Should You Play Control Before Alan Wake 2?

Alan Wake 2 pretty much confirms the theory of a connected universe, making huge callbacks to Remedy’s previous games, such as Control. This guide will cover if you should play Control before Alan Wake 2.

Do You Need to Play Control Before Alan Wake 2?

Simply put, it’s best to play Control before diving into Alan Wake 2, although it is not mandatory. Let me explain. Alan Wake 2 is its entirely own story with a plot that can be easily understood by someone new to Remedy games. That said, there are tons of callbacks and lore in the game that reference the events that took place in Control. 

In other words, to get the most out of Alan Wake 2, knowing the events of Control will benefit you. Understanding the company called the Federal Bearua of Control, what they do, and their background (all discussed in Control) will make the overall experience of Alan Wake 2 much more enjoyable. 

Related: Do You Need to Play Alan Wake 1 Before Alan Wake 2?

Additionally, Alan Wake mentions “AWE” a lot, which is based on the DLC of Control. Knowing what transpired during the AWE expansion will heighten your enjoyment of the game and get a greater feel for the Remedy Connected Universe — this is just my opinion. Otherwise, you may be sitting there scratching your head, thinking, “What does that mean?”

I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy Alan Wake 2 without any knowledge of Control because you definitely can. As previously mentioned, Alan Wake 2 is its own thing (an amazing one) and can be enjoyed entirely when going in blind.

After reading this guide, if you have decided to play Control before Alan Wake 2, you have some options. For PlayStation, players can download the game from the PlayStation Plus catalog through a subscription. Meanwhile, Xbox players can purchase the game for a low price of $10. I highly recommend checking out Control just for the sake of it, as it is an incredible experience.