The new patch update for Alan Wake 2 makes the game accessible to non-horror fans

It’s a long-standing horror tradition to unsettle audiences with flash jump scares – frightening images or short clips that interrupt what’s happening on screen and then disappear as quickly as they came. It was The Ability to troll people online in the mid-2000s; Play a normal video and then cut to a disturbing image with a scream over it that would burst your eardrums. Alan Wake 2 uses them in abundance, overlaying frightening close-ups of Mr. Scratch with a loud musical background. I find them effective, but they are not for everyone.

Luckily in one youngest Alan Wake 2 Update (1.15) The developers have added a feature that allows the player to tune these horror bolts. The adjustments aren’t robust, but you can now choose between low and normal image and sound intensity.

I tested the new features by setting both picture and sound to low. Thanks to an additional chapter select feature also included in this update, I was also able to jump to an area that I knew was a major jump scare – one that even caught me out. I started a saga chapter and headed to the Valhalla Nursing Home to talk to Cynthia Weaver, who is first encountered as she stares out the window. It is also the first time that she reveals that she is obsessed with a flash jump fear.

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

The new setting doesn’t completely remove this revelation, but it slows it down, removes much of the flashing light, and significantly reduces the volume of the music. It just looks like the close-up of her face is moving in slow motion. I admit it doesn’t look as seamless as the normal ones, but for someone who can’t play Alan Wake 2 Because of these moments, it is a great alternative, similar to arachnophobia settings in games Deadly company And Grounded Transform spiders into floating balls. It’s not the most natural replacement, but it’s better than the original.

I know a lot of people who wanted to play Alan Wake 2 but couldn’t because of those jump scares. It’s definitely a horror game, but it’s not “scary” from start to finish. There’s lots of comedy, cheesy moments and a great atmosphere. I was always amazed that they couldn’t experience “We Sing” the way it was meant to be played. And now you can! Thanks to the new chapter selection function, you can also play this level again and again.

Of course, the update contains numerous bug fixes. My favorites include: “Added audio for shocks when the Espresso Express hits the player.” Please don’t try this. “Coffee World is in enough trouble as it is” and “corrected the player character to use weapons as expected.”