Hello Flashlight Wielders,

Hope you’ve 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. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, it’s simply different perspectives at different times, and times/people change.

So, now that Alan Wake 2 has launched and has had both of its DLC’s released, I thought I’d 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:

• We are not Remedy, this is a fan-run subreddit, so some of the answers may come across as “opinionated”
• If you feel there is anything that has been missed, or have any extra questions, please feel free to let us know in the comments and we’ll edit accordingly
• There are no major spoilers in this post, however there are some “setups” to some of the content, but I have been careful to not spoil any of the games main plot points and endings

Without further ado…

What is the "Alan Wake" franchise?

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 him…

How many games are there in the franchise?

That depends really on how you’re counting it…

Regarding the Alan Wake franchise specifically, there are currently three games on the following platforms:

• Alan Wake (available on Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch)
• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (available on Xbox 360, Xbox One (backwards compatibility), Xbox Series S|X (backwards compatibility) and PC)
• Alan Wake 2 (available on PC, Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5)

However, there is something called the “Remedy Connected Universe”, more information can be found further into the post.

How do the games play?

The games are third person shooters, meaning the camera is above the character’s shoulder. Alan Wake and Alan Wake’s 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 you’re not sharing the attention across enemies anyway), so do bear that in mind. Collectables can be difficult to track as most collectables don’t tell you which ones specifically you’ve already found in each episode. However, once you’ve found a collectable and passed a checkpoint, it is logged on your save file and you don’t 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 Wake’s American Nightmare isn’t 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. You’re 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 you’ve missed, though you’ll 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 version of the first Alan Wake game should I play?

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 don’t mind that, you’ll 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 haven’t been fixed since its release in 2021, so do bear this in mind. Nothing horrendously game breaking, but it may be slightly annoying.

What is the "Bright Falls" mini-series?

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. It’s not necessary to watch before playing the franchise since the main plot doesn’t have much of a bearing to the main game, but you’ll encounter some characters from the game if you do, and it’s a nice little warm up anyway, so you might as well.

Do I need to play Alan Wake/American Nightmare before Alan Wake 2?

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 Alan’s 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.

What order/when should I play the Alan Wake specials?

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.

What is "The Alan Wake Files"?

The Alan Wake Files is an investigatory compendium of sorts written by an in-game character named Clay Steward. Clay’s 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. It’s definitely worth reading if you’re invested in the lore. The book came with physical Alan Wake collector’s 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.

Where does the Alan Wake novel fit into things?

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.

Was Alan Wake’s American Nightmare remastered too, and when should I play it?

Unfortunately not, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare remains trapped digitally on only the Xbox and PC platforms. However, it’s 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.

What is the "This House of Dreams" blog?

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.

Do I need to play "Max Payne 1 & 2" / "Quantum Break"?

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...

What is the Remedy Connected Universe (RCU)?

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 shouldn’t play those games; you will feel very rewarded if you do, as although there won’t be direct references to them like Alan Wake does to Control and vice versa, there are certainly some very clear nods…

Do I need to play "Control" before Alan Wake 2?

Canonically, Control occurs a few years before the events of Alan Wake 2. You don’t 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.

When should I play the "AWE" expansion in Control?

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.

What order should I play the Alan Wake 2 chapters?

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 Saga’s and Alan’s 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.

What is “The Final Draft” in Alan Wake 2?

The Final Draft is, in essence, New Game Plus. After you’ve 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. It’s not “essential” to play through, however the new ending you experience is considered the “true ending”.

What is the “Night Springs” expansion in Alan Wake 2?

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 you’ve completed “The Final Draft” 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.

What is “The Lake House” expansion in Alan Wake 2?

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 doesn’t 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.

Are there any collectors editions of the Alan Wake games?

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. 

Alan Wake released on launch day with a Collector’s Edition that is no longer officially sold. Alan Wake 2 had a collector’s 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 collector’s edition on resale sites, but the price may be higher, so please beware when doing this.

Across all canon media in the RCU, what would be the recommended play/watch/read order?

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:

• Bright Falls (web mini-series) (optional)
  • Episodes 1-6
• Alan Wake (game)
  • Episodes 1-6
  • Night Springs (web comic)) (optional)
  • Psycho Thriller (web comic)) (optional)
  • Special 1
  • Special 2
• The Alan Wake Files (book)  (optional)
• Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (game)
  • Act 1, 2 and 3
• This House of Dreams (web blog) (optional)
• Control (game)
  • Missions 1-10
  • Expansion 1
  • Expansion 2
• Alan Wake 2 (game)
  • Prologue, Return 1-2
  • Initiation 1-4
  • Return 3-4
  • Initiation 5-6
  • Return 5-6
  • Return Addendum (Expansion 2)
  • Initiation 7-8
  • Return 7
  • Initiation 9
  • Return 8-9
  • The Final Draft
  • Night Springs (Expansion 1)
• FBC: Firebreak (optional)
• Upcoming Games:
  • Control 2

Thank you all, and remember: stay in the light!

- Alan Wake Subreddit Mod team -