The Best Horror Game of 2023 Is Getting a Huge Update
Return to the Dark Place.
Despite Baldur’s Gate 3 dominating Game of the Year conversations in 2023, there were a few titles that managed to pose some competition for the massive RPG. Chief among those was the visionary horror game Alan Wake 2 — a true masterpiece of the genre from the twisty minds at Remedy Entertainment. While there’s been plenty to enjoy since the game launched, it’s about to be a big week for Alan Wake 2 plans. In addition to the second DLC, The Lake House, Remedy has announced an “Anniversary Update” that’s finally bringing some long-requested features. One year after launch, Alan Wake 2 is about to be better than ever.
The Anniversary Update is completely free for all players, and while it doesn’t add any new story content to the game, it does provide a robust set of new options for how you play the game. It adds on a new “Gameplay Assist “ menu that integrates both new accessibility options, and a few quality-of-life ones. Some of these will make getting through the game much easier, if that’s something you want. These updates include player invulnerability, player immortality, instantly slain enemies, infinite ammo, and infinite flashlight batteries.
The previous Final Draft update added a ton of new story elements to Alan Wake 2, and these new accessibility options can make a second playthrough much easier for anyone who just wants to get that story.
These options can be a boon for anyone going through the game a second time looking for collectibles or just wanting to experience the story, or for first-time players who might find the survival horror elements a bit too daunting. These are smart additions that make the game even more playable for a wider berth of people. Here’s the full list of features coming with the update:
- Quick Turn
- Auto complete QTE
- Button tapping to single tap
- Weapon charging with taps
- Healing items with taps
- Lightshifter with taps
- Player invulnerability
- Player immortality
- Instantly slain enemies in one shot
- Infinite ammo
- Infinite flashlight batteries
However, PlayStation players get a little extra treat, as you can now play Alan Wake 2 using Gyro Controls. To me that sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but hey, no judgment if you want to use motion controls in your horror game. At the same, time the DualSense controller will now also include haptic feedback for healing items and throwables, not just firearms.
This is a big week for Alan Wake 2, as the Anniversary Update launchers alongside not only the long-awaited physical edition but The Lake House DLC on October 22. This expansion should be of particular interest to anyone that’s interested in Remedy’s Connected Universe.
It’s already apparent The Lake House is setting the stage for the sequel to 2019’s Control. The main character of Control, Jesse Fade, briefly appeared in the Night Springs expansion, and here in The Lake House her brother, Dylan, appears. In Control, Dylan was essentially the person who opened the floodgates for the supernatural entity known as the Hiss, which then inadvertently caused the events of Alan Wake 2.
In The Lake House, you play as Kiran Estevez, an agent for the Federal Bureau of Control that players met in the main game. The titular Lake House, which sits on Cauldron Lake, seems to be an FBC research facility where things have gone horribly wrong. In addition to a horrifying new monster that emerges from a painting on the wall, we see some of the otherworldly red lighting that’s usually associated with The Hiss in Control. This could mean this expansion is what bridges the events of Alan Wake 2 and Control 2, much like how the first Control’s AWE expansion fed directly into Alan Wake 2. Knowing Remedy, there are bound to be dozens of little connections and Easter Eggs.
Alan Wake 2 has proven to be one of the most interesting and affecting games Remedy has ever made, and it’s great to see it still getting such robust new updates and additions year after launch. This only cements its place as one of the best horror games ever made.
