DLC has been a staple of most of Remedy’s games over the last few decades, and while they’re obviously not as meaty as the full thing, they often offer bite-sized epilogues and spinoffs that continue to build on the already-great foundations of the base game. ThefirstAlan Wake’s two DLC specialsare the perfect example of this Remedy trend, delivering two short epilogues that bridged the gap between the first game’s ending and a possible sequel, thoughAlan Wake 2would take another 13 years to come out.
Alan Wake 2has continued this Remedy trend, having already delivered one post-launch DLC earlier this year, with another set for release at some unknown date this October. Rather than function as epilogues that continueAlan Wake 2’s main story, Night Springs and The Lake House other side tales that run parallel to the game’s narrative. But while Night Springs and The Lake House are both spinoff DLCs, they approachAlan Wake 2’s story in very different ways, subtly representing the series' dual identity.
Alan Wake 2’s DLCs Represent Both Halves of The Series' Identity
Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC Offered a Fun, Meta Set of Missions
BothAlan Wake 2and its 2010 predecessor weren’t afraid to lean into the realm of absurdity every now and then, using it to give the game’s atmosphere a sort of unhinged feeling. Heavily inspired by shows likeTwin Peaks,Alan Wake 2’s main storywas filled with fourth-wall breaks and meta commentaries that were used to keep the player perpetually off-balance.
Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC took this meta theming and doubled down on it, offering an experimental set of “What If?” stories that went even further in bending the franchise’s logic. From a bizarrely bright, colorful, and violent rampage through Bright Falls as superfan Rose Marigold, to a Jesse Faden-led adventure through Coffee World, to an incredibly ambitious multiversal jaunt with Shawn Ashmore’s Tim Breaker,Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLCleft it all out on the field.
Alan Wake 2’s Lake House DLC Is Offering a More Traditional Survival Horror Experience
ButAlan Wake 2is, first and foremost, a survival horror game. Resources are scarce, it’s often the best option to avoid enemy encounters rather than face them head-on, and players need to solve environmental puzzles to progress. The game’s atmosphere – created by its sound design, lighting, and environmental design – is also suitably eerie throughout. By all measures,Alan Wake 2is a traditional survival horror experience.
Alan Wake 2’s upcoming Lake House DLClooks like it’s going to embrace the series' survival horror roots more so than its predecessor, at least based on the trailer released during Sony’s recent State of Play. The overall tone of the recent Lake House DLC trailer is incredibly ominous, with the camera gradually making its way through Cauldron Lake’s surrounding forests while Janina Gavankar’s FBC Agent Estevez delivers some foreboding lines of dialogue.
As the camera continues to move through the Lake House FBC facility’s abandoned hallways, the unsettling music continues to ramp up. As the music hits its horrifying crescendo, some disembodied, aggressive voices can be heard, and fans are treated toa trademarkAlan Wake 2jumpscare. While supernatural threats are sure to be found inAlan Wake 2’s Lake House DLC, they probably won’t be accompanied by any brief moments of absurdist levity.
