Alan Wake II Story & Ending Explained

Alan Wake 2 presents a twisting story, one that's a convoluted mystery, altered by the otherworldly power of the supernatural Dark Place and the writings of Alan Wake himself. So we're gonna explain everything that happened, what it implies for the future, and everything you might have missed.

[@BigMcLargeHuge125]

My theory is that the first Alan Wake game is one of Thomas Zane’s attempts to get out of the Dark Place. That would make Alan a creation of Zane, making him a fictional character that can be possessed by the Dark Presence. There’s got to be a reason why they look exactly alike and why the Andersons and Ahti call him Tom. There’s a line at the end where Wake says something along the lines of “Casey is real, so he can’t be a suitable host for the dark presence,” then tells the dark presence to “come home” to him. Alan reads a manuscript page written by Zane in the first game talking about Alan when he was 8 and how he got the clicker and what he would do with it at the end of the first game. Alan also has no memories of his father. Just my theory… I could be wrong.

[@lexradu]

My theory is that Alan is a joint creation of The Dark Presence, and The Hiss, one providing Zane's Body, and the other Dr. Darling's soul, hence why he has their body and voice.

[@lexradu]

Remember one of Darling's last tapes, him singing. What does Alan do on Mr Door Show? He sings, Mr Door makes Alan Sing to remind him who he really is.

[@Ryodante]

Love your theory , how about you add control to the mix and see what happens ? I strongly believe that the FBC and everything surrounding it is an alan wake creation, you can even see that Jesse once you start the AWE dlc, she becomes a stereotype of the " cop buddies " movie character with Langston and plays an archetype of "the hero" character. Anyway as for Dr Darling, now that we have some time travel mechanics in the story, I'm suspecting him to be Alan wake in the future ( still trapped )

[@mabi01pwns]

I think it is made pretty clear that the dark place does not allow someone to create people. Both Saga and Casey are both 'real people' before Alan wrote them into his story. Granted Zane is trapped in the dark place druing the event of AW1, he would have written Alan into the story, but not outright created Alan. I do not believe the real Zane to be trapped in cauldron lake at any point during the AW games though. Remember, Alan failed to escape in AW1 when he initially wrote Zane as the protagonist, and had to write himself as the protagonist instead. I believe the reason Zane and Wake often look and sound alike in Control / AW2, is because this version of Zane is some kind of fragment of Alan's first attempts of escaping. The line at the end there about suitable host for the Dark Prescense is therefore quite puzzling. Maybe 'real' in this context is meaning that Casey is not attuned to the dark place like Alan or something like that.

[@Mark-rl5xl]

It is explained that the dark place can’t create things from nothing. Alan Wake has to have been a real individual even if his story was altered by Zane.

[@wickdaline8668]

Its not an ending. Its a cliffhanger.

[@petchkasideth621]

Someone better make this comment viral

[@lucasas8002]

Hated this imagine paying 60 dollars for a game without ending

[@stansmith7445]

@@lucasas8002twerk about it

[@Qazi5454]

​@@lucasas8002actually the new game plus ended the story. You can check it out

[@ZimaBlue2588]

@@petchkasideth621you wrote „spiral“ wrong

[@secretscarlet8249]

I’m pretty interested how Mr. Door and the Andersons mended their relationship enough to jam together and make a musical 😂

[@OverLorD768]

I mean, one of Andersons is Door's Father-in-law.

[@Panossa]

They only kinda did. One of them said they mended their relationship, the other disagrees. ^^

[@cqstle-]

Wirlin Door = Whirling Door Tim Breaker = Time Breaker? This game's depth makes me feel out of my element, Donnie.

[@АнтонКийович]

Tim Breaker - like Quantum Break?

[@Vacationxdad]

I am the walrus

[@moondude363]

@@Vacationxdad GOD SAVE US ALL

[@MichaelFromTheAttic]

The Angel Lamp actually belonged to Thomas Zane. There's a manuscript page in Alan Wake 2 that reveals that Cynthia Weaver had the Angel Lamp, but lost it. Alan rewrote that passage to have Rose put the lamp in a shoebox and throw it in the Dark Place, to give him a tool. This also reveals that, since the Clicker was attached to the Angel Lamp, it actually belonged to Thomas. So Alan's memories of the Clicker in the first game were entirely fabricated by Thomas. Now, is Thomas Zane another version of Alan? I believe so. But he also existed for real. I guess we'll have to wait for further RCU games for answers.

[@TheJthom182]

Came here to “um,actually” this. 😅

[@MichaelFromTheAttic]

@@TheJthom182 😉

[@jonathonpolk3592]

I'm thinking that Zane is Alan, only Alan doesn't remember being Zane and most of his memories and past were fabricated by Zane writing in TDP. It would make more sense (based on what we've seen) for them to be separate but related entities, but I can't get around the fact that all those who are immune to reality changes and are old enough to have known Zane before he wrote himself out of existence (Ahti and the Old Gods) have always called him "Tom." Now perhaps they refer to him as Tom because Alan is a metaphorical archetype of Zane, or an alternate version of him, but those seem to make less sense IMO than him literally being Zane. And I wouldn't put it beyond Remedy to mindfuck everyone with making Alan an unreliable narrator.

[@antivanti]

@@jonathonpolk3592 They are definitely one and the same. One is an authors fictional version of themself. But who wrote who into existence? They both wrote each other into existence but where did that loop originate?

[@jonathonpolk3592]

@antivanti I'm betting this will be an unexplained bootstrap paradox. As they said at the beginning of AW1, the best questions are the unanswered ones because they linger the longest.

[@pablovaleromoreno1665]

For me, it is very clear that the end of the game precedes the beginning, that is why the story is a loop. The hole game is a loop in which the player is also immersed, every time we restart the game. The first scene in the game is Saga calling her dauther, as she does in the end. Logan doesn't pick up at the end because she does so at the beginning. The same happens with Alan, the first scene in his part of the story is him with the white bullet in his head, waking up. According to what I read, the game + will add some story bits. So my theory is that the game+ will be us playing again though the loop to discover that it is a spiral and, in this new run of the story, it's starting to develop so it can finally end, arriving to the end of the spiral. That is why Alice said at the end hat she keeps showing the same things to Alan, that he has gone though destruction many times but they (and us as the players) are finally getting to ascension (the true end of the game).

[@WeMissDimebag]

Alan is looping in basically every one of his segments. Every single one ends with him back in the writer’s room getting shot or possessed, but he gets further along in the story each time. He’s been looping like this the entire time that Initiation and Return were being written. We see previous loops on the TV screens and Door and Zane are also pretty clear in saying Alan’s been doing this for a while. Remember Zane says it took so long that he quit at one point, and that’s why he helped Scratch. He’s been looping the whole time but he gets further each time we do it. That’s the spiral, I think. He ‘ascends’ or ‘descends’ a fraction further every time he does it. I think he was descending before the game started but is ascending in the sections we play.

[@lucasgardner4358]

@@WeMissDimebagI think you nailed it tbh

[@MakubeC]

Dude, this is spot on.

[@ayaandanish]

Yeah, the dark place is basically a roguelike

[@RafaelBondoc]

you really cooked something great here

[@teyrns]

i was half expecting the game to end with saga screaming after the phone stops ringing and the game to go out in a massive flash like the end of twin peaks: the return. sooooo many elements of this game are lifted directly from it, and i couldn't be more happy with how it all came together. people calling it convoluted or too weird and crazy to follow are really forgetting that stephen king quote in the first game

[@EthanRom]

It's so weird how people get upset when they don't have all the answers. I find it fun and intriguing

[@batmanvsuperman_]

thats mainly for the general audience. Remedy fans can see all the puzzle pieces clearly.

[@batmanvsuperman_]

... this is why Balders Gate 3 will win. way easier to disgest. baby food

[@CaptainFram]

There's an absolutely bonkers place they could go with the connected universe aspect - the upcoming Max Payne remasters. Given how nightmarish and abstract those games are, they could be recontextualised as Casey's attempts to escape the dark place, spiraling further down into a city filled with violence and crime, like the stories he was written into.

[@pioter-ji1bo]

I truly hope they don't ruin a good noir story with this convoluted mess.

[@anirudhmenon4234]

​@@pioter-ji1boThis is only a convoluted mess if you didn't bother to pay any kind of attention whatsoever.

[@Zagardal]

​@@pioter-ji1boskill issue

[@Zagardal]

Remedy doesn't own the Max Payne IP anymore tho, that's why they turned him into Casey. Same reason why Breaker is a clear reference, but there's nothing definitive about it. Maybe they'll imply a bunch of stuff in the remakes, but that's as far as they can get.

[@jmmontoro]

Alan doesn't shoot Zane, it was a movie, if you stay in the room seconds after the cinematic you can see Zane yelling cut and cleaning off the make up.

[@declassifiedapparel]

Lol I saw that too

[@CorporalCookie]

"Now that's drama!" I think he yells after cleaning off the "wound" in his head.

[@MateusRizzo13]

Fiction and reality overlap in the Dark Place. That's why Alan can shift into the television or the projection in Alice's apartment, I think

[@mattengland653]

It’s truly a dazzling display of storytelling. While at cursory glance it may seem a bit overwrought or even pretentious - but once you really dive in and start to put the pieces together it’s as good as any shifting psychological drama. One of the few games of late that has been nagging at me to play it again. It’s that good - would be such a shame for so many gamers not to experience this masterpiece.

[@christraeger5090]

Right?? I really wish there was an option to go back and replay the chapters individually like they had in the first game because what you learn towards the end changes how you look at the whole story. You're pretty much doing the same thing as Saga as the player, piecing together the puzzle pieces to figure out the story. I wish i paid closer attention.

[@LoyaltotheNightsky]

I honestly don't mind some pretentiousness. I feel like you gotta have at least a little bit of it to really take big swings. Most great works have some level of it involved. And if it results in less cookie cutter safe stuff, then I'm for it.

[@NeOmega83]

Yup, it's an exceptional experience. I've managed to get platinum in it few days ago but still think about it on daily basis, even when I'm playing different games now 😅

[@orpheus0108]

I loved the story and exploring the lore, solving the cases and getting the collectibles but the combat loop became tedious for me. Wake and Saga felt sluggish when trying to interact with items and inventory. Don't know how to explain it but if you were in a fight, and didnt have an item set to a quick slot, it was hard to get to the item without getting hit by enemies. The amount of backtracking too wasnt super fun especially when the characters move so slowly. Those reasons make me reluctant to pick up the game again but I really do want to experience it after knowing the full story. I loved the live action stuff and musical set pieces, they were amazing . Remedy really doubled down on them after Alan wake 1 and control Maybe I will replay the game but what I really want to replay now is Control. Seeing ahti and Dr Darling made me nostalgic for my favorite ps4 Era game

[@iloveny22]

I’ve told my friends it’s literally literature in video game format. So many interpretations.

[@avpedmond1923]

IT'S NOT A LOOP_ IT'S AN SPIRAL. sounds like ALAN WAKE III is Gonna Happen

[@AdamThundercock]

Just rolled credits this morning and I’m blown away, such an interesting narrative. Can’t wait for the DLC.

[@jadebeast100]

New game + is going to have an alternate narrative as well, so excited!

[@MasDouc]

​@@jadebeast100no way seriously?!

[@Sam-nn9hv]

I have been racking my brain to understand how Scratch had been tormenting Alice this whole time and this finally answers that! Thank you!

[@b.c.eckhoff3495]

Never played the first game but loved Alan Wake 2. So creative and well made. Definitely looking forward to this story being continued. And the musical was one of my favorite gaming moments.

[@christraeger5090]

If you're wanting a full picture, I would definitely check out the first game. There's a remastered version and it's incredibly well done. You could almost consider it a remake. Fairly cheap too. Now if you've got the time, I would also check out Remedy's game Control. Alan Wake and Control are narratively connected. Another incredible game in my opinion. There's a DLC for it called "A.W.E" that directly ties the stories together. I believe you can start playing about halfway through Control so you don't need to even finish the game to play it.

[@AeyGee]

Creative .. and that too a walking simulator? Are you sure you play games and this isn't the only one you played in your career?

[@greenforest8575]

Hmm hmm hmm.. Champion of the Light..

[@yrruanrabello5914]

@@greenforest8575 I’ll show you the Herald of Darkneeeeess

[@sandman1202]

@@AeyGee walking simulator? did you play a different game, Or do you just suffer from being a brain dead gamer who needs constant action and respawning?

[@antivanti]

I love how it's ambiguous who's art created what. Did Alan write Tom into existence or the other way around? Both? And did Rose's fanfiction bring about Alan's return? And the songs by Old Gods of Asgard. Were they influencing Alan's story or is that part of his writing. Everything is delightfully circular... or spiral, as it were

[@jonathonpolk3592]

Agreed, the game definitely has some bootstrap paradoxes going on.

[@benwinegarner4797]

There is alot more to the story regarding Tom Zane and Alan Wake that was hinted at in the game. 1) Tom Zane is played by the same motion cap actor (this is not a coincidence, but we don't have enough information to know why) 2) Ahti and Odin, and Tor all call Alan Tom Outside of the dark place. Its explained that the power of cauldron lake doesn't manifest something from nothing, it only allows for things to be altered. So there has to ne a connection between Tom and Alan we just dont know enough to know what it is. My guess is they're the same person. Hopefully Remedy will provide more contex in the upcoming dlc and/or Control 2.

[@OverLorD768]

Or Tom the Poet is Alan's father, who knows.

[@appleztooranges]

I enjoyed playing saga story the most

[@luckymankwok]

I really love Saga's character, despite reality and fiction were being blended in Bright Falls, she always stayed calm and truth to her own mind and memories; especially her last case puzzles in the dark place. In contrary to Alan Wake, who's always questioning reality and uncertainty

[@dav1d130]

Me too. Didn't even wanna play alan without beating saga tbh

[@minioli01]

What happened is that this game is the most compelling narrative we have had in years in this genre, it has top notch gameplay. Some of its segments are still with me two weeks after finishing it. What probably will happen tough is that this masterpiece will probably not get the recognition it deserves (game of the year) because it’s not as popular as some other stuff like spider-man or baldur’s gate or remakes like tears of the kingdom and resident evil.

[@richarddennis3793]

allan wake 2 should get game of thr year

[@Bucke782]

It’s such a great game I to hope this game gets game of the year buts it’s a very very small chance of happening and probably won’t

[@ThyDankGaming]

Won joystick award which is critic based, currently tied with baldurs gate 3 with nominations for GOTY. I think it may happen and I'm 100000% HERE for it!

[@minioli01]

@@ThyDankGaming I think baldur’s gate won goty, at least that’s what the google search I did seem to suggest but alan wake won critic’s choice.

[@ThyDankGaming]

@minioli01 we'll find out Dec 7th for sure. Even critics choice is still great for remedy they truly deserve it! As for GOTY I'm still hoping it AW2 being a smaller fan base and being nominated imo gives it more right to win it, BG3 & D&D fanbase is just HUGEEEEE. So hoping it's the underdog, remedy deserves far more attention than most game creators now a days, as they're one of the last devs that truly put heart and soul into their works and it shows everytime!

[@doomkiller04slayer24]

I feel like the ending with the light bullet may have gotten rid of scratch but the dark place only stays strong because alan wake secretly doesn't want to give up the power he has but the power actually never was his. I believe the whole story is every one is a character in a story were the creator is actually the creator or mr. Door who just made all the stories such as control and max pain to entertain something or someone aka us the player. We are just a source for mr door to gather power for something.

[@goldenmindcavity]

per usual very twin peaks inspired and a lot of elements lifted from twin peaks, which is great

[@Derively]

Saga and Casey are not in the dark place at the end of the game. The summoning is in the real world. After Scratch (as Casey) rewrites reality with the clicker, Alan enters that reality and extends the book with his own ending. Meanwhile Saga in the dark place gets the clicker and the bullet, and when she steps into the fountain, she is back in the real world, where Scratch is looking for Alan. The final cutscene is in the real world. How else would Saga call Logan?

[@AdamRaymond-r6y]

Yeh that's tho one I got. Saga shooting alan didn't happen in my play through

[@demetriusmccray1574]

I’m definitely going to go back and play Quantum break and control again just to get more time in this world.

[@interlinkedMedia]

For a deeper understanding of the exact plot watch Twin Peaks the Return and in the Mouth of Madness. They make up about 95% of this games plot.

[@anirudhmenon4234]

Thematically, yes but plot wise, not really.

[@poweractive896]

alan wake is phenomenal now i gotta probably wait another 13 years for the 3rd game XD

[@Kasirgaci]

fr

[@tiaancloete7301]

Sam Lake is a great storyteller, cannot wait to see what he has in store next.

[@kieran10202]

When do we get to play as Rose? It's absolutely necessary that she get some recognition.

[@elwingy]

why would anyone in their right mind would want to play as her?

[@ceejaygreen5406]

Lol

[@Ryodante]

Imo, I think that we actually " see " the old gods of asgard, in the musical sequence, we know that after the summoning, Alan is brought back to cauldron lake in the past, so in other words, the band playing in the screen of that chapter are Tor and Odin anderson after finishing the summoning ritual and going into the lake

[@menburst579]

Alan actual mentions this himself when speaking to Kiran Estevez near the end of the game, he mentions he actually saw and recognized that Tor and Odin were there in the dark place for his musical, after she mentions they went in after Saga.

[@nikushim6665]

Bit out of date with the new final draft ending. Such as @6:35 (Logan does answer, and Alan says scratch is gone)

[@mythicpeyote]

It’s so nice to hear someone factor in Control because that game did so much heavy groundwork for Alan Wake 2 and it doesn’t get enough recognition.

[@batmanvsuperman_]

GameSpot's Alan Wake II written review is masterful. Thank You

[@Mikeyfugginz]

life) - but a bit of change and not “looping”’creates the light they seek and to break the chain. You see this with Alan, Casey, saga , etc. it seems like the writers wanted to make this into a game about searching for the intuition to be present and not continue over thinking in a loop as an analogy to the real life we can find ourselves in. The darkness seems to be an analogy for the darkness we can pay attention to or simply shine a light on to dissipate. You hear Alan say multiple times “ the dark place works in loops and rituals” - these rituals being the ocd habits of repeating the same actions hoping for a different result. As we do as humans at times. Also, toward the end of the game saga is stuck in her own mind - the game had gradually led her to lose faith in her own belief more and more and doubt her story (if her kid was dead) - such as an analogy to life and faith and self doubt - just some thoughts - I thought it was brilliant if that’s what they intended - Atleast I’m happy to have gained that from this art work!

[@aidenz8625]

Dude looks like John Wake II

[@rakusho1691]

My game cloud didnt sync right and I lost hours worth of progress, so i'm glad this summary exists because I was not about to do all that again. Now to move onto Control.

[@juliamackiewicz1761]

I liked the most 1st chapter of the game (the one that ends in the mortuary - I was really immersed into the story till that time) and musical part in Alan's plotline. Rest... mixed feelings. Many threads - Mr Scratch, Cult of the Tree, Nightngale, Saga, Alan, Alice, Alex Casey and I got lost in the plot. Also - bosses very hard to beat even in the Normal difficulty level, which was frustrating (I've got Ramon Salazar's flashback from RE4). Fight is irritating because of very slow reloading and it has to be done from the beginning when you evade from the enemy in the meantime. Jump scares are unnecessary - show me horror fan, who loves them. First AW is one of my favorite games of all time. Second? I won't come back to it very soon. Maybe never.

[@JakeInTheUK]

Wow thats a really questionable opinion tbh. Alan wake 2 is the best game remedy has made

[@grimreapergames]

One of the motel doors has a spiral on it.

[@HenriqueCarvalhoCosta]

The spiral means the Dark Place if I'm not mistaken.

[@TheGoncas2]

I don't think Saga is in the Dark Place. The final scene is set in the attic of the Nursnig Home, which is NOT part of the Dark Place. It is, at most, a Threshold zone. So how did she escape? She has those special powers, just like her grandpa and uncle, which allows them to easily go in and out of the Dark Place. You can tell it wasn't the first time Tor and Odin entered the lake, they knew what they were doing. Additionally, it is implied Mr. Door is related to Saga Anderson, which also has powers to go in and out of the Dark Place.

[@Eudemon0013]

First of all... how dare you? Secondly, why isn't Kurt narrating this? Kidding. Thanks for the video! (Seriously... there better be a Kurt Locker segment about this)

[@SuperSnakePlissken]

I waited 13 long years for this wonderful game and it was worth every second.

[@InIt4TheMemez]

12:19 not only did she possible inherit the ability to traverse the dark place but also other dimensions

[@richarddennis3793]

as alice said its not a loop it.s a spiral u got to go deeper

[@EpiCz_Izzy]

Mr. Door is Saga’s father? Jesse from Control the one calling Saga in the dark place?

[@siddharthsrivastava6820]

Pretty sure it’s Alice calling Saga based on the post credit scenes and the photographs involved

[@northbergeastwood3476]

Alice called Saga.

[@CorporalCookie]

Alica called Saga. We see Jesse in the TV briefly, which might be from the time she peeked in the spiral door during the AWE DLC for Control and saw Zane and Wake talking.

[@LeeGinSing]

Door is Saga's father?! How in the world did I miss those clues?

[@EthanRom]

There's a manuscript page at the gazebo after you save Tor. Pretty much spells it out and the manuscript lines up with Tim Breaker's info

[@gamespot]

The two main clues we utilized in deducing this were 1) Door explicitly tells Alan that he roped someone he cares about into his mess and 2) Door tells Saga when he’s profiling him that Doors have the ability to open Doors within the Dark Place. When Saga escapes her mind place, she opens a door that leads her to Alan’s version of the Dark Place.

[@MichaelFromTheAttic]

It's also clear the Door, when he lived in Bright Falls, disappeared at some point, just like Saga's father.

[@maxpayne5257]

In the nursing home in Odin's room there's a photo of Saga's mother holding 1yr old baby Saga with Tor and Odin, the photo says it was taken in 1989. We also know from Tim Breaker, Mr. Door disappeared around cauldron lake in 1988.

[@EpsilonXero]

Also, when Saga asks Tor about her father, he replies "Some doors are better left closed". That nailed my suspicion firmly.@@gamespot

[@lorenzotosiart]

Loved this recap of the whole story! Super well explained and told. The thing is that... you gotta see the Final Draft ending, it adds a super important step forward in all this. It gives SOME answers. Some. Not gonna spoil anything here though. (I didn't replay the game to get to it, I went for youtube to see it, since there are many games to play and I rarely replay anything)

[@LivingPine]

So Yötön Yö was Zane's attempt to escape the Dark Place, much like Alan was trying to come up with a story to get himself out, Zane shot a film where he sacrificed Alex Casey (which I guess Alan Wake made it possible, considering he is the one that created Alex Casey, the fictional character) to escape. So Alan Wake can follow a similar road by maybe using some of Zane's stuff or even Alice's photographs. But my question is was Zane even successful at escaping the Dark Place? I thought he never got out?

[@CorporalCookie]

The attempt, as far as we know, failed. I'm personally fairly sure it did fail, Alan thinks Zane is still trapped and for Zane, the sacrifice of someone in the real world didn't occur, so that he could trade places with them. It's sort of a dark pararrel to Alans choice of sacrificing himself to the lake to trap himself so that Alice could be freed.

[@kerrzUSR]

Zanes film was a companion piece to Scratch's Return, he talks about how he was betrayed when scratch escaped without him

[@vantablack3987]

i always thought AWE stood for Alan Wake Expansion cuz they said remedy has a connected universe. but it was alternate world emergency or smthing

[@chocl8girl]

"Altered World Event"

[@kremesauce]

Sam Lake is the GOAT

[@notdedsec_ck9383]

🔥

[@Noble148]

In the AWE DLC there's a door with a Spiral when you contact Alan so the answer was all the time in front of us

[@philsteakerson1797]

10:30 Yötön yö is what we call the midnight sun in finnish, literal translation to english is nightless night. It's when the sun doesn't go below the horizon during summer. I think you're reading in way too much into something that isn't there. There's lots of cultural references to it in finnish. Like even in this game Ahti has a song about it. And the movie that plays in the game is called yötön yö.

[@FKOTN]

and this won best narrative just want you all to think about that

[@johnnysizemore5797]

I love the Story of Alan Wake & Control I do I realy do, but there is a caveiot to it now don't get me wrong I'm not vad mothing anyone who worked on them or anything like that, but these two games are what I like to call a "Thinking Mans" type of game where it's not about the gameplay or the graphices its about both the story and the conceps that it rises....Let me give you three Questions that both games rise; 1-What is the limites that the human mind can take before it completly snaps? 2-What exactly counts as reality? Is it our expectations of those around use or is it the human concesnus as a whole? And finaly here is the last one folks... 3-What are you willing to do in order to save what is your's? Now tell me that all 3 of those are not asked in this game....

[@serial_box]

Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Alan Wake II story overview 00:30 Saga Anderson and Alan Wake in the Dark Place 02:04 Saga’s mission to save her daughter 04:35 The Clicker’s role in altering reality 06:08 Alan confronts Mr. Scratch and his past self 09:05 Saga uses the Clicker, but things go wrong 11:08 Mid-credits scene: Alice's revelation 12:25 Ending thoughts and speculation

[@rosivalla-tl3qr]

6:44 Missed opportunity to say “Dark, Twisted, and Cruel”. XD

[@TheGenerationReviewR]

Anyone see parallels between Alan Wake and Kingdom Hearts??? Dark Place, Darkness Aqua trying to get out

[@kylesinclair9025]

Funny. I read an article online that reads suspiciously EXACTLY how this reads😂

[@johndtwaldron]

great game, story very good for those going through trauma

[@rayc2282]

Wow how times have changed since the first game released

[@Nordraw]

I enjoyed the game but I’m glad it’s over

[@kyleschneider3147]

I just finished it, it felt like a lot of it was a chore. Nonetheless, very beautiful and surreal

[@wardoise]

loved the game. loved both saga and alan’s motivations and characterizations. most of this story lands for me, but it’s just too convoluted. i’m of the mind that a satisfying conclusion should provide more answers than questions. other than saga’s narrative that feels largely grounded and real, remedy would be wise to more concretely explain what is going on at times, without abandoning their mesmerizing trademark style.

[@brc_deoz]

The fact that it takes a special 13 min video to explain an utterly confusing game and its somehow even more confusing.....

[@blususpect]

I can make sense of the story, I just can’t articulate it if that makes sense?

[@DangerousCalculus]

This review is wrong. Alan, Saga, and Casey are in the real world. The ending didn't take place in the Dark Place. It was all in the attic of the manor.

[@jadebeast100]

That version of the attic is in the eternal deerfest inside of the dark presence’s paradise, which is inside the dark place. I don’t think Saga ever left, she just moved to where Alan was.

[@DangerousCalculus]

@jadebeast100 I don't think so. The Dark Presence wanted to escape the dark place to get to our reality, which is where it created eternal deerfest. It didn't create a "new" dark place. It's whole thing was to be free of the dark place. Plus, Saga explicitly said she was leaving the dark place via the fountain.

[@BadMoody420]

@@jadebeast100When Scratch used the clicker, he spread the dark presence into the real world, creating a distorted reality rather than plunging Bright Falls into the alternate dimension. Makes sense?

[@jadebeast100]

I guess we will see on the 11th

[@OleksiiMyloslavskyi]

Yeah, at that time you didn't know about the final draft ending being a thing. But 90 percent are still accurate

[@rvodyssey9223]

Saga can't really call from that place because they're currently in the dark place she can't call someone from there. That's the first and only mistake I seen in the game.

[@DangerousCalculus]

This review is wrong, I think. Saga escaped the Dark Place to join Alan and Casey in the real world at the end.

[@rvodyssey9223]

@@DangerousCalculus no they where all still in the dark place. Alan went back when he went into Bright falls. They were all together last in the writing room which is in the dark place

[@DangerousCalculus]

@@rvodyssey9223 I don't think so. When he went into Bright Falls, that was just the Dark Presence new reality. Then he left that and went to the real life room in the attic of the retirement home.

[@mikeasydacheezy1785]

The sheriff said it’s like a loop but every time you loop through again things change

[@MasDouc]

6:43 you really missed an opportunity to say "dark, twisted and cruel"

[@edarioq]

AND the Award for the most confusing story of the year goes to...

[@thezackme]

As a film maker myself .. I’d love to have the third game be about Alice !

[@Rliel2009]

I played last Saga’s part on mute as my kid was sleeping and was like WHAT when heard Alice was calling Saga in the last chapter 😂

[@AiStrous]

Im sooo looking forward to alan wake 3.... thats assuming they want to make another game since that what the ending felt like

[@EpsilonXero]

Ahti is a supernatural presence. In fact he's Paranatural Entity A-001, as described in Control. Have you played any Remedy games before this one? It doesn't sound like it.

[@anirudhmenon4234]

He literally says Ahti is a supernatural entity. Did you even watch the video?

[@EpsilonXero]

@@anirudhmenon4234 the fact that you're saying he definitively says Ahti is a supernatural presence proves that you didn't.

[@venrossx]

This video doesn’t cover NG+??? Is there an update ?😊

[@RedMisfit]

Is it me or does GameSpot feel a little different than it did before? 🤨

[@kingsrky3931]

with the 1st dlc not having a story extension for Saga or Alan was kind of disappointing, no way they can conclude it with the next dlc unless its insanely rushed and with Alan wake 2 still not turning a profit I fear we wont find out the outcome to this story

[@7prudent]

Can someone explain it all SIMPLY without dwelling into theoretical physics which I really do not like?

[@tonyk7ng1803]

Convenient the name Scratch also can mean whatever storylines would not work with the masses, then scratch that and back to the writing board for part 3

[@presto354]

Mgs 4 pre game vibes with the tv like cutscenes.

[@TheTakenKing999]

Imagine if Remedy somehow manage toconnect Casey to Max Payne as something in the dark place.

[@weouh2441]

Its all about thomas zane ... i think alan wake is the present copy of thomas zane who trying to save his wife from the dark place .since he still trying to escape from the dark place forever into loop[spiral]

[@phlave]

Honestly, AWII has been my game of the year, and also a major disappointment. It has been awesome throughout when it was raising questions and unraveling mysteries one layer at a time, but when it was time to end it, it just didn't. It opened so many questions, and answered so few of them. It left me feeling conflicted and let down, and I having 2 DLCs already announced leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Because I'm also pretty sure the DLCs won't end Alan Wake's story, and imho, it'd really be high time Remedy did put the word END on it.

[@MakeItEcho]

so just because it had a cliffhanger you consider it a dissapointment ? How they goona make you be more excited for DLCs and a new game? It's called marketing man.

[@chocl8girl]

But it's not a cliffhanger, it's a loop (spiral). The end is the same as the beginning, we just don't hear Logan pick up the phone, because she does in the beginning of the game, which we seem to be going back to.

[@BadMoody420]

The dlcs and the new game + will probably wrap it up nicely for good or for a proper set up for AW3 and Control 2.

[@cobaltfalcon9458]

The game doesn’t end with the leads in the Dark Place, though. Alan is in the real world, and only ventured into an infected section of Bright Falls, whilst Saga is actively trying to leave the Dark Place. As we see, the only way one can communicate through the dimensions is either through an Overlap or by having access to their own Mind Place; this is relevant because she dials her daughters phone number. And I believe that the Old Gods of Asgard that leave Bright Falls for the Dark Place are the same that we see on Alan’s journey. If Tor and Odin went in with full expectation of helping Saga and Alan, Alan’s influence in trying to solve the murders, aiding in the uncovering of the Cult of the Tree in the real world, as they work for Saga’s potential father, Wallin Door, would make sense to me.

[@misterjackio]

i liked my own comment

[@hworth3]

Sometimes it takes a great mind to appreciate it’s own work.

[@adriantrusca1245]

I didn't like your comment, as I'm not a sheep like the rest.

[@misterjackio]

@@adriantrusca1245 good for u

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

I like your style kid have another one

[@mikeasydacheezy1785]

Me to I like all my comments

[@stansmith7445]

Still very confused about the whole Thomas Zane thing.

[@gregcy89]

Logan never answered that call! How do we know that she is alive ? Coz it was said Wake and Anderson had to pay the price

[@Roman-tu3vh]

Maybe those dlc will end this story.

[@PeckWax]

Man, another stuck. He need someone is strong enough to get him out that place. Maybe the New Director of FBC, but she still has a lots problems to deal in next game.

[@VitorCaetanoNH]

The expansions just came out and reveal the proper ending

[@nanomiya790]

i had high expectations for this game but after playing a while.. i stopped playing. i dont understand any of it. the most weirdest thing is saga can know all the answers just by imagining in mind place..if she can knows all the answers why she comes to bright falls at the first place. hmm its all so weird.

[@BadMoody420]

Saga essentially has telekinetic powers or powers similar to the Shining. She doesn’t have the answers right away but peeking into the minds of important people in the story gives her clues or lines of communication.

[@lexradu]

Theory about what separates Live Action Vs In-game Cutscenes: In-game: Pages that stay the same after every draft of Initiation & Return Live Action: Pages in the current draft of Initiation & Return, hence why Alan's hair is significantly longer & allows for the New Game + "Final Draft" update to ad new story content without extra motion capture and programming.

[@brianlaudrupchannel]

In my game no one answered the phone

[@JapanJuan]

Haha, I wouldn't even call it an ending. I just got there and wasn't sure if it was the end or did I missed something. So I had to search online and here we are.

[@PoloHungary]

just wait out the next game ,some dont survive that date😄

[@rahulkailad8621]

The only confusion that wasn’t cleared is why is her DAUGHTER’s name LOGAN

[@kylegoff1517]

Because names are names. Literally social contructs made things like names gender based. It's a binary way of thinking that makes things black or white. And the idea that things can ONLY be black or white is what's holding us back as a society. And it's ironic in a game about multiple realities where there are no solid rules your takeaway is girls can't have boy names. "Me think boy must be named boy and girl must be named girl"

[@guerriosPG]

Gamespot, Next Time when you try to do a true "Story & Ending Explained" do the work properly. You are missing so much information coming from the New Game Plus mode of Alan Wake 2. For example you say that we don't see the Old God of Asgard anymore while they are waiting at the plaza in the dark places. They are many more cutscenes and extra important story details waiting in the New Game plus mode.

[@matchablescommunitygaming3558]

So here is my main question, Is Thomas Zane responsible for Alan Wake being alive? Because in the game you learn that the clicker was actually written into one of Zane’s stories so Alan wake could be the hero in the story. Can anybody please elaborate?

[@me5969]

You've probably already come across them by now but channels like Gaming University and Max Derrat will have videos on it.

[@wespowers2753]

None of this makes much sense to me. Even after beating the game and watching this. My brain hurts

[@lost4356]

Only thing i remember from first game is energizer

[@DCLXVI_SOUL]

Saga had better gameplay then Alan. Alan's stuff just made me annoyed lol

[@loudachris02]

I just finished the game What happened to the other Koskela brother in the final commercial if that was him he looked to be a ghost?

[@belizukia]

I thought Saga got out of the dark place and that’s where she shot Alan, in the attic of the nursing home back in the real world?

[@truuuupR]

Ok we need Alan Wake 3 now. Remedy? please?