15 Single-Player Games That Defined the Last Five Years

Alan Wake 2 (2023)

Alan Wake 2 continues the story of the troubled writer trapped between fiction and reality. Unlike the action-adventure original, Alan Wake 2 leans fully into horror, using clever lighting, sound design, and slow-burn narrative techniques to keep players constantly unsettled. The narrative also twists and turns as you change between the two protagonists, constantly swerving between The Dark Place and the reality with new characters and plotlines constantly swarming out; always being overwhelming but also cohesive. The combat feels more thoughtful with heavier movements and scarce ammunition, and there’s no shortage of memorable tracks throughout the game either.