Despite its bizarre narrative premise, slow-paced survival horror gameplay, and often avant-garde presentation, Alan Wake 2 is one of the most beloved, crowd-pleasing games of the past few years. Of course, hardcore Remedy fans have held out hope for Alan Wake 2 since its predecessor launched in 2010, which helped whip up excitement for its sequel. But much of the game's success can be explained rather simply: it's just a great game.
And yet, Alan Wake 2 did not meet its sales expectations. In fact, according to Remedy's most recent sales report, the smash-hit horror title has yet to turn a profit—something that may surprise those plugged into games media, which has been singing Alan Wake 2's praises for the past 12 months. One could hypothesize that Alan Wake 2's poor financial performance is due to its inherently experimental and risky nature, which could alienate more casual audiences. While this could very well be a factor contributing to its underwhelming sales, it's likely just a small piece of a much bigger picture. And while there's nothing that Remedy can do to make more people like Alan Wake 2 at this point, there are some steps that are still within its locus of control.
It's Time for Alan Wake 2 to Launch on Steam
Alan Wake 2 Is Still an Epic Games Store Exclusive
The Epic Games Store has been fighting to compete with Steam since the former launched in 2018, and it's been a bit of an uphill battle. Steam established itself quickly and definitively as the de facto PC gaming client years before Epic came onto the scene, and being all-digital, PC gamers have amassed sizable game libraries on Valve's platform. In other words, there's little reason to jump ship to another client like Epic Games Store, but that doesn't mean that Epic isn't trying to entice audiences to spend more time on its side of the fence.
One way the company has done this is through free game giveaways, which offer incredible value for virtually no commitment, but Epic has also struck deals with a number of developers and publishers to make certain games Epic Games Store exclusives. In Remedy's case, Epic helped fund both Control and Alan Wake 2 in exchange for platform exclusivity, keeping both games off Steam and other digital storefronts. There are myriad factors that go into why such a deal may or may not be a smart business decision, but when it comes to Alan Wake 2's disappointing performance, it doesn't seem to have helped.
Control was a timed Epic exclusive. It is now available on Steam.
A Steam Launch Could Greatly Benefit Both Remedy and Gaming Audiences
The fact of the matter is that a lot of players just aren't willing to make their way over to the Epic Games Store for a single game. Sure, those with a vested interest in Alan Wake or Remedy as a whole will be more likely to bite the bullet and buy it on Epic's storefront, but anyone with a more casual interest, or perhaps still on the fence about the game, may not be willing to put up with Epic's comparably subpar user interface, technical performance, and platform-specific bugs. This is to say nothing of Steam Deck users, who have no recourse for playing Alan Wake 2 on their handhelds.
Catering to this segment of the gaming populace would almost certainly mean a significant increase in Alan Wake 2's sales. At the end of the day, Steam is the most significant and well-established PC games client and storefront, and while the Epic Games Store could challenge it for this title one day, that day hasn't come. It may be better for both Epic and Remedy to adjust Alan Wake 2's release strategy accordingly.
Alan Wake 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
- Released
- October 27, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
- Engine
- Northlight Engine
- Franchise
- Alan Wake
WHERE TO PLAY
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.
Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.
Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.
Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- How Long To Beat
- 17 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
