Alan Wake Ending Explained, Ending Song, and Release Date
by Ushapriyanga | Updated May 31, 2023
Alan Wake Info
Alan Wake is an action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It initially released in 2010 for the Xbox 360 and later arrived on Windows in 2012. The game received a remastered version in 2021 for various platforms, including PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as Windows. A Nintendo Switch version followed in 2022.
The game revolves around the protagonist, Alan Wake, a successful thriller novelist, as he investigates the disappearance of his wife in the fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington. Intriguingly, the events from Alan's latest novel, which he cannot recall writing, come to life during his search for answers.
Alan Wake follows a structure akin to a thrilling TV series, featuring episodes with plot twists and cliffhangers. The game is divided into six episodes, and additional downloadable content (DLC) called The Signal and The Writer expands the story. Bright Falls, a live-action web series, serves as a prequel to the game. Furthermore, several books related to the Alan Wake universe provide further depth to the narrative.
The main writer of the game, Sam Lake, worked on Alan Wake for over five years. Originally envisioned as an open-world survival game, the development faced challenges in blending gameplay with the desired action-thriller story. After a concentrated two-month period, the team restructured the game into a more traditional linear experience with episodic elements. This change better supported the intended narrative structure and allowed the reuse of existing open-world assets.
Alan Wake received positive reviews from critics, developed a devoted fan base, and earned acclaim for its visuals, sound design, narrative, pacing, and atmospheric qualities. The game was recognized as the top video game of 2010 by Time magazine. A standalone spin-off called Alan Wake's American Nightmare arrived in 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade service.
Although a planned sequel was canceled, it served as the foundation and inspiration for Remedy's subsequent title, Quantum Break. Additionally, Remedy released Control in 2019, which shares a universe with Alan Wake. Finally, the long-awaited sequel, Alan Wake II, was announced at The Game Awards in December 2021 and is slated for release in October 2023.
Alan Wake Ending Explained
After defeating the avatar of the Presence and rescuing Alice, Alan finds himself trapped in the Dark Place, where the Presence attempts to compel him to write a new story and set it free once more. Within the Presence's realm, creative individuals possess the power to influence reality through their creations, but only within the limitations of their respective mediums.
Naturally, Alan has no intention of setting the Presence free again if he can avoid it. However, he must devise a story that could feasibly result in the defeat of the Presence and his own liberation.
The pressure of crafting this narrative, coupled with the oppressive atmosphere of the Dark Place, briefly pushes Alan to the brink of madness. This explains why we assume the role of a separate aspect of Alan in the bonus episodes, as his insanity drives him to seek self-punishment for ending up in the Dark Place.
On a separate note, due to the mysterious events surrounding the main game, various rumors circulate about Alan, depicting him as a deranged murderer. As a result of his confinement in the Dark Place, a malevolent doppelganger known as Mr. Scratch is created, who attempts to take control of Alan's life. Since Mr. Scratch is an extension of the Presence, he remains bound by its rules.
This allows Alan to trap him in the fictional town of Night Springs using an episode script from the show of the same name, leading to the events of Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Unfortunately, although Alan manages to manifest a version of himself in reality to confront Mr. Scratch, this manifestation cannot persist beyond the conclusion of the story, leaving the real Alan still trapped in the Dark Place.
Alan Wake Episode 2
Begin by entering the kitchen and turning on the coffee machine. Proceed to the workroom where you will meet your wife. Take a moment to check the items on Wake's desk in his study. Your objective is to locate the fusebox, which will be marked. Grab the torch and engage in a conversation with Alice.
Next, find Sheriff Sara's office and retrieve Wake's phone. After conversing with Sarah Breaker, you will receive a call informing you that your wife has been abducted. Engage in a conversation with Sheriff Sara, make your way to the back lot of the police station, and locate Alice's driver's license inside an old car. Once done, exit the police station.
Head to the visitor center and speak with the ranger. Obtain the registry from the front desk and have another conversation with the ranger to acquire the necessary keys. From this point onward, you will be navigating with only a torch as your source of light.
Check on Ranger "12 Gallons of Blood" Rusty and take his gun and key. Examine the fusebox and prepare for combat.
For the initial enemies, utilize the live wire near the entrance. A single touch from the wire will eliminate the enemies, even on the Nightmare difficulty setting. Proceed into the yard beyond the visitor center. You can confront the enemy Speedster by using the live wire (you can step back outside) or stand on the picnic table and gradually wear down their shield.
When facing enemy Speedsters or Blurs, once their shield is gone, they lose the ability to move swiftly. Eliminate them and use the live wire on the two enemies that appear after the Speedster is defeated. Stock up on ammunition before proceeding.
After leaving the visitor center, rush down the stairs and head towards the next safe zone located at the gazebo. To outrun enemies, you must turn and briefly stun them with your torch (while continuing to move towards your objective), then turn and sprint until Wake becomes tired, repeating this process. If necessary, you can also utilize dodging.
Keep in mind that successful dodging is only possible when the enemy begins to swing their weapon. During cinematic dodge, most attacks should miss Wake.
Reach the safe zone at the bridgehead. With an ample supply of ammo and batteries, use the narrow confines of the bridge to eliminate pursuing enemies. You will acquire more than enough ammunition in a short period of time.
Shortly after passing the bridge's safe zone, ascend the hill towards your objective. This will help you avoid the ambush at the stone arch. Although Wake will inevitably trigger it (as it is proximity-based), being above the next safe zone allows you to evade most of the enemies.
In fact, you can bypass a majority of the enemies (particularly useful on Nightmare difficulty) and slide down the slope to safety. Once you pass through the gate, the enemies will cease pursuit. Activate the trolley and confront the kidnapper. At this point, the only weapon Wake will have is the flare dropped by the kidnapper. Collect additional flares from the red emergency boxes, with more located near the first locked gate. Be aware that this area can be extremely challenging, especially on Nightmare difficulty, as it may be difficult to outlast all the enemies with flares alone.
During the first part, use cinematic dodge to evade enemies as much as possible until the NPC unlocks the gate. Follow the NPC to the next safe zone. If you have at least one or two flares remaining from the previous encounter, you will be in a good position.
On the platform, you will find two or three flares. Use them to repel enemies and create space while you activate the flashlight and allow the NPC to use their gun to eliminate enemies. Once all the enemies are defeated, the zone will be completed.
Proceed to the mill by hopping past the broken roof and reaching the dock. Climb up the mill and kick off the elevator weight at the top to acquire the platform required to bridge the gap.
Once you reach the top of the mill, engage in a strategic fight with the enemy. Utilize the boxes in the shack as a blind spot to your advantage. Take your time and eliminate the Taken using your preferred weapon. You will find a rifle in the shack that you can pick up after dealing with the enemy.
For the two speedster enemies near the log pile, make use of the rocks to the right of the pile. These rocks will give you the necessary leverage. Since the enemies cannot move swiftly over rough ground, you can effectively use the rocks as a barrier to hold them off while you defeat them.
Dealing with the chainsaw enemy and their allies after this proves to be more challenging. It is advisable to flee, especially since there are no items available once you confront the chainsaw Taken. Use flares and make your way to the top of the stairs, where a safe zone will keep the enemies at bay.
Upon reaching the mobile home park, locate the keys in the men's room and swiftly escape before the enemy becomes aware of your presence. Enter the parked vehicle and drive back to the visitor center.
If you wish to collect items, it is more feasible on the Normal difficulty level. On Nightmare difficulty, stopping the car will result in death. Therefore, follow the road and navigate past the roadblocks without stopping. This will lead you back to the ranger station where you previously encountered Rusty.
The car will only stop halfway up the dirt road to the cabin. Exit the car and stock up on flaregun ammo, flares, and batteries. To defeat the birds, you will need to aim accurately with the flaregun (as it takes time for the flare to detonate) or simply use a weak beam to hose down the flock and boost your torch when the flock dives close to Wake.
Batteries are crucial in this section, and as long as you stay focused and completely eliminate one flock (reducing the number of attacks you receive), you should have little trouble navigating through this part, even on Nightmare difficulty.
Alan Wake Episode 2 Ending Song
Track No.
Name of Song
Length
1
Alan Wake
5:34
2
A Writer's Dream
1:55
3
Welcome to Bright Falls
4:26
4
Vacation
2:48
5
Cross That River
5:38
6
Waking Up to a Nightmare
2:17
7
The Clicker
1:51
8
Deerfest
3:02
9
Taken by the Night
10:47
10
On the Run
6:08
11
Mirror Peak
5:12
12
Tom the Diver
2:50
13
The Night It All Began
2:01
14
Bright Falls Light and Power
3:16
15
Hunters
5:00
16
The Well-Lit Room
1:42
17
Water Pressure
5:53
18
Departure
3:02
Alan Wake Remastered
In this critically acclaimed action-thriller, Alan Wake, a troubled writer, embarks on a desperate quest to find his missing wife, Alice. As he investigates her disappearance in the town of Bright Falls, he stumbles upon pages of a horror story that he supposedly authored but has no recollection of writing. As the pages come to life, Alan begins to question his sanity. A malevolent supernatural darkness infects the townspeople, turning them into hostile adversaries.
Armed with only a flashlight, a handgun, and his fragmented mind, Alan must confront the forces of darkness that seek to consume him. His journey into the nightmarish depths is filled with mind-bending mysteries and terrifying encounters. Alan Wake Remastered offers a complete experience, including the main game and its two story expansions, The Signal and The Writer, now presented in stunning 4K visuals.
The episodic narrative is filled with unexpected twists, heart-pounding cliffhangers, and intense combat that requires more than just bullets to defeat the darkness. Enhanced cutscenes, an eccentric cast of characters, and breathtaking Pacific Northwest landscapes contribute to an immersive experience that captivates both visually and atmospherically.
Alan Wake Release Date
The development of the original Alan Wake game was marked by challenges and changes before its eventual release. Despite initially gaining a cult following, it didn't achieve widespread success immediately.
Additional content in the form of two DLC episodes was released, and plans were made for a sequel to expand upon the first game and include elements that couldn't be included initially. However, the sequel was ultimately canceled, and a smaller downloadable game called Alan Wake's American Nightmare was released instead.
After a period of silence, Alan Wake made a surprising appearance in the AWE expansion for a different game called Control. With the remastered version of the original game reintroducing him to players, the announcement of a long-awaited sequel was made. Although not all the details are known, here's what we do know about Alan Wake 2. Alan Wake 2 is set to release on October 17, 2023, just in time for the spooky season.
Alan Wake Remake
In September 2021, Remedy Entertainment announced a remastered version of Alan Wake. The remaster was a collaboration between Remedy and D3T and was published by Epic Games Publishing. It was released on October 5, 2021, for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Additionally, it marked the first time the game was made available on the PlayStation platform, including PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A version for Nintendo Switch was released on October 20, 2022.
Remedy chose to pursue a remaster rather than a remake, aiming to maintain the core gameplay and narrative elements while enhancing the visuals to appeal to both existing and new players.
They focused on improving the game's resolution, supporting 4K visuals for newer gaming systems. Visual assets were remade to achieve high-definition quality, including the transformation of non-3D elements like water movement into 3D motion. Cutscenes were also remade, combining original and new assets, including new motion capture. However, the presentation of cutscenes was limited to 30 frames per second due to this combination.
The remastered version removed the product placement that was present in the original game but retained all the licensed music. In addition to the visual enhancements, the remastered edition included both DLC episodes and a new commentary track by Sam Lake, the creative director of Remedy.
Players discovered a new Easter egg linking Alan Wake to Remedy's game Control through a letter from Bright Falls' sheriff to the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), referencing paranormal events in town that coincide with the FBC's investigation revealed in Control's DLC.
Remedy confirmed that there were no plans to remaster Alan Wake's American Nightmare, considering the main game and its two DLC episodes as a comprehensive package
Alan Wake Ending Explained-FAQs
Alan Wake is a psychological action thriller video game developed by Remedy Entertainment. It follows the story of a troubled writer named Alan Wake who embarks on a search for his missing wife while confronting a malevolent supernatural force.
Alan Wake is available on various platforms, including Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Yes, a remastered version of Alan Wake was released on October 5, 2021. It features improved visuals, including support for 4K resolutions, and includes the main game and its two DLC episodes.
The DLC episodes are called "The Signal" and "The Writer." They expand upon the main game's story and provide additional gameplay experiences.