Alan Wake 2 Preview – Hands-On With Saga’s Investigation Of Watery

Alan Wake 2 was given to me at a preview event recently, which allowed me to play the game in two different roles: as Saga Anderson the FBI agent and the title character. You can read about my experience with Alan’s segment here, but Saga’s side shows plenty of promise and narrative intrigue. 

Saga begins my demo in the third Chapter of her Campaign. She travels to the tiny town of Watery, in order to find the Clicker. A serial killer with ties that seem to be connected to the Cult of the Tree. 

Investigations are Saga’s forte, and I’m tasked with probing Watery’s various villagers in search of leads. As I tour the town, it reminds me a lot of the original Alan Wake. At this point, you can jump into a car and quickly travel to Bright Falls. This early part of the game is a lot about collecting clues as an FBI agent. You will need to gather information by talking to residents, reading signs and documents and interacting with other characters. 

The Mind Map is a menu that tracks the progress of an investigation. It is an interactive room, which looks like a small cabin. The categories are accessible by walking to the different zones. These include flow charts that allow for connecting and posting clues in various mysteries. Case Board is an example of a wall that displays a flowchart with photos, clues and connections connected via tape. In order to keep track of new details, I organize photos on the wall by category, for example those relating to a specific location, an individual of interest, or even a particular event. 

It was initially jarring to enter Mind Map because of the room-like display. I felt like I had suddenly travelled into a different area, rather than accessing a menu. You can choose to switch back to the more traditional menu with tabs instead of physical locations in Mind Map.  

After a few conversations with the quirky residents, I’m pointed towards two brothers who speak as if Saga has lived in Watery for years and treat her presence as a return of sorts. Saga initially seems surprised, but she is clever enough to go along with it. Our strange chat points me toward my “home” in a nearby trailer park. To get to it, you need a key at Coffee Land, an amusement park nearby themed around coffee. 

A shadowy speedster assaults me as I walk through an eerie path in the forest. Over-the-shoulder shooting feels great, and weapons like my shotgun and pistol pack a punch. I’m reminded of Resident Evil 4’s action as I side-step incoming hatchets the enemy throws while firing shots. Nailing headshots is tricky as my pistol doesn’t sport the greatest accuracy; thankfully, you can improve this attribute and others in the Mind Map’s weapon upgrade menu. The shoulder bumper can be used to direct your flashlight’s beam, making these shadowy targets more vulnerable. 

On my way I discover various coolers that have been locked by members of the cult. They are linked to puzzles that can help you find the combination. The rewards for solving them can be significant. You can find crossbows to complement your resource caches. 

Coffee Land is closed. A lack of tourists and a spooky atmosphere turn this otherwise funny destination into a scary trip. The only way to get in the locked office of the staff is by using a small screwdriver. Coffee Land, a small maze filled with caffeine-themed attractions is where I spent my time. I also solved some environmental puzzles. That includes deducing padlock combinations based on the staff’s duties or identifying the correct booths on the Ferris wheel. The puzzles were generally well designed and clever. They challenged me to observe and think carefully, without giving me too many hints on what to do. 

The Perculator is a cup-shaped ride that’s guarded (possibly by twisted versions) of park employees who throw hooks. While I need to take them out to collect a screwdriver in the operator’s booth, I do my best to avoid other threats patrolling the park. It all goes wrong, as I have limited ammo. Also my flashlight is out of battery. The small group managed to overwhelm me, but only just. The staff office is unlocked, I find the safe key and head towards the trailer park.

Saga’s section offered a nice mix of low-key investigative gameplay and tension-filled action. While a little more grounded than Alan’s side of the story (relatively speaking), it still featured plenty of bizarre moments and feels like an improved, modernized take on the first game’s vibe. I’m looking forward to seeing how her tale unfolds when Alan Wake 2 launches on October 27.