Alan Wake II Gets Its First Action-Packed Gameplay Trailer, Release Date

Remedy Entertainment has dropped a new trailer for survival horror game Alan Wake 2, one that’s incredibly action-packed and included a nice October 17 release date for PC and PS5.

It’s been a long time—13 years, to be exact!—since thriller novelist Alan Wake first began investigating his wife’s disappearance in Washington on Xbox 360. The original game was critically acclaimed and garnered a cult following with its eerie Pacific Northwest atmosphere and story that ventured into the surreal. Now, the writer is back in a new adventure that’s just as haunting as the first.

Remedy Entertainment’s communications director Thomas Puha took to the PlayStation Blog to spill some tea on the upcoming horror survival game. Despite being billed as a sequel to the studio’s beloved Alan Wake, Puha said folks who missed either the OG game or the 2021 remastered release don’t have to worry about having intimate knowledge of the events of the first entry.

“It was important for us to create an approachable experience for new players without forgetting our long-standing fans,” Puha said. “Another key pillar for us was ensuring that we respect fundamental survival horror principles: make the gameplay challenging for experienced players yet easy [enough] to navigate for those who want to focus on enjoying the game’s rich, layered story.”

There are a few different locations for you to explore in this upcoming sequel: the iconic fictional Washington town of Bright Falls (which served as the first game’s primary setting), a primordial forest surrounding the Cauldron Lake, and the dilapidated municipality called Watery. Oh, there’s also the Dark Place, this shifting reality that Wake finds himself in.

You can also choose between Wake or a brand-new playable character, the accomplished FBI agent Saga Anderson. The two characters’ narratives intertwine with each other in Alan Wake 2, Puha said, in what’s being described as an intensely atmospheric story that goes down dark and disturbing paths.

“We are excited to allow players to decide how to experience the story of Alan Wake 2,” Puha said. “We want to thank our fans for their continued support and unwavering patience—we’ll share more on Alan Wake 2 in the coming months.”