In recent years, developer Remedy Entertainment hase carved itself out a niche as masters of creativity in the game industry. The studio’s frankly wild new IP, Control, was all kinds of bizarre and surreal, and it clearly took that unique energy and ran with it when it came to Alan Wake 2. It should come as no surprise, then, that Alan Wake 2’s first expansion, Night Springs, is even more unhinged than the main game - in a good way, of course.
Taking place across three very different episodes, Night Springs sees Remedy opt for an episodic structure with a trio of short stories, taking the perspective of fan favourite characters Rose Marigold, Jesse Faden from Control, and Sheriff Tim Breaker, as they confront their own struggles.
These standalone stories are more akin to a TV run of the offbeat and out-there 1990s TV show The Outer Limits (taking inspiration from the show of the same name from the 60s). They're mind-boggling, slightly nonsensical and all kinds of weird, and they feel right at home under the Alan Wake umbrella. While Alan Wake 2 itself was a survival-horror game with an emphasis on inventory management and scavenging, the three Night Spring episodes are more action-oriented, than survival-horror oriented.
Episode 1: Number One Fan sees you step into the shoes of Oh Deer Diner favourite, Rose Marigold, AKA Alan Wake’s number 1 fan, as she comes to the rescue of her muse. Number One Fan is the most action-focused of the three episodes, and is more akin to something like Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. Sure, you get a peek inside Rose’s head and her obvious delusions, but other than that, it’s not really a proper Alan Wake experience. If shooting loads of cult members is your bag, with copious amounts of ammo, then you might like it. We found it severely lacking.
Things swiftly pick up, however, with Episode 2: North Star, which see’s Control’s Jesse Faden winding up in an eerily quiet and deserted nighttime version of Coffee World. Jesse finds herself in the town of Watery, searching for her brother - either set before the events of Control, or perhaps in an alternate universe. Whatever the case, North Star is more like the base game than Number One Fan, thankfully. North Star not only has a cool, short narrative, but it has a few puzzles to keep you occupied, too, amounting to a thoroughly enjoyable short episode.
The pick of the bunch, though, is the last episode: Episode 3: Time Breaker, which sees you stepping into the shoes of Sheriff Tim Breaker as he starts out on a path as some kind of movie star. The less said about Episode 3 specifically, the better, so you can experience the twists and turns on your own without having them spoiled. Let’s just say, as far as a short story goes, this one shows more creativity than you might experience in a lifetime of games. With some ingenious settings, some really creative storytelling and visual effects, Episode 3: Time Breaker is not only the DLC’s most enjoyable episode, it’s up there with some of the best content from the main game. Kudos, Remedy. Kudos, indeed!
Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC might start out on a relative low, but it gets infinitely better as you progress. Our initial disappointment after Episode 1 was soon but a distant thought as the credits rolled on Episode 3. While Night Springs might not be the most involved or challenging piece of DLC - or even the longest - the storytelling is still trademark Remedy, and second to none. Sure, we’re perhaps more interested in the actual goings-on in Bright Falls, which we’ll no doubt see more of in the second piece of DLC, The Lake House, but as a stop-gap, Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC is a wonderful little expansion boasting a payoff that proves more than worth it once the credits roll.
Thursday, June 13, 2024
In recent years, developer Remedy Entertainment hase carved itself out a niche as masters of creativity in the game industry. The studio’s frankly wild new IP, Control, was all kinds of bizarre and surreal, and it clearly took that unique energy and ran with it when it came to Alan Wake 2. It should come as no surprise, then, that Alan Wake 2’s first expansion, Night Springs, is even more unhinged than the main game - in a good way, of course.
Taking place across three very different episodes, Night Springs sees Remedy opt for an episodic structure with a trio of short stories, taking the perspective of fan favourite characters Rose Marigold, Jesse Faden from Control, and Sheriff Tim Breaker, as they confront their own struggles.
These standalone stories are more akin to a TV run of the offbeat and out-there 1990s TV show The Outer Limits (taking inspiration from the show of the same name from the 60s). They're mind-boggling, slightly nonsensical and all kinds of weird, and they feel right at home under the Alan Wake umbrella. While Alan Wake 2 itself was a survival-horror game with an emphasis on inventory management and scavenging, the three Night Spring episodes are more action-oriented, than survival-horror oriented.
Episode 1: Number One Fan sees you step into the shoes of Oh Deer Diner favourite, Rose Marigold, AKA Alan Wake’s number 1 fan, as she comes to the rescue of her muse. Number One Fan is the most action-focused of the three episodes, and is more akin to something like Alan Wake’s American Nightmare. Sure, you get a peek inside Rose’s head and her obvious delusions, but other than that, it’s not really a proper Alan Wake experience. If shooting loads of cult members is your bag, with copious amounts of ammo, then you might like it. We found it severely lacking.
Things swiftly pick up, however, with Episode 2: North Star, which see’s Control’s Jesse Faden winding up in an eerily quiet and deserted nighttime version of Coffee World. Jesse finds herself in the town of Watery, searching for her brother - either set before the events of Control, or perhaps in an alternate universe. Whatever the case, North Star is more like the base game than Number One Fan, thankfully. North Star not only has a cool, short narrative, but it has a few puzzles to keep you occupied, too, amounting to a thoroughly enjoyable short episode.
The pick of the bunch, though, is the last episode: Episode 3: Time Breaker, which sees you stepping into the shoes of Sheriff Tim Breaker as he starts out on a path as some kind of movie star. The less said about Episode 3 specifically, the better, so you can experience the twists and turns on your own without having them spoiled. Let’s just say, as far as a short story goes, this one shows more creativity than you might experience in a lifetime of games. With some ingenious settings, some really creative storytelling and visual effects, Episode 3: Time Breaker is not only the DLC’s most enjoyable episode, it’s up there with some of the best content from the main game. Kudos, Remedy. Kudos, indeed!
Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC might start out on a relative low, but it gets infinitely better as you progress. Our initial disappointment after Episode 1 was soon but a distant thought as the credits rolled on Episode 3. While Night Springs might not be the most involved or challenging piece of DLC - or even the longest - the storytelling is still trademark Remedy, and second to none. Sure, we’re perhaps more interested in the actual goings-on in Bright Falls, which we’ll no doubt see more of in the second piece of DLC, The Lake House, but as a stop-gap, Alan Wake 2’s Night Springs DLC is a wonderful little expansion boasting a payoff that proves more than worth it once the credits roll.