5 ms·

Technical achievements aside, this game is delightful, particularly if you're a fan of Twin Peaks or scandi noir. Highly recommended if you have a penchant for

Technical achievements aside, this game is delightful, particularly if you're a fan of Twin Peaks or scandi noir. Highly recommended if you have a penchant for the weird or macabre. A milestone in interactive storytelling.

add-sub-mul-div 3y ago
Is this reasonably okay for someone who hasn't played Control or AW1, if they're not strict about needing to know all the backstory?
- wilg 3y ago
  Yeah I played it without playing either. I did watch an AW1 recap halfway through. But its basically all so crazy its fun not knowing stuff too.
- lfkdev 3y ago
  Alan Wake has nothing todo with Control. AW1 is not important to know, but you'll miss some details.
  - wilg 3y ago
    > Alan Wake has nothing todo with Control. Interesting theory.
  - anaisbetts 3y ago
    ...did we play the same game?
  - rickstanley 3y ago
    It has though. There are hints "everywhere" (not to be specific, otherwise I'll spoil it) in the game, but it's not vital to play AW2, I would add what you said about AW1, "you'll miss some details." AW2 is a step forward to the shared universe of Remedy.
  - SketchySeaBeast 3y ago
    Control had a whole DLC devoted to the link (haven't played AW2 yet). https://control.fandom.com/wiki/AWE_(expansion) https://control.fandom.com/wiki/AWE_(expansion)
  - squidsoup 3y ago
    The Alan Wake and Tom Zane characters are mentioned in Control a number of times, and the FBC make several appearances in Alan Wake II.
  - JUNGLEISMASSIVE 3y ago
    [dead]
- anaisbetts 3y ago
  Start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=309aaFblCJI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=309aaFblCJI, then watch the next few videos in the series until the end of Control (Control Pt. 1 => Alan Wake Pt. 1+2 => Control Pt. 2) and you will be completely thoroughly caught up
Night_Thastus 3y ago
I think it deserves a lot of praise, but also some criticism: * While it may keep their creative vision "pure", the lack of lower graphical settings makes it run pretty terribly on an RTX 3080, which is very frustrating. You can brute-force this problem away with DLSS, but I like native resolution and I'm sick of DLSS being used as a crutch. * The difficulty is all over the place. "Story" mode is likely too easy, while "Normal" varies between being reasonable and damn near impossible. A weaker enemy can take 2 bullets in Story, and 10 in normal. That's frustrating when ammo is so tight early on. In general, the game lacks a good "progression" of difficulty. It's a roller-coaster instead of a curve. * To add on to the difficulty, the mechanics do not feel as consistent in AW2 as AW1. Why do some enemy types have a shield you need to burn away, while others don't? (Despite looking similar) For others, it's unclear which ones will vanish with a little light and which ones require an intense light - and what exactly gets them to disappear. Why can't the flashlight have a bit more grace when a target leaves the crosshair for 0.1 seconds? Why do so many enemies have extendo-reach and teleporting? Why isn't dodging timing better telegraphed? Etc. * The story, at least so far, hasn't hit the same highs for me. It feels a little like we're doing the same thing over again, and it doesn't hit as hard the second time after the reveals and twists from AW1 are already used up.
- zaptrem 3y ago
  I've found DLSS Quality mode actually looks better than no DLSS at all in most games.
  - MaxikCZ 3y ago
    That's because DLSS2 actually also antialiases the game fairly well and cheap, compared to other methods commonly used.
- wilg 3y ago
  Doesn't make much sense to me to be OK with lower graphical settings but not DLSS. Just use DLSS.
  - Night_Thastus 3y ago
imiric 3y ago
I'm a few hours in, and it's enjoyable, but I'm not blown away by the gameplay as much as the graphics and sound design. It's a fairly linear affair with a lot of backtracking, and I find the Mind Place system tedious. It's a glorified menu system that blocks off progression until you've pinned some notes to predetermined places on the board, or watched some cutscenes where the character miraculously figures out what to do next. It's not engaging in any way, and just takes me out of the core game loop. But I love the numerous references to Control and Max Payne, and how they've integrated it into the same universe. I can't wait for the Max Payne remakes, and hopefully the next installment in the series. I just wish it could be done without association with Rockstar. They ruined the experience of MP3, which was a solid game, but Rockstar's Social Club launcher is a garbage piece of software.
- squidsoup 3y ago
  > watched some cutscenes where the character miraculously figures out what to do next Some of your criticisms are fair I think, but this is actually deliberate and explained as the story continues. Saga is clearly doing more than "profiling".
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
xeromal 3y ago
How scary is it? I'm just not great in the horror genre but if it's mostly dark, I might give it a shot. I loved the first one.

add-sub-mul-div 3y ago

Is this reasonably okay for someone who hasn't played Control or AW1, if they're not strict about needing to know all the backstory?

wilg 3y ago
Yeah I played it without playing either. I did watch an AW1 recap halfway through. But its basically all so crazy its fun not knowing stuff too.
lfkdev 3y ago
Alan Wake has nothing todo with Control. AW1 is not important to know, but you'll miss some details.
- wilg 3y ago
  > Alan Wake has nothing todo with Control. Interesting theory.
- anaisbetts 3y ago
  ...did we play the same game?
- rickstanley 3y ago
  It has though. There are hints "everywhere" (not to be specific, otherwise I'll spoil it) in the game, but it's not vital to play AW2, I would add what you said about AW1, "you'll miss some details." AW2 is a step forward to the shared universe of Remedy.
- SketchySeaBeast 3y ago
  Control had a whole DLC devoted to the link (haven't played AW2 yet). https://control.fandom.com/wiki/AWE_(expansion) https://control.fandom.com/wiki/AWE_(expansion)
- squidsoup 3y ago
  The Alan Wake and Tom Zane characters are mentioned in Control a number of times, and the FBC make several appearances in Alan Wake II.
- JUNGLEISMASSIVE 3y ago
  [dead]
anaisbetts 3y ago
Start here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=309aaFblCJI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=309aaFblCJI, then watch the next few videos in the series until the end of Control (Control Pt. 1 => Alan Wake Pt. 1+2 => Control Pt. 2) and you will be completely thoroughly caught up

Night_Thastus 3y ago

I think it deserves a lot of praise, but also some criticism: * While it may keep their creative vision "pure", the lack of lower graphical settings makes it run pretty terribly on an RTX 3080, which is very frustrating. You can brute-force this problem away with DLSS, but I like native resolution and I'm sick of DLSS being used as a crutch. * The difficulty is all over the place. "Story" mode is likely too easy, while "Normal" varies between being reasonable and damn near impossible. A weaker enemy can take 2 bullets in Story, and 10 in normal. That's frustrating when ammo is so tight early on. In general, the game lacks a good "progression" of difficulty. It's a roller-coaster instead of a curve. * To add on to the difficulty, the mechanics do not feel as consistent in AW2 as AW1. Why do some enemy types have a shield you need to burn away, while others don't? (Despite looking similar) For others, it's unclear which ones will vanish with a little light and which ones require an intense light - and what exactly gets them to disappear. Why can't the flashlight have a bit more grace when a target leaves the crosshair for 0.1 seconds? Why do so many enemies have extendo-reach and teleporting? Why isn't dodging timing better telegraphed? Etc. * The story, at least so far, hasn't hit the same highs for me. It feels a little like we're doing the same thing over again, and it doesn't hit as hard the second time after the reveals and twists from AW1 are already used up.

zaptrem 3y ago
I've found DLSS Quality mode actually looks better than no DLSS at all in most games.
- MaxikCZ 3y ago
  That's because DLSS2 actually also antialiases the game fairly well and cheap, compared to other methods commonly used.
wilg 3y ago
Doesn't make much sense to me to be OK with lower graphical settings but not DLSS. Just use DLSS.
- Night_Thastus 3y ago

imiric 3y ago

I'm a few hours in, and it's enjoyable, but I'm not blown away by the gameplay as much as the graphics and sound design. It's a fairly linear affair with a lot of backtracking, and I find the Mind Place system tedious. It's a glorified menu system that blocks off progression until you've pinned some notes to predetermined places on the board, or watched some cutscenes where the character miraculously figures out what to do next. It's not engaging in any way, and just takes me out of the core game loop. But I love the numerous references to Control and Max Payne, and how they've integrated it into the same universe. I can't wait for the Max Payne remakes, and hopefully the next installment in the series. I just wish it could be done without association with Rockstar. They ruined the experience of MP3, which was a solid game, but Rockstar's Social Club launcher is a garbage piece of software.

squidsoup 3y ago
> watched some cutscenes where the character miraculously figures out what to do next Some of your criticisms are fair I think, but this is actually deliberate and explained as the story continues. Saga is clearly doing more than "profiling".

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

xeromal 3y ago

How scary is it? I'm just not great in the horror genre but if it's mostly dark, I might give it a shot. I loved the first one.