In this sharing, we will introduce to you the most powerful weapons in Alan Wake 2 and information about weapon upgrades. In fact, many people don't know how to solve this problem, so I will answer this question in detail to provide you with a comprehensive method. Have no fear, we’ve got a guide to the best upgrades in Alan Wake 2 right here for you. First let’s discuss the ideal choice when it comes to starring Saja Anderson. We'll also discuss the best options for the Word of Power glyph when playing as Alan Wake.
How to Unlock the Best Weapon Upgrades When Using Saja Anderson
You will play as Saja Anderson at the beginning of the chapter. She is an FBI agent who is investigating the cases in Jucauldron Lake and Huiluo Town. As the story progresses, you will acquire various weapons such as crossbows and pump-action shotguns.
The weapon upgrade material is called "Manuscript Fragment". They come from the Alex Casey Lunchbox - a collectible you can find from different areas in Saja's chapter. While exploring, you may find colorful ornaments hanging from trees and painted rocks. This indicates that you can find lunchboxes nearby, and Saja will also say certain lines when you approach the lunchbox.
Best weapon upgrade options
You can enter Saja's "mind realm" and select options at the workbench to upgrade your weapons. Each weapon upgrade requires a certain number of Manuscript Fragments. After the upgrade is successful, this auxiliary ability will take effect permanently. You can then choose to upgrade another support ability, or use the materials for other weapons.
But please note that even at the time when you are about to pass the level, the amount of materials you can obtain is still very limited. So the definition of "best weapon upgrade" really depends on your preferred weapons and play style in Alan Wake 2.
Pistol upgrade
Again and Again: Press and hold the fire button to activate automatic fire mode.
Magazine expansion (More Bullets): Increase magazine capacity by 50%.
Another Headshot: Hitting the enemy's head twice quickly can extend the stun duration.
The pistol is a weapon you will use frequently in the story chapters. We recommend you choose the "More Bullets" upgrade to reduce the number of reloads you need.
Sawed-off Shotgun upgrade
Fluid Motion: Speeds up reloading.
Out of Action: Deals extra damage to enemies who are stunned, blinded, or knocked down.
Ready For More: When killing an enemy, you can recover health points. The amount of recovery depends on the strength of the enemy.
"Ready For More" is one of the most practical upgrades in "Alan Wake 2". You can use the short-barreled shotgun to cause horrific damage at close range, knock down enemies and restore a small amount of health to yourself. It's a very useful skill in a survival horror game with limited means of recovery.
Crossbow upgrade
Pull the String: Hold down the fire button to draw the crossbow fuller, resulting in higher damage and a flatter trajectory.
Two Shots: You can fire two bolts before reloading.
Magnetic Pull: A crossbow bolt fired into an enemy will attract nearby bullets.
Unfortunately, we don’t use crossbows too often. In "Alan Wake 2", the enemy "Dark Prisoner" (Taken) moves at an irregular speed, so you have to deal with it with perfect headshots. The long reload time of the crossbow puts you at a huge disadvantage if you miss.
Hunting Rifle upgrade
Feedback Loop: Successfully hitting the enemy continuously can greatly reduce the stiffness between two shots.
Kill Shot: Stand still and enter improved focus mode. Your shots will hit the enemy's weak point with extreme accuracy and increase damage.
Way Home: Bullets penetrate the enemy's dark shield.
The shotgun is very powerful and is your best choice for destroying enemies at medium to long range. The only downside is that it's not good at dealing with multiple enemies, so you'll need to make the most of tight terrain. But Kill Shot is still a useful skill, as long as you remember to dodge enemy attacks.
Pump action shotgun upgrade
Stay On Course: Stand still to stabilize your aim, reduce recoil and projectile spread, and increase damage.
Under Control: Increases movement speed while aiming.
Faster and Faster: Press and hold the fire button to activate automatic fire mode.
Pump-action shotguns are capable of dealing serious damage with high destructiveness and sustained damage. You can take this feature to its extreme with Faster and Faster. Auto-fire can consume a lot of ammo, but it's also capable of easily taking out most enemies in the game.
How to Unlock the Best Word of Power Upgrades When Using Alan Wake
The upgrade item Alan Wake needs is called "Words of Power". You can only find these glyphs with the flashlight on.
In certain areas, you may notice glowing arrows pointing to a certain location. Head to this location to find a circular glyph. Aim your crosshair at the glyph to make the screen flash, and you'll get the Word of Power.
Best "Word of Power" Upgrade
When it comes to the best Words of Power upgrades in Alan Wake 2, you need to note that each Word of Power glyph belongs to a specific type or category - in-game Glyphs are divided into seven categories, each containing three auxiliary abilities. These support abilities also have additional nodes or levels, meaning you can discover more of the same glyphs during exploration and use them to increase the effectiveness of the associated support ability.
Just like when choosing weapon upgrades, you should take into account your preferred play style and game difficulty. On Normal or Hard difficulty, survival is the first priority, so you'll need to increase your regeneration and damage to overcome the difficulty.
"Words of Fix" support ability
Wellness Retreat: Increases maximum health.
God Rays: Increases the maximum health recovered from safety.
Wheels Within Wheels: Whenever a new Word of Power is discovered, restore a specified percentage of your maximum health.
Wellness Retreat is the most reliable of these upgrades, allowing you to permanently increase your maximum health. As you reach higher levels, you can choose God Rays to replenish more health in a safe place.
"Words of Gun" auxiliary ability
Roulette: There is a chance that no ammunition will be consumed when shooting with the Revolver.
Personal Space: Increases the knockback of the Double-Barreled Shotgun.
Sunny Skies: Increases the explosion effect area of the Flare Gun.
If you have a soft spot for flare guns, then Sunny Skies is a good choice. Players who like to use double-barreled shotguns to fight can also choose to reserve some personal space for themselves.
"Words of War" support ability
Full Stop: Increases the damage done by the last bullet in the revolver's cylinder.
Paint the Town: Increases the damage done by the double-barreled shotgun when hitting multiple enemies with a single attack.
Goes Around: When you use the flare gun to directly hit an enemy, a certain percentage of your maximum health will be restored to you.
"Paint the Town" and "Goes Around" are both worthwhile upgrades. The former is slightly more restrictive, as you need to transform enemies in shadow form into their physical form first, and you have to hit multiple enemies at once. The latter is more practical, as it allows you to get extra life regeneration.
"Words of Stuff" support ability
Tourist Map: Mark all nearby resources and points of interest on your map.
Magic Pocket: Increases Allen's inventory space by one row.
Battery: Adds one charge to Allen's flashlight.
The Tourist Map seems to be the best Word of Power upgrade in Alan Wake 2, but note that Tim Breaker (played by Shawn Ashmore) has nearby collectibles and Resource map. So to be on the safe side you can choose Magic Pocket, since Allen's inventory space is much more limited than Saja's.
"Words of Aid" auxiliary ability
Torchbearer: Increase the effect range and duration of the Hand Flare.
First Aid (ER): Improves the recovery effect of Trauma Pad.
Prescription: Increases the time it takes for Painkiller to gradually restore health.
First Aid (ER) is a very useful support ability because you will be using the Trauma Pad a lot. By default, the Bulletproof Plate will restore 35% of your health. But you can choose to upgrade to increase its recovery.
"Words of Action" support ability
Keep away from strangers (It's Personal): Increases damage to enemies at close range.
Never There: Makes Allen harder to detect.
Turning Tables: Reduces damage from dark projectiles.
"It's Personal" and "Never There" are both good choices. The former is useful in that enemies will always try to get closer to you, while the latter prevents you from being frequently attacked by shadow enemies. But they will eventually find you, so be careful.
"Words of Lamp" auxiliary ability
Main Attraction: When you shine a flashlight on a shadow enemy, it will restore a certain percentage of your health.
In the Headlights: There is a chance to stun enemies when shining the flashlight on them.
Lucky Strike: Killing an enemy has a chance to recharge the flashlight.
It's clear that Lucky Strike is one of the best upgrade options in Alan Wake 2. On Normal or Hard difficulty, you must learn how to properly allocate your flashlight charges. But if you shine the flashlight and kill an enemy, you can restore one charge, which is very useful when there are many enemies.