Highlights
- Alan Wake 2 needs to improve on the Manuscript Pages from the first game in order to sustain its survival horror atmosphere.
- The Manuscript Pages in the first game were too explicit, spoiling the plot and revealing the fates of key characters.
- The sequel should make the Manuscript Pages more vague, hinting at what is to come but leaving out key details to create fear and surprise players.
In Late 2021, Alan Wake 2 was finally revealed at the Video Game Awards. Up until that point, the future of the franchise appeared to be in flux. The original sequel was canceled, and developer Remedy Entertainment moved on to other projects like Quantum Break and Control. Teases for a sequel were scattered throughout the latter game before seemingly being confirmed in when Alan Wake returned for Control's DLC. However, there is at least one element that the sequel needs to improve upon from the first game.
It was fairly clear from the start that Alan Wake 2 would be more of a survival horror game than the first. This would be further confirmed by the developer's comments and later by gameplay trailers. One element that appeared to be returning from the first game was the Manuscript Pages. This is one element from the first game that the developer needs to improve on if it wants to sustain its survival horror atmosphere.
What Were the Manuscript Pages in Alan Wake?
While the first game in the franchise was more of an action-adventure game, it did contain several horror elements. One of the most prominent horror elements in Alan Wake was the Manuscript Pages. At first, it isn't entirely clear what the pages were, but the further players progress into the game, the more they discover that the pages are basically spoiling the plot.
The big twist to the game is that the entity known as "The Dark Presence" uses artists and their creations to change reality and make itself stronger. Eventually, Alan realized that the entity was using him and crafted a new narrative where he defeated it. The pages of the book that the protagonist was writing were scattered throughout the world and told players what was going to happen in the story right before the events occurred. However, Alan Wake's Manuscript Page element was not without its critics and could use some improvements.
How Alan Wake 2 Might Improve On the Manuscript Pages
There is one main way that Alan Wake 2 could improve upon the Manuscript Pages from the first game. They simply need to be more vague and not quite give away everything all at once. A big issue with the pages from the last game was that they told players exactly what was going to happen in the story and what fates would befall key supporting characters.
If the sequel wants to retain its horror atmosphere, the Manuscript Pages will need an overhaul. It can hint at what is about to come but should leave out key details so that the player can be frightened by what is coming and allow the players to be surprised. The gameplay trailer itself, however, may have hinted at how it will do this.
The gameplay trailer for Alan Wake 2 was full of little details that are easy to miss. Among them was the reveal that the Manuscript Pages would be making a return. If fans look closely at the page featured in the trailer it almost looks like some of the words have been blotted out or redacted. If so, the characters reading the pages will only get part of the story and not be made aware of everything that's coming. This, in turn, will make the game far scarier as what one doesn't see or know is usually more disturbing than what one does.
Ultimately it's difficult to say just what the game is planning. The lack of gameplay footage in Alan Wake 2's advertising means there is no telling what the game has in store. The Manuscript Pages from the first game remain a gameplay element that needed to be improved upon, so hopefully Remedy Entertainment is up to the task and is just playing with its cards close to the chest. Hopefully, when it plays its hand, the developer will have a full house.
Alan Wake 2 releases October 17, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
