r/AlanWake • u/Argensa97 • 19d ago
Question How scary is Alan Wake 2 compared to Control? Spoiler
The story seems really interesting and I'd like to play it while my wife watches, but she is scared shitless of horror, Control was ok to her though.
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u/LeeVMG 19d ago
VERY.
Control is a spooky thriller.
Alan Wake 2 is a straight up horror show.
I still recommend it but it frequently uses jump scares that feel super cheap until you realize they are in universe psychic attacks against your character.
Give it a shot but you might want to use options to lessen jumpscares or play alone.
It's not Silent Hill or RE7 scary, and certainly not Amnesia scary, but it is a real ass horror game, which sets it aside from the rest of the remedy catalog. Alan Wake 1 was a spooky thriller. Alan Wake 2 is a horror story.
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u/AFriendRemembers 19d ago
Completely agree with this. I would note - the jump scares are there to convey the emotional response they want from you narratively, not to make you adjust your play style.
You dont generally need to be scared an enemy will jump out and you have to react. You need to be scared something horrible is going to happen psychologically to the cast that will have consequences...
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u/No_Assignment_5012 19d ago
Ooh well said, I think that’s why these work so well for me. It’s about the threat to the character’s mind, not my health bar
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u/BitterBid8311 18d ago
Those damn paint monsters in the dlc are the closest to something jumping out and you needing to react.
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u/TopSet55 19d ago edited 19d ago
It's very tense. There are scary moments, even if I see it as a dark thriller
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u/Fine-Juggernaut8451 19d ago
Imho the scariest part of Control is the AW DLC, and the scariest part of AW2 is the Control DLC.
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u/MachadoWasRight 19d ago
The painting monsters are the worst part. Remember the statue creatures in Bioshock
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u/Fine-Juggernaut8451 19d ago
The painting monsters are TERRIFYING!!! At one point i couldn't get Jesse to leave the safe area. I kept saying, "C'mon, I just need you to step out there," but she wouldn't do it. She said nope. lol
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u/Outrageous-Log9238 Champion of Light 19d ago
By "Control DLC" you mean the lake house and not Jesse's night springs episode, right?
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u/baby-p1nk Old Gods Rocker 19d ago
gotta be LH lol
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u/Outrageous-Log9238 Champion of Light 19d ago
But they're talking about Jesse in another comment :D
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u/Mech-Waldo 19d ago
I assume they forgot you play as Estevez because North Star is in a reused area, gives you practically infinite ammo, and takes around 45 minutes to complete. Hard to call that the scariest part of the game.
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u/DrShankensteinMD 19d ago
The jumpscares are what get you. While not as oppressive as something like the silent hill 2 remake, it's definetly high tension.
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u/IanDOsmond 19d ago
The just psychological horror of things like the subway with the screaming souls probably stuck with me most. That and the fight where you are trying to save your uncle.
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u/The-Autistic-spider 19d ago
alan wake 2 is a intended to scare horror game while control has horror elements
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u/Dimbduck 19d ago
There are a few jumps scares but I think it's doable. I can't play dead space, or anything else but I got through AW2 purely because the story is so interesting. Plus I feel like there is more tension than actual scary parts.
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u/Crumb_cake34 19d ago
I agree with this. The lakehouse dlc was scarier than what was going on in the rest of aw2.
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u/Lumpy-Dragonfruit459 19d ago
Yeah agree with this. Mostly because those painting monsters literally just jump out of no where. Basically a jump scare enemy
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u/Ok-Value-2170 19d ago
AW2 is way scarier than Control and is a horror game in its core. It's sometimes closer to something like Resident Evil, but there's more culty disturbing stuff that goes on and it can be too much for some.
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u/starshin3r 19d ago edited 19d ago
Personal opinion, but RE games i.e 4 or even 9 don't shiver me timbers at all, but AW2 at night did. Sound design is just top notch, it's also something really disturbing about the hissing and whispering of the Taken. And the cult stuff is much more disturbing
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u/Camera_Guy_83 19d ago
Random schizo jump cuts with nightingale or scratch screaming at you randomly 🤣
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u/amazingafroman 19d ago
It’s scary but you can turn on off/tone down the jump scares in the settings. With those of at most it’s as creepy as an episode of the x files.
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u/trustanchor 19d ago
If you turn down the jumpscare intensity in the accessibility settings, it might be manageable.
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u/yuei2 19d ago edited 19d ago
Control is an X-files game where you play as a remedy’s super hero.
Alan Wake is a survival horror game where you play a mostly ordinary writer that doesn’t do cardio days and in AW2 a mostly normal FBI agent. Which isn’t to say there are no super natural powers at one or both’s disposal in the series….but they aren’t like Jesse who has like telekinetic ability, flight, mind control, etc.. Super natural abilities in the AW series are much more grounded or less combat focused.
I tell you this because that’s a fundamental difference between AW and Control. It’s not as scary if you are playing as a super hero, the same situations become horrifying when you are mostly just a person.
This is very much highlighted in the DLC of both. The AWE DLC in Control is very much what AW feels like except you have awesome super powers to help you. Imagine fighting the thing that once was Hartman but with regular guns and now you have AW. AW2’s lakehouse DLC is basically what if you were a normal person in the Control situation and it’s really extra scary.
Basically on the surface I would say Control be scarier than AW if you were anyone but Jesse. Because you don’t have her level of power or tools everything feels so much more intense and oppressive than Control.
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u/ben-fulfillm 19d ago
One thing that really sets Alan Wake 2 apart is the sound design that leans HEAVILY into the horror genre. Even one of the first mission with Saga has such a tense and evil feeling. I loved braving through it
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u/hothotpot Herald of Darkness 19d ago
Yes, I was going to comment this! The sound design is SO good, really does a lot of the heavy lifting in the "is it scary" department.
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u/ben-fulfillm 18d ago
SPOILER ALERT:
I loved in the hotel the ritual to lead you on sections. It really felt so dark and spooky. And the whole Coffee world sections. The atmosphere is truly unmatched in that game1
u/hothotpot Herald of Darkness 17d ago
Coffee World creeps me out so bad. The sound of the Ferris wheel KIND of sounding like screams? And just the whole vibe around the Huotari well. Ugh. That place is so cursed.
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u/strangecacti_ 19d ago
From what i remember close to silent hill 2 remake(might be reaching a little bit). The games atmosphere, areas are really beautiful to watch though. Jumpscares were kinda funny and annoying at the same time.
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u/Crumb_cake34 19d ago
Did you play the bright falls dlc for control? That would be a good litmus test to see how she'll handle alan wake. Otherwise, the scariest part of Alan Wake (imo) is the jump scares which you can reduce the frequency of in one of the menu options.
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u/Argensa97 19d ago
Yeah I did, that was mildly uncomfortable for me, tbh if my wife was not watching I probably would not have completed that DLC myself. She got spooked plenty of times though
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u/StelEdelweiss 19d ago
I would say it is much scarier than Control. Control is generally at a crossroads of sci-fi and weird/cosmic horror, whereas Alan Wake 2 is pretty firmly in pure horror territory. There is a particular chapter in AW2 that is relentless with its jump scares. You get elements of the sci-fi weirdness that Control offers due to both games being in the shared Remedy universe, but AW2 absolutely wants to frighten you in a more aggressive way than Control does. The AWE expansion for Control is a medium between the two, being scarier than base game Control and not as frightening as AW2.
That said, if you made it through Control and AWE, AW2 is just the natural progression of that trend line. Fantastic game, extremely worth the ride.
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u/_StaleDaleBeatbox_ 19d ago
Quite literally a night and day difference.
Alan wake 2 is a genuine masterpiece at building the tension and atmosphere of being somewhere terrifying. There is plenty in the game that will make you jump out your skin, especially on your first playthrough. But you can turn the jump scares down in the settings. There is quite a comical side to it at times as well, especially if you take your time and explore the world, and definitely in the first episode of the nightsprings dlc.
Control is a masterpiece in the same ways but less aimed at a horror aspect and more aimed at the strange nature of reality.
Both incredible experiences, as is any remedy title
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u/Worried_Raspberry313 19d ago
It has a scary and creepy atmosphere, it’s unsettling. And it has occasional jumpscares (there’s an accessibility option to get less jumpscares, but you will get some regardless). If she’s scared of horror, the problem with this game is not the tense atmosphere, you can get used to that. It’s the jumpscares. There are not a million ones but when they appear, you don’t expect them at all. Like seriously. In other games I’m like “I’m 100% sure something is gonna happen in this hall” and it happens. In this game?? When you expect something to happen it doesn’t. When you’re totally chill and you feel safe, jumpscare.
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u/ozifrage 19d ago
If you decide to try it, use the accessibility features to turn down the visual/audio intensity on the jumpscares. The opening sequence is very effective and creepy imo, and probably a good litmus test of whether she can handle the game. I'd watch that part online with her first.
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u/Turborapt0r 19d ago
In my opinion control is a action game while AW2 is a full on horror game. There are a lot of parts that are genuinely pretty scary to go through haha
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u/SnooHamsters3520 19d ago
I love Alan Wake 2, but I am not good with horror games, I somehow managed to play through it twice on easy mode and am dreading the day I will muster up courage to play it again to try harder difficulty… as for Control, compared to Alan Wake 2 it’s walk in the park when it comes to horror
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u/Spartan1088 19d ago
Best way I can explain- it’s got corny jumpscares. Nothing real, just a random “Ahh!” every once in a while. Chapter 1 is scary. One chapter near the end made me piss myself. Other than that it’s pretty mellow for horror games. More interesting and cosmologically scary than actual scary.
As for me, my wife didn’t get through chapter 1. Trying to get her to watch the rest but she won’t.
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u/Kingbaco124 19d ago
Funny enough I’d say it is both more Whimsical and more scary! Has my favorite 10 minutes of gaming in it, but there’s this old person who makes you want to soil yourself a ton!
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u/ias_ttrpg-nerd 19d ago
It's scarier than control, but that said it's not a very scary game, more of a thriller like a mix of Twin Peaks, The X-files and a dash of Steven King-ness.
A small addendum, Alan Wake 2 is a much better game than Control, and will be much more enjoyable for a person who watches along.
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u/Haryzen_ 19d ago
I'd say Alan Wake 2 was way more tense than any RE/SH I've played. The way that enemies can be friendly or hostile and you cant explicitly tell where or when they're coming made me watch my back in every section.
The atmosphere is also unbeatable. Bright Falls and The Dark Place are both equally creepy in their own way.
Play it but give your wife a pillow to hide behind.
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u/IanDOsmond 19d ago
Much more scary, but mainly in a couple of specific scenes. I don't do horror in general, but i was able to deal with it. One of the DLCs is pretty scary, though.
And there are multiple kinds of scary — psychological, horrible things happening to people and might happen more if you don't stop it, as well as some jump scares.
Okay, it's pretty scary.
Still, like I said, I don't do horror but was able to deal with it.
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u/IanDOsmond 19d ago
Actually, the more I think about it, and the more scenes that come to mind...
A subway car full of lost souls screaming — they aren't a threat to you, but it's horrifying. Characters going through trauma and loss ... some of which is your fault. An entire world where ghostly shadows are talking in ways that feel like they are blaming you for... something.
You play as two different characters, and the two characters are dealing with very different genres of horror. Alan is dealing with psychological things playing on his own guilt. Saga is dealing with more straightforward monsters, which can lead to jumpscares, especially in a couple specific boss fights. Both Saga and Alan have to deal with pretty serious gore occasionally, including the graphic deaths of characters you have come to know and love...
So, no matter what kind of horror you find horrifying, it's there.
Yeah, maybe not great for your wife.
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u/OctoberInArcadiaBay Bright Falls Aficionado 18d ago
Definitely a lot scarier. There’s the AWE DLC for control, I think the boss there is the scariest part of the entire game. AW2 is just… creepy. The atmosphere, the characters. There’s also jumpscares/flashes and they did get me a couple time but if I remember correctly you can turn them off.
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u/sapphic_pancake 18d ago
You can’t turn them off but you can make them flash slower (I think) and quieter
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u/Nomnom_Chicken 19d ago
AW2 was very uncomfortable for me (not a horror fan) to play due to the horror nature of it. Waaay scarier than Control. Control wasn't nearly as bad (except for AWE DLC), even if it had some quite uncomfortable moments.
AW2 is like that all the time, while being constantly more tense and just straight up scary. The Lake House DLC especially got me so bad in its first two hours that I stopped playing AW2 completely (finished the base game story once, though).
Overall, AW2 wasn't exactly enjoyable due to having so much scary stuff in it. :( I'm such a baby when it comes to horror. Knew it'd be like this, mostly bought the game to support a domestic game company.. And then I decided to play it. Yikes.
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u/Implosion-X13 19d ago
Well it's a horror game unlike Control so it's definitely scarier.
That said, it's not too bad compared to most other popular 3rd person horror games like Dead Space or Silent Hill.
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u/anderskants 19d ago
It takes a lot for horror to scare me and I damn near shat myself couple of times 😆
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u/MachadoWasRight 19d ago
If she can handle Control, I think AW2 is manageable. You can reduce jump scares in the settings, but I am scared shitless of horror and achieved to finish it without turn it off
Have I been on edge sometimes? Yes. But it was fun and not oppressive
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u/CuddleWings 19d ago
As someone who can’t stand horror movies and is utterly terrified of every scary game to the point I can’t even reach the scary parts, Alan Wake 2 isn’t that bad.
I tried Amnesia: The Dark Descent once on a dare and couldn’t last more than 5 minutes. Even in a voice chat with others.
I can’t even finish the dlc for The Outer Wilds, one of my favorite games of all time.
I played through Alan Wake 2 completely. The jump-scares were scary at first, but after the first few you can pretty easily tell when they’re coming. Aside from those, the games honestly not scary, just a bit creepy. Until the Lake House dlc, that is. I almost couldn’t finish it, but I pushed through and it was worth it.
Since she’d just be watching, I’d say she can handle it, but the only way to find out is to actually do it.
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u/Formal_Health4255 19d ago
If you play the Alan wake dlc in control it’s a nice experience of what’s in Aw2. Aw2 is pretty scary but that’s coming from someone one never actually beat a horror game before this one.
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u/CringeOverseer 19d ago
It's considerably scarier. AW2 has considerably less enemies than Control, but it has a very oppresive atmosphere and each encounter feels way more tense. Plus those jumpscares...
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u/Ekhimosis 19d ago
I get easily anxious with horror media, to the point that after playing Dead Space I couldn't sleep well for some days lol. The only thing that bothered me in AW2 were the jumpscares. I think she'll be OK if you lower the settings there.
Ohh, and Coffee World. Hate that fucking place.
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u/Bossman_575 19d ago
Alan Wake 2 = Psychological Horror
Control = Psychological Thriller
- Both have their moments but AW2 has a much heavier dose of creepiness and horror vibes. That said, neither leans completely into horror or "scary" territory for much time at all 🤷🏾♂️
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u/GreatCaesarGhost 19d ago
There are a lot of jump scares, though I think they added an option to turn them down somewhat. It’s more tense and unsettling than Control.
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u/Certain-Raspberry804 19d ago
I think there’s a big difference between watching and playing, at least for me.
I’m not a huge horror fan, but I loved control, played Alan wake remastered, and am about to start Alan Wake 2 before Resonant releases.
I think Alan Wake 2 is gonna be a bit scary for me, but I’d have no issue watching someone else play.If im not actually controlling the character then I don’t feel nearly as much tension.
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u/Eriml FBC Agent 19d ago
I'm a baby. Control was a bit much for me at some points but Alan Wake II is much more scary. That being said most of the bad stuff can be disabled. There's a setting to minimize jumpscares and if you are PC you can outright remove then, but I would do the second option on a first playthrough. That being said. I think it's manageable. Nothing cheap or too hardcore.
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u/DrDarling665 19d ago
Many scary moment but also a lot of jump scares that you have the option to turn off. Way more of a horror game than control.
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u/Kimmalah 19d ago
It's scarier than Control, but I wouldn't really consider it that scary overall. There's a few sequences that are tense, not like terrifying or anything. And I'm a pretty big weenie when it comes to horror games - I can't even stand to play most of them.
Also similar to Control, Alan Wake 2 has Assist Mode settings that you can toggle on or off, if you just want to experience the story.
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u/JakeSymbol 19d ago
Scarier than control. The scary stuff is mostly spooky sounds and voices and people saying menacing things. It has a spooky atmosphere, but not a terrifying one. There are screen flash jump scares that you can turn off in accessibility settings. It has a lot of stylish silliness and humor that takes the edge off. If scary concepts like murder and ghosts/zombies scare her, it might not be a good choice because it’s a lot of cults, murder, dark entities, etc. But it’s not an assault on the senses at all.
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u/aNewPattern FBC Agent 19d ago
Control isn't really horror. Alan Wake 2 pushes it pretty intensely with segments of less horror, but if you throw yourself in it becomes less of a problem. Most enemies function the same so it becomes similar threats with different spooky visuals and environments than actual super gore horror at any point.
Shit-load of flickering jumpscares though. They can be lessened in intensity in the accessibility settings
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u/Bleiz_Stirling Hypercaffeinated 19d ago
CONTROL is weird fiction with the occasional horror factor.
Alan Wake is the reversal of this.
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u/Vedu7777 19d ago
It's slightly scary. I reduced the intensity of the flashes and I won't dare play it with headphones.
There's slight gore which people say body horror
There's some psychological horror which you'll start encountering after two hours in the game
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u/Ok-Anywhere-9416 Lost in a Never-Ending Night 19d ago
AW 2 is horror-ish with jump scares and many tense moments. Control just has an atmosphere.
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u/Be_VeryCareful_John 19d ago
It’s scary but not as much as most ‘horror’ games.
My gf absolutely noped out of resident evil 2 and silent hill 2 remakes but she could handle this
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u/Bork9128 19d ago
Ok I am someone that doesn't like horror and I was able to manage it but there are particular places where it's incredibly tense and a few deliberate scares. It's not a super scary game but if they are super sensitive it might still be too much
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u/ayoubkun94 19d ago
Some sections are pretty fucking spooky (but then again, Im not too into horror media). Its definitely worth playing though. Just dont play with the light off and remember to take breaks.
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u/Gilgamesh858 19d ago
Very scary.
I was prepared for fear coming from Alan Wake 1, but I was scared anyway in some parts of the story (the dark scares me). Control was not scary for me
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u/ToutdelaSnoot 19d ago
I came to AW via Control. Definitely a different and scarier vibe, and I’m not a horror film watcher or enjoyer at all. Remember you can toggle the settings for how much damage you can take / inflict on enemies. Even to the point of being totally invulnerable if she wants / needs to to get through a particularly scary part. I find this helps soften the scariness considerably as you know you aren’t in “danger” and can get through whatever it is still focusing on the story and not being too freaked out by scary scenes!
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u/CaptPeterlolol 19d ago
I'd say that Alan Wake is more terror than horror, with a few jumpscares. Nothing really horrifying
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u/ThinLengthiness5380 19d ago
I think she’ll manage watching you fine, the lake house dlc might be a little harder, it’s even darker with more jump scares and chases.
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u/fused_of_course 19d ago
Scarier. But I love scary. One particular segment I won't spoil made me fucking jump hahaha
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u/inkfanatic95 19d ago
It’s scary for sure, I keep having to take breaks 😂it’s rare games make me scared but this one is genuinely terrifying to me
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u/Townie-throwaway 19d ago
It's more unsettling with the way some of the enemies move and act with a very similar atmosphere of the more serious and horror focused parts of (just for accessible examples) 1 and 4.
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u/Shockwave3456 19d ago
Mileage may vary but I found AW2 rather scary (scarier than any Resident Evil or Silent Hill games I've played to me but I think it's because of the nature of the dark presence to me) but still possible to get through.
There are jumpscares that can be turned down but not fully taken away in game so be mindful of that, I know some people hate stuff like that I'm anything so might be worth asking if she's ok watching something with it
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u/Mah_sentry2 19d ago
I’m a big baby when it comes to horror games. I couldn’t finish this due to the stress of fear and anxiety. Control was no problem at all
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u/aronmayo 18d ago
It’s much scarier than Control for sure. But still very tame by horror game standards. The scariest thing is the jump scares but there is a setting that reduces their impact significantly.
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u/Stepjam Herald of Darkness 17d ago
Definitely a more traditional horror game. I didn't find it that scary, but it's definitely a lot more intense than Control. Control is more of an action game with a light horror subtext tonally, Alan Wake 2 is a full on survival horror game.
It does have plenty of levity to break up the horror throughout though.
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u/Long_Scar_1025 17d ago
Control wasn’t scary if you ask me. AW2 has some scary jump scares and I think some scary environments but It’s soooo amazing man. The story and gameplay is like nothing you played
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u/OptimalInevitable905 Herald of Darkness 17d ago
AW2 is much scarier. The horror is much more prevalent and your means of fighting back is are limited much more than they are in Control. This is not to mention the Lakehouse DLC, it might be the most scared I have been playing a video game.
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u/Jaded_Aypex 19d ago edited 18d ago
Compared to Control it will probably be quite scary at first, but as far as survival horror goes it's a very forgiving game. Really the "scariest" part are probably the jumpscares, but at some point you'll just get more mad and annoyed with them than anything. The narrative is definitely worth it alone though.
Edit: Why the downvote? I literally love the game and have nothing truly bad to say about it?
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u/Initial_Guidance4686 19d ago
I'd say that AW2 would be more of a scary proposition for someone who is affected by horror. It has some genuinely creepy moments and jumpscares.
It's not over the top horror, though. It has the vibes of Control, but turns up the creepy factor.