Summary
Alan Wake 2continues to ride high on its success that began almost immediately after its launch last October. Remedy Entertainment’sAlan Wake 2arrived 13 years after the original entry to high critical and fan acclaim, with many praising its survival horror design and use of live-action elements spliced into the action and mind-bending story. That story expanded into an even deeper narrative, weaving multiple characters and plots into a layered tale that twisted and turned into an arresting whole.
Remedy had previously revealed plans for two expansions forAlan Wake 2. The first, Night Springs, was given a “spring” window. However, as that time crept closer with Remedy keeping silent on updates, fans were starting to get anxious about when they might be able to dive into the new content. Studio Creative Director, Sam Lake, quelled these concerns when he appeared at therecentSummer Game Festto announce, among other things, that the Night Springs DLC would be released shortly after the event. Now that Nights Spring has arrived, it’s clear that the developer’s skills continue to shine when it comes to employing meta aspects in its titles.
Alan Wake 2’s second expansion,The Lake House DLC, is set for release later this year and will possibly be closely connected toControl.
Spoilers forAlan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC.
Remedy’s Flair for Meta Devices Reaches Far Back
While it may not have been until the firstAlan Wakethat Remedy pushed the meta envelope to new heights, the studio has long displayed a love affair with experimenting and incorporating multimedia elements into its titles. TheoriginalMax Paynegamesfamously had the dour detective able to watch episodes of the TV show,Address Unknown, which seemed to mirror Max’s situation and memories in creepy and eerily surreal ways. On the other end,Lords and Ladieswas a lighthearted romantic comedy skit show that injected a bit of needed humor into the intensity and tension of the rest of the experience. Every title in Remedy’s catalog has played with elements like these to various degrees, withAlan Wakemarking a bigger use of them.
Remedy Makes Great Use of its Meta Tricks Again in Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC
Like the above,Night Springsis an in-universe TV series inAlan Wake, with Alan’s backstory stating he began his career writing episodes for it. Thus, it’s no surprise that it’s been featured in some form since, and the titular DLC puts a fitting spin on this facet. Night Springs is a funhouse of three alternate story scenarios framed as versions of Night Springs scripts that Alan is feverishly penning in his attempts to wrestle back his sanity and escape the Dark Place.
Number One Fan features perky waitress, Rose Marigold, in a soap opera-like quest to rescue her hero, Alan, from the clutches of his “bad boy” evil twin, aka Mr. Scratch. It’s quirky and sincere, giving Rose’s cheery personality more of the spotlight. North Star focuses onControlprotagonist Jesse Faden, as she finds herself in a warped version ofAlan Wake 2’s Coffee Worldamusement park that is under supernatural duress. Time Breaker, starring Shawn Ashmore as a version of himself playing an interpretation of the character of Tim Breaker from the main campaign, has players going through a retro 16-bit side shooter section and later, an old school text adventure. All of these aspects are cleverly entwined with the core gameplay of the base title, and create an enjoyable collection of “What If?” styled adventures.
While this DLC may not necessarily answer some of the more outstanding mysteries and threads from the existing tale, it provides great new content while giving fans a fun look at some ofAlan Wake’s other characters. Night Springs acts almost like a teaser for what Remedy almost assuredly has more in store for the future. The second expansion is likely poised to be the more significant story bridge into the next chapter of theRemedy Connected Universe, and if Night Springs is any indication, Remedy will deliver on this promise in a big way.
Alan Wake 2
WHERE TO PLAY
A string of ritualistic murders threatens Bright Falls, a small-town community surrounded by Pacific Northwest wilderness. Saga Anderson, an accomplished FBI agent with a reputation for solving impossible cases arrives to investigate the murders. Anderson’s case spirals into a nightmare when she discovers pages of a horror story that starts to come true around her.Alan Wake, a lost writer trapped in a nightmare beyond our world, writes a dark story in an attempt to shape the reality around him and escape his prison. With a dark horror hunting him, Wake is trying to retain his sanity and beat the devil at his own game.Anderson and Wake are two heroes on two desperate journeys in two separate realities, connected at heart in ways neither of them can understand: reflecting each other, echoing each other, and affecting the worlds around them.Fueled by the horror story, supernatural darkness invades Bright Falls, corrupting the locals and threatening the loved ones of both Anderson and Wake. Light is their weapon—and their safe haven — against the darkness they face. Trapped in a sinister horror story where there are only victims and monsters, can they break out to be the heroes they need to be?
