Alan Wake 2 Review - Back To Reality

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: Epic Games
Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Rating: Mature

Remedy is known for being experimental. It mixes live-action footage into its video games, plays with player expectations, rewards those devoted to the developer’s history and gameography, and in the case of Alan Wake II, eagerly performs big-budget lunacy for our entertainment and sometimes confusion. The highs of Alan Wake’s follow-up adventure are tall, but there are frequent lows that drag the whole experience into The Dark Place. I also encountered a number of bugs that forced frequent restarts and one full reinstallation. But even in the moments I was most frustrated, I still admire Remedy’s commitment to creating a unique experience and embracing its weirdness.

Alan Wake II takes place in the real amount of time since we played the original game. Alan has been stuck in limbo for 13 years, trying his hardest to write himself back to reality. From a zoomed-out perspective, both Alan Wake games are about a man trying to escape an evil entity. On closer inspection, however, the story is about the nature of art, what it means to create, the reliability of memory and reality, parenting, friendship, and of course, murder. Alan Wake II’s story, sometimes clumsily, navigates all these topics with morose voiceover, beautiful visuals, impressive performances, and bizarre set pieces that will undoubtedly become the game’s primary talking point for the rest of its legacy. This is where Alan Wake II shines. The way it presents its story is different than just about everything out there, and even though I would have liked more interactivity during conversations and internal monologues, I remained consistently engaged.

The exception to this is new playable protagonist Saga’s investigative techniques. While I overall preferred playing as Saga to Alan, her special detective abilities led to frequent underwhelming reveals. Saga arrives at impossible-to-know case facts by simply sitting in a room and thinking to herself. I am happy to buy into the conceit that she has special powers, but from the player’s perspective, watching Saga just know things for no reason is deeply unsatisfying. Her interactive efforts to build evidence out on a wall also feel like painting by numbers, when you generally already know what image you are creating. Overall, however, Saga’s story and the mystery surrounding her family is the more interesting one, and I followed her threads when given the choice.

Alan lacks Saga’s investigative abilities, but playing his portions, which take place in the abstract Dark Place, have their own issues. Alan is supposed to be lost and confused in the Dark Place, and from a narrative perspective, it works. But when a location (and troublesome map) is already difficult to navigate and then filled with doors that change exits depending on the lighting, things get opaque in a way that isn’t consistently fun.

 

Even when lost and frustrated, however, combat can be a beacon of action-packed joy. Lighting up enemies with a flashlight and filling them with bullets feels more determined than in the 2010 game, but pulling off a perfect flashlight-shotgun combo still feels great. So great, in fact, that I wanted much more. There are few instances where you must fight enemies. Ammo is scarce and dodging is reliable, which means engaging is discouraged. Combat ends up feeling like a fantastic dessert when you are watching your calories. You want to partake, but you really shouldn’t. Thankfully, the penultimate confrontation throws plentiful ammo and enemies at you and serves as a fun homage to the original game.

Alan Wake II also leans into an irritating video game trope more so than any game in recent memory where everything always feels just out of reach in an unsatisfying way. You must go through this electronic door, but right as you walk up to it, the power goes out, and you must find items A, B, and C to get electricity flowing again. Variations of this happen constantly. Thematically, it makes sense that the story, which is being written as you progress, creates barriers to slow you down, but on a practical level, it feels antagonistic to the player, which is just annoying.

I have been eagerly waiting for Alan’s return since the original game ended with a cliffhanger and 2012’s American Nightmare did little to move the story forward. I am narratively satisfied with the events of the game and enthusiastically welcome Saga into the world. But actually playing the game, navigating the world, and avoiding combat is where I stumbled. I was eager to see the next cutscene, but gameplay often fell short, and I fought more bugs than Taken enemies. For longtime Remedy fans and those who want to see what happens next for Alan Wake, the sequel is a success, but making it to the end includes unnecessary hurdles.

 

Score: 7.75

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Ghostrunner 2 Review – Finding The Utopia In Dystopia

Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: One More Level
Rating: Mature

The first Ghostrunner is one of my all-time favorite games, and I've been excited for its sequel, Ghostrunner 2, since its reveal more than two years ago. I didn't need much to be satisfied with another parkour venture into developer One More Level's cyberpunk dystopia; I just wanted more Ghostrunner. And when Ghostrunner 2 is doing what put its predecessor on the map – fast-paced first-person action-parkour gameplay – it shines. But a few new attempts at expanding this world, both narratively and mechanically, don't shine as bright, however interesting and admirable they are. Nonetheless, Ghostrunner 2, with its exceptional action, soundtrack, and beautifully oppressive world, kept me smiling in delight for most of my 15 hours. 

The first game ends with the titular Ghostrunner liberated from his A.I.-powered Cybervoid trappings under a new name, Jack, and humanity finally free within its last living city, the Dharma Tower. Ghostrunner 2 picks up one year later, with Jack living the hero life before discovering the Asura, a group of four mechanical beings intent on filling the power void to become its new leaders (with their own superhuman-esque creatures replacing humanity in the process). It's a fine setup, but it unfortunately begins with the worst boss fight in the game. The encounter is not bad but it pales compared to the significantly improved bosses Jack encounters later. 

After taking the boss down, I meet up with the ragtag Interface Council, including Zoe from the first game and various other NPCs. Instead of talking to floating heads like in Ghostrunner, Jack returns to a homebase where he speaks with everyone in person. Interfacing with physical people is a nice touch and breathes life into Jack's otherwise mechanical existence, as do the traces of humanity, like humor, that Jack picks up on in conversations. Unfortunately, conversations lack the energy featured in the rest of the game, as Jack and whoever he speaks to, stand directly across each other while stilted but informative conversations play out. In this base, Jack can purchase new abilities for his kit and play through Roguerunner.exe, an optional but awesome roguelite experience that puts combat front and center. 

 

After checking in with the base between most missions, Jack is quickly thrown back into the explosive action One More Level excels at, and it's always a treat. As techno percussion and synths mesh together to create an excellent score, I send Jack slashing enemies left and right with a katana, slowing down time in-air to dodge projectiles and deflect energy pelts back to their origin. Like the first game, Ghostrunner 2 also feels like a puzzle game. 

Every arena can be mastered – jump here, grind left, wall-run forward, grapple up, slash enemy, deflect that enemy's bullet, throw a shuriken at that explosive barrel to take them out, then jump over this machine's energy blast and slash through it when the coast is clear. And that's just one puzzle solution to the enemies before you. Ghostrunner 2's action feels amazing because every potential solution unveils itself in what feels like the most optimal path; it's how I imagine a mechanical being like Jack feels when scanning the battleground. I wish my Ultimate and other abilities felt as intrinsic as the shuriken, but each is still good fun, even if I have to remind myself they exist.

Those action-packed, puzzle-like moments are when Ghostrunner 2 is everything I want in a sequel and more. But the results are less consistent when One More Level introduces new mechanics. A new motorbike brings a somehow even more exciting dynamism to Ghostrunner 2's action – jumping off it to launch over a laser wall, then grappling back onto my bike after it safely passed through said wall never stopped being the coolest thing ever. I enjoyed most moments on this bike, but after a quick ride through Dharma Tower's neon-drenched cyberpunk city, most of the bike action happens in the less-interesting world outside the tower.

I love that One More Level showcased the outside world, especially after never leaving the tower in the first game. However, the post-apocalyptic desert wasteland is simply not as fun to explore as what's back inside, especially on foot. While this part of the world does give Jack a more open area to play in, that extra space tones down the excitement I feel inside the more constrained spaces of Dharma Tower (and it doesn't help the latter is more visually stimulating, too). It's worth mentioning, however, that this desert wasteland is home to one of my favorite boss fights of the year that left me shouting "no way" to myself throughout. Another addition is the wingsuit, and while using it in new parkour lines is fun, using it in combat feels like an unnecessary addition. Fortunately, it arrives late in the game and does little to affect the full experience. 

 

With Ghostrunner 2 behind me, I’m thrilled more of this series exists. Even after rolling credits, I'm excited to tear through its levels once more to find collectibles like sword and glove skins and old-world artifacts like VHS tapes, and try my hand some more at the delectably simple roguelite minigame. Though Ghostrunner 2 falters in a few ways, like its more open-ended sections and superfluous wingsuit, what remains in the hours outside of those missteps is its best-in-class parkour action. And like its predecessor, it remains a damn treat.

Score: 8.5

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder Review - Getting Its Flowers

Reviewed on: Switch
Platform: Switch
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo

As a series that has been around for nearly four decades, Super Mario Bros. should have shown signs of slowing down years ago. But continuous thoughtful reinvention has helped the franchise remain a genre leader. Super Mario Bros. Wonder represents the next step of evolution, delivering the tight, tried-and-true gameplay in the context of the most creative 2D entry in nearly 30 years.

Simply platforming through a stage is often a pure delight; Mario and his large roster of friends have never felt, looked, or sounded better. A joyful soundtrack full of upbeat earworms I’ve been humming since I first turned on the game complements superb gameplay. And the new expressive art style accentuates the most important parts of the characters and world. 

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s level design rarely disappoints. Each course introduces a new, creative gimmick. Whether it’s hippo-like creatures you can bounce off to reach new areas or circular rocks you must use to roll through lava while snatching collectibles, the perfectly designed on-ramps let me learn the new convention. However, the excitement of how the stage gimmick would evolve to its ultimate utilization always had me champing at the bit. 

The new power-ups, namely the Elephant Fruit, Drill Mushroom, and Bubble Flower, add fun and practical ways to explore each stage. However, the new Badge system is my favorite way to augment my character’s abilities. The Parachute Cap, which lets you glide, and the Sensor, which tells you when there’s a secret nearby, were helpful, but my favorite was always the Crouching High Jump, thanks to its wide-ranging utility.

 

Still, the key attractions were the eponymous Wonder Effects. These level-changing warps had me constantly guessing at what could possibly come next. I never knew if grabbing the Wonder Flower would transform Mario into one of Bowser’s minions, skyrocket him into an outer space obstacle course, or cause the entire stage to break out into song. Nintendo used this opportunity to install all-new gameplay mechanics like top-down sequences, slow-motion action, and fun chase sequences. I adore how unexpected each Wonder Effect is, even aiding the title’s less creative boss battles.

Though there are only a few true boss fights in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, they use Wonder Effects to bring new twists. However, outside of these effects, which include changing the terrain, cloning enemies, and more, most battles are against the same character with the same move set. I appreciate how far the Wonder Effects go toward diversifying these confrontations, but I can’t help but wish for more variety in the encounters themselves. Thankfully, that’s not the case for the final battle, which will stick with me for a long time due to its uncompromised use of Wonder Effects in a creative and fun fight.

I spent most of my time in Super Mario Bros. Wonder solo, but I enjoyed the limited multiplayer offering. I’m disappointed by the lack of online cooperative play, but playing locally with friends is a blast and less chaotic than past games since characters can’t interact with each other (aside from riding on Yoshi). 

You can play online with friends, but you’re limited to forming a lobby where you appear as ghosts in separate instances; you revive each other, but that’s the extent of the interaction. You can also set up course races, where you see who makes it to the flagpole first, but while these challenges are enjoyable, they take away what makes Super Mario Bros. Wonder so good in the first place. My favorite moments in Super Mario Bros. Wonder came when I was taking my time finding secrets or enjoying Wonder Effects rather than speedrunning.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder surprises and delights from the moment you turn on the game. Though the gameplay feels familiar, Nintendo’s ability to iterate on the established formula in unique ways kept me on my toes throughout the journey all the way up to the memorable final battle. After all this time, I thought I had a grasp on the breadth of the tricks the 2D Mario series had up its sleeve, but that Super Mario Bros. Wonder so consistently surprised me speaks to just how much gas is left in the iconic franchise’s tank.

Score: 9.25

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