Can you skip cutscenes and dialogue in Alan Wake 2?

Alan Wake 2 is one of Remedy Entertainment's most innovative and engaging games to date, even surpassing its predecessor in many a number of aspects. Remedy is best known for crafting some of the most engaging gameplay mechanics for their titles, be it Max Payne's "bullet time," Quantum Break's temporal powers, or Control's "telekinesis."

However, the studio also excels when it comes to creating some of the most unique and thought-provoking narratives. And Alan Wake 2 does not disappoint in either aspect, delivering robust survival-horror gameplay coupled with an intriguing narrative.

However, with the amount of dialogue in the game, including the investigation sections as well as dedicated cutscenes, it can get a bit tedious or, worse, monotonous. Fortunately, you can skip cutscenes and dialogs in Alan Wake 2, which comes even more handy if you're planning multiple playthroughs to collect all the trophies and achievements.

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How to skip cutscenes and dialogue in Alan Wake 2?

When starting the game, you won't be able to skip the first few cutscenes, as these are important to provide a basic idea of the narrative and characters. However, after taking control of Saga, one of the game's main protagonists, you can easily skip cutscenes and dialogue with NPCs by tapping a button.

To skip cutscenes and dialog, you will need to press and hold the "Circle" or "B" buttons on the PlayStation and Xbox controllers, respectively. Skipping dialogues and story cutscenes is very helpful during repeat playthroughs or replaying certain chapters to collect missing collectibles.

However, it is best to avoid skipping any of the important dialogue or cutscenes as it can drastically impact your gameplay experience. Much like Remedy's previous titles, Alan Wake 2's story is equally as important as its gameplay, and skipping out on the key narrative vectors, i.e., cutscenes, isn't ideal for your first playthrough.

Alan Wake 2 has a lot of cutscenes and NPC dialogue, and it can feel a bit overwhelming, especially in the opening hours. That said, it is great that Remedy Entertainment does not lock the ability to skip cutscenes behind the first playthrough, unlike titles such as God of War (2018), God of War Ragnarok, etc.

However, we do not recommend using the "skipping" feature unless you really have to. The story of Remedy's latest survival-horror title is a slow burn, and instead of bombarding you with a ton of exposition and set pieces, the narrative gradually reveals its layers.