A much more polished product than the first and it's all the worse for it. Feels like it exists out of obligation; the studio needing to leverage the success of the first game to keep footing. I'm glad I went back and played these, really illuminates the subtext of Alan Wake with this already feeling like the devs were done with this property. Still it felt good enough to play and 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 polished, so if anything it played like a popcorn movie. I'll never think about it again in earnest, but if it did some good for the devs in the real world then why not.

Also, rest in peace James McCaffrey, these games could get by on your performance alone.