I loved the first Alan Wake game, and though I was excited for this game, I was a bit hesitant, too. I wasn't sure if they could make something that could do what the first game did. Not only do I think that built on what the first game did, but I think it improved on it.

This game was pretty incredible. The story drew me in from the beginning and didn't let me go until the end. The characters were all complex and had a good deal of development over the course of the game. I already loved Alan, but Saga was also an incredible new protagonist who filled in the role of dual protagonist so well. From the main characters to the random side characters they all felt so fleshed out and complete.

The game looks incredible, it sounds incredible. It has a kick ass soundtrack, including one of my favorite music moments in gaming ever (Herald of Darkness). The Old Gods of Asgard are the best fictional band.

The weakest area for me was probably the combat gameplay, but I was so invested into getting to whatever the next plot point was, that I was always willing to power through it.

I expected to like it, and even expected to love it, but I wasn't expecting it to hit quite as hard as it did. A masterpiece.

I'd be hard pressed to think of a game in recent memory that has made me as immersed as this. I figured I'd pick this up and play it a bit, but 180ish hours later (so far), this game destroyed any expectations I had of it.

I hadn't played any of Larian's previous games, but I'm going to have to remedy that pretty soon. It's rare that I play a game that when I'm not playing it, I'm either thinking about it, or watch videos about it. While I was playing it, though I was always enjoying what was happening, I was always wondering how things would go if I played something a little bit differently, which always had me thinking of a couple of playthroughs I want to do of it.

All of the companions are great, and I was always happy whenever I had a new interaction with them , or had idle banter between them while traveling. I liked most of their stories, and one of the only disappointments I had was that one of the characters who was with me almost the entire time didn't really seem to get an ending. The score and music of the game are also fantastic. I was always impressed with how well the score fit whatever scenario I was in, and some of the songs made for some of my favorite moments in recent gaming memory, possibly ever.

Easy recommendation from me.