Play on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Current goal: Finish this journey
It’s demanding for me to believe it’s over Alan Wake II is here. The arrival of the second and final DLC, The Lake House, marks the end of it, which of course no doubt means more energy put into other things in Remedy. As a wise man once said, “Every new beginning comes from the end of another beginning.” That’s how it works. But what a ride Alan Wake II was. The most electrifying game of last year was one of two releases last year – the second Tears of the Kingdom— it reminded me of what games can do and why I love them so much.
From what I understand, The Lake House only takes a few hours to complete, but they seem to be able to deliver exactly what I expect, from completion to time spent with Alan Wake II: mystery, intrigue and hints of cosmic possibilities. The architecture of the titular space, the headquarters of the Federal Audit Office in AVIIaround the Pacific Northwest, both look like spaces in Control but also distinctly different, so I’m looking forward to exploring its amazing halls and seeing what kind of things the Bureau did here.
Yesterday, Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake posted the following message on Twitter:
Of course, I can’t imagine what it feels like to reach this point for the people who are actually working on this saga, who have endured 13 years of waiting from the release of the first game to its sequel, not as players, but as writers and artists, waiting for the right moment, waiting for the pieces to fall into place, having to frequently put plans aside or go back to the drawing board. But now we are here. Exists. It’s amazing. And this weekend I will see how it all ends. Of course, with coffee by your side. —Caroline Petit
