Ever feel like you're being watched in Alan Wake 2? This terrifying detail you probably missed proves you actually are

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The owls are not what they seem

Alan Wake 2 review screenshot
(Image credit: Remedy)

It's not just your imagination; there really is something subtly watching you during certain parts of Alan Wake 2.

Remedy's latest is a full-blown survival horror packed with references to the studio's earlier work, as well as little details you might not notice until it's pointed out to you. One particularly unnerving example is the taxidermy owl mounted to the wall of the eponymous author's Writer's Room. As spotted by Twitter (now X) user shkegulka, and confirmed by yours truly, the owl is watching you when your back is turned.

As you can see in the video below, as soon as you turn your back to the owl, it'll turn to face you. I walked around in several directions and each time I turned to face the damn thing, it was staring directly at me, into my soul. I never noticed this until it was shared online, and now that I'm aware of it, I kind of really wish I wasn't.

Interestingly, I went to Saga Anderson's Mind Place, the newcomer protagonist's equivalent to Alan's Writer's Room, and the Deer head mounted to the wall stayed put the whole time. Not that I'm complaining, mind, I was just expecting a similarly creepy situation in the Mind Place.

Alan Wake 2 launched on October 27 and, despite a bunch of bugs that Remedy has been patching out in the days since, the studio's fans, survival horror players, and folks new to the studio and genre are generally loving it. Our Alan Wake 2 review awarded it a coveted 5/5 stars and called it "an imaginative and truly ambitious sequel."

Stuck at the first big battle? Here's how to beat the Alan Wake 2 Nightingale boss fight.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.