Even though a cramped inventory is one of the hallmarks of the survival-horror genre, no one wants to feel like they can’t carry around what they need to make it through a life-or-death situation. Here’s where to find all the inventory upgrades in Alan Wake 2.
How Inventory Upgrades Work in Alan Wake 2
Playing as both Saga and Alan in Alan Wake 2, it’ll soon become apparent that both characters aren’t able to lug around a small arsenal of weapons, ammunition, and healing supplies at once. To better your odds against The Dark Presence and Mr. Scratch, you’ll have to scrounge around for some upgrades that increase how many things can stash in Saga’s pockets and Alan’s satchel. While the former is able to pick up several inventory boosters, the titular writer himself can only expand his storage once. So let’s start with him before we delve into Saga’s options.
Unlike Saga, who stumbles upon various pouches that increase what she can hold at once, Alan is limited by The Dark Place. He’ll only be able to increase his inventory once and you’ll need to get fairly deep into his campaign before you have the option to do so. Now granted, the writer does start with more storage slots than Saga but since he’s what I think will be considered the more challenging story, it makes sense that his upgrades are limited.
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You’ll want to make it to the chapter titled “Initiation 5: Room 665.” Continue through the level as normal until you reach the Oceanview Hotel Ballroom. Before changing the story to advance the plot, take a peek behind the bar that’s alongside the entrance into the room. If you step behind the counter and look up, you’ll see a Word of Power painted onto the ceiling. Highlight it with your flashlight and you’ll gain a Words of Stuff point that can be spent on three different upgrades. You’ll want to use it on the Magic Pocket perk which grants Alan one more more of storage. Perfect for an extra flare or first aid kit.
How to Upgrade Saga’s Inventory Space
Throughout the course of Saga’s campaign, you’ll be able to discover three separate pouches that each add a single row of extra storage to her inventory. They’re scattered all over Bright Falls and the surrounding area and while some of accessible fairly early, others will require the use of equipment that can only be unlocked later in the game.
Where to Find Upgrade 1 in Alan Wake 2
You can find Saga’s first inventory upgrade in the chapter titled “Return 2: The Heart.” Make your way back to Cauldron Lake and continue through to the location where you originally found Agent Nightingale’s body just outside the General Store. Instead of standing around outside in the rain, check inside the building (the aforementioned General Store) and explore it until you come across a room that includes some toppled filing cabinets. On top of one, you’ll find the extra pouch.
Just be aware that before you can claim this one, a chunky Taken does stand in your way so be ready to bring it down before you claim your prize.
Where to Find Upgrade 2
This one can actually be found very soon after Upgrade 1. In the same chapter as above, that being “Return 2: The Heart,” you can find this pouch after defeating Nightingale in the Overlap and stumbling back into reality. On the shores of Cauldron Lake, if you follow the beach past Agent Casey and Alan Wake, keep going until you find a toppled tree that you can crouch underneath. On the other side, there’ll be a Cult Stash.
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It’s one of the easier, if not easiest, Cult Stashes in the game since it doesn’t require any kind of puzzle solution to crack it open. Simply follow the flashing lights and press the corresponding buttons. Inside is your second pouch.
Where to Find Upgrades 3
If Saga’s first two inventory upgrades were close together, the third is very far away. In “Return 5: Old Gods,” you should finish up at the Valhalla Nursing Home, having rescued Tor and interrogated him on The Clicker, with a set of bolt cutters. With this heavy-duty tool in hand, jog all the way back to Bright Falls and make for the docks. Just over the way from the Oh Deer Diner, you’ll find a chainlink gate closed with a massive lock.
Cut the chains and dunk into the shed on your right to find a Cult Stash. The clue to solving the keycode puzzle is to scope out the poles sticking out of the water, making note of those that have numbers attached to them and whether or not the signs sporting said digits are on the top, middle, or bottom. To give away the answer, the code is 697. Open up the stash to find the pouch. Rob Liefeld would be proud.
If you’re looking for more, check out if you have to play Control and Alan Wake 1 before the sequel.
