Alan Wake 2

MavericK said:
Damn, this game runs SO bad with any sort of RT on. I don't even really think it makes the graphics that much better than they already are to justify like a 80% performance loss.
Click to expand...

I'm not even going to attempt to play this game until I upgrade my 3080...I'm eyeing the 4080 Super or 4070 Ti Super in early 2024...for me I want the ultimate image quality and in this case it means path tracing (same with Cyberpunk 2077)
 
MavericK said:
Damn, this game runs SO bad with any sort of RT on. I don't even really think it makes the graphics that much better than they already are to justify like a 80% performance loss.
Click to expand...
Forrest area is much more demanding than the town/city areas. I can run low RT with DLSS quality on my 3080 in town or city, but it is a no go in the forest unless you are OK with FPS in the 40s. The path tracing looks nice (medium or higher) but probably requires a 4080 at 1440p with DLSS Quality, but the low setting for RT wasn't worth for me as the loss by running DLSS Quality vs DLAA was much larger than the small image quality improvements gained from running low RT.
 
Hershy said:
So… most folks seem to think the combat is too… easy?

I just spent 30 minutes trying to beat the first boss. I had to bump the difficulty down from Normal to Story in order to prevent myself from having a heart attack.
Click to expand...
I'm too much of a pussy to play at any difficulty higher than story mode, however. This game has a similar problem as Control did. The smoother your frame rate the easier the combat encounter will be. Which sucks because the Saga sections run considerably slower than what you are about to experience.
 
How in the name of god are we supposed to use the damned flashlight to stagger the enemy, or remove the darkness from them?

The mechanic is just plain unintuitive. I’m going through batteries like crazy here. Half the time the flashlight just doesn’t seem to work.

Remedy needs to fix this.
 
Hershy said:
How in the name of god are we supposed to use the damned flashlight to stagger the enemy, or remove the darkness from them?

The mechanic is just plain unintuitive. I’m going through batteries like crazy here. Half the time the flashlight just doesn’t seem to work.

Remedy needs to fix this.
Click to expand...
I think the point is to increase tension and try to teach the player to not resolve to combat as the primary approach to encounters. I could be wrong, though, as I have not played the game. I do know that in the first game it was really generous with batteries, plus the aforementioned recharge mechanic. Perhaps Remedy took criticism of the first game to heart in the sequel and overcorrected instead of balancing it well.
 
Hershy said:
So… most folks seem to think the combat is too… easy?

I just spent 30 minutes trying to beat the first boss. I had to bump the difficulty down from Normal to Story in order to prevent myself from having a heart attack.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's too easy. I'd say it's just about right, but there are odd spikes here and there. Nightingale in particular = way harder than anything before or after. I'm way past that point and nothing else has even been in the ballpark of that fight. There are other encounters with multiple enemies that could also be somewhat challenging, but they're mostly optional. Handgun damage seems to be a total crapshoot, but the shotgun puts most everything down in 1-2 shots. Ditto with the crossbow once you find it. Still, you're often better off just not fighting if you don't have to. Run like hell, keep hitting dodge, and look for lamps. At the very least that can reset the situation and let you figure out if you have to fight or not.
 
Armenius said:
I think the point is to increase tension and try to teach the player to not resolve to combat as the primary approach to encounters. I could be wrong, though, as I have not played the game. I do know that in the first game it was really generous with batteries, plus the aforementioned recharge mechanic. Perhaps Remedy took criticism of the first game to heart in the sequel and overcorrected instead of balancing it well.
Click to expand...
They've been over correcting in that regard since the dlc of the first one.
 
Domingo said:
I don't think it's too easy. I'd say it's just about right, but there are odd spikes here and there. Nightingale in particular = way harder than anything before or after. I'm way past that point and nothing else has even been in the ballpark of that fight. There are other encounters with multiple enemies that could also be somewhat challenging, but they're mostly optional. Handgun damage seems to be a total crapshoot, but the shotgun puts most everything down in 1-2 shots. Ditto with the crossbow once you find it. Still, you're often better off just not fighting if you don't have to. Run like hell, keep hitting dodge, and look for lamps. At the very least that can reset the situation and let you figure out if you have to fight or not.
Click to expand...
Wait - what? We don’t have to engage in combat?
 
Hershy said:
Wait - what? We don’t have to engage in combat?
Click to expand...

Most of the time you don't. For instance, the wolves roaming cauldron lake. You can fight them, or you can just haul ass from light source to light source dodging their attacks. There's no XP in the game, so there's no real reason to fight them if you don't have to. Occasionally some of them drop supplies, but it's rare. You use more resources fighting than you get back and the game dishes out healing items left and right. Why waste your ammo when you can just dodge a few times and heal later?
Ditto with the shadows in the subway. Most of them can be killed by your flashlight (without your gun), but you're wasting batteries by even bothering. Batteries are the least common resource. Just run by them and dodge here and there to be safe. There are some situations where you seemingly either have to fight or the game REALLY wants you to. That usually happens when 2-3 shadows are close together and coming forward vs. standing still. In those instances, give 'em the flashlight followed by the shotgun.
 
One of the characters in the game really resembles the lead writer - did anybody else notice the resemblance?
 
Hershy said:
One of the characters in the game really resembles the lead writer - did anybody else notice the resemblance?
Click to expand...

That's also Max Payne. I can't unsee that weird scowl from one of the original versions of 3DMark. Gotta love that since the dev team is Finnish they just went all in and made a Finnish town in Washington.
 
There are actually pockets of Nordic countries in the northwest, I just visited one (Poulsbo) that is Norwegian.
 
Hershy said:
One of the characters in the game really resembles the lead writer - did anybody else notice the resemblance?
Click to expand...
they always do....
youtubers have been covering how all the best writers self-insert ;)
 
I recommend stretching to warm up and copious amounts of lube. Or making your protagonists immediately forget meeting you at the bar after you dispense valuable exposition that you may have forgotten to give to them earlier in the story.
 
Domingo said:
That's also Max Payne. I can't unsee that weird scowl from one of the original versions of 3DMark. Gotta love that since the dev team is Finnish they just went all in and made a Finnish town in Washington.
Click to expand...
The face model and motion capture model for the Alan Wake series actually isn't Sam Lake. It's a Finnish actor named Iikka Villi.
1699560878823.png


Max Payne in the first two games was literally a digital scan of a Sam Lake photo, though. That was upgraded to a full 3D scan in the third game.
1699560993878.png
 
how much of a difference is there in visual fidelity in Alan Wake 2 with ray-tracing maxed out versus path tracing?...I guess the same can be asked with Cyberpunk 2077 Overdrive Mode...I know path tracing is more realistic but realistic doesn't always mean better when it comes to video game graphics...some of the Cyberpunk path tracing screenshots looked a bit odd
 
polonyc2 said:
how much of a difference is there in visual fidelity in Alan Wake 2 with ray-tracing maxed out versus path tracing?...I guess the same can be asked with Cyberpunk 2077 Overdrive Mode...I know path tracing is more realistic but realistic doesn't always mean better when it comes to video game graphics...some of the Cyberpunk path tracing screenshots looked a bit odd
Click to expand...
The same goes for normal ray tracing. Sometimes, approximated approach of rasterization can look more pleasing.
WIth that being said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you ask what looks good, all you going to get are just opinions. RT (and PT for that matter) isn't about looking more pleasing.
 
Tactlesss said:
I recommend stretching to warm up and copious amounts of lube. Or making your protagonists immediately forget meeting you at the bar after you dispense valuable exposition that you may have forgotten to give to them earlier in the story.
Click to expand...
Tactless….
 
Damn, I really got tired of the flashlight. It should have been a Headlamp that's always on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: t1k
like this
is it possible to get over 30fps with my RTX 3080 at 1440p with path tracing enabled and DLSS Quality?
 
Hershy said:
Tactless….
Click to expand...
Not a Clive Cussler fan I guess.

Seriously though. There's a moment in the opening hours of the game where Saga is talking to Casey about her daughter, and Casey retorts with a rhetorical question about where said daughter gets her personality from.
Saga and Casey proceed to take synchronized sips of coffee.

Besides the basic premise of twin peaks, I really don't know how or what goes down so the following observation might be old hat.

Max Payne only looked like Sam Lake for the first one. Max Payne 2 had a different character model. As someone else noted. Max Payne 3 has a different, different model. Alex Casey looking like Sam Lake doesn't just solve a practical problem. Its not just an Easter egg for long time fans. I'm not going to finish this line of thought completely because I'm not far enough to know the exact story reasons.
I just love that Sam Lake and Saga are both responsible for her daughter's personality. Thus Casey and Saga taking the synchronized sips.
 
Completed it this weekend. Visuals were top notch and in some areas arguably the best ever in a video game (despite the northlight engine's tendency to output a slightly blurry image made worse by DLSS). Gameplay (third person shooter) was mid tier clunky but good enough for the exploration and plot which the game was more focused on. Unlike most I actually enjoyed the use of the story board, placing and connecting clues on it. Also enjoyed Saga's story more than Alan's, because hers is mostly grounded in reality.

It's development was clearly and heavily influenced by other titles (like Resident Evil). For fans of the Remedy Universe it's a must buy. If you haven't picked it up yet, I'd say it's worth the experience when it reaches 25-30 bucks.
 
As I've gotten further (I'm done with Saga's story, still plugging away at Alan's), I've grown to enjoy the game much more. I think I just really didn't like Alan's initial area. The gameplay gets better as you get more weapons and as you get use to how the game works, too. It's more RE4'ish.

I still think they're super stingy with batteries, although I've noticed that reloading the game fills your flashlight no matter how low it is. Not sure if that's a bug or intentional, but I've been taking advantage whenever I find a new save room. That also makes wandering enemies disappear, too. Since there's no point to fighting 90% of enemies, that makes hunting for items much easier. I just wish they always dropped ammo/batteries and then I'd be more apt to actually fight them, though.

The production values for this game are through the roof. Even if it isn't your style of game, it's hard not to be impressed with the effort and polish the devs put in.
 
I’ve finally gotten around to playing this… and I love it… Remedy is obviously still Remedy, which is great… they’ve retained their talent… that’s great… but it would take me ten playthroughs to decipher this story and what’s happening here. Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. It’s a little too clever for me.

I still love the game though. I really hope this game does well financially.
 
Domingo said:
As I've gotten further (I'm done with Saga's story, still plugging away at Alan's), I've grown to enjoy the game much more. I think I just really didn't like Alan's initial area. The gameplay gets better as you get more weapons and as you get use to how the game works, too. It's more RE4'ish.

I still think they're super stingy with batteries, although I've noticed that reloading the game fills your flashlight no matter how low it is. Not sure if that's a bug or intentional, but I've been taking advantage whenever I find a new save room. That also makes wandering enemies disappear, too. Since there's no point to fighting 90% of enemies, that makes hunting for items much easier. I just wish they always dropped ammo/batteries and then I'd be more apt to actually fight them, though.

The production values for this game are through the roof. Even if it isn't your style of game, it's hard not to be impressed with the effort and polish the devs put in.
Click to expand...

I have finished Saga's story yesterday. I wasn't even half way through upgrading the weapons.. It feels like I've never really progressed in the game and the enemies were dumb also allowing to bypass them..

The whole game is just wandering around, its a cool story game that reminded me Max Payne.
 
hmz said:
I have finished Saga's story yesterday. I wasn't even half way through upgrading the weapons.. It feels like I've never really progressed in the game and the enemies were dumb also allowing to bypass them..
Click to expand...

Based on the number of lunchboxes in the game you don't really have the ability to upgrade them all. You can max out one and put 1-2 points into the others, but that's all. Several of the upgrades felt like a total waste of time to me. With the amount of ammo in the game it feels pretty ridiculous making my guns full-auto. You don't get it until pretty late, but the rifle was the only gun I ever needed once I found it. I just wish it was smaller. Not being able to ditch certain items (rocket flares, trinkets, and old guns) made my inventory constantly bloated.
 
I think this should win GOTY award for worst writing in a game/movie/tv series.
I am still trying my best to play this game but boy is it painful.
 
Well if you like people keep repeating the same shit over and over then yeah but I thought Starfield at least people were not on shrooms. MW3 is what it is. It is quite a bad time in SP but has redemption in MP gameplay. This one, I am not sure. I don't like the gameplay, I don't like the story (seems exactly same as last time but with worse writing - writer was writing, word, dark presence fucked my wife, scratch likes my balls etc.). I don't know, I just can't listen to this nonsensical dribble. There is nothing original anymore about manuscript pages changing reality and some of the absurdity (like janitor singing etc.) is just not doing it for me.

Coming to gameplay it is a fucking chore to play. It's uninspired, less action, more stupid puzzles (which are borderline insulting my intelligence most of the time), and flashlight that is somehow worse than last outing. It's just a bad time altogether. Compare to that Starfield looks like a masterpiece even with constant loading nonsense and planet scanning BS that is a waste of time. COD MW3 MP is a great time (I love corridor shooters with idiots).

So yeah, different strokes. Only reason I am pushing to finish it is because I bought it day 1 and I normally try to finish all day 1 purchases. Force of habit but this is really tempting me to just give up and move on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: horse
like this
KickAssCop said:
Well if you like people keep repeating the same shit over and over then yeah but I thought Starfield at least people were not on shrooms. MW3 is what it is. It is quite a bad time in SP but has redemption in MP gameplay. This one, I am not sure. I don't like the gameplay, I don't like the story (seems exactly same as last time but with worse writing - writer was writing, word, dark presence fucked my wife, scratch likes my balls etc.). I don't know, I just can't listen to this nonsensical dribble. There is nothing original anymore about manuscript pages changing reality and some of the absurdity (like janitor singing etc.) is just not doing it for me.

Coming to gameplay it is a fucking chore to play. It's uninspired, less action, more stupid puzzles (which are borderline insulting my intelligence most of the time), and flashlight that is somehow worse than last outing. It's just a bad time altogether. Compare to that Starfield looks like a masterpiece even with constant loading nonsense and planet scanning BS that is a waste of time. COD MW3 MP is a great time (I love corridor shooters with idiots).

So yeah, different strokes. Only reason I am pushing to finish it is because I bought it day 1 and I normally try to finish all day 1 purchases. Force of habit but this is really tempting me to just give up and move on.
Click to expand...
Keep in mind, you also need to balance the retail price of this game. It was only $50 compared to $60 for most others - That does mean something.
 
While the sequences with Alan showcase crazy production values and really creative graphical effects, they just aren't very fun to play IMO. Plus, the solution to everything is always "I'll just re-write this!"
I like the half of the game featuring Saga. It's way more in-line with what I liked in the original game and her story at least has walls.
 
Domingo said:
While the sequences with Alan showcase crazy production values and really creative graphical effects, they just aren't very fun to play IMO. Plus, the solution to everything is always "I'll just re-write this!"
I like the half of the game featuring Saga. It's way more in-line with what I liked in the original game and her story at least has walls.
Click to expand...
I was just coming to this thread to post the opposite sentiment.

Around 4 or 5 hours in and you become Alan Wake, and suddenly the game actually feels like Alan Wake. Up until that point, the only "scares" the game offered was literally flashing scary faces on the screen (lol). The detective stuff, the mind room, etc. should've all been scrapped - it's a completely different kind of game that nobody would expect from a game called Alan Wake. It's simply boring, poorly paced, etc. - additionally Saga Anderson is one of the most bland, lame, and crappy characters I've had the displeasure of playing. You could swap her character & personality with the chick from Returnal, or basically any woman lead in any recent videogame.

The "strong woman lead who one-ups her male cohorts" has become a lazy trope shoved into everything, and I will complain about each it every single time. Before you complain that I'm simply being sexist, I'd first point out that this is a top-down agenda that is out in the open. With the gaming industry becoming increasingly dependent on investments which are tied to ESG scores, we are subjected to having our games propagandized simply to attain the finances to have their games created. I'd argue the dystopian financial and corporate structuring that's happening in America is far more interestingly than the entertainment we're given in the modern day. But I digress...

So yea, after 4 or 5 hours, I'm actually starting to have fun with this. The first few hours were entertaining from technical, "B-movie game" perspective, as well as messing with the silly physics. I also figured out that the game actually takes advantage of HGiG, so if your TV has this feature, you should turn it on. It vastly improves the HDR :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top