Stop Complaining About Alan Wake 2’s Slow Pace

I remember having a dream as a kid: whenever a game with impressive graphics was shown, I imagined playing it very slowly. I’d walk through its world the entire time instead of rushing, appreciating every detail poured into bringing it to life. Time after time, these games came out only for me to just sprint through, rarely taking the time to slow down and savor their beauty (a problem that Rockstar elegantly addressed with Red Dead Redemption 2).

Another game that’s fulfilled that silly little dream of mine is Alan Wake 2. It took me a whole 37 hours to platinum the game, as I willingly avoided using the sprint button whenever possible. Instead, I slowly walked among its breathtaking scenery, mesmerized by masterfully crafted and stunningly lit environments. It felt unbelievably good.

A Different Breed Of Detective Horror

So imagine my surprise when I came across numerous complaints about Alan Wake 2 being too slow, the story barely moving forward, and there just being too little action. I guess that’s all true, but isn’t that the whole point? When I saw other people’s clips of FBI agents Saga Anderson and Alex Casey rushing headlong through the woods near Cauldron Lake instead of strolling and engaging in small talk about nature, I couldn’t shake the feeling of how inappropriate and completely out of place it looked.

Related: Alan Wake 2 Review: Remedying The Past

Alan Wake 2 is a survival horror, a genre that typically thrives in a slow pace, taking its time to build suspense and make you feel uncomfortable. This game excels at that, yet for some reason people seem to expect it to be a different breed. There’s nothing wrong with preferring your survival horror games to be fast-paced and action-oriented like Resident Evil 4, but that’s not Alan Wake 2’s flaw; the game is slow by design, and it never even tries to hide that.

Maybe it’s an age thing, as I think the older I get the more I appreciate soaking a game in. Alan Wake 2 establishes itself as a game not meant for teenagers very early on, with its full male nudity and a violent murder in the opening minutes. Moreover, there is no action whatsoever during its early hours, as Saga wanders around the crime scene, talking to witnesses and gathering clues. This opening sets the tone for the entire game, so if you don’t enjoy that kind of gameplay, perhaps it’s just not your cup of tea, simple as that. There’s actually a faster-paced Remedy game out there already: it’s great, and it’s called Control.

A World Meant To Be Explored Without Rushing

Walking through Alan Wake 2’s various areas bursting with detail, discovering something intriguing or useful at almost every step, immersing myself in its mysteries—I never felt bored. Whether it was the game’s real-world locations like the eerie trailer park drowning in mist in Watery, or the dark woods surrounding the Bright Falls Valhalla Wellness Center, or the maze-like and dream-logical Dark Place, resembling a twisted version of New York, Remedy always finds new ways to bring these areas to life. From convincing graffiti all over the buildings to cozy interiors of far-off huts in the woods—I’ve never been more charmed by a game’s looks before.

Related: Alan Wake 2 Is A Way Scarier Horror Game Than The Original

Alan Wake 2 capitalizes on its dual-protagonist concept, and playing as Alan feels very different from Saga, but the Dark Place also encourages taking things extremely slowly. In this mysterious realm, Alan finds himself surrounded by shadows—and you never know whether one will attack you or not. The best tactic is simply to avoid approaching lurking shadows too close. Special perks can even make it harder for them to detect Alan’s presence, emphasizing the importance of remaining hidden and not provoking them. When I embraced this concept and put away my gun, Alan’s chapters became much more thrilling to play.

The game features many small hints that gently encourage you to enjoy it at a slower pace, including environmental puzzles aimed to make you stop and think rather than simply find a solution nearby. Add to that Saga’s Mind Place that you can enter at any time to catch your breath, reflect on what you’ve discovered so far, and analyze clues and collectibles. This unusual mechanic has also been criticized for making the game feel slower, as if it’s not yet another deliberate choice made by Remedy. Mind Place could probably be executed better, but even in its current form it’s a rather unique way to keep your attention on the key plot elements, allowing for a quick hint if you miss some dot connections.

Alan Wake 2 constantly flirts with other mediums, particularly detective TV series, with its chapter structure and abundance of full-motion video scenes. This combination offers a one-of-a-kind experience, though again can slow the game down at times as you sit back to watch various real-time scenes acted out before you. This structure may not appeal to everyone, but it certainly has its benefits, adding to the game’s distinctive charm. This approach allows Alan Wake 2 to breathe between its short but incredibly intense scenes, such as Nightingale’s awakening at the morgue. When the heartless corpse rose up and instantly turned the police station upside down, it was even more shocking due to the slow and careful buildup that preceded it.

Finnishing Up

There’s also the ‘janitor’ Ahti, one of the most mysterious entities from the Remedy shared universe, originally introduced in Control. He’s perhaps the most quintessentially Finnish character in fiction: his quotes about time and waiting, along with his mesmerizing karaoke performance of Yötön Yö (Nightless Night), remind you of the simple pleasure of standing still for a moment, appreciating the flow of life around you.

A long time ago, I realized I enjoyed movies much more when I put my phone aside and focused solely on the film. Ever since, I made it a strict rule for myself. Games like Alan Wake 2 are no different, and I would never understand players who skip cutscenes in narrative-driven games. We live in an impatient world, with social media consuming every free minute of our lives, and the criticism of Alan Wake 2’s slow pacing is a testament to our current inability to appreciate calm moments, let alone tangled stories that demand extra attention.

If you can’t appreciate the sheer beauty of walking through a forest where nothing happens, perhaps it’s time to take a deep breath, relax, and learn to slow down that million-mile-an-hour mind.

Alan Wake 2

Franchise

Alan Wake

Platform(s)

PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X

Released

October 27, 2023

Developer(s)

Remedy Entertainment

Publisher(s)

Epic Games

Genre(s)

Survival Horror