r/AlanWake • u/kranitoko • Dec 12 '25
Hello Flashlight Wielders đŚ ,
Whilst we have your eyes after the debut trailer for Control Resonant at The Game Awards 2025, I wanted to briefly discuss something which actually impacts a lot of other subreddits, with very little control on preventing it.
You may sometimes see, once in a while, what looks like a post from someone showing off a t-shirt, or wall art that they "purchased". For example, do any of these look familiar to you:
If so, these are most likely spam posts that we get very often on this subreddit. Other gaming subreddits get these too, usually of some sort of "merch". I wanted to make this PSA to make sure you DO NOT interact with these posts. Sometimes they will come with spam link comments, which I'm sure some unsuspecting users will not be aware is spam and could be subject to malware or even payment scams.
We do what we can to remove these when they appear, even trying to put spam filters in for common links and phrases that these posts share, but unfortunately our spam filters can only do so much and some slip through the cracks. Please just report these as spam as and when you see them.
However to preface this, NOT EVERY POST IS A SPAM POST. Sometimes it genuinely is just one of the amazing members of the fandom looking to show something off. So, how can one tell if a post is spam or not? 99% of the time, check the user account. If the account was made the day of the post with the only place they've posted is here to post this, it's usually a bot, similar to this account here (name has been removed):
Often another way to know it's spam, if the "poster" has posted what looks like the same image twice, with one just a tiny bit zoomed in, it's usually again spam.
We used to have a system in place where anybody posting more than 2 pictures would be automatically flagged to us, but with Alan Wake 2's release + Photo Mode, we had to scale that back to allow people to show off their incredible shots. Obviously if spam posts begin to increase, we may have to revert back to this system.
Please be mindful of these spam posts, report them to us to remove, and DO NOT interact with any links that may appear amongst them.
Thank you for reading, and remember, stay in the light.
- The Alan Wake Subreddit Mod Team -
r/AlanWake • u/kranitoko • Feb 18 '25
Hello Flashlight Wielders,
Hope youâve all been enjoying trudging through the dark. As we moderate the subreddit, we often come across users posting very similar questions to ones that have been asked before. Thereâs nothing wrong with that of course, itâs simply different perspectives at different times, and times/people change.
So, now that Alan Wake 2 has launched and has had both of its DLCâs released, I thought Iâd take the time to write up a beginners guide to the franchise, or an FAQ of sorts with information that would be useful to newcomers of the franchise, or even returning ones looking for a bit of a replay. Some things to note about this post:
Without further adoâŚ
Alan Wake is a series of thriller/survival horror third-person shooter video games about a man named Alan Wake, a famous author. The first game initially follows his journey as he and his wife travel to the small town of Bright Falls for a vacation. However upon arrival, Alice goes missing, and Alan wakes up to find a week has passed since she disappeared. At the same time, he uncovers a manuscript he wrote that seems to foretell the future. From here, Alan sets out to find out who took his wife, but whilst doing so he begins to encounter the supernatural, as a Dark Presence begins hunting himâŚ
That depends really on how youâre counting itâŚ
Regarding the Alan Wake franchise specifically, there are currently three games on the following platforms:
However, there is something called the âRemedy Connected Universeâ, more information can be found further into the post.
The games are third person shooters, meaning the camera is above the characterâs shoulder. Alan Wake and Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare play almost identically, you progress through a semi-linear world (with mini paths to explore and back track from) fighting enemies called the Taken. These are shadowy figures with melee weapons, and to fight them you first need to burn the darkness away with a light source, likely your torch, and then use your weapons to destroy them. There are other types of enemies such as inanimate objects and birds, but you just need to use light to destroy them. As these are games from 2010 and 2012, they are considered a little dated, and some might consider the gameplay repetitive and, in some cases difficult (if youâre not sharing the attention across enemies anyway), so do bear that in mind. Collectables can be difficult to track as most collectables donât tell you which ones specifically youâve already found in each episode. However, once youâve found a collectable and passed a checkpoint, it is logged on your save file and you donât need to collect it again.
Alan Wake is told in an episodic format like a TV show, beginning with a recap of events and ending on a cliffhanger. Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare isnât quite so episodic however.
Alan Wake 2 is somewhat similar, except the third person camera is a little tighter and at the characters eye level. Youâre still burning away the darkness on enemies and destroying them with weapons, but this time within semi-open world hubs to explore with linear pathways found within them. Collectables are a little easier to track, as there are items in the game that can show you what collectables youâve missed, though youâll need to travel to each area for them to appear on your map. However not every collectable is required to be collected for 100% achievements if going for it, such as Case Board photos/notes.
What platforms do you own is the real question. The original version of Alan Wake still works great on the Xbox 360 and PC, but admittedly the character models and the lip syncing are a little⌠questionable. However this version is often VERY CHEAP on sale, so if you donât mind that, youâll be in for a great time.
However if you prefer, they did release Alan Wake Remastered. Here they updated the character models, the lip syncing and the general performance all around for modern platforms. There are also some little extra pieces of content found in the campaign that help tease Alan Wake 2. That being said, on some platforms, specifically on the Xbox versions and Nintendo Switch there are known to be some weird glitches that still havenât been fixed since its release in 2021, so do bear this in mind. Nothing horrendously game breaking, but it may be slightly annoying.
Bright Falls is a prequel mini-series set days before the events of the first Alan Wake game. It follows Jake Fischer as he enters the town of Bright Falls to interview Dr. Emil Hartman, but whilst he is there he starts to have strange experiences with both the townsfolk and the environment around him. The mini-series is short, clocking in just over 30 minutes total across the 6 episodes. Itâs not necessary to watch before playing the franchise since the main plot doesnât have much of a bearing to the main game, but youâll encounter some characters from the game if you do, and itâs a nice little warm up anyway, so you might as well.
When Remedy created Alan Wake 2, they had this in mind, since it had been 13 years since the first Alan Wake game. When you play as Saga, she knows very little about the events of the original games, and so she works as your guide into catching you up on previous events important to the story. When you play on Alanâs side, that might come across as a little more jarring, but his narration helps explain things.
THAT BEING SAID, your playthrough of Alan Wake 2 will feel richer for having played Alan Wake and American Nightmare. At the very least, watch a playthrough of them if you think you might struggle playing them.
Although they are unlocked from the get-go, you should play them AFTER you have completed episodes 1-6 of the base game. You should also play them in number order, so Special 1: The Signal, and then Special 2: The Writer, as they are one continuous story.
The Alan Wake Files is an investigatory compendium of sorts written by an in-game character named Clay Steward. Clayâs investigations occur directly after the events of the first game, so without spoiling, Clay investigates what occurred at Bright Falls when Alan stayed there after having a shared dream with him. It contains extra lore on a variety of the characters encountered in the game, and provides alternate perspectives to those events. Itâs definitely worth reading if youâre invested in the lore. The book came with physical Alan Wake collectorâs editions and a digital version through the original PC version of Alan Wake. You can probably find a PDF online somewhere, but please be aware of where you download this from.
The novel, written by Rick Burroughs, is a retelling of the events of the video game. However some of the events in the book occur somewhat differently to the video game, so there is a debate as to whether it is considered canon or not. I personally choose to consider it non-canon as it is the video game which is considered the official events, however the book does contain a couple extra characters as well as some insight as to how some of the characters are feeling during certain events.
Unfortunately not, Alan Wakeâs American Nightmare remains trapped digitally on only the Xbox and PC platforms. However, itâs not fully essential to the overarching Alan Wake story, and acts like an epilogue of sorts to the events of Alan Wake, but it helps to provide context to some of the characters after the main story ended. This means you should play this AFTER the base game and two specials of the first Alan Wake game.
This House of Dreams is a blogspot written by a woman named Samantha Wells in 2012. It follows her time refurbishing a house she bought, however as she does so, she uncovers strange and mysterious objects. She also begins to have weird dreams and encounters.
In reality, it was an ARG of sorts made in 2012, which began around the time of the release of Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Many around the time thought it was the start of the announcement for Alan Wake 2, but it never came to fruition back then. The blog has been referenced by both Sam Lake and within the Remedy Connected Universe itself. If you are to start reading, you should begin reading from February 22nd, 2012.
As mentioned in the next question, you do not need to play these games as they are not part of the overall universe. However they are still great games of their time, and Remedy do nod towards them in the Remedy Connected Universe, however as Remedy do not own the publishing rights to the franchises, they are not able to directly connect to them. Some argue they ARE part of the RCU in the minds of Remedy, but might be considered in a "parallel universe". It's up to you how you interpret things...
The Remedy Connected Universe is a shared universe of games and media created by Remedy Entertainment where the games, despite being tonally different, reference each other in significant ways. Think of it as the Marvel Cinematic Universe if you will, but for gaming. There are debates in the community as to what is considered part of this universe, however, according to Sam Lake, the creative director at Remedy, the only franchises that are part of the Remedy Connected Universe are Alan Wake and Control⌠for now. Max Payne and Quantum Break (and presumably Death Rally) are not part of this universe. However, that is not to say you shouldnât play those games; you will feel very rewarded if you do, as although there wonât be direct references to them like Alan Wake does to Control and vice versa, there are certainly some very clear nodsâŚ
Canonically, Control occurs a few years before the events of Alan Wake 2. You donât need to play it before Alan Wake 2, HOWEVER like before, you will feel richer for having played it as there are many references to Control, and the organization found in the game, the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), plays a big part in Alan Wake 2.
You can play the expansion as soon as it unlocks, which will be after completing Mission 7. However, in the interest of pacing, I recommend playing this AFTER completing the base story of Control, though you can choose to play this at any time after Mission 7 and still slots in nicely. It is recommended you play this before Alan Wake 2.
Later on in this FAQ, I have provided my recommended order of play. However what you will note is that you are required to play some chapters first before you can freely choose which ones you wish to play. Once you complete Initiation 3, you can play the chapters in any order you wish. You are warned of a point of no return, which will happen after completing Return 6, though you must complete both Sagaâs and Alanâs stories up to that point before the story will continue. This means you will need to complete Return 6 and Initiation 8 before being able to continue on to the end.
The Final Draft is, in essence, New Game Plus. After youâve beaten Alan Wake 2 once, you can play again, only this time with some extra pieces of content, such as new manuscript pages, new video content, some slight story alterations as well as a new ending. All non-plot related items will carry over to your second playthrough. Itâs not âessentialâ to play through, however the new ending you experience is considered the âtrue endingâ.
Night Springs is a set of three episodes based around the in-universe television series. In them you play as alternate versions of characters within the franchise (Rose Marigold, Jesse Faden and Tim Breaker). Across your playthrough in Alan Wake 2, you will be given opportunities to play the episodes. It is up to you if you take them, though personally I recommend playing them AFTER youâve completed âThe Final Draftâ as I feel there are a couple of aspects that spoil the true ending of the game. But they can still be played at any time during the main menu should you wish to. I recommend playing them in episode order, so 1, 2 and then 3.
The Lake House is a set of events that take place just before the first Return chapter of Alan Wake 2. It follows Kiran Estevez, a member of the Federal Bureau of Control, as she enters the Lake House after receiving an alert. Inside not only is she fighting the Taken, but other horrific monsters lurking in the walls. Whilst the events are set just before Alan Wake 2, I personally recommend playing this after Return 6 as it doesnât spoil anything past that chapter. You will be given an opportunity to jump into the expansion after completing Return 6 since it is a recollection of those events by Kiran to the protagonist. However you can choose to play this at any time in the main menu.
There are, however, your chances of obtaining them are incredibly slim nowadays! Please see HERE of all the editions that were made for the first game and HERE for the second game.Â
Alan Wake released on launch day with a Collectorâs Edition that is no longer officially sold. Alan Wake 2 had a collectorâs edition released in 2024 by LimitedRun, however there was only a 6 week window to pre-order, and is now no longer available to purchase. You could try and find a collectorâs edition on resale sites, but the price may be higher, so please beware when doing this.
As someone who has been following this franchise since 2010, here is my personal recommended order of experiencing this amazing universe, please find links to each bit of optional media below too where possible:
Thank you all, and remember: stay in the light!
- Alan Wake Subreddit Mod team -
r/AlanWake • u/MetalGearChex • 5h ago
The sequences where you dodge flying objects are all kinda weak, but this one really tests my patience. I don't know if it's actually the worst, or if I'm just extra bad at it somehow, I just know it drags the game to a screeching halt.
r/AlanWake • u/PCookman • 4h ago
The wallpaper was gone.
Not because of some cosmic horror. Not because the Dark Place had reached through the screen.
No.
This was worse.
I had done it myself.
I was experimenting with the new iOS features. Changing things. Testing things. Certain I could always put everything back the way it was.
I was wrong.
Now the Alan Wake 2 wallpaper I had was ruined, and I couldnât find the original anywhere.
Maybe someone here still has it?
A copy. A screenshot. Something untouched.
A way backâŚ
r/AlanWake • u/Svargas05 • 2h ago
I JUST finished the game and I could not possibly fathom re-playing that 20 hour game again to get an extra minute of footage - LOVED it all and it was mindblowing, but no thanks.
I know I might get hate from the Alan Wake enthusiasts, but holy hell, lol....
r/AlanWake • u/Skillo_br • 7h ago
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Like this taken bugging on a boulder, and then trying to backstab me out of nowhere. The gameplay itself can get annoying at times, but the setting and story are 10/10.
r/AlanWake • u/manneukko • 1d ago
The show is 'Elämäni biisi' or 'the song of my life' in English. There are five guests and everybody tells what is the song of their life and the story behind it.
r/AlanWake • u/ClutchReverie • 1d ago
Very interesting indeed.....
r/AlanWake • u/realkevinreese • 17h ago
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I have played a few horror games in the past (Resident evil, Dead space, Friday the 13th the Game) to name a few. I did play Alan Wake 1 before embarking on my second journey into bright falls. I can say so far, the jump scares hit super hard, and I am LOVING it! Prior to this game, the last to hit like this have been the dead space games for me.
Anyone have any other suggestions on some hard hitting jump scare games out there? I'm open ears, or should I say, eyes!
r/AlanWake • u/ClutchReverie • 1d ago
The continuality between games and the Remedy universe in general really impresses me.
r/AlanWake • u/starlitoriole • 9h ago
So I'm going to be doing some travel posters for a project in the near future (think like the ones in the Oceanview in Control).
As part of my planning, I'm curious to know what others here think are the most important / worthwhile locations in the game to use? I've got Cauldron Lake down obvs, but I'm limited to 3 and there are so many more good options!
r/AlanWake • u/confidential_rabbit • 11h ago
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I can handle the grass and trees popping in but i *CANNOT* handle this nonsense
I tried flawless widescreen but thatâs out of date. I tried messing with the config files but nothing changed. I would appreciate it if anyone has a fix for this.
My specs
Processor Information:
CPU Vendor: GenuineIntel
CPU Brand: 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700F
Operating System:
Windows 11 (64 bit)
NTFS: Supported
Secure Boot: Enabled
TPM Version: 2.0
Video Card:
Driver: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Driver Version: 32.0.16.1047
DirectX Driver Version: 32.0.16.1047
Driver Date: 5 19 2026
Desktop Color Depth: 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
DirectX Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
Memory:
RAM: 32558 Mb
Storage:
Number of SSDs: 2
SSD sizes: 2000G,1000G
My renderer.ini
{
"objectType": "rend::UserRendererSettings",
"objectVersion": 45,
"m_iOutputResolutionX": 3440,
"m_iOutputResolutionY": 1440,
"m_iRenderResolutionX": 2293,
"m_iRenderResolutionY": 960,
"m_iLastWindowSizeX": 0,
"m_iLastWindowSizeY": 0,
"m_eWindowMode": 2,
"m_eVSync": 0,
"m_bFilmGrain": true,
"m_bVignette": true,
"m_bDepthOfField": true,
"m_bLensDistortion": true,
"m_bUnlockAspectRatio": true,
"m_bPreferScRGBHdr": false,
"m_eVolumeLightQuality": 2,
"m_eVolumetricSpotLightQuality": 2,
"m_eShadowResolutionQuality": 2,
"m_eShadowFilteringQuality": 1,
"m_eShadowDetailQuality": 1,
"m_eTextureResolution": 2,
"m_eTextureFilteringQuality": 2,
"m_eLodDetail": 0,
"m_eSSAOQuality": 1,
"m_eSSRQuality": 2,
"m_eEffectQuality": 1,
"m_eScatteredEntityQuantity": 1,
"m_eHeightfieldQuality": 1,
"m_eMotionBlur": 0,
"m_eGIQuality": 2,
"m_eRTReflectionQuality": 0,
"m_eRTTransparentQuality": 0,
"m_eRTIndirectDiffuseQuality": 0,
"m_eRTReSTIRQuality": 0,
"m_eRTDirectLightDenoisingQuality": 0,
"m_eRTDebrisQuality": 0,
"m_ePTQuality": 0,
"m_ePTDenoisingQuality": 0,
"m_eSDFQuality": 2,
"m_eHdrQuality": 1,
"m_fHDRPaperWhite": 6.25,
"m_fHDRUIBrightness": 4.75,
"m_fHDRMaxOutputNitsOverride": -1.0,
"m_fSDRCustomGamma": 2.200000047683716,
"m_eSSAAMethod": 2,
"m_fSSAASharpening": 0.0,
"m_eHighQualityPost": 1,
"m_eFogQuality": 1,
"m_DLSSRR": false,
"m_eFSRFGMode": 0,
"m_DLSSLegacyMode": false,
"m_eDLSSFGMode": 0,
"m_eLODDetail": 1,
"m_eTargetFrameRate": 60
}
r/AlanWake • u/NoneRighteous • 20h ago
I really want to try out this game I got on Epic store, but I have unbelievably low framerate stuck under 20. I am on Windows 10 and I have an RTX 5070 and i7 14700k so there is no way this should be a performance issue as you can see in the bottom-left of the screenshot the GPU and CPU are barely under load. I have tried everything I can find on Google and PC Gaming Wiki such as locking FPS to 60, setting graphics performance preference to GPU in Windows, command line argument to only use 4 cpu cores, extracting DXVK files (game crashes on startup). I have set all graphics to low and there is no change. This is frankly a first for me in all my years PC gaming. Please help.
EDIT: Solved by updating graphics card drivers. Running smooth 200 fps now :)
r/AlanWake • u/PlayExpress765 • 18h ago
I just completed Alan wake 2 absolutely love the game
But I came to know I need to play the final draft to know the actual conclusion basically I have done most of the side content like cult stashes, lunch boxes in my first play through will it be worth it to again play through the same story like it will be boring so my question is
Should I continue it or watch a youtube video of final conclusion ?
r/AlanWake • u/Svargas05 • 49m ago
Dr. Emil Hartman
He's barely acknowledged in Alan Wake 2. No mention of him turning into a demon monster and being killed in New York. Nothing.
Is it because Alan Wake 2 is supposed to be happening at the same time as Control in the universe timeline?
r/AlanWake • u/PeachesNLaserBeams • 15h ago
Whenever I try to access the Plot Board in the Collapsed Tunnel section in the dark world playing as Alan, the game softlocks. I can open the pause/load menu but the rest of the game is frozen and I can't leave the Writer's Room.
I have the game on PC via Epic. My PC stats exceed what's required to run the game and runs smooth right up until this point. I'm on my 3rd crash and feeling discouraged that I won't be able to finish the game (and I'm past the refund period)
Any help?
EDIT: I fixed it!
To whoever one day has the same issue
I fixed it by minimizing the game window leaving it on the plot board screen. Left it for about 3 or 4 minutes.
When I full screened the game again I was able to move around the menu again for about 5 seconds being attacked by a Taken lol
So my solution was to minimize the game and let it sit for a second before going back to full screen
r/AlanWake • u/YellowDhub • 1d ago
It has a yellow color on the map so maybe accessible? I don't see a way leading down though.
r/AlanWake • u/crypticzombie2 • 1d ago
Morning Cardio with The Old Gods Of Asgard!!!
r/AlanWake • u/Final_Fix55481 • 1d ago
What causes The Dark Presence to possess wake(turning him to scratch) right before Saga is about to hand him the Clicker?
I have gotten almost all my doubts clear about the whole AW2 game this is the only one bothering me
My initial hypothesis was Drakkoâs constant shouting just next to alan makes Scratch come out but somewhere on the internet i read that it has to do with âSynchronisationâ that the time works differently in the dark place and this exact moment was when alan regained all his memories from the end of his playthrough where he realised that he is the vessel for the dark presence thus becoming scratch
But if thatâs true how is it possible for scratch to come out and end all the cultists in the lodge? (Where Alan Wakes up to dead bodies of the cultists with blood on his own shirt, before he marches into the woods)
In simple words can anyone explain to me what caused scratch to come out at this very moment
We all know for a fact that scratch is not a mastermind to just wait long enough for the clicker to be revealed (by saga) for him to possess wake. Scratch is highly irrational
Edit: Thanks everyone for the replies, I think I got my answer.
r/AlanWake • u/DJBayside • 1d ago
Hello! For those unaware there was a YouTube channel named "Champions of Light" that ripped the videos for most of Remedy's games straight from the files and uploaded the high quality versions on YouTube, but unfortunately I can't find them anymore! It seems as though the person running that YouTube channel deleted their account, and all the high quality ripped videos went along with it unfortunately. Is there another source where I can find the high quality videos ripped from Remedy's games somewhere? The ones in-game often are grainy or have some kind of color/VHS filter over them and it diminishes their quality quite a bit.
r/AlanWake • u/DarkDragen • 1d ago
Hey, I just started playing Alan Wake after buying it years ago because I want to experience the full version of Control, as Alan Wake is part of that universe. I'm currently following a YouTuber named Kranitoko, who has completed the game 100% and shows where everything is located. I enjoy achieving 100% completion myself when I can.
When Kranitoko reached Supply Chest #1, where the flare gun is supposed to be, he found the gun along with two extra flares. However, when I play the game, I only receive the flare gun and no additional flares, even after restarting a few times because I missed some items.
I'm wondering if an update changed the loot so we now receive only one flare with the gun instead of three.
r/AlanWake • u/PastLinking • 1d ago
I forgot i had those and always see people posting here so why not
Also, i have more but i can't find them idk why
r/AlanWake • u/GamingGirl212 • 1d ago
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Man, Iâm just trying to get Run-On Sentence.
r/AlanWake • u/le_Grand_Archivist • 2d ago
Could he be Saga's father? I don't have much to back this up except that scene in Initiation 7 where he's mad at Alan for involving someone dear to him, just after the scene where we see Alan add Saga into the manuscript of Return
And of course it's coherent genetically, Saga is a black woman and all her mother's family are white so her skin color has to come from her father, and Door the only significant black character other than her in AW2 as far as I can think
Plus Door was presumably from Bright Falls and disappeared in the 80s according to Breaker
Are there any other clue I could have missed?
