Exploring the Remedy Connected Universe

[@coasterguy1000]

It brings a smol little tear to my eye to contrast how heartbroken Sam Lake sounded to admit that Alan Wake would have to be placed in the dark for the time being, to game awards 2021. God I love you everyone who works at Remedy and that magnificent bastard Sam Lake.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

We're so glad he's been able to bring Alan Wake back!

[@bengng5837]

😮😮😅😅😮😅😮😅😅😅😊y😅😮😅😅😅😅😅😅😮😅😅aaS 2:27:22 😅😊🎞🎞😊Dad😅s4ssd😊

[@zfahdjdkgk]

Two years later, I'm comparing to Game Awards 2023, where Alan Wake 2 won major awards and Sam got to recreate a signature moment by dancing like a fool while the Old Gods played him on. Not a bad victory lap. His smile during the Herald of Darkness performance was so heart warming.

[@dylancorley1663]

In Control, as you approach the typewriter and you hear Alan Wake narrating what's happening... that moment gave me chills I'll never forget. "Chef's kiss" 😘👌

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Totally, that part was so exciting

[@MiBrCo4177]

Damn spoilers haha but nice to see it's there. Now I gotta play both AW and C to experience it fully. Started AW the other month and got about 2hrs in and really enjoyed it. Time to finish it.

[@datatsushi2016]

cHeFz KisZ

[@5000Seabass]

@@datatsushi2016bRaiN DaMAgEd. That’s you by the way.

[@datatsushi2016]

@@5000Seabass StAgE 4 Is what i hope you'll get. Preferably in the pancreas ;) Less chance of recovery.

[@gabiruman]

I honestly don't understand how this universe of games isn't more talked about, there is literally no other franchise or game developer that has ever set up such a deeply linked universe between games that are seemingly unrelated. This is an amazing video and a must see for fans of the series, I played all these games except for Quantum Break, and loved every minute of it.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

I really think it has to do with how subtle some of the connections are. There’s a few blatant references, but at first glance it doesn’t seem as deeply connected as it really is. More and more people are catching on every day though!

[@gabiruman]

@@HiddenMachineGaming True, but Control for example is a great, unique and recent game even with a PS5 version and you don't see many people talking about it. I wonder if it's just because Remedy are not the typical triple A pubishers.

[@Kaden10]

In my opinion over the years Alan has attempted multiple times to write his way out of the Dark place without hurting the balance between light and dark. Every time he has failed so far, he's been trying every scenario he could think of. So he thought back to episode he had written for Night Springs and decided to use that as a jumping off point, and this time it worked leading us into the upcoming Alan Wake 2.

[@heroicmythos8002]

Fantastic comment. If you've finished AW2, then your point about balance is very relevant.

[@Vlakod]

Part where Dr.Darling "mocks" Alan is actually small shot from Darling's music masterpiece "Dyna-mite"

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Ah, thank you!

[@lexradu]

1:05:37 I love how the more experienced he becomes, the more Alan resembles Ash Williams of Evil Dead in terms of personality, no longer as afraid of the entity, but more relaxed to the point he's cracking jokes and spitting one liners, becoming a Horror Comedic Writer, which in turn contrast with Mr Scratch becoming a twisted version of this funnier Alan Wake, mirroring Patrick Bateman of American Psycho.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Well said!

[@ItsJuls1]

I loved this

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Good catch!

[@Red_Lanterns_Rage]

i think it's Sam Lake letting go of Max Payne but that's a damn good memory or just a good catch if you've been playing the game recently lol i remember the scenes of the dog just not the dogs name lol

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

00:00:00 Section 1: Introduction 00:01:43 Section 2: Death Rally 00:03:51 Section 3.1: Max Payne - Story Recap 00:09:09 Section 3.2: Max Payne - Analysis 00:12:02 Section 4.1: Max Payne 2 - Introduction 00:13:28 Section 4.2: Max Payne 2 - Story Recap 00:18:29 Section 4.3: Max Payne 2 - Analysis 00:25:28 Section 5: Max Payne - The Movie 00:26:44 Section 6.1: Alan Wake - Introduction 00:27:40 Section 6.2: Alan Wake - Bright Falls 00:29:24 Section 6.3: Alan Wake - Introduction 00:30:37 Section 6.4: Alan Wake - Story Recap 00:44:28 Section 6.5: Alan Wake - Analysis 01:00:32 Section 6.6: Alan Wake - Supplemental Materials 01:04:58 Section 6.7: Alan Wake's American Nightmare 01:09:01 Section 7.1: 2012 - Max Payne 3 01:11:01 Section 7.2: 2012 - This House of Dreams 01:13:20 Section 8.1: Mobile Games - Death Rally 01:14:07 Section 8.2: Mobile Games - Agents of Storm 01:14:48 Section 9.1: Quantum Break - Introduction 01:18:38 Section 9.2: Quantum Break - Story Recap 01:21:38 Section 9.3: Quantum Break - Analysis 01:41:46 Section 10.1: Control - Introduction 01:44:43 Section 10.2: Control - Story Recap 02:00:02 Section 10.3: Control - The Foundation 02:00:47 Section 10.4: Control - AWE and Beyond 02:36:08 Section 11: What is Canon? 02:38:56 Section 12: Leftovers Thanks to all who provided voice-over: Ikaros 10032: KZbin: kzbin.info Gaming University: KZbin: kzbin.info Andrew Taylor: Facebook: facebook.com/halbeardofficial Instagram: instagram.com/halbeardo/ Kranitoko: KZbin: kzbin.info Follow Hidden Machine: Instagram: instagram.com/hiddenmachinegaming Twitter: twitter.com/machinehidden Learn more: Remedy Mysteries: www.reddit.com/r/RemedyMysteries/wiki/index Alan Wake Prototype And Beta Footage: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3ukqaOtptmEo9k How Alan Wake Was Rebuilt 3 Years Into Development: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6CrnHp6qpWSftk Abandoned Alan Wake 2 Concept Demo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYK1hqtjrJunatU Morphology of the Folk Tale: monoskop.org/images/f/f3/Propp_Vladimir_Morphology_of_the_Folktale_2nd_ed.pdf The Remedy Story So Far: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZ21naeAZ51sr5o Riverport Blackboard Easter Egg (Analysis): kzbin.info/www/bejne/npbLlIetdrmric0 Examining the Evolution of Gaming and Its Impact on Social, Cultural, and Political Perspectives: www.researchgate.net/profile/Marc-Ouellette-2/publication/327546416_Examining_the_Evolution_of_Gaming_and_Its_Impact_on_Social_Cultural_and_Political_Perspectives_A_volume_in_the_Advances_in_Human_and_Social_Aspects_of_Technology_AHSAT_Book_Series/links/5b956bef299bf1473933bad2/Examining-the-Evolution-of-Gaming-and-Its-Impact-on-Social-Cultural-and-Political-Perspectives-A-volume-in-the-Advances-in-Human-and-Social-Aspects-of-Technology-AHSAT-Book-Series.pdf

[@Aarkwrite]

Late Goodbye was such a bop. Waxing nostalgic.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

It’s my favorite song of theirs

[@darkcardking]

Note that 665 is also in Quantum Break. It a code number you need at one point. They also call it the neighbor of the beast in it.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Good catch!

[@michaelalvarez5610]

The TV studio in AW2

[@AvidGaymer42]

Wait what? Only 711 Subscribers and 4.4k views as of writing? The absolute density and quality of the research and content here is insane! Hidden Machine team, you deserve so many more subscribers than just the hundreds. Awesome!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! We're trying hard to grow the channel!

[@Grummar]

Well, it's called HIDDEN machine for a reason I guess, that said, subscribed!

[@Hannibal-Rx]

@@HiddenMachineGamingseeing this comment a year later & you’re at nearly 7k subscribers 🎉

[@ReinBelmont]

I love how the FBC deals with the events in Control, it reminds me of how, in MIB, K tells J that the world is pretty much always in danger, as if world ending events are constant but for them it's just another day.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

I just rewatched the MIB trilogy, I totally had a similar impression

[@Babybayou]

This is your not average long analysis vide. Before you skip it remember this guy is breaking down 3 games plus DLC. GREAT WORK 👌🏽

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! We’re covering nearly 25 years worth of games here, hard to make it much shorter!

[@Babybayou]

@@HiddenMachineGaming I just saw all my typos lol never using my iPad to comment again. Seriously tho, great video I really enjoyed it.

[@adityamoghe43]

This was truly a treat. Being a long term fan of Alan Wake and everything related to it, and of course Remedy, I loved every minute of this video. I thought I knew almost everything related to the lore of Alan Wake, but it was genuinely happy discovering some new things. You sir, went above and beyond with this wonderfully crafted piece of work and I salute you for it. I wish this video gets hundreds of thousands of views. I'll be sure to share it with as many people as I can.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you, that really means a lot! To be honest, there's still a lot more that I didn't cover here, but I had to set some kind of limit for the piece.

[@NeoMoonSevin]

Yeah a very good doco makers over there at gaming university the Goto spot for Remedy verse education aswell as other games with scary motives behind there storylines

[@mikedrop4421]

Here here!

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Regarding the idea of Alan creating Jesse and the FBC and that cheapening her journey... I think people might be forgetting a certain page from American Nightmare: ?Page 14: Everything Is as Real as Everything Else This act of creation is exhilarating and frightening. Subtext and symbols loom, eager to take effect. Causality and consequence become domino chains that stretch into infinity. The more fundamental the change, the more unpredictable the variables become; reality is too complex to control completely. Ordinary questions become meaningless. "Who created who?" "What is really real?" Everything is as real as everything else. You learn to let go of the things you can't control and go with the flow, or go insane."

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yes! I was thinking of this passage while working on this video, but couldn't quite remember where it was from and was unable to pull it up.

[@cgkase6210]

Personally I think they were setting up with it back when they first came up with Ordinary, with the mysterious agents with badges with AWE on them, which would develop into a distinction of Altered World Event, implying them collecting the shoeboxes with Tom's things due to being remnants of the Bright Falls AWE

[@Shadowofmyself100]

Actually Alan merely created the conflict for Jesse by creating the Hiss. It’s never specifically implied he “created” her or the FBC, but he did say that a hero needs a conflict

[@S.Karmamusic]

I don’t understand people that can do 3 hour long video on anything. Salute your dedication. I’m gonna make sure I watch the entire thing.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! I also released it in smaller chunks here on the channel as a ten part series that might be easier to get through.

[@KaiInMotion]

Considering just how long Alan has been in the dark place it's gonna be really embarassing if he comes back without a finished manuscript lmao. I know he's fighting for his life in a hell dimension or whatever but Jesse saved the entire world\worlds and still had time to get a really good new government job, AND cover for Ahti while he was on vacation. If Alan hasn't finished a book by now he might never live it down.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Maybe he’ll just start a podcast instead

[@nicoelmito]

That’s how art works

[@andydbedford]

There’s no time n the dark place, it doesn’t exist.

[@Sm0k3turt]

I don’t think Alan actually wrote control and max Payne literally. But I do like the idea that he influences things beyond himself. It’s a cool tie in to every other game.

[@RK-ly6nw]

he really didn't write the entire story of Control (perhaps even Max Payne), since the FBC existed even before Alan Wake was born. He'd be way too powerful if he can bring everything he writes to reality :p

[@KratosDaddy]

Fantastic work! This is the best analysis on the RCU I’ve seen. Hope the algorithm finds you soon and you’ll get more exposure. Keep up the great work. And the fantastic content

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you so much!

[@NadiraBarIdan]

After playing Alan Wake 2, this video is mind blowing.

[@shesFibi]

Great Video! I became a Control, Alan Wake and ultimately Remedy through Poets of the Fall and since then everytime I see a new connection I get so unbelievably happy! This video did that a lot for me. Thank you so much for it!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

So happy to hear that! Can’t wait to make a follow up after Alan Wake 2!

[@justbethinking]

i went to sleep watching asmr and woke up to this video, i have no idea who “alan wake” is so i guess ill have to restart the video to get the full context. see yall soon

[@stapuft]

i feel alans powers are kind of like "the daevite book" SCP, as in, he writes things, and they become real, but, ever so slightly different from what he wrote, also, like that same SCP. he wrote about "alex casey" and it became "max payne", he wrote "night springs" and got trapped in "cauldron lake", he writes about the "federal bureau of night springs" and creates the "federal bureau of control"

[@classiccustoms2010]

The references to Alan Wake brought up in the section discussing Control (the documents describing some objects from Alan Wake or its universe) seem a lot like how you'd write out a description of an SCP from what I recall, further adding onto the SCP "aura" of this universe/multiverse.

[@tasvaful]

The events that Alan causes all happen near Cauldron Lake and Brightfalls, not beyond that. Also the FBC was created in the 50’s or earlier, decades before the Brightfalls AWE

[@stapuft]

@@tasvaful who is to say that he cant retroactively create things? ie he writes about a fully grown man, and one is there, meaning his abilities rewrote time, to make that person get born, instead of just "magically appearing".

[@stapuft]

@@tasvaful i tried to post both halvs of that as one comment but yt kept deleting it for some reason, hopefully you see both halves now.......damnit its gone.....

[@stapuft]

@@tasvaful like he writes about something that has been around for over five decades, and that makes time rewrite itself to make what he wrote, reality.

[@ClapperDan]

The bit about the whiteboard is interesting because an Alan Wake 2, with every new part of Alan's gameplay in which he meet the sheriff in a new destination, The contents of the whiteboard doesn't change, and more notes gets added despite the sheriff saying that he forgets things similar to Alan.

[@lukasaurelius4462]

I watched this today, a few hours into Alan Wake II. The amount of content that is suddenly thrown into light is incredible, thank you, 2 years after you published this, for the amount of research and care you put into this video

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you for watching!

[@sarcasticsatan7335]

I like the idea that Alan is this hidden force, subtlety tweeting reality to help Jessie instead of him just creating Jessie, Dylan, Polaris, the hiss, the bored and everything else because that really does just feel like a slap in the face

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Totally. I think that the next few games will help clarify the whole situation a lot more.

[@mountaindewgaming2351]

Well the art book almost explicitly states alan wakes powers are limited to nudge things that already exist and that alan didn’t write it in the awe section

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

@@mountaindewgaming2351 true, but I still think the specifics are a bit murky. Some scenes suggest to me that Alan wrote the Hiss chant. That doesn't mean he created the Hiss, but maybe he gave them the words they used to grow stronger? It's hard to say.

[@mateohodge6998]

@@HiddenMachineGaming i think it's just another Easter egg because their chant doesn't mean anything they could be saying anything and it would have the same effect as long as it resonates Edit: lmao I just got too the part of the video where you said the same thing

[@Aarkwrite]

I was gonna ask if you meant tweaking reality but tweeting reality is so much more of the moment that it fits

[@WarlordRising]

Alan Wake is at the center of it all. Remedy playfully reminding the audience that each world created is born from the mind of the writer.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

It really feels that way

[@chiffmonkey]

40:27 In interview, Marko Saaresto has said that one interpretation of the name Poets of the Fall is "architects of destruction". 41:51 This concept is the same as that of Poets of the Fall - Dreaming Wide Awake, same album as War featured in Alan Wake. The lyrics of Late Goodbye come to life literally in the film Bright Falls. 1:31:57 At the time, Sam Lake stated in a tweet that the two characters are Alex Casey and Saga Anderson - a name you may now be familiar with. To really understand why canonicity is meaningless for the connected universe, you need to come at the Monomyth concept with a fresh mind. People do not consciously copy it. It is unconsciously replicated through the personification of archetypes derived from the collective unconscious (see the various whiteboards in Control talking about the theories of Carl Jung). Excalibur becomes the Service Weapon while still being the same object, it's just the framing of the times that has changed. The fundamental nature of altered items is the spirit of the thing. Alex Casey IS Max Payne in a way that matters more than copyright or canonicity - spirit. And as for Jung, there's a whole rabbit hole there for Poets of the Fall.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Great points!

[@Foxtrop13]

Nice video man, thats a full exploration, I hope it gets more views in the future, is very good to put things in another context

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@stevejobs3895]

I watched this entire video front to back and not one ad played, and for the first time in my life I am saddened by that....

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Weird! Ads are active for this one!

[@WilliamAmbervein]

Seeing all of the blatant connections to Quantum Break and real world things in Alan Wake 2 is insane

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yes, it's like they found the perfect legal loopholes to include the games

[@TheReZisTLust]

Having heard of Alan's games years ago it was an immediate click when I played Control and it was oddly dark in the main game. Such a nice touch and made me want to look for more. Cant wait for a sequel

[@bentdog00]

Truly amazing video, this guy needs more subs.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@MCSaeid]

This is absolutely brilliant. Very, very well done. Consider me a fan.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you very much!

[@RavelLopez]

Awesome video. Watching this after Remedy officially announce Alan Wake 2 and Remedy Made/Rockstar funded Max Payne 1+2 remakes makes me even more excited

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! So pumped for the next set of Remedy games

[@Loginv]

I watched almost the whole thing in one sitting. Help. Great video btw! Thank you so much! Made it way easier to understand then running through and playing all the games and getting the comics and the books and the ect. ect.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Happy to hear it!

[@CoRoLLa97GLi]

I like that move in Remedy

[@Ha1frican]

1:24:32 It very interesting to hear this since I felt the exact opposite. I played Quantum Break first and really liked it and then played Alan Wake and Control right after where I had a really hard time understanding what was going on. It wasn’t until looking up lore videos that I enjoyed Alan Wake really at all. Fortunately it feels like Alan Wake 2 got the balance a lot better and also makes it clear how important things like the manuscript are to listen to

[@laujimmy9282]

Wow didn't realise Dore was from quantum break. That's so cool

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yes! Such a fun connection

[@juutuubnoob]

This video should have like 1 million+ views. This was so well put together and well made. Keep up the good work!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you so much!

[@spoofertricks]

Vocal recording sounds great !

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! I use an SM7B with some cleanup in RX!

[@xLaxCroixBoix]

You have no idea how loud I screamed when Ahti the Janitor showed up in Alan Wake 2. All the other FBC Easter Eggs are cool and all but Ahti is easily my favorite character from Control. I can’t wait to see how they will continue to entangle their properties together. Really wish they had full rights to the Quantum Break property because when I first started Control I was like “oh yeah what happened in Quantum Break was definitely an AWE.” Also sad Lance Reddick wasn’t able to be Mr. Door since that was obviously a play on his character from QB.

[@TheSphereHunter]

Fantastic video!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! I’ve really enjoyed some of your videos as well, super informative and entertaining!

[@_chemicalbeat_]

Love this! Excellent video and thorough analysis of the Remedy Connected Universe. Love your content, this deserves many more views! Hopefully many more discover this great video and your amazing channel. Keep up the great work! 👍

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jack_rabbit]

sam lake is the single greatest writer working in video games, everything he writes is shoulder to should w dan houser's very best work.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Agreed!

[@mikedrop4421]

OK Al Gore Rythim, care to explain why you are just suggesting this video/channel to me now? This video has been around for a year and a half and you know Max Payne is my favorite game series and Remedy is one of my favorite developers. You know that because I constantly watch long for content on them! You know, EXACTLY LIKE THIS MASTERPIECE! Ugh, I'm sorry Hidden Machine I'm here now and I've subbed and hit the like button.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

So glad you enjoyed it! We’ve got plenty more Remedy and Max Payne talk on here!

[@MrGermanletsplayerxD]

Its so crazy to see this Video being so often spot on. Its almost creepy how your asumptions turned out right. Iam looking forward on your video updating all stories and connections. You have my sub for sure

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Definitely fun to look back on stuff

[@Brandon_Moves_You]

The effort and thoroughness of this project is staggering. You've done an amazing job. Thanks for the links and additional context. You've really outdone yourself.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! I really appreciate that

[@Sm0k3turt]

So hype to see what they do with this universe in the future.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Same here!

[@Stevexupen]

2:24:00 in the new alan wake 2 teasers and trailers seems like initiation will be a part of alan wake 2's story 2:30:00 Mr. door appears in one of alan wake 2 teasers as a tv show hosts interviewing alan wake from the dark place.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yes! So excited

[@starlight137yt]

So much work. I'm so impressed by this video.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@Icepick614]

Great video made only better by the fact that Alan Wake 2 was announced the following month after it was published. Man's ahead of the curve

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! It was a very lucky coincidence.

[@ArcaneEther]

One extra thing about Alan's power is that he cannot write Deus Ex Machina's to solve problems. His stories have to make logical, coherent sense or they don't become reality. No cheap endings allowed.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

True!

[@MJJMarkos]

Awesome video. I have just finished Control and I was looking for these connections. Ty!!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thanks for watching!

[@Neko123Uchiha]

Great video! Before summer this year I never really watched or played any Remedy game... but after playing Control a few months back I just had to dig deeper! All of them are great in their own right. But so much stuff connecting all of the games makes this universe even more interesting. Remedy sure is consistent with their themes, laying ground work and hints pretty early. And even bringing lots of actors from previous games back every time. This video is a really good summary of most of those things and really, big props to you for making this! :D I somehow jumped on the Remedy hype train at the right time. Looking forward to the next games (besides Project Condor), probably either Alan Wake 2 or Control 2... or a connecting game. There are way too many open questions that I need some answers to! :D

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! It’s definitely an exciting time to be a Remedy fan

[@djAstraim]

1:30:00 and so on... the "AW trailer" inside Quaantum Break. It´s amazing how consistent Remedy is. The "many faces" concept is present in the Alan Wake 2 Trailer.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

It’ll be fun to compare that QB trailer to the full game

[@djAstraim]

@@HiddenMachineGaming Maybe trailer to trailer as we wait for the full game? :D

[@djAstraim]

@@HiddenMachineGaming watching Raycevick´s video on Control, I notice something. The phone in the old house, is the one ringin in Alan Wake 2´s trailer!. That´s why it sounded out of place. Was not part of the Alan Wake 1 game, was part of Control!!

[@thekingofstillwater5890]

I've only just dipped into the Remedyverse with Alan Wake last year and just recently Control and I've fallen quite in love with it. The concept of games connected in a shared timeline or universe is one I've not seen before, say for Valve and their Half-Life universe (but I don't know anything other than Aperture Science being a competitor to Black Mesa.) I hope that they will one day acquire the rights to Quantum Break (though that's wishful thinking) and make Max Payne more connected rather than having stand-ins. I also hope Alan Wake 2 will free the writer from his 10 year solitary confinement. Something I also wanna add is what I love about Control, which is how much it feels like a triple A SCP game; I had grown up with them in the 2000s - 2010s and they were something id constantly delve into. I'm also a big eldrich horror fan, which both are filled with.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

I have a very strong suspicion that Max Payne is being brought back into the fold. After this video was released, Remedy put out their campaign for CrossfireX. That game contained a hidden room that included messages scrawled all over a wall saying things like “it’s all connected” and “Payne”. Shortly after that, they announced that they would be remaking Max Payne 1 and 2. With parts of Alan Wake 2 taking place in NYC, I think there’s great potential for more explicit crossovers beyond the stand ins.

[@skycr2t-o]

super underrated video. Just finished control and this video really helped

[@skycr2t-o]

btw u had 1 hit kill on on control

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

lol it was my third time playing and I just needed to capture footage, i had all the difficult modifiers on

[@famulan6594]

This was a really long and good one I appreciate you

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you so much!

[@benbenben123ben]

1:10:49 gave me chills! Hah the first time the brother in Control said that. The game control pretty much allows all these games to be together. Edit: big fan of Alan Wake. Had it on the 360. Played it so many times. I just played Control and the DLC for it. Good stuff. Hah

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thanks for watching! Glad you dug Control!

[@martin518441]

Wow your speculation on hatch/door was spot on. Now we have to wait for control 2

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thanks! So pumped to see what Remedy does next!

[@linktothelight]

Loving the Alan Wake passion man! Awesome video! Subbed and looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Subbed to you as well!

[@linktothelight]

@@HiddenMachineGaming Nice Thanks man!

[@Duck_Rider]

My god, a straight to the point video with short analysis on the whole series? Well done sir! I wasted my time watching the other guy's video, the guy's such a bore. You sir just made me bought Alan Wake 2! Thank you!

[@Lord_Deimos]

Concerning the time ripples in Quantum Break, Monarch's emblem is a butterfly, possibly a reference to the butterfly effect aka cause and effect.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Great catch!

[@a_man_of_clay4080]

Dude...what an underrated and underappreciated gem. Both remedy, and the video you have made. If I could sub harder I'd break my phone screen.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@abdelali9279]

2:39:43 damn Emily, chill, it was the funniest shit I ever heard and she just busted out of the lab and slammed the door on her way out

[@astari_1014]

Dont know, if im repeating anything here but after seeing promotional trailers for alan wake 2; its super interesting to see the alex casey and the blonde girl(suposed to be Saga maybe?) And the case board stuff all the way back in quantum break

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yeah, it’s pretty wild how early the core concepts were established, I think some of it goes back to cut content from the first game.

[@tomleb.991]

Awesome! Liked and subscribed. Great content! Keep it up!!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@jaff07]

Well done, and appreciated. There are still so much to see, but I hope Remedy in the near future they will give us clearer views of the lore and stories. I played all except MP.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Max Payne still holds up really well, hope you get a chance to check it out!

[@Qwedgeonline]

This video was super neat to watch. It was packed full of information but I want more!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

So glad you enjoyed it! I just posted a new video some Alan Wake II theories that you might also like!

[@FentFanta]

It's so incredible to finally get an answer to all these questions with Alan Wake 2.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Truly

[@nicholasgarrett742]

when considering the remedy connected universe, one must over think EVERYTHING. it is the only way.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Agreed

[@GreatgoatonFire]

I've been thinking a bit about this and if Max Payne exists in the Remedy verse then he is a parautilitarian with some pretty messed up powers. First is Bullet Time, slowing time or enhancing his perception. Might not seem that dark right, but think about this. How does he recharge that power? By killing people, head shots being extra effective. Then we have his body. Ever think about how we heal in Max Payne? By eating a rave's worth of pills. There is no way something like that would be able to fix a close range blast from a shotgun... and yet, Max is fine. I think he has some kind of power linking his perception of his body, specifically, pain to the state of his physical health. Enough trauma can overwhelm Max' resistance, killing or incapacitating him.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

I didn’t cover this idea in the video, but I’ve had very similar thoughts since reflecting on all of the games. It’s disturbing, but it totally fits into the Remedy universe.

[@GreatgoatonFire]

@@HiddenMachineGaming Ok hey, that's really cool. Another thing to think about re Max Payne and the FBC: They are both located in New York, a single cop mowing down hundrers of criminals over a single night would surely grab the FBC's attention right, especially in their backyard. Maybe the Inner Circle or mr Woden were able to keep Max from getting stanched up by the FBC? Hell consider that it was Woden that started Max's journey by sending those files to the DA. And it was only after Max's family were attacked that we see him use Bullet Time. Now sure maybe that was something he was able to do before but still. Max Payne's story in the wider Remedyverse has even more strange and dark implications than what we got in his games.

[@Lifelez]

2:46:15 [...] The Pyramid and the stone file become a Sprouse tree. I think it refers to the board and the nail we see in the Foundation DLC. If you look at the nail, it is missing a triangle piece in the shape of a pyramid used by the board to communicate with the player.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Oh wow, that totally went over my head!

[@caoimhinmccann4449]

Amazing video, extremly well researched and put together. A little on the short side hopefully the next one's longer.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Many thanks. Honestly, once Alan Wake 2 drops I know I’ll be making a whopper of a follow up

[@caoimhinmccann4449]

@@HiddenMachineGaming Can't wait for it.

[@Tocy777isback0414]

2:47:58 and now we know who are the cult of the tree :D amazing that such small details are hidden years before the next game's release (in this case AW2)

[@urgedwarrior]

Watching the Return bit that they made with the themes to touch on in Alan Wake 2 after playing Alan Wake 2 makes is just another perfect little echo as well!

[@megciftci9187]

This was an incredible video, I can only imagine how much work you put into it. Well done and thank you!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you so much!

[@novelmartinez6154]

It was great to watch and very interesting. Great work! Thank you.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you very much!

[@maxmfpayne]

This might be one of my favorite videos ever, so in depth. A little biased though, because although I haven't played Alan Wake fully (don't worry I intend to soon) I'm an absolutely massive Max Payne fan and this is just... Beautiful.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you so much! There is a lot of shared DNA between Max Payne and Alan Wake, two great game series.

[@maxmfpayne]

@@HiddenMachineGaming I cannot wait to play Alan Wake so I can find and take in every little connection between the two. Are you excited for the Max Payne remakes? We might even get some stuff referencing Alan Wake bringing everything full circle.

[@Agentlefox]

I will always love how involved San lake is creatively and lorewise haha

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

For sure

[@Valfara770]

This is a very fascinating watch after Alan Wake 2 came out! :) I love how you were dead right on some things like Mr. Door and the 665 also cropped up :D

[@Kranitoko]

Seriously fantastic work, glad this seems to be getting the attention it deserves ☺️

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Really glad you were able to be a part of it.

[@Kranitoko]

@@HiddenMachineGaming glad to be a part of it too ☺️ thanks for reaching out!

[@classiccustoms2010]

A couple interesting things I noticed while watching this video: This House of Dreams sort of rhymes with the postmodern book House of Leaves, which is considered a postmodern novel/experience. Alongside Sam Lake bringing up his love of postmodern works in the introduction to the Quantum Break (I believe it was there?), as well as his mention of wanting to make books something more than what they are already (this was a sentiment shared by the author of House of Leaves), plus the mention of the Yggdrasil seen at around 2:47:41 (which is also referenced in House of Leaves) could suggest some inspiration or even some form of mild homages. I'm not sure though.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Wow, I never considered the House of Leaves/House of Dreams similarity, but you are definitely correct in your suspicions here. Sam Lake and other folks that worked on Control have gone on record saying that the book was a very strong influence on the game.

[@mattjindrak]

​@HiddenMachineGaming yeah and the Oldest House is like the house from the Navidson Record with its infinite and ever-shifting rooms

[@wingsreport9274]

Amazing work good sir

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Many thanks!

[@leonielson7138]

2:46:10 "In their drunken fever states, see them more profoundly. The pyramid and the stone file, becomes a spruce tree." 2:47:42 "A video sequence shown twice during the AWE DLC gives us a brief glimpse of a map of Bright Falls, and on it we can see a sticky note that reads "Cult of the Tree". SPOILER for 'Alan Wake II' A group, previously known as 'The Torchbearers', gets ahold of FBC files and inverts the pyramid on their logo to create their own logo - a pair of overlapping triangles that resembles a spruce tree, bringing about the line, "The pyramid and the stone file becomes a spruce tree" line. They rename themselves 'The Cult of the Tree'.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Yes!

[@russelsheartinacage]

I'm here after playing Alan Wake 2, and am just in awe of the realisation of the universe building you've spoken about here

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

It’s really something special!

[@ASHxFireFly]

Wow I really never got into Alan Wake but the second one has blown me away and I appreciate it so much more after listening to this video.. its truly remarkable

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Awesome! There’s definitely a lot going on here

[@fadifotos]

Man... This video... Subscribing, giving a like, saving at a playlist and copying the link of this video just isn't enough to say how grateful I am that this video exists. Think like this: Me, a total stranger to you, whos english isn't his first language, and because of ADHD the stories of games weren't that compelling. After very late diagnoses (at 27yo), I wanted to fully explore my hobbies, games being one of them, getting into the stories, analysing shit, and began to make correlations. I did not participate into reddit/steam threads until Ritalin, and now I am just astonished about details in remedy's games after playing Control. I went to search for this exact video and it exists. You, a total stranger to me, made me feel like I catched up on some games that I REALLY liked and played back then (Max payne and Alan wake) AND I want to search more theories and read more. Just thank you for existing and making this channel.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

I am so happy to hear this. There’s a lot more to discover when it comes to Remedy, enjoy the journey!

[@Pig64]

such a underrated channel, what a masterpiece video!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@FPoP1911]

amazing video, also there's a place in heaven for those who put timestamp to songs used or a pop up in the screen.

[@slimeinabox]

Section 7.1 1:10:40 don't think for a _single second_ that I didn't see what you just did.\ Good Job!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you! Nice to know that others are on the same page

[@fortitude_ra_kolahal]

Absolute quality content........ I recently completed Control ( and its DLC ) and being a long time Remedy fan this video was such a watch... (Completed in one sitting ).... Hopefully Remedy well delivers Alan Wake 2 just like all their games......

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you very much! So excited for Alan Wake 2!

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

This video was created before the release of CrossfireX, and before the announcement of the Max Payne remakes and Alan Wake 2. If you're looking for some updated analysis, here's some follow up videos to check out! ○ Alan Wake: Full Story & Extended Lore Explained kzbin.info/www/bejne/oneZm2tnobusecU ○ Remedy: "YES! It's all connected!!!" kzbin.info/www/bejne/ol7FqZ6hjNelfdk ○ Max Payne Remakes and the Remedy Connected Universe kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5LOZKF3eqepeqs ○ Where does CrossfireX fit into the Remedy Connected Universe? kzbin.info/www/bejne/aH2zYquHnJ6ebtE

[@NeoMoonSevin]

What max Payne remakes I never heard of that on Yt nobody mentioned it not even remedy or Rockstar

[@LordMarlle]

Max Payne, Quantum Break and especially CrossfireX is NOT part of the Remedy Connected Universe

[@TimeIsOfThe3ssence]

This deserves way more likes, great video and very clearly laid out

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!

[@WCR_V]

Do you remember what music is being used at the 2:25:14 mark?

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Can't say exactly what track, but I'm almost positive that it's from the score of Alan Wake.

[@BlazingOwnager]

1:59:21 The thing that still makes me doubt Hedron in the eventual sequel are the Old Gods Control lyrics. "Polaris, in a web of hypocrisy." I've had a long standing wildly out there theory that the original end of the game, from the song, was Jesse taking Control back from Polaris herself; likely in the form of fighting her way out of control of the forces puppeteering her - Polaris or... the Player. It'd be very hard to translate that to gameplay, but it'd be on my top 5 questions to ask Sam Lake if I ever got the chance..

[@Deekman]

Getting caught up before AW2 thanks so much for a clear video that goes over EVERYTHING. Fantastic

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Stoked for you to play AW2! It’s too good

[@Ec1ecticStyle]

Just found this video today when my brain decided to click over to Remedy and the connections between their games(recently been wanting to replay control for some reason) and at the same time I’ve been rereading House of Leaves. I’d be more than a little curious to hear you thoughts on possible connections between House of Leaves and the Remedy worlds. Especially Control. I always found it curious that the album by Poe that’s connected to House of Leaves (titled Haunted) includes a track on it titled Control. Also total side note head cannon, ever since hearing the FBC member talk about going to see the Alex Casey movie, I imagine the Max Payne games as those movies, partially explaining their bombastic stylized Hollywood violence. But again, that’s just my fun head cannon 😋

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Unfortunately, I haven't yet read the book. I've been meaning to for a while now, and do intend to do a video covering that connection eventually. I can say that Remedy and Sam Lake have been very outspoken and candid when it comes to talking about taking influence from books and movies that they love. Max Payne feels like a John Woo movie, and Alan Wake takes a lot of pieces directly from Twin Peaks and the works of Stephen King. At times, these influences are so strong on the games and their stories that they feel like some sort of fan fiction or unofficial continuation of those works. From what I know about House of Leaves, I think that sort of connection to the work is very evident in Control. I was unaware of the Poe album, that's a really interesting companion piece! I'm excited to dig into all of that stuff soon. As for the Max Payne movie head cannon, I love that. I have a strong hunch that in-universe movies and some sort of meta narrative surrounding them are going to be a big part of Alan Wake II.

[@Ec1ecticStyle]

@@HiddenMachineGaming yeah, Poe is actually the sister of House of Leaves author Mark Z. Danielewski, so Haunted was written as a sort of companion piece to the book, and the title track “Haunted” is actually used in Alan Wake at the end of one of the episodes(can’t remember which off the top of my head) and the description of the house in the book(bigger on the inside than out, and the constantly shifting topography are stand outs) as well as the visual presentation of the book giving a similar FEELING to experiencing the oldest house. Honestly, you’re going to love it lol And I love how open they are about the influences they take, it’s clearly out of love. I especially feel the Twin Peaks influence when dealing with the concepts of doubles throughout their games. Honestly can’t wait for Alan Wake II. It’s clear that Remedy are really taking great care in building their worlds and it does make me eager for more insight.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

@@Ec1ecticStyle just ordered a copy, excited to get into it!

[@soaring_man]

Such an amazing job you did here! Instant subscribe.

[@HiddenMachineGaming]

Thank you!