Remedy Entertainment already set the Alan Wake franchise's dark atmosphere way before it made the jump to full-on survival horror with Alan Wake 2. While certain sections of the first game were set during the daytime, it is at night that the titular character's writings and nightmares come to life. Time has not been kind to Alan Wake, as the novelist has been trapped in an alternate dimension called the Dark Place for 13 years come the events of Alan Wake 2.
Despite being caked in darkness, the Alan Wake games do provide players with multiple sources of light that provide safety and a means of offense and defense. Safe Havens typically take on the form of lamp posts and are checkpoints that heal Alan and cause any nearby chatty Taken enemies to despawn. Flares create temporary save areas that ward off any Taken in their effective range. But arguably the most used light source at players' disposal is their trusty flashlights.
The Flashlight Is a Core Part of Alan Wake's Gameplay
There is nothing particularly special about the flashlights in the Alan Wake franchise. They aren't heirlooms passed down from some ancient civilization nor do they require magical batteries to use. In fact, the original Xbox version and PC port of Alan Wake had a sponsored deal with Energizer that features the brand's logo on the batteries themselves. While different types of flashlights boost the damage and range of Alan's light-shining capabilities, they all work in relatively the same way.
Flashlights primarily have four uses. They can be used to find yellow-marked clues, serve as a light source in dark areas, become makeshift reticles for firearms, and last but not least, break down the Dark Presence shielding that renders the Taken and other possessed objects otherwise invincible.
Shining a light on the Taken and possessed objects is the only feature of the flashlight that eats up its battery charge. The charge slowly depletes over time, but players can recharge them by not using them for a while. Extra batteries can be collected throughout Alan's twisted novelist journey and become increasingly important the more Taken and the obstacles he encounters.
Being Able to Use the Flashlight at All Times Might Ruin Alan Wake 2's Tone
In the recent Alan Wake 2 gameplay reveal, new protagonist Saga Anderson was shown to be able to shine her flashlight on a Taken foe without depleting the current battery's charge. The charge depletes when she focuses the flashlight to whittle down the enemy's Dark Presence but shining the flashlight in conjunction with the gun doesn't consume energy (this is most evident during the initial encounter where the enemy still has Dark Presence wrapped around him).
This is a drastic change over the original Alan Wake, where the mere act of passing the flashlight over a Dark Presence-protected enemy would always drain the flashlight's batteries. Considering Alan Wake 2 will be the franchise's first foray into survival horror, having the flashlight serve as a constant source of illumination might hurt the game's tone. Compared to games like the recently released and relatively short Amnesia: The Bunker where players don't always have access to their flashlight, Alan Wake 2 looks like it will allow players to easily see where things are and where they are headed thanks to the flashlight's features.
Saga and Alan might not always be able to attack with their flashlights equipped, but the information they glean from the beams of light can make things less scary overall. Alan Wake isn't a franchise known for leaving players in complete darkness, though if it wants to go up against other survival horror greats, it may need to lower the brightness settings and the overall power of its illuminating items in the sequel.
Alan Wake 2 launches on October 17, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.