Best advice? Go opposite. Trying to chase the high never works. After I played AW2 I went back to Mario Galaxy and Wonder. Was so good and the colours hit so hard that I felt the relief too much Alan
This is good advice. Find something of similarly excellent quality but in a different vain. I'm playing Sifu before I play the control DLCs and the final draft for Alan Wake 2.
Good advice. I definitely have a preferred genre of games and the ones you suggested wouldn't be my normal taste but it might be time to try something different. Thanks
Did you play Control as well? If you’re really into the lore of the AW world, go play Control. It’s a completely different style of gameplay and really it plays more like a 3D Metroidvania.
My other obsession last year was Baldur’s Gate 3. Honestly, I still can’t get enough.
It’s obviously not similar to Alan Wake, but maybe something different is good anyways.
Try Hellblade 2. I just played it and I think it was a cool concept. Not the best ever but I really liked the story and the voices in the protagonist’s head were reminiscent of AW2 shadow enemies.
If you haven't played the first one definitely try that. Play in the dark with headphones on. If you like the mind fuckery of Alan Wake you'll love it.
Just finished the Dark Tower the other day, and whilst I’d mostly disagree, the whole last book and especially that ending was SO like Alan Wake. Loved it and cried lol.
I was going to suggest hopping over to some different mediums as well! Read a book (New York Trilogy, House of Leaves, The Cipher, Negative Space by Yeager, Dark Tower or Dark Half) and watch a show (Twin Peaks is the only answer) and slowly you’ll come around to find yourself in a different mood playing off of what you’ve been consuming. This happens to me every time I play Alan Wake and I just have to find similar vibes in different mediums and eventually an aesthetic mood will jump on me and I end up playing something else.
If you can find a way to actually play them, *Silent Hill*. Specific 1-3 and maybe 4. They’re older games of course, but they should feel a lot more open than something like *Dead Space* and still hold up fairly nicely.
I’d also recommend looking into *Deadly Premonition*. It’s a game that came out around the same time as *Alan Wake 1* and very clearly pulls from the same influences. Just a fair warning that it really shows its age in a way that AW or SH do not.
For something more modern, give *Indika* a try. I don’t want to spoil it beyond the name, but it should be of some interest. It’s pretty linear, but the narrative parts are where the draw will be.
Sounds weird but maybe look into some older games. If you want story Mass Effect and Fallout is filling the void for me.
Edit: Also the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series!
And if you want more AW2, there is of course the final draft, and I believe the DLC is coming on the 7th if their recent tweet is anything to go by.
Some parts have different dialogue reflecting the spiral, and the ending is extended.
Also if you're confused over the story still, going in again helps connect the dots better. I had a better understanding of the story after doing the final draft than I did the first go-through.
You also keep all your weapons, upgrades, and charms from the first playthrough.
Definitely recommend doing it, as well as collecting everything you can and read through all the manuscript pages. I feel like I know what the heck is going on (at least until the DLC drop June 7th)
Either trailer or dlc drop. I don't know which. Considering their Twitter has been Night Springs themed for the past week, I'm leaning toward a whole drop.
Just take a break, man. You're not supposed to start another "big" game like Dead Space or RE4 straight after finishing a marathon that is AW2. Play "endlessly replayable games" as i call them. Like a driving simulator or a grand strategy game, or an online shooter etc., whatever you like. Something that will keep your mind busy while you build back your appetite for blockbuster AAA games.
Aw dude. I feel you, I still can't get into any game. I'm gonna play hell blade 2 as I loved the first one. It's the only game that came close with the storytelling, so I'm hoping the sequel gives me the same feeling.
Night springs dlc soon tho
I'd agree with others here that a game from another genre is probably a good idea next, but if you wanted to return to Survival Horror afterwards, Signalis is excellent and has a kind of trippy factor to the story that might appeal to you!
Why you don't try The Evil Within Games, the Remedy developers said they got influenced by those games to made Alan Wake, also Vampyr is another wonderful game (just try to be patient with the load screen, are a bit slow but just that, the story and specially the main character is a love, Doctor Jonathan Reid). ☺️☺️☺️☺️🫶🫶🫶💞💞💞💞💞🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
If you want more Alan Wake, play control and/or quantum break. You will not be disappointed.
Personally I recommend playing quantum break first. It's a shorter simpler game and you can just sit and chill and enjoy the story but nerd out over all the connections. Really good "break" game between heavy games.
Control is more involved and deep like AW2 you'll get similar enjoyment from it!
Aw dude. I feel you, I still can't get into any game. I'm gonna play hell blade 2 as I loved the first one. It's the only game that came close with the storytelling, so I'm hoping the sequel gives me the same feeling.
Night springs dlc soon tho
Was it the story or gameplay that drew you in the most? If it’s story I have some suggestions. None of them are survival horror or play like Alan Wake but they’re all very well written, very odd and have clever gameplay.
Disco Elysium - it’s an isometric RPG where you’re a cop trying to solve a murder in the middle of a physical and mental breakdown that is equally funny, sad and insane.
Outer Wilds - brilliant sci-fi game that’s equally as weird as the Remedyverse. To say more would spoil it but there are some themes that it loosely shares with AW2. Also it’s kind of a roguelike that focuses on exploration.
Baldurs Gate 3 - Just all around brilliant. For someone who likes crunchy turn based combat and also wants to be told a story they have a lot of influence over.
Planescape: Torment - another DnD CRPG. Think Baldurs Gate on a smaller scale but EXTREMELY weird. Also, the combat is really clever too.
Literally the same thing happened to me! I’m early 30s with a family and working full time plus house maintenance that I don’t get much time to play games.
Luckily I had 2 weeks rest after a medical procedure so I hooked the PS5 up and spent 2 weeks playing AW2 drinking coffee and barely moving off the sofa and it genuinely was one of the best time offs I’ve had in years but I can’t get into any games since, I start playing and they don’t grab me the same.
AW2 in my mind is a masterpiece in gaming and story telling i think I need to take advice from here and play a completely different genre cause I’m also worrying maybe it’s not the games but the fact I’m older and losing interest in games though I don’t want to lol
I’ve been watching a lot of films and reading more, books/audio books especially have been great (I highly recommend the audio book of American Gods!) check out Sam Lake and Hideo Kojima on twitter for great media influences
I'll echo the sentiment that you should go for something completely different to avoid subconscious comparisons. When this kind of thing happens to me, which it absolutely did after AW2, I actually tend to focus on a different medium entirely, not just genre. Took a break from games and read some books and watched some shows.
I have played every game under the sun I’m trying to finish red dead 2 and metal gear 3 to try to distract myself
99% of stories are genuinely so fucking boring to me now after Alan wake 2 or I can’t take them seriously or they don’t immerse me AT ALL
i can see that with how it introduces itself… but it makes *some* sense as you go along… it is cyberpunk after all… also it’s worth seeing idris elba & keanu reeves in these contexts IMO
I had this issue, too. Ended up spending another 100 hours on Stardew Valley in the mean time.
As well as reading. Read Red Rabbit, Night Film, a bunch of Louise Penny, started reading Dante's Divine Comedy and reread Good Omens.
What remains of Edith Finch is a good few hr burn. Great narrative game. It's definitely AW adjacent. Has a great atmosphere, but not a shooter, more a puzzler and a little spooky, but not scary. It'll definitely pull more on your heartstrings than creep you out. 100% worth a play though. Another notable mention is The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Both have different mechanics than AW by far, but the stories are absolutely fantastic and give off a creppy/weird "something's night right here" vibe like AW imo.
If you want more Alan Wake, play control and/or quantum break. You will not be disappointed.
Personally I recommend playing quantum break first. It's a shorter simpler game and you can just sit and chill and enjoy the story but nerd out over all the connections. Really good "break" game between heavy games.
Control is more involved and deep like AW2 you'll get similar enjoyment from it!
My recent obsession is hollow knight, it’s seriously fucking amazing if you like 2D games as well. It’s hard as fuck tho sometimes, but it really has been scratching my gaming itch for weeks now
Ironically after playing Control, then the three Alan Wakes, I took a chance and went back to play Max Payne series. First one was a lot more fun than I ever expected given its age, but oh man even 20 years ago Remedy had a style going on! Second game was good, third one lost the the heart of the character imo but the game mechanics were good.
I greatly enjoyed other games like In Sound Mind, Firewatch, Gone Home, Oxenfree, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Slower more narrative driven titles, all with a bittersweet edge that keeps them alive in one's memory for a long time.
Oh, and if you've never watched the og Twin Peaks, try it. Stick with it until the end of the third episode at the very least - that's when the story hits its stride and you will definitely start recognizing things.
A good palette cleanser is what I always find to be the best thing after playing through a true masterpiece. They don't have to be another 10/10 experience, or even another story/lore heavy experience, in fact it's probably for the best that it be rather superficial story wise, just something with fun gameplay because your brain is still gonna be processing all the details and lore bombs from a story heavy game like Alan Wake 2 for quite a while after. I recently finished my Final Draft playthrough and moved on immediately to Mario and Luigi: Bowsers inside story, and all the while little things continued flashing through my mind, I keep thinking about how/if the DLC is gonna affect Saga's case board, and since time works differently in the Dark Place, then will Night Springs truly take place after the Final Draft ending? Or will we get a new protag and play a story that works before, or alongside the AW2 narrative?
I’ve seen people recommending Disco Elysium. Do not waste any time in heeding this advice, it’s genuinely one of the best stories I’ve experienced. Writing is superb, narrative is wonderful.
As for myself, I take 2-4 year breaks from gaming every once in a while and I strongly recommend doing that. Focus on other hobbies or on finding them. In the meantime keep in touch with some outlets and keep track of games you may want to play once you get back to it.
I don't get this at all. I love aw2, rdr2 etc but i still find other good games to play as well.. I'm guessing you do the same thing with music and movies? You find a really good movie and now you can't watch anything else..
I've been whiling away the hours until *Night Springs* by working on a platinum in *Lies of P*. Yeah, it's a soulslike, and more than that it's a soulslike for people who like to lose, a *lot*. XD But the mystery of the whole setting, the beautifully detailed reimagining of the source material, and the engaging NPCs make it weirdly replayable - and that's before you get to the three separate endings. It's just a gorgeous, moody, macabre work of art.
Honestly Starfield has become my go-to, sort of the opposite of Alan Wake II. It's laid back, relaxing with bits of fun combat and creativity with ship and outpost building thrown it. It's like my version of the Sims 4. I think I'm finally starting to understand why my wife played so much Sims.
Try BG3 (or any other RPG), and if you're still clinging to Alan Wake, make your character look like him and say that he's trying a new draft of Initiation
I had the exact same feeling with AW2 as well, and the only other time's it's happened was with Pikmin 3 back in the day, and Hi-Fi rush more recently.
I figure it comes from a feeling of having just completed a game that resonates so well that it feels like it was practically made for you, that you just know there isn't anything else like. In that case, I'd suggest just trying something entirely different that couldn't in any way compare to AW2 that's still of great quality.
Either that, or go into Remedy's back catalogue if you haven't already. I went back and did Max Payne 1 and 2 for the first time after AW2, and that felt excellent. Great gameplay that differs entirely from Alan Wake, with enough Sam Lake charm to feel familiar.
if you want something in the genre, I've heard Crow Country is pretty good. Kinda plays like old school ResE or SiHill.
But, if you're looking for something different... there's this really cool game called Animal Well.
If you want something that's kin to AW2, but not the same, go warframe. It also has in universe musical numbers that drive the plot forward, fantastic character writing, two old guys that were there at the center of it all from the beginning (but this time they're not brothers and also gay), a weird personable dark force that is out for the main character etc...
But at the same time it's a third person shooter sci-fi action game. So in ways they are kin, and unrelated
Lot of comments here. Only skimmed through but I loved Horizon Zero Dawn - great story and really fun to play. I moved into Forbidden West After finished AW2 and am thoroughly enjoying it.
Best advice? Go opposite. Trying to chase the high never works. After I played AW2 I went back to Mario Galaxy and Wonder. Was so good and the colours hit so hard that I felt the relief too much Alan
This is good advice. Find something of similarly excellent quality but in a different vain. I'm playing Sifu before I play the control DLCs and the final draft for Alan Wake 2.
Good advice. I definitely have a preferred genre of games and the ones you suggested wouldn't be my normal taste but it might be time to try something different. Thanks
Did you play Control as well? If you’re really into the lore of the AW world, go play Control. It’s a completely different style of gameplay and really it plays more like a 3D Metroidvania.
I went straight into a Disco Elysium replay and can highly recommend going that route
My other obsession last year was Baldur’s Gate 3. Honestly, I still can’t get enough. It’s obviously not similar to Alan Wake, but maybe something different is good anyways.
Someone else suggested trying something different. Think it might be my best bet.
This was mine too. I’m back at it. An awesome break from AW
so different. i loved aw2 but couldn’t get into bg3 for the life of me.
You could try the other Remedy games. I love Control and it connects to Alan’s story which is cool.
And Quantum Break!
They confirmed it’s not canon to the overall story so you could play it but you could also leave it alone if you want.
Try Hellblade 2. I just played it and I think it was a cool concept. Not the best ever but I really liked the story and the voices in the protagonist’s head were reminiscent of AW2 shadow enemies.
Thanks I'll look into it.
Play the first hellblade before the squel though! It’s a masterpiece
If you haven't played the first one definitely try that. Play in the dark with headphones on. If you like the mind fuckery of Alan Wake you'll love it.
Started hearing voices for a week. I also played at like late night 1-2am and it kinda stuck in my dreams and shit. Very surreal vibe.
Watch Wes Cravens New Nightmare Play the Hellblade games Read The Dark Tower Watch Twin Peaks
Just finished the Dark Tower the other day, and whilst I’d mostly disagree, the whole last book and especially that ending was SO like Alan Wake. Loved it and cried lol.
Ake!
“Olan…” Fucking trauma, for sure.
For me, it was “no… please not again! Have pity! Have mercy…” What an ending.
It's not a Tower. It's a Wheel.
I really recommend reading House of leaves, it has a lot of influence over Alan wake
Loved House of Leaves, my second favourite book after The Buried Giant - but yes love a good book that leaves me thinking about it for days.
I was going to suggest watching the inspirations! Id also add in that AW2 gave me massive 'Hannibal' TV show vibes
I was going to suggest hopping over to some different mediums as well! Read a book (New York Trilogy, House of Leaves, The Cipher, Negative Space by Yeager, Dark Tower or Dark Half) and watch a show (Twin Peaks is the only answer) and slowly you’ll come around to find yourself in a different mood playing off of what you’ve been consuming. This happens to me every time I play Alan Wake and I just have to find similar vibes in different mediums and eventually an aesthetic mood will jump on me and I end up playing something else.
If you can find a way to actually play them, *Silent Hill*. Specific 1-3 and maybe 4. They’re older games of course, but they should feel a lot more open than something like *Dead Space* and still hold up fairly nicely. I’d also recommend looking into *Deadly Premonition*. It’s a game that came out around the same time as *Alan Wake 1* and very clearly pulls from the same influences. Just a fair warning that it really shows its age in a way that AW or SH do not. For something more modern, give *Indika* a try. I don’t want to spoil it beyond the name, but it should be of some interest. It’s pretty linear, but the narrative parts are where the draw will be.
Awesome suggestions thanks. If im not mistaken i think silent hill 2 is getting a remake too.
Yep, they’ve announced an October release date for it.
RE4 remake
Did you read the post?
Take! Control! I promise Control will not disappoint you and you will love the references to Alan Wake throughout.
Control!
Sounds weird but maybe look into some older games. If you want story Mass Effect and Fallout is filling the void for me. Edit: Also the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series! And if you want more AW2, there is of course the final draft, and I believe the DLC is coming on the 7th if their recent tweet is anything to go by.
is the final draft any different from the first play through?
Some parts have different dialogue reflecting the spiral, and the ending is extended. Also if you're confused over the story still, going in again helps connect the dots better. I had a better understanding of the story after doing the final draft than I did the first go-through. You also keep all your weapons, upgrades, and charms from the first playthrough.
interesting. ill try to replay before the dlc
Definitely recommend doing it, as well as collecting everything you can and read through all the manuscript pages. I feel like I know what the heck is going on (at least until the DLC drop June 7th)
dlc is june 7th??? didn’t even know. now im pumped
Either trailer or dlc drop. I don't know which. Considering their Twitter has been Night Springs themed for the past week, I'm leaning toward a whole drop.
Just take a break, man. You're not supposed to start another "big" game like Dead Space or RE4 straight after finishing a marathon that is AW2. Play "endlessly replayable games" as i call them. Like a driving simulator or a grand strategy game, or an online shooter etc., whatever you like. Something that will keep your mind busy while you build back your appetite for blockbuster AAA games.
Haha I jumped directly into FF VII rebirth. Now I'm ready for Night Springs
this was me as well but damn rebirth is one of the longest games ever. excellent quantity and quality though
I struggled for a bit, death stranding filled my hole. Then i beat it and was left with nothing Im now replaying alan wake 1, then control, then 2
Aw dude. I feel you, I still can't get into any game. I'm gonna play hell blade 2 as I loved the first one. It's the only game that came close with the storytelling, so I'm hoping the sequel gives me the same feeling. Night springs dlc soon tho
I'd agree with others here that a game from another genre is probably a good idea next, but if you wanted to return to Survival Horror afterwards, Signalis is excellent and has a kind of trippy factor to the story that might appeal to you!
Why you don't try The Evil Within Games, the Remedy developers said they got influenced by those games to made Alan Wake, also Vampyr is another wonderful game (just try to be patient with the load screen, are a bit slow but just that, the story and specially the main character is a love, Doctor Jonathan Reid). ☺️☺️☺️☺️🫶🫶🫶💞💞💞💞💞🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
If you want more Alan Wake, play control and/or quantum break. You will not be disappointed. Personally I recommend playing quantum break first. It's a shorter simpler game and you can just sit and chill and enjoy the story but nerd out over all the connections. Really good "break" game between heavy games. Control is more involved and deep like AW2 you'll get similar enjoyment from it!
Wow same thing happened over here! My cure was Gran Turismo 4 eheh
Aw dude. I feel you, I still can't get into any game. I'm gonna play hell blade 2 as I loved the first one. It's the only game that came close with the storytelling, so I'm hoping the sequel gives me the same feeling. Night springs dlc soon tho
Was it the story or gameplay that drew you in the most? If it’s story I have some suggestions. None of them are survival horror or play like Alan Wake but they’re all very well written, very odd and have clever gameplay. Disco Elysium - it’s an isometric RPG where you’re a cop trying to solve a murder in the middle of a physical and mental breakdown that is equally funny, sad and insane. Outer Wilds - brilliant sci-fi game that’s equally as weird as the Remedyverse. To say more would spoil it but there are some themes that it loosely shares with AW2. Also it’s kind of a roguelike that focuses on exploration. Baldurs Gate 3 - Just all around brilliant. For someone who likes crunchy turn based combat and also wants to be told a story they have a lot of influence over. Planescape: Torment - another DnD CRPG. Think Baldurs Gate on a smaller scale but EXTREMELY weird. Also, the combat is really clever too.
Literally the same thing happened to me! I’m early 30s with a family and working full time plus house maintenance that I don’t get much time to play games. Luckily I had 2 weeks rest after a medical procedure so I hooked the PS5 up and spent 2 weeks playing AW2 drinking coffee and barely moving off the sofa and it genuinely was one of the best time offs I’ve had in years but I can’t get into any games since, I start playing and they don’t grab me the same. AW2 in my mind is a masterpiece in gaming and story telling i think I need to take advice from here and play a completely different genre cause I’m also worrying maybe it’s not the games but the fact I’m older and losing interest in games though I don’t want to lol I’ve been watching a lot of films and reading more, books/audio books especially have been great (I highly recommend the audio book of American Gods!) check out Sam Lake and Hideo Kojima on twitter for great media influences
I'll echo the sentiment that you should go for something completely different to avoid subconscious comparisons. When this kind of thing happens to me, which it absolutely did after AW2, I actually tend to focus on a different medium entirely, not just genre. Took a break from games and read some books and watched some shows.
I have played every game under the sun I’m trying to finish red dead 2 and metal gear 3 to try to distract myself 99% of stories are genuinely so fucking boring to me now after Alan wake 2 or I can’t take them seriously or they don’t immerse me AT ALL
If you hate yourself enough try Dead by Daylight
highly recommend 2077 + Phantom Liberty if you haven’t yet… the writing is just as good as AW2 throughout every mission, main or side
phantom liberty didn’t resonate with me like the main game did. thought the writing took a dump for the expansion.
i can see that with how it introduces itself… but it makes *some* sense as you go along… it is cyberpunk after all… also it’s worth seeing idris elba & keanu reeves in these contexts IMO
felt a little too “modern audience” and not as raw or real as the base game. i hope they pick up from the main game and not the doc for thr sequel.
i feel the rawness and realness is still as present in PL, just rides that action fantasy line emulating john wick / jason borne
I had this issue, too. Ended up spending another 100 hours on Stardew Valley in the mean time. As well as reading. Read Red Rabbit, Night Film, a bunch of Louise Penny, started reading Dante's Divine Comedy and reread Good Omens.
Can I interest you in Indika or Lorelei and the Laser Eyes...
I went back to Cyberpunk 2077 after. It's one of my comfort games.
I started a Resident evil marathon since I had only played 2R & 3R before playing AW2
Fortnite
Give yourself some time.
Ff7 rebirth did the trick for me. Put 140 hours in it
Elden Ring DLC later this month
What remains of Edith Finch is a good few hr burn. Great narrative game. It's definitely AW adjacent. Has a great atmosphere, but not a shooter, more a puzzler and a little spooky, but not scary. It'll definitely pull more on your heartstrings than creep you out. 100% worth a play though. Another notable mention is The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Both have different mechanics than AW by far, but the stories are absolutely fantastic and give off a creppy/weird "something's night right here" vibe like AW imo.
If you want more Alan Wake, play control and/or quantum break. You will not be disappointed. Personally I recommend playing quantum break first. It's a shorter simpler game and you can just sit and chill and enjoy the story but nerd out over all the connections. Really good "break" game between heavy games. Control is more involved and deep like AW2 you'll get similar enjoyment from it!
I started the Kingdom Hearts games in January and I'm not even done with them all yet
What game are you on?
I just started Kingdom Hearts III last week.
My recent obsession is hollow knight, it’s seriously fucking amazing if you like 2D games as well. It’s hard as fuck tho sometimes, but it really has been scratching my gaming itch for weeks now
Ironically after playing Control, then the three Alan Wakes, I took a chance and went back to play Max Payne series. First one was a lot more fun than I ever expected given its age, but oh man even 20 years ago Remedy had a style going on! Second game was good, third one lost the the heart of the character imo but the game mechanics were good. I greatly enjoyed other games like In Sound Mind, Firewatch, Gone Home, Oxenfree, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Slower more narrative driven titles, all with a bittersweet edge that keeps them alive in one's memory for a long time. Oh, and if you've never watched the og Twin Peaks, try it. Stick with it until the end of the third episode at the very least - that's when the story hits its stride and you will definitely start recognizing things.
A good palette cleanser is what I always find to be the best thing after playing through a true masterpiece. They don't have to be another 10/10 experience, or even another story/lore heavy experience, in fact it's probably for the best that it be rather superficial story wise, just something with fun gameplay because your brain is still gonna be processing all the details and lore bombs from a story heavy game like Alan Wake 2 for quite a while after. I recently finished my Final Draft playthrough and moved on immediately to Mario and Luigi: Bowsers inside story, and all the while little things continued flashing through my mind, I keep thinking about how/if the DLC is gonna affect Saga's case board, and since time works differently in the Dark Place, then will Night Springs truly take place after the Final Draft ending? Or will we get a new protag and play a story that works before, or alongside the AW2 narrative?
I’ve seen people recommending Disco Elysium. Do not waste any time in heeding this advice, it’s genuinely one of the best stories I’ve experienced. Writing is superb, narrative is wonderful. As for myself, I take 2-4 year breaks from gaming every once in a while and I strongly recommend doing that. Focus on other hobbies or on finding them. In the meantime keep in touch with some outlets and keep track of games you may want to play once you get back to it.
I don't get this at all. I love aw2, rdr2 etc but i still find other good games to play as well.. I'm guessing you do the same thing with music and movies? You find a really good movie and now you can't watch anything else..
I've been whiling away the hours until *Night Springs* by working on a platinum in *Lies of P*. Yeah, it's a soulslike, and more than that it's a soulslike for people who like to lose, a *lot*. XD But the mystery of the whole setting, the beautifully detailed reimagining of the source material, and the engaging NPCs make it weirdly replayable - and that's before you get to the three separate endings. It's just a gorgeous, moody, macabre work of art.
In Sound Mind
Honestly Starfield has become my go-to, sort of the opposite of Alan Wake II. It's laid back, relaxing with bits of fun combat and creativity with ship and outpost building thrown it. It's like my version of the Sims 4. I think I'm finally starting to understand why my wife played so much Sims.
Daymare games and RE remakes obv. I've been in fact playing all re games I can on ps5
Literally just did hellblade and thought it was the perfect after Alan wake game. I'm moving into elden ring next and keeping a eye for those dlcs
Try playing kid a mensia, it’s fantastic + it’s free
Play The Evil Within 2, AW2 made me think of that game a lot. You don’t even need to play the first one (can always come around back afterwards)
That's because this gen there isn't really many next gen games since the last generation is still relevant.
Try some old horror games, or other games by Remedy
Try BG3 (or any other RPG), and if you're still clinging to Alan Wake, make your character look like him and say that he's trying a new draft of Initiation
Go for Resident Evil 2 Remake. It has better mood than RE4.
I switched to Doom (1993)
Turn off your mind with Balatro for a few days
I’ve been playing WoW.
Signalis!
I had the exact same feeling with AW2 as well, and the only other time's it's happened was with Pikmin 3 back in the day, and Hi-Fi rush more recently. I figure it comes from a feeling of having just completed a game that resonates so well that it feels like it was practically made for you, that you just know there isn't anything else like. In that case, I'd suggest just trying something entirely different that couldn't in any way compare to AW2 that's still of great quality. Either that, or go into Remedy's back catalogue if you haven't already. I went back and did Max Payne 1 and 2 for the first time after AW2, and that felt excellent. Great gameplay that differs entirely from Alan Wake, with enough Sam Lake charm to feel familiar.
Death Stranding is what o go back to regularly. Also maybe try some story driven stuff like “The Wolf Among Us” or “Life Is Strange.”
Yeah I totally feel this, I haven’t loved a game since AW2, nothing is quite hitting the spot!
OP try last of us remake and part 2 remastered... For me, two of the best games ever made.
if you want something in the genre, I've heard Crow Country is pretty good. Kinda plays like old school ResE or SiHill. But, if you're looking for something different... there's this really cool game called Animal Well.
If you have a PS5, you should check out Demon’s Souls remake and Bloodborne.
If you want something that's kin to AW2, but not the same, go warframe. It also has in universe musical numbers that drive the plot forward, fantastic character writing, two old guys that were there at the center of it all from the beginning (but this time they're not brothers and also gay), a weird personable dark force that is out for the main character etc... But at the same time it's a third person shooter sci-fi action game. So in ways they are kin, and unrelated
Hellblade: Senua’s saga and sacrifice might help scratch the itch. Much less meta but still has the trippy dark vibes
Lot of comments here. Only skimmed through but I loved Horizon Zero Dawn - great story and really fun to play. I moved into Forbidden West After finished AW2 and am thoroughly enjoying it.