Alan Wake 2 review: HBO detective thriller meets bad LSD trip

As I look over the bloated, bloody body tied to an altar before me, I get a rush of excitement. Not because I’m some sort of sadist. No, this pleasure stems from elsewhere: it’s the thrill of the hunt. 

I search the grisly scene for clues, noting the victim’s ligature marks, gaping chest wound, and the nearby beers, before adding my evidence piece-by-piece to the Case Board in FBI Agent Saga Anderson’s Mind Place. There are important questions to answer: Who is the killer? What was their murder method? I place the evidence and watch as threads of red strings connect the dots. I’d say I’m one step closer to the answers I need, but this is only the tip of a very large iceberg.