2023 Game of the Year – Alan Wake 2

Diego: Right off the jump you realize that you’re playing something really special and unique in Alan Wake 2; it’s a person’s fully realized creative vision without anyone holding it back or sanitizing it for mass audiences. Not only that, but it weaves itself together narratively with Control in a way that feels organic without coming off as creating a connected universe because it’s trendy. It’s just one of the most engrossing games I’ve played in my life, and one of the best horror games ever made on top of that. Remedy pulls things off in this game I’ve never seen another game successfully attempt, and it’s doing this constantly, repeatedly surprising you in multiple ways. I guarantee you’ve never played a game like Alan Wake 2 before and you’d be robbing yourself for not playing it.

Samantha: I waited 13 years for Alan Wake 2… and then I waited a little longer to get a PS5 to play it on. I’m still early in my playthrough, but I’m enjoying it so far. Seeing all the praise for it has just made me more excited to savor every moment of this long-awaited game.

Spencer: Alan Wake 2 was hyped up beyond belief before I played it, but it still met and surpassed all of these lofty expectations. Remedy just keeps making crazy stuff that makes me want more, as there’s nothing quite like their games. From haunting backstories to catchy musical numbers, Alan Wake 2 is one of the most constantly surprising but consistently intriguing games I’ve ever played.

Austin: I haven’t been spending much time reviewing games in recent years, but I was ready to put my life on hold to give Alan Wake 2 the time it deserved, and I wasn’t disappointed. The franchise, and the larger, extended universe of franchises that Remedy Entertainment has built, especially in recent years, has solidified them as one of my favorite developers, if not all-time-favorite. They went above and beyond what I was expecting from another entry in the Alan Wake series. The level of detail in each area is incredible. The puzzle solving and murderboard aesthetic had me more engaged with every part of the story. The combat was challenging at times, but remained balanced from other aspects of the gameplay. Glimpses of previews I saw leading up to its release had me worried about playing two different characters, but my worries were immediately squashed with just a few minutes of controlling the FBI Agent, Saga Anderson. I am excited to see what Remedy does next, but in the meantime I think I will give Alan Wake 2 a fourth playthrough.

Joe: Alan Wake 2 is incredible. There’s a million ways to say that, and a million people already have. But in a year of massive open ended games, Alan Wake 2’s more “traditional” narrative resonated with me the most. Sure, it’s weird and idiosyncratic, and there’s two big musical numbers, but at its core it’s a very human story. A story of how art, and our relationships with it can either save us or damn us. Alan might be trying to escape an ancient eldritch entity, but he’s also trying to escape himself. Literally and figuratively. He’s trying to find a way to end the pain he causes himself and others the only way he can: through writing. And that consumes him. Along the way things get messy, mistakes are made and forgotten, people get hurt. Alan’s pursuit of perfecting his novel nearly destroys him, but despite everything he and we have to move on. 

Another loop. Another Chapter. As many as it takes. Things may get dark at times, but there’s also light. All stories, even horror stories, have an end.  

Getting better isn’t easy, but you can’t give up no matter how stacked the odds are.

Thanks, Alan.