Alan Wake 2 features an auto-save system like most modern games, but some fans may be curious as to how they can manually save while playing through Remedy's survival-horror game. In many games, manually saving is a matter of pausing and finding the right selection in a menu. In Alan Wake 2, manually saving works a bit different, as players have to find actual save points spread throughout the game world.
Dedicated save points are a lost art in most modern games, which have dropped them in favor of auto-saves and saving through menus. Alan Wake 2 brings them back, which is fitting since the game is a pure survival-horror title, taking inspiration from classics in the genre like Capcom's Resident Evil games and Konami's Silent Hill, which also utilized dedicated save points and manual saving.
Alan Wake 2: How Long to Beat
For those wondering, this is about how long it takes to beat Remedy Entertainment's survival-horror game Alan Wake 2.
Players won't be able to manually save in Alan Wake 2 until the second chapter of the game, Return 2: The Heart. It's likely that it will take over an hour of play before Alan Wake 2 players reach this point. The auto-saves mean that it's still safe to turn off the game if necessary before reaching the first manual save point, but players will want to check how far back their last auto-save will set them before ending their session. In any case, the first save point in Alan Wake 2 is The Witch's Hut at Cauldron Lake, accessible after players restore the power by putting the fuse back in the fuse box.
How to Save in Alan Wake 2
- Alan Wake 2 auto-saves frequently
- Players can also make a manual save at dedicated save points called Break Rooms
Doing this transforms The Witch's Hut into Alan Wake 2's first save room, or Break Room as they're called in the game. There are multiple points of interest in any given Alan Wake 2 Break Room. Players will want to interact with the thermos to save their game, while they can manage items in the shoebox, storing things that they don't have room for but might need for later. The shoebox doesn't exist in the first Break Room, but will be available later on.
Additional functionality is added to some special Break Rooms later in Alan Wake 2. A key feature in Alan Wake 2 is the ability to swap between two playable characters, both with their distinct stories. As Alan Wake, players explore The Dark Place, while Saga explores Bright Falls and its surrounding areas. After a certain point in the game, players will be able to find puddles in some Break Rooms that let them switch back and forth. This gives players the freedom to complete some of the game's chapters in any order they'd like.
Alan Wake 2 is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.