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With the previous chapter in Alan Wake 2, the scene has been set and players must now deal with the horror aspect of the game. A corpse in the morgue suddenly gets up and both Alex Casey and Saga Anderson realize they've stumbled into a horror story. While Alan Wake 2 players will be returning to Cauldron Lake, there are still plenty of things for them to discover.
During this chapter, players will get to experience some more combat while also having the chance to unlock a new weapon along with a few charms. Here is what players can expect as they begin Return 2: The Heart.
This walkthrough contains spoilers, so players should proceed with caution.
Search the Crime Scene
At the start of this chapter, the first thing players will want to do is head back to where the crime scene was. To get there quicker, go through the shortcut from the previous chapter. The gates are still unlocked, so players won't have to worry about unlocking them again.
On the way down there will be two men at the FBC station. While this doesn't advance the story, players can learn some neat little backstory details about Saga and her family. When ready, continue following Casey down toward where Nightingale's body was found.
The crime scene has gotten somewhat flooded since players were last there. Here, they will have the option to investigate the table and talk to Casey. To the right of the crime scene there are footprints that players can examine as well.
Follow the Trail
Nightingale has left some bizarre footprints on the ground. Left with no other leads, the only option is to follow the trail. If players lose the trail, they can simply look down with the flashlight to see the trail of footprints.
Upon reaching the water, there will be a brief jump scare followed by new option to profile Nightingale. If players have any evidence they haven't put on the board yet, they will want to take this time to do so as well.
Return to the water and approach the red box on the telephone pole. It will contain some ammo and a Trauma Pad. Since players will still have some damage from their first encounter with Nightingale, it is not a bad idea to use the Trauma Pad right away. From the red box, go left and follow the path toward Witch's Ladle. Players will reach the dead end that they encountered in the previous chapter.
This time, however, there is a strange glowing part on the tree. Approach the tree to get a tutorial on how to use the flashlight to burn away dark spots. Doing so reveals another manuscript page.
Go to the Witch's Hut
Per the not-so-subtle hint provided by the manuscript page, go north toward the Witch's Hut. On the left side of the Witch's Hut, look for a fuse box. It is missing a fuse, so the lights can't be turned on yet.
To find the fuse, go across the bridge that is west of Witch's Hut. In one box there will be a broken fuse, but there will be another box nearby that has an intact fuse in it. Go back to the fuse box and insert the fuse. Upon going inside the Witch's Hut, players will gain the ability to do manual saves along with unlocking an achievement/trophy.
After saving, turn around and search the shelf for another page. With the hint provided by the page, return to the Mind Place. Place the evidence onto the board and then do a profiling on Nightingale. Somehow, Saga is able to deduce that Nightingale's heart is in the old general store.
Before leaving the Witch's Hut, check the small table to the left of the door. It contains ammo.
Go to the General Store
The general store is near the crime scene. Previously, it was blocked off and completely inaccessible. Yet now, the door is wide open and players have free access. There is a laundromat attached to the general store, but there is nothing noteworthy in there.
Inside the general store, players will have their first encounter with a Taken (excluding Nightingale). Focus the flashlight on him and then shoot him until he drops. There is only one enemy, so players won't have to worry too much about ammo.
In the room that the Taken emerged from, there are a bunch of goodies for players to claim. First, there is an item that increases inventory size. Second, a sawed-off shotgun can be found in this room as well along with a manuscript page and several other supplies. In order to get the sawed-off shotgun, enter the code 739. When ready to progress the story, use the flashlight to burn away the darkness on the fridge in this room.
Perform the Ritual
With the heart, players are now ready to do the ritual that will take them to the Overlap. Before doing so, however, players may want to take this time to go back to the Witch's Hut and save. While going toward the Witch's Sign, players will be ambushed by two Taken. Kill them and move on.
Approach the Witch's Sign and insert Nightingale's Heart. This triggers a cutscene and the tree will open up, allowing players to go to the other side. Keep moving forward to find a rock with a dark spot that can be burned away. Doing so reveals another manuscript page.
Although the tree ahead looks the same, go through it. Keep following this path and be on the lookout for some items to the right. Considering the game is providing players with ammo, batteries, and a trauma pad, that can mean only one thing.
How to Beat Nightingale
Nightingale is nothing more than just a bigger, tougher Taken. Once he is in view, use the flashlight to burn away his shield and then attack him. Eventually he will disappear and players will have to run away from a storm that he conjures. Eventually Nightingale appears again. Bring down his shield and shoot him until he disappears again. It isn't long before he appears again and attacks.
If Nightingale grabs players, they can rapidly push the button that is prompted to escape.
Once players do enough damage to him, Nightingale will fall, and they will unlock a trophy/achievement for defeating him. After Nightingale is defeated, a cutscene will play.
Explore the Area
After unexpectedly running into Alan Wake, the next step is to take the car back to Bright Falls. As players cross through the Witch's Ladel again, they will be attacked by a Taken wolf. After dealing with the wolf, approach the red box on the tree. The flashlight will reveal yellow arrows pointing in a direction. Follow these arrows to find a key.
With the flood now gone, players can explore the northeast section of the map that was previously inaccessible. Just on the other side of the bridge there is a poem surrounded by chalk drawings. On one of the nearby tables, there is a Crow Doll. Take the Crow Doll and place it on the symbol of the sun. This will cause a Hammer Charm to appear on the nearby picnic table.
Further ahead, there is a generator outside the Private Cabin. Activating it turns the cabin into a safe spot that players can use to save their game. There is also another manuscript page in this cabin.
Up at the Witchfinder's Station, there is another puzzle with drawings. Go into the cabin and pick up the Wolf and Hero Dolls from the second floor. Next, go to the drawings outside the cabin and place the Wolf Doll on the tree symbol and the Hero Doll on the boat symbol. This will spawn a Coffee Mug Charm in the room where the dolls were found.
Before leaving, make sure to pick up these dolls along with the Crow Doll from earlier. Back at the Private Cabin, there is another diagram that requires all three dolls. Completing this puzzle spawns a Kalevala Knights Charm by the pond to the northeast of the cabin.
By this point, players should receive a message from Casey saying that he and Alan have arrived at the car. Head back to the parking lot by going down toward the shortcut. Interact with the car to end the current chapter after a series of cutscenes.
Alan Wake 2 is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
