Robert Nightingale, the former FBI agent, is the first boss encounter that you face in Alan Wake 2. He is also one of the earliest enemies, so you will likely be unfamiliar with the combat mechanics of the sequel.
After tracking him into the Overlap through the Witch’s Ladle tree, you will have to defeat Nightingale at the end of Chapter 2. This boss has three stages with Nightingale changing his attack patterns in every stage.
If you are stuck, worry not. Here is how you can easily take out the Nightingale boss.
How to defeat Nightingale in Alan Wake 2
Before you head into the boss fight, it is recommended to learn the boss’s capabilities of damaging Saga and what defense he has against you in Alan Wake 2.
As it was mentioned earlier Nightingale boss fight has three stages or phases, let’s take a look at them to study what the boss is capable of and how we can prevent it.
Stage 1
This is the first stage where Nightingale will appear in front of you and tear out a branch of a tree to use as a weapon. The boss will swing the branch in a few directions, making it quite hard to dodge.
The Nightingale will also have a dark layer surrounding his torso called the source of darkness which lets him hide his weak points from getting exposed.
In the first stage, your flashlight will be your ally. As soon as the Nightingale approaches you, whip out your flashlight to expose his Source Points and shoot them to cause critical damage. Try to keep a distance from the boss and keep on rotating for more effective damage.
The first stage can be tricky if you are low on ammo and health. I had only seven bullets with me; however, revealing the Source points quickly with the help of the torchlight and targeting them proved very effective for the first stage. If you are accurate enough, you can even clear the first phase with only five bullets. I didn’t have the shotgun on me at that point, but if you have it with you, the fight will become easier. However, we recommend that you save the Shotgun ammo for the second and third phases. You can get Sawed-off Shotgun in Alan Wake 2 from the General Store close to Nightingale’s Murder scene.
The Nightingale will disappear, and a mini jump scare will welcome you to indicate the end of the first stage.
Stage 2
For the second phase, it will be a great opportunity for the players to restock. Stay away from the red storm and run in the opposite direction. You can find some boxes containing ammon, health, and battery charges either on the ground or attached to poles.
Restock a bit before you engage Nightingale for the second phase. Even if he finds you, run away and restock first as needed.
For the second phase, I found those big stone boulders and poles quite useful. You can circle around them to dodge Nightingale’s attacks with relative ease. For this phase, he will have an additional attack you should watch out for. The one where he strikes the ground. Try dodging sideways when he does that.
Naturally, he will be more aggressive in this phase. Try to maintain a safe distance and always ready to dodge his attacks, and you should be fine.
Stage 3
The indication for clearing the second stage will be the same as it was for stage 1. This is the last stage where Nightingale will have no place to run, and his attacks will be focused more on close quarters. With aggressive attacks and a lot more neck grabbing.
For stage three, we advise keeping your health and ammunition in check as the third stage tends to stick Saga and the Nightingale into a corner, and the fight is more close-quarter orientated.
Bring the Sawed-Off Shotgun and keep staggering the Nightingale using your flashlight to heal or plan out your next move. I recommend that you use all your Sawed-off Shotgun ammo in this phase.
Clearing Stage Three will mark an end to the first boss fight in Alan Wake 2.
Nightingale fight tips
- The Nightingale tends to have a pattern of attacks that are quite avoidable, complemented by a red or black line indicating the form of attack.
If you see a horizontal red line emerging from the Nightingale’s attack, press L1 or the designated dodge button or step backward to dodge around them, and for the overhead attacks, move to the sides as timing the dodge perfectly can be quite risky for Saga.
- Always remember to bring extra health items and ammunition before you venture out into the Nightingale boss fight. If you run out of resources during the boss fight, depending on the difficulty level you are on, there will be boxes with ammo and healing items so look for them in the boss fight area.
- One of the deadliest moves the Nightingale can perform is the double Sweep, which can take a toll on your life.
If you aren’t successful in dodging the strike and falling down on the ground, time your L1 and press it to counter the second sweep by performing a ground dodge.
- During the close-quarter battle in the third stage, the Nightingale tends to grab Saga and give her a quick shakedown, draining a lot of health; it is recommended to quickly tap X or your designated key to break free of the grab and get back into the fight.
