How scary is Alan Wake 2? Is it a horror game, and if so, how horrifying should people expect it to be? Well, the specific genre that Alan Wake 2 is working under here is "survival horror", so while we'll get into the specifics momentarily (don't worry, all spoiler-free), you can definitely expect a certain level of spookiness in various forms - all of which we'll cover momentarily.
Is Alan Wake 2 a horror game?
If you're jumping into Alan Wake 2, here's a brief idea of what you should expect to find. I've gone into more detail and experience with the game itself below for you, should you be looking for extra information or context.
- Scary, claustrophobic atmospheres
- Jump scares and flashing visuals
- Violent monsters
- Gore
- Strong tension and peril
- Frequent emphasis on darkness and water
For a little more context Alan Wake 2 is scarier than Control, and definitely scarier than the original Alan Wake. The 2010 original was something of a love letter to the works of David Lynch and Stephen King, with more of an off-kilter atmosphere and kooky vibe. Alan Wake 2 has a far more overt psychological horror leaning. How this manifests throughout changes over time but by far the biggest scares are the jumps scare on-screen flashes that see warped, screaming faces leap onto your screen without warning. The game pulls this trick constantly, and its impact isn't lessened over time.
You know what certainly helps ease the tension? Ensuring you get all of the hidden Alan Wake 2 weapons, and find the inventory upgrade locations in Alan Wake 2.
Outside of the flashes, expect to deal with a sometimes corrosive atmosphere and oppressive environments. Alan Wake 2 can be quite claustrophobic at times, particularly as you squeeze through looping spaces in the Dark Place, with silhouetted figures fading in and out of reality, threatening to attack you at any time. And then there's the deep, dark woods of Bright Falls, Cauldron Lake, and Watery – spaces where shadowy enemies can leap out from behind trees, while it isn't uncommon for fast-moving wolves to stalk you through the foliage.
All of these are effective vehicles for driving tension, but as for how it stacks up against other horror games and movies is more difficult to say. If you're a bit of a lightweight with horror, I've put more about my experience with the genre and Alan Wake 2 below to help guide you through the purchasing decision.
A little context might help
It's probably worth flagging my horror bona fides, or lack thereof. Because it's all well and good me telling you that Alan Wake 2 is or isn't scary, but you need some context to understand whether my opinion on the subject will apply to your own sensibilities. Because while I've long been a fan of playing through the best horror games, I haven't always had an easy relationship with the genre.
The Silent Hill series damaged me physically as a kid, but I've always been able to make it through the best Resident Evil games with little issue – although it must be said that the rising tension in Resident Evil Village's House Beneviento made me feel physically ill. That's largely the result of a formative experience with Condemned: Criminal Origins, one of my favorite horror games that gave me a lifelong fear of mannequins and dark corridors – like Silent Hill 2 before it, it's a game which ultimately spent some time hidden away in a closet until I was able to muster the courage to continue. When the original Dead Space came out, I played for an hour before returning it to the store. I wouldn't say that Alan Wake 2 is as scary as any of these games, falling somewhere below modern Resident Evil titles on the horror spectrum.
"If you've sat through any modern horror movies like Hereditary or Midsommar, you'll be just fine with Alan Wake 2."
If you haven't played any of those, perhaps I can draw some comparison to the best horror movies. I've made it through many of the best Slasher movies without incident, and I count The Thing as one of my favorite movies, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I sit through anything more modern. I'm not making that mistake again, not after The Descent. If you're anything like me then, which is to say terminally afraid, I think you should get on fine with Alan Wake 2. And if you've managed to sit through anything like Hereditary or Midsommar or any of those Mike Flannagan Netflix shows without incident – firstly, you've done better than me, and secondly, I think you'll get on just fine here.
So with all that in mind, how did I get on with Alan Wake 2? If you've read my Alan Wake 2 review, you'll know that I had an excellent time. It's one of the best games that I've played in years, a truly imaginative and experimental series that strikes just the right balance between fear and loathing in the dark place. There were only a few of those screaming jump scare faces that made me need to regain my composure, and there's one section in the Valhalla Nursing home which made me feel pretty consistently uneasy, but on the whole I didn't struggle with it. Over the course of the adventure, with the Alan Wake 2 game length spanning upwards of 20 hours, I had an exceptionally enjoyable time, and if you're able to filter a bit of tension, I don't think Alan Wake 2 will be too scary for you at all.
If you've decided to jump into the game to give it a try, be sure to check out my top Alan Wake 2 tips.
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