In fact, Remedy knew that the overwhelming majority of players will have not played the original, and so FBI agent Saga Anderson effectively becomes the player’s avatar as the strangeness of Bright Falls envelops everyone in the town.

It’s delightfully weird, and it’s built so smartly that playing Alan Wake 1 was not required homework. Alan Wake 2 is a triumph of unique and compelling narrative storytelling, survival horror gameplay, and a beautiful visual aesthetic – all delivered by a cast of talented live-action and motion-captured performers. The Finnish wizards at Remedy Entertainment have been making outstanding video games for over 20 years now, but somehow they’ve just made their best one ever.