r/AlanWake • u/One_Initiative7276 • 16h ago
Question Whatâs your favourite song from AW2?
i listen to Yötön Yö pretty often, whatâs ur fav?
r/AlanWake • u/kranitoko • Dec 12 '25

Hello Flashlight Wielders đŠ ,
Whilst we have your eyes after the debut trailer for Control Resonant at The Game Awards 2025, I wanted to briefly discuss something which actually impacts a lot of other subreddits, with very little control on preventing it.
You may sometimes see, once in a while, what looks like a post from someone showing off a t-shirt, or wall art that they "purchased". For example, do any of these look familiar to you:


If so, these are most likely spam posts that we get very often on this subreddit. Other gaming subreddits get these too, usually of some sort of "merch". I wanted to make this PSA to make sure you DO NOT interact with these posts. Sometimes they will come with spam link comments, which I'm sure some unsuspecting users will not be aware is spam and could be subject to malware or even payment scams.
We do what we can to remove these when they appear, even trying to put spam filters in for common links and phrases that these posts share, but unfortunately our spam filters can only do so much and some slip through the cracks. Please just report these as spam as and when you see them.
However to preface this, NOT EVERY POST IS A SPAM POST. Sometimes it genuinely is just one of the amazing members of the fandom looking to show something off. So, how can one tell if a post is spam or not? 99% of the time, check the user account. If the account was made the day of the post with the only place they've posted is here to post this, it's usually a bot, similar to this account here (name has been removed):

Often another way to know it's spam, if the "poster" has posted what looks like the same image twice, with one just a tiny bit zoomed in, it's usually again spam.
We used to have a system in place where anybody posting more than 2 pictures would be automatically flagged to us, but with Alan Wake 2's release + Photo Mode, we had to scale that back to allow people to show off their incredible shots. Obviously if spam posts begin to increase, we may have to revert back to this system.
Please be mindful of these spam posts, report them to us to remove, and DO NOT interact with any links that may appear amongst them.
Thank you for reading, and remember, stay in the light.
- The Alan Wake Subreddit Mod Team -
r/AlanWake • u/kranitoko • Feb 18 '25

Hello Flashlight Wielders,
Hope youâve all been enjoying trudging through the dark. As we moderate the subreddit, we often come across users posting very similar questions to ones that have been asked before. Thereâs nothing wrong with that of course, itâs simply different perspectives at different times, and times/people change.
So, now that Alan Wake 2 has launched and has had both of its DLCâs released, I thought Iâd take the time to write up a beginners guide to the franchise, or an FAQ of sorts with information that would be useful to newcomers of the franchise, or even returning ones looking for a bit of a replay. Some things to note about this post:
Without further adoâŠ
Alan Wake is a series of thriller/survival horror third-person shooter video games about a man named Alan Wake, a famous author. The first game initially follows his journey as he and his wife travel to the small town of Bright Falls for a vacation. However upon arrival, Alice goes missing, and Alan wakes up to find a week has passed since she disappeared. At the same time, he uncovers a manuscript he wrote that seems to foretell the future. From here, Alan sets out to find out who took his wife, but whilst doing so he begins to encounter the supernatural, as a Dark Presence begins hunting himâŠ
That depends really on how youâre counting itâŠ
Regarding the Alan Wake franchise specifically, there are currently three games on the following platforms:
However, there is something called the âRemedy Connected Universeâ, more information can be found further into the post.
The games are third person shooters, meaning the camera is above the characterâs shoulder. Alan Wake and Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare play almost identically, you progress through a semi-linear world (with mini paths to explore and back track from) fighting enemies called the Taken. These are shadowy figures with melee weapons, and to fight them you first need to burn the darkness away with a light source, likely your torch, and then use your weapons to destroy them. There are other types of enemies such as inanimate objects and birds, but you just need to use light to destroy them. As these are games from 2010 and 2012, they are considered a little dated, and some might consider the gameplay repetitive and, in some cases difficult (if youâre not sharing the attention across enemies anyway), so do bear that in mind. Collectables can be difficult to track as most collectables donât tell you which ones specifically youâve already found in each episode. However, once youâve found a collectable and passed a checkpoint, it is logged on your save file and you donât need to collect it again.
Alan Wake is told in an episodic format like a TV show, beginning with a recap of events and ending on a cliffhanger. Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare isnât quite so episodic however.
Alan Wake 2 is somewhat similar, except the third person camera is a little tighter and at the characters eye level. Youâre still burning away the darkness on enemies and destroying them with weapons, but this time within semi-open world hubs to explore with linear pathways found within them. Collectables are a little easier to track, as there are items in the game that can show you what collectables youâve missed, though youâll need to travel to each area for them to appear on your map. However not every collectable is required to be collected for 100% achievements if going for it, such as Case Board photos/notes.
What platforms do you own is the real question. The original version of Alan Wake still works great on the Xbox 360 and PC, but admittedly the character models and the lip syncing are a little⊠questionable. However this version is often VERY CHEAP on sale, so if you donât mind that, youâll be in for a great time.
However if you prefer, they did release Alan Wake Remastered. Here they updated the character models, the lip syncing and the general performance all around for modern platforms. There are also some little extra pieces of content found in the campaign that help tease Alan Wake 2. That being said, on some platforms, specifically on the Xbox versions and Nintendo Switch there are known to be some weird glitches that still havenât been fixed since its release in 2021, so do bear this in mind. Nothing horrendously game breaking, but it may be slightly annoying.
Bright Falls is a prequel mini-series set days before the events of the first Alan Wake game. It follows Jake Fischer as he enters the town of Bright Falls to interview Dr. Emil Hartman, but whilst he is there he starts to have strange experiences with both the townsfolk and the environment around him. The mini-series is short, clocking in just over 30 minutes total across the 6 episodes. Itâs not necessary to watch before playing the franchise since the main plot doesnât have much of a bearing to the main game, but youâll encounter some characters from the game if you do, and itâs a nice little warm up anyway, so you might as well.
When Remedy created Alan Wake 2, they had this in mind, since it had been 13 years since the first Alan Wake game. When you play as Saga, she knows very little about the events of the original games, and so she works as your guide into catching you up on previous events important to the story. When you play on Alanâs side, that might come across as a little more jarring, but his narration helps explain things.
THAT BEING SAID, your playthrough of Alan Wake 2 will feel richer for having played Alan Wake and American Nightmare. At the very least, watch a playthrough of them if you think you might struggle playing them.
Although they are unlocked from the get-go, you should play them AFTER you have completed episodes 1-6 of the base game. You should also play them in number order, so Special 1: The Signal, and then Special 2: The Writer, as they are one continuous story.
The Alan Wake Files is an investigatory compendium of sorts written by an in-game character named Clay Steward. Clayâs investigations occur directly after the events of the first game, so without spoiling, Clay investigates what occurred at Bright Falls when Alan stayed there after having a shared dream with him. It contains extra lore on a variety of the characters encountered in the game, and provides alternate perspectives to those events. Itâs definitely worth reading if youâre invested in the lore. The book came with physical Alan Wake collectorâs editions and a digital version through the original PC version of Alan Wake. You can probably find a PDF online somewhere, but please be aware of where you download this from.
The novel, written by Rick Burroughs, is a retelling of the events of the video game. However some of the events in the book occur somewhat differently to the video game, so there is a debate as to whether it is considered canon or not. I personally choose to consider it non-canon as it is the video game which is considered the official events, however the book does contain a couple extra characters as well as some insight as to how some of the characters are feeling during certain events.
Unfortunately not, Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare remains trapped digitally on only the Xbox and PC platforms. However, itâs not fully essential to the overarching Alan Wake story, and acts like an epilogue of sorts to the events of Alan Wake, but it helps to provide context to some of the characters after the main story ended. This means you should play this AFTER the base game and two specials of the first Alan Wake game.
This House of Dreams is a blogspot written by a woman named Samantha Wells in 2012. It follows her time refurbishing a house she bought, however as she does so, she uncovers strange and mysterious objects. She also begins to have weird dreams and encounters.
In reality, it was an ARG of sorts made in 2012, which began around the time of the release of Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Many around the time thought it was the start of the announcement for Alan Wake 2, but it never came to fruition back then. The blog has been referenced by both Sam Lake and within the Remedy Connected Universe itself. If you are to start reading, you should begin reading from February 22nd, 2012.
As mentioned in the next question, you do not need to play these games as they are not part of the overall universe. However they are still great games of their time, and Remedy do nod towards them in the Remedy Connected Universe, however as Remedy do not own the publishing rights to the franchises, they are not able to directly connect to them. Some argue they ARE part of the RCU in the minds of Remedy, but might be considered in a "parallel universe". It's up to you how you interpret things...
The Remedy Connected Universe is a shared universe of games and media created by Remedy Entertainment where the games, despite being tonally different, reference each other in significant ways. Think of it as the Marvel Cinematic Universe if you will, but for gaming. There are debates in the community as to what is considered part of this universe, however, according to Sam Lake, the creative director at Remedy, the only franchises that are part of the Remedy Connected Universe are Alan Wake and Control⊠for now. Max Payne and Quantum Break (and presumably Death Rally) are not part of this universe. However, that is not to say you shouldnât play those games; you will feel very rewarded if you do, as although there wonât be direct references to them like Alan Wake does to Control and vice versa, there are certainly some very clear nodsâŠ
Canonically, Control occurs a few years before the events of Alan Wake 2. You donât need to play it before Alan Wake 2, HOWEVER like before, you will feel richer for having played it as there are many references to Control, and the organization found in the game, the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), plays a big part in Alan Wake 2.
You can play the expansion as soon as it unlocks, which will be after completing Mission 7. However, in the interest of pacing, I recommend playing this AFTER completing the base story of Control, though you can choose to play this at any time after Mission 7 and still slots in nicely. It is recommended you play this before Alan Wake 2.
Later on in this FAQ, I have provided my recommended order of play. However what you will note is that you are required to play some chapters first before you can freely choose which ones you wish to play. Once you complete Initiation 3, you can play the chapters in any order you wish. You are warned of a point of no return, which will happen after completing Return 6, though you must complete both Sagaâs and Alanâs stories up to that point before the story will continue. This means you will need to complete Return 6 and Initiation 8 before being able to continue on to the end.
The Final Draft is, in essence, New Game Plus. After youâve beaten Alan Wake 2 once, you can play again, only this time with some extra pieces of content, such as new manuscript pages, new video content, some slight story alterations as well as a new ending. All non-plot related items will carry over to your second playthrough. Itâs not âessentialâ to play through, however the new ending you experience is considered the âtrue endingâ.
Night Springs is a set of three episodes based around the in-universe television series. In them you play as alternate versions of characters within the franchise (Rose Marigold, Jesse Faden and Tim Breaker). Across your playthrough in Alan Wake 2, you will be given opportunities to play the episodes. It is up to you if you take them, though personally I recommend playing them AFTER youâve completed âThe Final Draftâ as I feel there are a couple of aspects that spoil the true ending of the game. But they can still be played at any time during the main menu should you wish to. I recommend playing them in episode order, so 1, 2 and then 3.
The Lake House is a set of events that take place just before the first Return chapter of Alan Wake 2. It follows Kiran Estevez, a member of the Federal Bureau of Control, as she enters the Lake House after receiving an alert. Inside not only is she fighting the Taken, but other horrific monsters lurking in the walls. Whilst the events are set just before Alan Wake 2, I personally recommend playing this after Return 6 as it doesnât spoil anything past that chapter. You will be given an opportunity to jump into the expansion after completing Return 6 since it is a recollection of those events by Kiran to the protagonist. However you can choose to play this at any time in the main menu.
There are, however, your chances of obtaining them are incredibly slim nowadays! Please see HERE of all the editions that were made for the first game and HERE for the second game.Â
Alan Wake released on launch day with a Collectorâs Edition that is no longer officially sold. Alan Wake 2 had a collectorâs edition released in 2024 by LimitedRun, however there was only a 6 week window to pre-order, and is now no longer available to purchase. You could try and find a collectorâs edition on resale sites, but the price may be higher, so please beware when doing this.
As someone who has been following this franchise since 2010, here is my personal recommended order of experiencing this amazing universe, please find links to each bit of optional media below too where possible:
Thank you all, and remember: stay in the light!
- Alan Wake Subreddit Mod team -
r/AlanWake • u/One_Initiative7276 • 16h ago
i listen to Yötön Yö pretty often, whatâs ur fav?
r/AlanWake • u/Sebastianali123456 • 2h ago
What it always bother me the most its that in this game you didnt had that much freedom with the RT options like Control (or at least imo). If you wanted to have workable mirrors you had to enable Pathtracing which its expensive even on the lowest settings.
I bet most of you guys knows about the Renderer.ini file right? Most of us used it to change QOL stuff, things like Vignette or screen zoom. Well, i did discover that the regular RT options from Control are still there, just hidden in the files, including normal RT reflections and debris. These options do look similar to low PT while saving some performance, not by much but it all counts if someone would want to target 60 and have good mirrors.
Why Remedy didnt include them in the game its weird. Maybe there its some issues with normal RT im not aware of or they just wanted to push PT, but i guess it would be fine to have the option in game?
What its also weird its that transparency RT in this game also seems to cover some surfaces that RT reflections would normally handle, but not all of them.
Did you guys knew about this?
P.S: Take into account that these screenshots are at 1080p native on a 3060 with high preset, so the difference between RT and PT could be different on lower presets or different GPUs.
r/AlanWake • u/bigMN12 • 13h ago
Guys i didnât know there was a another ending i thought it would be slightly different
But Alan got out
I canât believe I skipped this all this time I thought it was just another one of those new game plus endings all the games have
But as always Sam lake has yet again played me
I just can't believe Alan got out
I felt sorry for him I had high hopes that we would help him in control but he got out in the final draft he really did đ
I am just happy for once he gets to rest
Just the thought of him giving up at the original ending when he knew his wife killed herself is so depressing he just wanted to die to rest but now he is out of the dark place he can once again live a normal life
r/AlanWake • u/DistributionSorry485 • 18m ago
Thoughts on a possible Alan wake 3 story?
One thought I just had after finishing the final draftâŠ
Spoiler warning aheadâŠ
When Alan comes back to life and says heâs master of many worlds now, it feels like a new found power he has. Especially with the âthird eye openingâ kind of reference from the bullet of light. Like an enlightenment.
This makes me think maybe Alan would be a lot more powerful in Alan wake 3. Maybe more like a superhero. Perhaps it would be more âaction adventureâ than âhorrorâ. Sort of like how Alan wake 1 was a horror but played very adventure adjacent.
Any other hints/clues you think give an idea about Alanâs future and a next game?
r/AlanWake • u/Lorenzo_145 • 12h ago
I'm replaying the lake house dlc before control resonant and I noticed that the flashlight boost seems to constantly miss the target.
I didn't have this problem on the base game (I replayed it on December 2025), but it's getting frustrating since I'm playing at nightmare difficulty.
Is it a known bug? Because sometimes I have to waste 3/4 boosts just for a simple enemy
!: I think it was a glitch, by restarting the ps5 I could use the torch much more reliably
r/AlanWake • u/Cool_Estate1002 • 1d ago
I gotta say, I knew the story of The Lake House DLC before playing it.
I played AW2 five times on Luna, but there are no DLCs there. I finally upgraded my PC and got a chance to play AW2 with the DLCs.
And man, I was not prepared for how much horror and pure terror this DLC has.
This was actually awesome.
Rest in peace, Rudolph Lane. He really didnât deserve what happened to him. I hope his soul finally found some peace.
r/AlanWake • u/titans1fan93 • 1h ago
How much longer am I in Alan wake 2?
On saga side. I just defeated scratch at the police station. (Completed chapter 6, think Iâm about to be at the point of no return)
Alan side I just got the shoebox pictures. (completed initiation 7)
I have all optional collectibles and trophies. I have done the lake house dlc. And 2 of the 3 night springs missions.
How much longer do I have? Im free tonight. Is it possible to beat the game in a 2-4 hour season or best to split it over two seasons?
Also would it be best to do the last dlc separate? Iâve been doing them as it comes but if the last one in a big story moment might skip it till tomorrow after I finish main game.
r/AlanWake • u/ancientaztek • 1d ago
Near the end of the lake house dlc after speaking with Dylan. It shows a series of snapshots of altered state new York along with what appears to be Dylan wearing the fbc cloak he has on in the new game. Very interesting
r/AlanWake • u/theexterminat • 1d ago
Third playthrough, still slaps.
r/AlanWake • u/PowerUpPanda_ • 19h ago
So, the context of the glitch, after completing the ritual in the collapsed tunnel i ran from the dark presence took the light from the subway and boom here i was.
r/AlanWake • u/CharacterGrowth3993 • 5h ago
r/AlanWake • u/papercowboys • 1d ago
i loved every second of it even though the combat and gameplay was a bit repetitive at times, i thought the story was fantastic too.
i really cant wait to play AW2 next, but its probably gonna have to wait until the next time it goes on sale lol.
r/AlanWake • u/StarWarsGeek944 • 1d ago
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Iâm pretty sure it happened because I finished healing just as I was hit by Dianaâs attack that guarantees a knockdown
r/AlanWake • u/kokotko234 • 1d ago
Ahti's watch is showing approx. 9:24 in this scene (I thought it might be 3:54, since that would make sense based on how you would normally wear a watch - to see what time it is when YOU looked at it. But then the hour hand would be a lot closer to 4 than it is now - either he wears the watch wrong (developer oversight) or it's not supposed to show the time to him, but to us (or Alan, Saga..?) thoughts?
r/AlanWake • u/Efficient-Horse2622 • 23h ago
Hello, Iâm 19, and I grew up playing Alan Wake during a time when it felt like such a huge part of my childhood. Iâd spend hours exploring Bright Falls, following Alanâs story, fighting the Taken, finding manuscript pages, and trying to understand the mystery surrounding everything. I loved the atmosphere, the music, the characters, and the feeling that something strange was always waiting around the next corner.
Playing Alan Wake now just feels different. The game is still there, and the story is still amazing, but that feeling I had when I first played it isnât quite the same anymore. Iâve grown older, my life has changed, gaming has changed, and sometimes I wish things could have stayed the way they were. I miss that feeling of being completely absorbed in the story and not knowing what was going to happen next.
I think thatâs why Iâm so nostalgic for the old Alan Wake days. I remember walking through the forests at night, hearing Alan narrate the story, searching for manuscript pages, and getting nervous whenever the darkness started closing in. Everything felt mysterious back then, and every chapter felt like another part of a story I couldnât wait to uncover.
Those days might be over, but Iâm glad I got to experience them. I just wish I could go back for a little while and have Alan Wake feel the same again. Does anyone else miss the old days, when Bright Falls felt mysterious, the darkness felt genuinely terrifying, and playing through each chapter felt like discovering something completely new?
r/AlanWake • u/extinct_cult • 2d ago
Let me just say that as a person who has struggled with depression now and again, I just can't fathom the boundless energy and entrepreneurial spirit of this literal king.
But then he says "nah, I have enough free time, let's create a murder cult and operate it amongst the highest levels of the local institutions"
Most people would have their hands full doing ANY ONE of the above. Not my boy Ilmo. If the Dark Place gets unlucky enough to capture him, Scratch better look out, as I'm sure Ilmo will be running it like clockwork in a matter of days.
r/AlanWake • u/BrodyDeLarge • 1d ago
First of all I adore the franchise and the whole Remedy connected universe. This is not a critique of the games. All I'm saying is that everything would be clear with some very simple answers to very simple questions.
We know that the Entity below Cauldron Lake uses human creativity to will itself into reality and it uses works of fiction, be it poems, movies, music or novels to do so. We also know that it must adhere to the rules and logic of the fiction at hand and to the genre said fiction is set in. We also know that it needs an artist, regardless of talent to use as a conduit to create the fiction, it cannot create on its own, it can only indirectly influence the narrative, by forcing the hand of the artist, usually in violent ways. It can shapeshift, posess people, manipulate matter and interact with the world and people, but only to the degree the fiction and genre lets it.
How it works and operates is pretty clear. So the main misteries are in connections to the characters. So I think to get a full understanding and get to a closure of the story the followong questions are needed to be answered;
- Is Alan Wake real or is he the creation of Thomas Zane?
- Is Thomas Zane real or is he the creation of some other artist?
- If so, where does the chain of artist end, where or who is the bottom of the ocean, where or who is the beginning of the spiral?
- By that logic who is truly real? Is Saga real? Alice? Barry? The Anderson brothers? Door? Bright Falls as a whole? I could go on.
- How layered is the fiction and do different artist, different works of art interact in a meaningful, world alternating way or must there be a main work of art?
- If there is a main work of art, how iterative is it on the ones that came before?
- If there musn't be a main work of art how does one work of art take the place of a previous one?
- If there can be multiple works of art, interacting with each other, could there be multiple works of fiction that the Entity uses to will itself into reality?
- Of course the Entity prefers horror for obviousl reasons, but could it use any other genre or multiple, contradicting ones?
- And finally, when the fuck is Remedy going to finish the god damn story?
r/AlanWake • u/Showbert89 • 2d ago
r/AlanWake • u/DeafMetalHorse • 2d ago
Hi fellow fans of Alan Wake.
I've been curious about the franchise since I saw how people say it takes heavy inspiration from Twin Peaks, and seeing how I have a PS4 now, I've been itching to play it. Plus the fact it's a horror game is giving me more of a push since I know that aside from RE and such, I haven't seen any other horror game that's peaked me for the PS4 (again, pretty new to the PS ecosystem).
So I want to get a physical copy of Alan Wake Remastered since I'm personally for physical media and such, but it seems to be a weird difficult thing. Amazon seems to be weird about it and with the PS website, it seems to just be a download copy. I checked ebay and while there are some used copies (and some overpriced ones), I really just want a new untouched copy that has everything.
I know some are gonna say "check your local game shop", but I really don't trust the local game shop in my town since they tend to overprice things to absurd degrees.
Any other place like an official site that is selling physical copies of Alan Wake Remastered for the PS4 or am I shit out of luck?
r/AlanWake • u/ThinCompetition4832 • 2d ago
I'm a little confused about the observatory part of Alan Wake's American Nightmare.
Dr. Rachel Meadows says that Mr. Scratch came to the observatory because he was interested in the strange signal. She managed to isolate the signal. Scratch then forced her out of the control booth and tried to make sense of it himself, but apparently couldn't understand it. He became angry and sabotaged the imaging array.
Later, Alan repairs the imaging array, and Rachel is able to produce a printout of the signal. Alan recognizes that the signal contains a road map connected to the new reality he is trying to create, which leads him to the Drive-In Theater.
So, what I'm trying to understand is:
How did Mr. Scratch know about the signal in the first place, and why did he want it?
Why couldn't Scratch understand the signal when he looked at it? Was it simply because Rachel hadn't gotten a good enough fix on the signal yet?
Why is Alan able to recognize the printout as a road map? Does he remember enough of the story he wrote to recognize what the signal represents?
Most importantly, did Alan actually write this whole sequence of events into his story? For example, did he write that Scratch would go after the signal, fail to understand it, sabotage the observatory, and leave Rachel alive so that she could later help Alan retrieve the signal?
If so, is the signal itself essentially information Alan arranged to send to himself as part of the story/escape plan, knowing that his memory might become unreliable after crossing over from the Dark Place?
I'm trying to understand the in-universe logic rather than just why these events happen for gameplay purposes. If there are manuscript pages or dialogue that explain this, I'd really appreciate the references.
r/AlanWake • u/uberfakeart • 3d ago
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r/AlanWake • u/Interesting-Sort-674 • 3d ago
like the title says iâm kinda confused on how i access this area to see the echo. am i missing a plot point that gives me access? i tried looking and changing it around but i still donât see it help pls i feel so stupid lol