Alan Wake 2 has been a boon to Collectible Hunters everywhere with its Nursery Rhymes, Cult Stashes, and Words of Power. Words of Power in particular can give you a power boost (pun intended) because they allow you to upgrade Alan’s abilities and equipment. However, which ones should you prioritize? Is it worth trekking back to a different zone to find that missing one?
While some Words of Power upgrades are key to your success, some can be ignored entirely. To help players pick the best powers for their playthrough, we’ve broken down each category by how important they are to collect, and then each power in that category has been ranked based on the frequency of usefulness and risk associated with using it.
Best Words Of Fix Upgrades
The Words of Fix are likely to be the most important Words of Power in your playthrough because there are so many good options — and they fit any playstyle. Wellness Retreat and God’s Rays in particular are very useful to get as early as possible. This is because they’ll help you shrug off damage while you familiarize yourself with the game, allowing you to stay healthy longer. If you are missing a Word of Fix, it’s recommended that you go back to pick it up.
Wellness Retreat
Wellness Retreat is one of the best Words of Power Upgrades in the game because, at max level, it increases Alan’s health by 50%. This massively increases the amount of punishment he can take, and given the tough combat encounters, it’s a very welcome upgrade regardless of playstyle.
God’s Rays
God’s Rays won’t boost your total health pool, but it will effectively increase the amount of health you have throughout the game. This is because unlocking it increases the healing you receive in Safe Havens by 30%.
Wheels Within Wheels
Wheels Within Wheels causes Alan to heal 50% of his maximum health every time he finds a Word of Power. This upgrade is the most lackluster of the bunch because it is so limited and makes hunting collectibles an inefficient activity. You might realize you are near one but choose to bypass it because you are too healthy, and then have to run all the way back later on.
Best Words Of Stuff Upgrades
Next to the health increases provided by the Words of Fix, The Words of Stuff are probably the next most useful in the game. Additionally, it benefits you to pick them up early, as you’ll get the most benefit by having the utility through multiple chapters. Carrying or Finding more supplies in particular is better the earlier you can start doing it. Due to its early game importance, and overall convenience, make sure not to leave any of the early game Words of Stuff behind.
Magic Pockets
Magic Pocket is a nearly required upgrade for playing this game, regardless of how useful other Words of Power might be. It will give Alan an entire extra row of inventory space, allowing him to carry a greater number of supplies.
Tourist Map
The Tourist Map upgrade would be a no-brainer if only Magic Pockets didn’t exist. This Word of Power marks POIs and supply locations on Alan’s maps, helping to make sure you miss nothing on your travels.
Battery
Battery gives your flashlight an extra charge, increasing its usefulness in each section. This is certainly nice to have, but it can’t compare with carrying or finding more resources.
Best Words Of Gun Upgrades
Once you have your Hit Points and Utility-based Words of Power sorted, you’ll want to start to look into combat upgrades. By this point of the game, things will be getting harder and enemies will be more durable, and you might begin to struggle without them. Words of Gun do exactly what they sound like, making your guns more powerful. For this reason, they’re usually the third top priority, always worth doubling back to acquire.
Personal Space
Personal Space is ideal for a head-on playstyle using the shotgun, and you’ll never regret having it against beefy enemies. It causes the Shotgun to knock enemies backward an extra 15%, giving you breathing space. This comes in handy, as most Taken run straight at you. As an added bonus, it reduces the likelihood that you’ll take damage if they survive the first shot.
Roulette
Alternatively, if you want to rely on the Revolver over the Shotgun, you can pick up Roulette. This Word of Power adds a 5% chance that any shot with the Revolver will not consume a bullet, effectively putting more bullets in the chamber.
Sunny Skies
Finally, Sunny Skies will increase the Flare Gun shot area of effect by 25%. This can help control larger groups of Taken, but it doesn’t quite stand up to the usefulness of the other two.
Best Words Of War Upgrades
After choosing your Word of Gun Upgrade, move on to the Words of War to keep up with the harder enemies. Either Full Stop or Paint the Town can suit popular playstyles, but Paint the Town requires synergy to avoid getting mobbed by Taken, so it’s been bumped down underneath Full Stop.
Full Stop
Full Stop is a much-needed upgrade to Revolver for the later stages of the game. This weapon is going to be your main damage source against regular enemies, due to having more ammo for it available, but the enemies will start to out scale its damage. With Full Stop, make the best use of your Revolver by buffing the damage of the last bullet in the chamber by 25%.
Paint the Town
Paint the Town increases the damage taken by enemies when you hit several using the Double Barrel Shotgun. The bonus is sizable at 25%, but they need to be grouped up and close enough to Alan that you hit them all in a single shot — this is a bit risky. If you’re going to pick this one up, combine it with Personal Space (Words of Gun) for maximum effectiveness.
Goes Around
Goes Around heals Alan, but only when he uses the Flare Gun. Whenever you get a direct hit with the Flare Gun on a Taken, heal for 15% of your Max Health. While the healing amount is nothing to scoff at, most players find themselves relying more on the Revolver or the Shotgun, limiting the usefulness of this upgrade.
Best Word Of Action Upgrades
Words of Action upgrades are focused on allowing you to do certain types of things better. This could be shooting, sneaking, or dodging. Because two of the upgrade choices really only apply once Shadows start showing up, it’s advised that you place this upgrade on the back burner until that portion of the game.
Never There
This upgrade is useful for players who enjoy the stealthy playstyle. Never There makes Alan 20% harder to detect, allowing you to slip by enemies like Shadows unnoticed. However, you will still need to avoid getting too close to them or hitting them with your flashlight.
It’s Personal
Its Personal gives you 10% increased damage to enemies when they are close to Alan, and this upgrade is always useful for a straight-on confrontation. Additionally, it increases the knockback of your shots to help you get some distance from charging Taken.
Turning Tables
Finally, Turning Tables decreases the damage you take from Darkness Projectiles by 25%. However, this upgrade is a bit more niche in that it only works against one type of attack, and many Shadow enemies can be avoided altogether with the Never There perk instead, saving you ammo.
Best Word Of Aid Upgrades
The Words of Aid Upgrades are all centered around increasing the effectiveness of one of your support items. Therefore, you’ll want to buff the consumables you use the most to get the maximum benefit. For most people, this will be Prescription Painkillers. However, none of these upgrades are particularly stunning, so it’s often one of the last Words of Power to be upgraded, and you may not even bother to go back for missing Words of Power in this category.
Prescription
Prescription Painkillers are the most readily available healing item in the game, but they’re also the worst in terms of raw HP regain. Where they really excel is that they are quick to use, making them more combat-viable. Using the Prescription Word of Aid upgrade increases the effect of these items slightly by extending the regeneration effect of Painkillers by 1 second, and thus the total amount of health restored by each one.
ER
The ER upgrade will increase the effectiveness of Trauma Pads by 10%, and while this is a larger benefit than is present in the Prescription Word of Power upgrade, there simply aren’t enough Trauma Pads in the game to make it worthwhile.
Torchbearer
Torchbearer, rather than increasing the effectiveness of a health item like the other two, is focused on your Flare duration. Specifically, it increases your Hand Flares area of effect by 13% and its duration by 1 second. Because the hand flare simply doesn’t come up as often as other items, it’s not the first choice for this Word of Power.
Best Words Of Lamp Upgrades
The Words of Lamp are the lowest priority on your list, as they really only slightly buff your flashlight. Basically, whenever you happen to find one of these Words of Power, use it how you like, but there’s no stress finding the Words to upgrade these abilities further.
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike provides a 25% chance to regain a flashlight charge when you kill an enemy. This can come in handy and will activate fairly often, so it’s probably the strongest Word of Lamp upgrade.
Main Attraction
Main Attraction, thus named because it requires you to put a spotlight on enemies, heals you for 5% of your maximum health when you use the Flashlight Boost on a Hostile Shadow. This is good for some quick healing, but there are simply better health-regaining options, and it requires you to finish fighting the shadow afterward and wasting resources.
Headlights
Headlights is a nifty little ability that gives you a 10% chance to stun enemies when hitting them with the Flashlight Boost. A stun would be good in a pinch, but the chance is pretty low, so you can’t count on this ability to reliably help you.