Tips

The difficulty in Alan Wake 2 is extreme; consider lowering it if you prioritize experiencing the atmosphere and story over challenging combat. Enemies are bullet sponges and bosses can feel cheap.

Save manually whenever possible, as the checkpointing system is very sparse. Do not rely on autosaves.

Inventory space is limited. Use consumable items to free up space, as items like Hand Flares and especially crossbow bolts (stacking only 4 per slot) can quickly fill your inventory and shoebox.

Healing items are crucial as health does not regenerate automatically. Painkillers are best for combat, Trauma Pads can be used during brief respites, and First Aid Kits (taking two slots) are best stored in the shoebox for use in Break Rooms.

Loot in stashes is fixed, but items in supply containers are semi-randomized to provide what you need. Don't hoard ammo like shotgun shells, as you'll likely find more when low. If a container is empty, leave it for later.

Damage to enemies is significantly reduced unless their Darkness Shield is destroyed with your torch first. This uses a battery charge (one battery yields four charges, or five with an upgrade). The hunting rifle has an upgrade to bypass shields, which is highly recommended. Combining it with the FBC charm can allow one-shot kills on most non-boss enemies.

Weapon upgrades require Manuscript Fragments. There aren't enough fragments to upgrade everything, so prioritize. Consider a temporary save for the trophy for fully upgrading a weapon. Recommended upgrades include reload speed and health restoration for the sawed-off shotgun, two-shot and magnetic bolt for the crossbow, and hunting rifle upgrades.

Alan's weapon upgrades are less impactful. Flare gun upgrades are not worth it due to scarce ammo. The "It's Personal" Word of Action choice is better for Alan as Hostile Shadows attack up close.

Equip a Coffee Mug Charm before boss fights for an extra life. These function as high-grade consumables. Note that Alan's storyline has no boss fights.

Retreat to your Mind Place / Writer's Room only when not in danger, as it's a mental space.

When playing as Saga, combat encounters in the woods can be random. If an encounter depletes resources significantly, reload your most recent save from a Break Room; the encounter may not occur upon reloading.

The Platinum trophy can be unlocked in a single playthrough. There are no difficulty-related trophies, only the requirement for patience in collecting items like Cult Stashes, Lunch Boxes, Nursery Rhyme Puzzles, Koskela Ads, and Writer's Journey videos. Solving all Nursery Rhyme Puzzles also unlocks trophies for collecting unique charms and finding all Nursery Rhyme Dolls.

Collectibles can be gathered until the end of Return 6: Scratch, but it will be dark. It's better to complete optional exploration sections as they become available.

Combat-related trophies can be tricky. During Return 3: Local Girl, near Coffee World, you can use a guaranteed enemy encounter shortly after acquiring the crossbow and near a Break Room. Lowering the difficulty allows for easier trophy unlocks like headshots with the crossbow ("In One Go"), practicing dodges ("This is the Moment"), or using propane tanks ("Gone for Good").