages should not show up on the map anymore.
• Added UI prompt for items that can be placed from hand to the Case Board.
• Fixed an issue where Saga was misplaced on the ladder after being attacked by the Taken in the Overlap.
• Made ladder interaction icons better positioned.
• Disabled crossbow magnet for dead enemies.
• Fixed missing subtitles in cinematics.
• The player's inventory now closes when an enemy grapples the player.
• Allow enemies to recover from grapple quick escape when stun ends.
• Changed the orientation of the hint on top of the Bright Falls Sheriff Station Cult Stash so that it its more readable.
• Fixed an issue where the player couldn't wield a weapon after being interrupted by being hit in the boss fight at the end of Return 03.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases Estevez would not talk to Saga after coming back from the morgue.
• Fixed an issue where Alan could reload his weapon while simultaneously doing a Light Shift. Seems like a thing he should be able to do, but anyway.
• Fixed an issue where Saga could reload invisible weapons even though she was socially bound to not wield weapons in certain areas (kertaus on opintojen äiti).
• Fixed an issue where Saga was able to reload the flashlight and other weapons simultaneously causing the unholstered weapon to disappear and reappear after flashlight reload was completed.
• [PC] Added drag and drop support for moving items in the Inventory and Shoebox.
• [PC] Added a mouse smoothing option (defaulted to on) to prioritize mouse and camera. Movement smoothness over accuracy.
• [PC] Fixed an issue with the mouse that resulted in jittery camera movements if not playing in 30fps.