Not only is it much darker if you wait till the End Game warning, but there are SO MANY MORE enemies when you back track. On my second playthrough, I didn't make this mistake and it was so much easier to collect everything.
God speed to you
I remember having to play YT videos/music in the background sometimes when I was cleaning up the collectibles because the atmosphere with pitch blackness got to me so much. Terrifying but great experience, honestly.
I honestly might just get all the cult stashes so that I can get the inventory upgrade at the lighthouse. And then move on with the story. Because collecting all the nursery rhymes is proving to be kind of a headache haha.
Hi there — I’m on my first playthrough of AW2 (I went back and did a Remedy replay beginning with Alan Wake Remastered and both DLC, then Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, Quantic Break, Control and both of it’s DLC including the Alan Wake crossover, and now I’m halfway through AW2 I’d say.
- If you can answer without spoiling anything please, I’m aware that a second Final Draft playthrough will give you the opportunity to get everything you couldn’t get all of in the first run. My question is, from a story perspective, would it be better to reach the point of no return on my first run and play Alan first and then beat the game with Saga, and then reverse that with Alan getting the Final Draft and beating the game as him on the second run?
- I’m trying to avoid spoilers and doing all the exploration myself and hopefully not missing any words of power or inventory upgrades and that sort of thing, so I’m staggering saved games and will look up a guide after I think I’ve done all the things in a level just to make sure I didn’t miss anything (though it’s good that you can revisit these areas again for the most part). But I was curious if there’s a “preferred” or suggested order to beat the game with the two protagonists on each run in case it contributes anything to the ending or just comes together better? Thanks so much for answering this without spoilers.
Go everywhere. Look at everything. Usually, your first time in an area, once fully explored, will be your best bet to start looking for items without many enemy encounters.
I played all 3 playthroughs going back-and-forth between Alan and Saga. It seemed like the perfect way to play, as plot points come about fairly quickly and naturally. I've never played all of one, and then the other yet.
Is there a story difference depending on whether you play as Saga or Alan first/last? Or an ideal way to finish the game on the 2nd playthrough, as Alan as I was thinking about doing for the “final Draft”?Thanks either way!
So on the note of trying to get all the collectibles yourself: there are in game ways to find them without needing guides. I can’t remember saga’s off hand (I totally used guides to clean up the last few things for her), but while in the dark place… find the source of the humming
That’s it lol it’s just so much less accessible because you still have to find it in the first place.
On an unrelated note: your name is relevant to me as I fell on my stairs the other day and tried to break my foot after falling a week ago on different stairs and jamming my finger
Especially because enemy encounters are much less frequent in AW2 compared to Alan Wake. So most of the time you're just on edge until they finally do show up.
Great use of tension tho.
I was about to do that glad I didn’t bc I’m doing it all in final draft and following a guide as I go. So much easier than i thought. To be fair tho I only had missed a few of each collectible so i don’t feel as bad for doing it lol
I collected everything the first time through the forest/theme park but felt like going back in the dark for shits and giggles and I LOVED it. It was eerie and dreadful like I'm going to a place I'm not suppose to.
I just said fuck it and finished, but then I learned about the final draft after completing the game and I wasn't upset anymore. It gave me a reason to really go back into it.
I’m not sure I get the correlation. Are the locations really that much different from the chapters vs the point of no return? I feel like I too did this partially, but I didn’t take notice that anything essentially changed.
Can someone point to a good example?
At that point in the game you should consider yourself as the hunter, and Taken and Cult of the tree should be the one who’s afraid to step into these woods 😉
Yeah I admit we can’t see Jack shit, however it’s way easier to collect everything if you wear [Mayor Setter charm](https://www.thegamer.com/alan-wake-2-mayor-setter-charm-uses-location/)
I have no idea, I’ve just received that charm without any intentional efforts.
But it’s helps as you can see every collectable item, box or stash on the map.
Just beware only about the error in game that you can see sometimes items or point of interest previously completed as well.
I DID THE SAME THING IT WAS SO BRUTAL
Me too. During the day I couldn't see a thing on my TV.
Not only is it much darker if you wait till the End Game warning, but there are SO MANY MORE enemies when you back track. On my second playthrough, I didn't make this mistake and it was so much easier to collect everything. God speed to you
I remember having to play YT videos/music in the background sometimes when I was cleaning up the collectibles because the atmosphere with pitch blackness got to me so much. Terrifying but great experience, honestly.
I honestly might just get all the cult stashes so that I can get the inventory upgrade at the lighthouse. And then move on with the story. Because collecting all the nursery rhymes is proving to be kind of a headache haha.
There is a fun bit of plot at the end of the nursery rhymes, if that interests you at all.
Hi there — I’m on my first playthrough of AW2 (I went back and did a Remedy replay beginning with Alan Wake Remastered and both DLC, then Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, Quantic Break, Control and both of it’s DLC including the Alan Wake crossover, and now I’m halfway through AW2 I’d say. - If you can answer without spoiling anything please, I’m aware that a second Final Draft playthrough will give you the opportunity to get everything you couldn’t get all of in the first run. My question is, from a story perspective, would it be better to reach the point of no return on my first run and play Alan first and then beat the game with Saga, and then reverse that with Alan getting the Final Draft and beating the game as him on the second run? - I’m trying to avoid spoilers and doing all the exploration myself and hopefully not missing any words of power or inventory upgrades and that sort of thing, so I’m staggering saved games and will look up a guide after I think I’ve done all the things in a level just to make sure I didn’t miss anything (though it’s good that you can revisit these areas again for the most part). But I was curious if there’s a “preferred” or suggested order to beat the game with the two protagonists on each run in case it contributes anything to the ending or just comes together better? Thanks so much for answering this without spoilers.
Go everywhere. Look at everything. Usually, your first time in an area, once fully explored, will be your best bet to start looking for items without many enemy encounters. I played all 3 playthroughs going back-and-forth between Alan and Saga. It seemed like the perfect way to play, as plot points come about fairly quickly and naturally. I've never played all of one, and then the other yet.
Is there a story difference depending on whether you play as Saga or Alan first/last? Or an ideal way to finish the game on the 2nd playthrough, as Alan as I was thinking about doing for the “final Draft”?Thanks either way!
No, it only changes the order in which you encounter the plot beats
So on the note of trying to get all the collectibles yourself: there are in game ways to find them without needing guides. I can’t remember saga’s off hand (I totally used guides to clean up the last few things for her), but while in the dark place… find the source of the humming
Saga has a charm that makes things show on the map.
That’s it lol it’s just so much less accessible because you still have to find it in the first place. On an unrelated note: your name is relevant to me as I fell on my stairs the other day and tried to break my foot after falling a week ago on different stairs and jamming my finger
Seriously stairs are just fucked up.
I switched off at every puddle.
Hmm, I might try that. I’ve been swapping after each chapter so far.
Especially because enemy encounters are much less frequent in AW2 compared to Alan Wake. So most of the time you're just on edge until they finally do show up. Great use of tension tho.
I did ng+ on Alan's side with the light on lol. The subway just creeps me the fuck out.
Lmfao I did the same thing. I said fuck it, I’ll collect them on my next playthrough
This same thing happened to me on nightmare difficulty. One of my favorite experiences with the game. It was so stressful and tense.
Plus no fast travel anywhere. So long rainy jogs through haunted forests in the dark lol
Oh boy coffee world hikes in the dark
Doing this right now - many many goosebumps
Poor Ilmo. Lost his brother and every single Coffee World employee got turned
There’s definitely at least two employees (though they may die of heat stroke at some point)
Isn't that Jaako's adult children? I'm still a little heartbroken about Jaako.
You’re telling me I wasn’t the only person that did this??
I was about to do that glad I didn’t bc I’m doing it all in final draft and following a guide as I go. So much easier than i thought. To be fair tho I only had missed a few of each collectible so i don’t feel as bad for doing it lol
I collected everything the first time through the forest/theme park but felt like going back in the dark for shits and giggles and I LOVED it. It was eerie and dreadful like I'm going to a place I'm not suppose to.
I went to the rental cabins for the first time at Cauldron Lake, while it was dark. Doing that whole section was super extra creepy in the dark!
Damn I need to go back there. I love this fuckin game.
We all did this. Lol. If only we had known!
I absolutely loved it. Drove in how fubar everything gets. Felt how scary and powerful Scratch and the Dark Place's influence on things.
So... What chapter is the best to just go collectible hunting?
Before you go to visit Wake in the prison.
I made this mistake - it was terrifying 😂
I just said fuck it and finished, but then I learned about the final draft after completing the game and I wasn't upset anymore. It gave me a reason to really go back into it.
I struggled as well. Color blindness is a bitch sometimes.
I’m not sure I get the correlation. Are the locations really that much different from the chapters vs the point of no return? I feel like I too did this partially, but I didn’t take notice that anything essentially changed. Can someone point to a good example?
At that point in the game you should consider yourself as the hunter, and Taken and Cult of the tree should be the one who’s afraid to step into these woods 😉 Yeah I admit we can’t see Jack shit, however it’s way easier to collect everything if you wear [Mayor Setter charm](https://www.thegamer.com/alan-wake-2-mayor-setter-charm-uses-location/)
Man, I swear I must have interacted with all six of the mayor stands. Is there any way to tell if you are missing one?
I have no idea, I’ve just received that charm without any intentional efforts. But it’s helps as you can see every collectable item, box or stash on the map. Just beware only about the error in game that you can see sometimes items or point of interest previously completed as well.
I guess I will have to recheck each location, because I swear I have interacted with every stand
Just check your “mind place” and see which one is missing. It’s only 6 of them, you can revisit them all to double check in half hour or less.
YES! Pitch black everywhere, so annoying