Alan Wake 2: Best Upgrades [Top 10]

Discover the upgrades for Alan and Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2 in order to overcome any challenge that comes their way.

By using the best upgrades for both Alan and Saga, you’ll have a better chance against the different enemies that cross your path in Alan Wake 2. And if you want to get far in your investigation against the Cult of the Tree and the battle against Scratch, then you’re going to need to constantly up your game via these upgrades.

Key Takeaways
  • Alan Wake and Saga Anderson have their own set of upgrades in Alan Wake 2.
  • These upgrades have no real drawbacks and allow both to have more chances of survival by offering more health, damage, and overall effectiveness in using their tools and weapons.
  • Saga Anderson requires Manuscript Fragments, whereas Alan Wake uses Words of Power to unlock upgrades.
  • Saga’s upgrades mainly focus on weapons, and Alan’s upgrades cover every aspect, such as health, resource management, and weapon effectiveness in Alan Wake 2.

Alan Wake 2 Best Upgrades Overview

Here is an overview of the best upgrade choices in Alan Wake 2:

No.UpgradeCostDescription
1More Bullets12 Manuscript FragmentsIncreases Pistol magazine size by 50%.
2Another Headshot18 Manuscript FragmentsStuns enemies for longer after two headshots.
3Out Of Action14 Manuscript FragmentsDeals more damage to stunned, blinded, or knocked down enemies.
4Magnetic Pull12 Manuscript FragmentsDraws bullets towards hit enemies with the Crossbow.
5God Rays3 Words of FixIncreases health recovery in Safe Havens by 30%.
6Goes Around3 Words of WarRecovers 15% health when shooting enemies with the Flare Gun.
7It's Personal3 Words of ActionIncreases overall damage dealt by 15%.
8In The Headlights3 Words of LampStuns enemies when using Flashlight Boost.
9Magic Pocket1 Words of StuffIncreases inventory by 1 row for more storage.
10ER3 Words of AidEnhances Trauma Pad effectiveness by healing 10% more.

1. More Bullets

best upgrades in alan wake 2
Upgrade Screen [screenshot by me]

Cost

12 Manuscript Fragments

One of the earliest upgrades you can get in Alan Wake 2 is the More Bullets upgrade. It increases the Pistol magazine size by 50%, allowing you to hold 18 bullets. It is quite helpful as the pistol will usually be your go-to weapon against many enemies. Pistol ammo is the easiest to come by, so having extra magazine space is always helpful.

Additionally, you’re rewarded more ammo based on how much you’re already using. Therefore, if you use up all your ammo in reloading your pistol, you can find more ammo through stashes and crates.

2. Another Headshot

best upgrades in alan wake 2
Pistol upgrades [image by me]

Cost

18 Manuscript Fragments

Unless you’re targeting an enemy’s weak spots or directly at their heads, you’ll waste a lot of ammo trying to take them out. That is why the Another Headshot upgrade is a good option for increasing damage against enemies.

Another Headshot allows you to stun an enemy longer after landing two successive headshots. The upgrade can be further paired up with another upgrade on the list to increase your overall damage.

3. Out Of Action

shotgun
Shotgun Upgrade in Alan Wake 2 [captured by me]

Cost

14 Manuscript Fragments

Out of Action is an upgrade for the Sawed-Off Shotgun. You can learn how to get the shotgun by following the general store shotgun code guide. But essentially, it allows you to deal greater damage to enemies that are stunned, blinded, or knocked down. If you pair this upgrade with “Another Headshot,” you’ll be able to deal significant damage to stronger enemies and bosses.

4. Magnetic Pull

alan wake 2 best upgrades
Crossbow Upgrades [image by me]

Cost

12 Manuscript Fragments

The Crossbow is a weapon that you unlock in Return 3: Local Girl. It deals a significant amount of damage but is equally slow in its fire rate. Ideally, you should be using the Crossbow as a sniper to start off combat interactions.

Magnetic Pull complements that mentality by allowing bullets to get drawn toward enemies that have been hit by the Crossbow. As every single bullet matters in Alan Wake 2, being given the option to hit enemies even if your aim is wonky is quite a nice upgrade to have.

5. God Rays

best alan upgrades in alan wake 2
God Rays Upgrade [image by me]

Cost

3 Words of Fix

When playing as Alan, you’ll have a lot more opportunities to enter Safe Havens as compared to Saga Anderson due to the Angel Lamp in Alan Wake 2. That is why choosing an upgrade that can help you restore your health in Safe Havens is far more useful than any other health upgrade. God Rays increases health recovery in Safe Havens by 30%.

6. Goes Around

around
Alan Wake 2 Goes Around Upgrade [image by me]

Cost

3 Words of War

Goes Around lets you recover 15% of your health whenever you shoot an enemy with the Flare Gun. The Flare Gun is already quite a useful weapon against the Shadow enemies in the Dark Place. Being allowed to dispel or stun the enemies while also regaining health makes Goes Around a must-have upgrade.

7. It’s Personal

personal
It’s Personal upgrade in Alan Wake 2 [taken by me]

Cost

3 Words of Action

It’s Personal increases your overall damage dealt by 15%. Although the combat for Alan isn’t as hardcore as Saga Anderson’s, having extra damage is overall a good option. Being limited to just having a revolver and shotgun as the main weapons, being able to deal more damage will allow you to finish fights with lesser ammo usage.

8. In The Headlights

headlights
In The Headlights upgrade [captured by me]

Cost

3 Words of Lamp

“In The Headlights” upgrade allows you to stun an enemy whenever you use Flashlight Boost on them in Alan Wake 2. As Alan, the enemies you encounter mostly start as just Shadow figures.

Therefore, using the Flashlight Boost is going to be a must in every combat situation. Being able to stun an enemy before even starting the fight will give you the upper hand and let you finish the job with fewer shots.

9. Magic Pocket

best upgrades in alan wake 2
Best Upgrades in Alan Wake 2 – Magic Pocket [captured by me]

Cost

1 Words of Stuff

Unlike Saga Andeson, Alan can’t increase his inventory by collecting upgrades throughout the world. For that purpose, he must rely on his upgrades. Therefore, Magic Pocket is a great upgrade to have as it increases Alan’s inventory by 1 row, allowing you to store more ammo and health resources and manage your weapons with ease.

10. ER

alan wake 2 best upgrades
ER Upgrade [captured by me]

Cost

3 Words of Aid

Although the best way to heal in Alan Wake 2 is to use first-aid kits, Trauma Pads are just as effective, even if they don’t heal as much. But, with the ER upgrade, you can increase their effectiveness and let them heal you 10% more than usual. Considering Trauma Pads are more readily available than full health kits, the upgrade can improve your survival chances by a lot.

Important: For additional help, you can check out this YouTube video on other ways to heal and even check your HP in-game.

Other Upgrades Worth Trying

Here are some other great upgrades for Alan and Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2:

  • Never There: A good option for players who enjoy stealthy play style.
  • Fluid Motion: An upgrade for the Sawed-off shotgun that will increase its loading speed.
  • Lucky Strike: A viable option as it allows you to regain a flashlight charge when you kill an enemy.
  • Two Shots: An ammo increase upgrade allows you to load two arrows into the Crossbow instead of one.

Share Your Pick

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My Thoughts

I personally focused more on Alan’s upgrades than Saga’s weapon upgrades in Alan Wake 2. That is because later down the line, Alan has to fight against shadow figures that throw projectiles, and in almost every puzzle-based situation, Alan is in. There tend to be multiple enemies that you have to fight. Saga’s arsenal of weapons made it easier to get through combat situations, even without insane upgrades.

With that, you know all about the best upgrade choices in Alan Wake 2. Alan and Saga have their own set of upgrades, whereas Saga’s are more focused on Weapons, whereas Alan has a wide array of upgrades. If you’re finding Alan Wake 2 too challenging or easy, I’d recommend reading about the best difficulty to ensure you’re getting the best experience.

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Atik Younas is a Junior Guides Writer on eXputer with decent experience writing about games. He’s an avid 3D designer and a coding wizard who gets fascinated by the technical aspects of the latest games. He’s got a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and loves enjoying well-written stories and combat mechanics in games. Atik has been playing games for more than 10+ years now. Most notably he has spent 1,000+ hours on GTA V Online and Minecraft! Feel free to get in touch with Atik on his gaming profile at Xbox and PSN. Experience: 2+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science || Written 200+ Guides || Mainly Covers Game Strategy Guides on eXputer

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