Everything you need to know about upgrading weapons in Alan Wake 2.
Alan Wake 2 is Remedy Entertainment’s newest psychological survival horror game. It is set 13 years after the events of the original game. Like its predecessor, it is set in a dark and atmospheric world that combines psychological horror with supernatural fiction and features a variety of nightmarish enemies.
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As you play through the game, these enemies get progressively harder to deal with. Furthermore, there are a limited amount of weapons you can carry to assist in your journey. Therefore, upgrading weapons is crucial for your survival.
Each weapon has a variety of upgrades you can unlock. Some are general upgrades, such as increasing magazine size and reload speed, while others can bring added effects to the table.
Upgrading your weapons will require you to do some exploration and puzzle solving besides that, which the main objectives expect of you.
This guide is focused on upgrading weapons, how to upgrade them, and what upgrades you can get.
How to Upgrade Weapons
Here’s how you can upgrade your weapons when playing as Saga Anderson and Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2.
Saga Anderson
To upgrade Saga’s weapons, you’ll need to access a location known as the “Mind Place”, more appropriately, Saga’s Mind Place. This location becomes available as early as the second chapter of the game “Return 1: Invitation”.
Once there, you can find a workbench, it’s the table with the wine bottles underneath. You’ll see a magazine for each of Saga’s weapons laid out on it, and interacting with them will allow you to upgrade those weapons.
To upgrade Saga’s Weapons, you’ll need a resource called “Manuscript Fragments.” These are hidden in collectibles known as “Alex Casey’s Lunchboxes.” You can find these lunchboxes scattered throughout the game. Explore each level and keep an eye out for painted rocks and colorful ornaments hanging from trees to find them.
Below are the upgrades you can get for Saga’s weapons:
Pistol upgrades
- Again and Again— Hold the fire button to activate automatic fire.
- More Bullets— Increases the magazine size by 50%.
- Another Headshot— Land two headshots in quick succession to stun an enemy for an extended duration.
Sawed-off Shotgun upgrades
- Fluid Motion— Increases reload speed.
- Out of Action— Deals increased damage against enemies that are stunned, blinded, or knocked down.
- Ready For More— Kill an enemy to restore health; the amount restored depends on the enemy’s strength.
Crossbow upgrades
- Pull the String— Hold the fire button to draw the Crossbow further for increased damage and a straighter arc.
- Two Shots— You can shoot two bolts before needing to reload.
- Magnetic Pull— Bolts lodged into enemies will attract bullets fired near them.
Hunting Rifle upgrades
- Feedback Loop— Consecutive successful hits significantly reduce the time between shots.
- Kill Shot— Stand still to enter an improved focus mode, granting perfect accuracy, shots that pull toward enemy weak spots, and increased damage.
- Way Home— Bullets penetrate an enemy’s darkness shield.
Pump-action Shotgun upgrades
- Stay On Course— Stand still and aim steadily at a target to reduce kickback and pellet spread; increases damage.
- Under Control— Move faster while aiming.
- Faster and Faster— Hold the fire button to activate automatic fire.
Alan Wake
Alan’s weapons are upgraded by finding Words of Power. These are glowing yellow glyphs, usually found in hidden areas and near tough enemies. You can only see these glyphs when your flashlight is pointed at them.
Once you get near one, you’ll see a circular glyph. Aim your flashlight at the glyph to make it flicker, and the upgrade will be automatically added.
The following are the Words of Power upgrades you can get:
Words of Fix
- Wellness Retreat— Increases maximum health.
- God Rays— Increases the maximum amount of health restored in Safe Havens.
- Wheels Within Wheels— Restores a percentage of your maximum health whenever a new Word of Power is discovered.
Words of Gun
- Roulette— Provides a chance of not consuming ammo when firing your Revolver.
- Personal Space— Increases the knockback force of the Double-Barreled Shotgun.
- Sunny Skies— Increases the area of effect of the Flare Gun’s explosion.
Sunny Skies is a great option if you like using your Flare Gun. There’s also Personal Space for those who like to get in the fray with the Double-Barreled Shotgun.
Words of War
- Full Stop— Increases the damage dealt by the last bullet in the Revolver’s chamber.
- Paint the Town— Increases the damage of the Double-Barreled Shotgun when hitting multiple enemies with a single blast.
- Goes Around— Restores a percentage of your max health when you land a direct hit with the Flare Gun.
Words of Stuff
- Tourist Map— Marks all nearby resources and points of interest on your map.
- Magic Pocket— Expands Alan’s inventory by one row.
- Battery— Adds one charge to Alan’s flashlight.
Words of Aid
- Torchbearer— Increases the Hand Flare’s area of effect and duration.
- ER— Increases the healing effectiveness of Trauma Pads.
- Prescription— Increases the heal-over-time duration of Painkillers.
Words of Action
- It’s Personal— Increases the damage dealt to enemies in close proximity.
- Never There— Makes Alan harder to detect.
- Turning Tables— Decreases the damage received from Darkness projectiles.
Words of Lamp
- Main Attraction— Restores a percentage of your health when using the flashlight’s boost against hostile shadows.
- In the Headlights— Provides a chance to stun enemies with your flashlight boost.
- Lucky Strike— Provides a chance to regain a flashlight charge when you kill an enemy.
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