Alan Wake 2 difficulty settings: Should you choose Story, Normal, or Hard?

Thirteen years after the release of Alan Wake, players now have the chance to return to Bright Falls in Alan Wake 2. As is the case with most games, you get to choose the difficulty level you want to experience as you play Alan Wake 2.

Whether you are new to the world of Alan Wake 2 or a veteran of the series, you might find yourself wondering what level would be best suited to your play style, so we are going to be looking at each difficulty level in more detail so you can make an informed decision as to what choice to make when you begin your playthrough.

The three difficulty levels available in Alan Wake 2

There are three levels that you will be asked to pick from before you begin your journey into the Alan Wake sequel. Those levels are as follows:

• Story
• Normal 
• Hard

Let’s take a look at each of these levels in a little more detail. 

Story 

As the name suggests, the Story difficulty is all about enjoying the narrative of Alan Wake 2 without having to worry about combat being too tough. The combat in Story mode won’t be challenging, so your focus can rest solely on exploring the game world and solving the mysteries plaguing Bright Falls.

In Story difficulty, your weapons will deal a significant amount of damage. This damage is much higher than that found in the other levels. Not only that, but enemies have a significant reduction in the amount of damage that they can deal. This combination of high weapon damage with low damage output from enemies makes for combat that won’t stress you out, leaving you to enjoy the other elements of the game. 

While additional weapons are available in Story difficulty, they aren’t a necessity. That being said, it is still advised you find them anyway, so you can change up your arsenal. The upgrades for weapons and accessories for both Alan and Saga that you can obtain in the game (Words of Power for Alan and Charms for Saga) offer a big boost to your survivability as well, making both deaths and your gamer rage far less likely.

Lastly, you get an abundance of resources in Story, so you don’t have to worry about needing to conserve and organize your inventory to survive.

Beginners to Alan Wake, or to this kind of video game in general, are sure to enjoy the Story level, as they won’t have to worry about the possibility of dying every five minutes. That being said, even if you have experience with the first Alan Wake game—or the other games from Remedy—you may still want to choose Story if you want to play the story but aren’t in the mood for the combat or too many challenging elements.

For a stress-free play-through that lets you enjoy the story without the worry of tough enemies or difficult circumstances, opt for the Story difficulty.

Normal

Normal is a nicely balanced difficulty level that requires players to embrace more challenging combat without being too much to handle. This is the level the game has been tailored towards, so it is the best choice to go for if you want to experience the game as it was intended to be played by the developers.

In Normal difficulty, the combat will pose a challenge, but not to an extreme extent. You will also be encouraged to conserve any resources and items that you come across in order to ensure maximum survivability. Resources will be a lot more scarce, though, so be wary of this as you collect and use them in the game. 

As well as this, it is highly recommended you explore the world thoroughly to find as many extra weapons as you can—including throwable weapons—as it will make surviving your journey much easier. Alan’s Worlds of Power and Saga’s Charms will also be much stronger on Normal difficulty, significantly improving your survival rate.

Beginners and veterans of the Alan Wake series alike can enjoy Normal difficulty, so if you are looking for the ultimate Alan Wake 2 experience as the devs intended, or if you want to experience the most balanced challenge, then Normal is likely the best choice for you.

Hard

Last but not least is the Hard difficulty level, which is a choice likely to be appealing to those experienced in survival horror games or the first Alan Wake game.

It might also catch the attention of particularly brave beginners, but be warned: this mode is going to be far from a walk in the park.

In Hard difficulty, you can expect to face much more challenging combat that will put you through your paces. If you don’t plan and have an idea of how to best leverage your items and resources, you aren’t going to last long in this difficult level. Familiarity with the mechanics of the game is highly suggested before jumping into the Hard level, so it might be best to play through at least some of either the Story or Normal difficulty levels before jumping into Hard.

With this level of difficulty, you also have to deal with your weapons dealing a little less damage whilst enemies will dish out a significantly higher amount of damage, in complete contrast to Story difficulty. Resources are incredibly scarce as well, so prepare to prioritize your finds frequently and use them carefully. Additional weapons and throwable weapons are an absolute must here, as is thinking strategically to pinpoint enemy weaknesses. Saga’s Charms and Alan’s Words of Power will help you out and increase the chances of you getting out of fights alive, so make sure to collect them as you go.

No matter whether you have experience with this kind of video game, the first Alan Wake game or the other games from developers Remedy, it is advised you only tackle the Hard level if you are certain that you are up for a difficult challenge.

You will find this difficulty level a little less brutal if you have experience with the mechanics, but if you are sure you want to try without experience, then at least ensure you are prepared as much as possible for what’s to come.

Final thoughts on the difficulty settings for Alan Wake 2

To sum everything up, Story difficulty is best suited for those who want to experience the narrative of the game without worrying about combat becoming overwhelming, whilst Normal is a balanced level that fits those looking for challenging gameplay whilst still experiencing the story to the fullest.

Hard difficulty is for those who want the most challenging Alan Wake 2 playthrough possible, as well as those who are willing to conserve and maintain their inventory, tactically take down enemies and, of course, deal with the possibility of dying over and over again.

Hopefully, with this information in hand, you should now be ready to make your decision as to what difficulty level will suit you best during your time with Alan Wake 2. All that is left is for you to choose your difficulty and get stuck into the sequel.