Alan Wake 2 Is an Action Game That HATES Action

Alan Wake looks like a modern survival-horror action game.
It has guns. Enemies. Combat systems. Boss encounters. And yet, everything about Alan Wake 2 seems actively disappointed when you try to play it like one. It's almost like it's an action game that hates action...in a good way.

In this video, I break down how Alan Wake and Alan Wake II treats action as an interruption rather than a reward — from awkward combat pacing and limited resources to constant tonal shifts, narrative interruptions, and moments where the game feels like it’s politely asking you not to enjoy the violence.

This isn’t a traditional review or a scorecard.
It’s a funny, slightly unhinged deep dive into a big-budget game that feels strangely hostile to the genre it appears to belong to.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – An Action Game That Hates Action
01:15 – The Expectation Trap
03:30 – Action as Friction
05:05 – The Flashlight Lie
07:13 – You are not in control
08:21 – Two Protagonists, No Mastery
09:31 – Interrupting the Game on Purpose
10:37 -- The Alan Wake II full breakdown

If you like:
Weird story-driven games
Video essays with opinions
Games that take risks (and sometimes trip over them)
Commentary that doesn’t take itself too seriously
Y
ou’ll probably feel at home here.
Follow us at:
Web: adventuregamehotspot.com
Discord:   / discord  
FB: adventure Game Hotspot
IG: adventure_game_hotspot
Twitter: @aghotspot
Threads: adventure_game_hotspot
Mastodon: @AGH@mastodon.gamedev.place
BlueSky: @aghotspot.bsky.social
#alanwake #alanwake2 #horrorgame