You can’t talk about Remedy Entertainment’s success over the years without bringing up its latest hit, Alan Wake 2. Everything about the sequel to the 2010 cult classic is absolutely brilliant. It doesn’t matter if it’s the music, gameplay, story, or graphics; Alan Wake 2 is a borderline masterpiece. Remedy released the game’s first expansion earlier this year: Night Springs. The DLC highlighted the more charming side of Alan Wake, delivering a trippy experience that left me either grinning or in complete shock.
Now in October, we’ve at last arrived at the second and final DLC for Alan Wake 2: The Lake House. Before the DLC even got its first trailer, it was rumored that the expansion would feature several connections to Control. As more previews were released, it was clear that the expansion possessed a far darker tone compared to Night Springs.
So how does it live up to the overall experience of Alan Wake 2, and by extension, Night Springs? I am pleased to say that The Lake House is another incredible showcase from Remedy. It shines in one of the year’s busiest months because of its emphasis on a fantastic story, a thrilling gameplay loop, and some intriguing implications for the future.
This Story Is A Monster
The Lake House takes place during the early hours of Alan Wake 2. While on her way to Bright Falls, Agent Kiran Estevez of the Federal Bureau of Control (played by Janina Gavankar) stops by The Lake House. The Lake House is an FBC facility settled in the Cauldron Lake Lodge from the original Alan Wake.
In order to gather more information about the anomaly currently gripping Bright Falls, Agent Estevez steps inside The Lake House and attempts to find its custodians, Jules and Diana Marmont. Of course, this being a facility settled near the lake where a certain writer found misfortune, everything immediately goes wrong. Now, Estevez must find her way out of The Lake House and stop the experiment causing the anomaly. Sounds simple enough, right?
Where Remedy’s games have always shined is how they use simple premises to their advantage. In many ways, The Lake House‘s narrative is no different than the one found in Control. Both focus on a mysterious facility overrun by monsters and feature a corrupting influence. However, where they differ drastically is in their message.
The Alan Wake franchise has always had something to say about the nature of art and the different mediums in which it is expressed. Alan Wake 2 highlights the dangers of art and how their ability to affect the world can be very dangerous. Night Springs, on the other hand, covers the unlimited creativity of art. The Lake House focuses on how certain figures like to manipulate art for their own desires.
There’s one moment where we learn that the antagonists of The Lake House have been using automated typewriters to replicate the style of Alan Wake. Alan Wake’s writings can change the fabric of reality itself, so the villains, in their arrogance, believe that if they replicate the writings using algorithms, they can utilize that same power.
This is a very reference to how certain parties in the real world have an obsession with automated creativity in the form of AI programs such as Chat GPT and the countless image generators available on the Internet. As I played through the DLC, I found myself staggered by how well-utilized the message was.
Remedy has always been obsessed with the value of art in all its forms, whether it be music, photography, fiction, poetry, film, paintings, and so on. The Alan Wake franchise has always highlighted that respect for artistry, and The Lake House seems to represent the ultimate thesis statement from Remedy Entertainment. Art is incredibly important to society. Those who try to make something through shortcuts without putting in the actual work will only ever be able to create poor imitations.
It’s also worth noting that The Lake House also has some references to Control. I won’t state exactly what references are in the DLC. What I will say, though, is be sure to read every single document in every single room, especially if you’re a fan of Control. You may find some surprising allusions to what comes next.
Overall, Alan Wake 2: The Lake House‘s narrative is absolutely fantastic. That said, in the lead-up to the DLC’s launch, Remedy frequently spoke about how the new DLC would be a more traditional survival horror. How well do its gameplay and visuals fit this design goal? Remarkably well, I’d say.
Monsters Wear Many Faces
On the surface, nothing really is different about The Lake House compared to the base game. The gameplay is virtually the same, and so are the visuals. However, this isn’t even close to being an issue. As time has passed, I’ve grown to appreciate Alan Wake 2‘s gameplay and visuals far more. With The Lake House, my admiration has reached its peak.
First, the visuals. Alan Wake 2: The Lake House is drenched in darkness, much like the base game. Unlike the Dark Place or shadowy woods in Alan Wake 2, the FBC facility has a far more claustrophobic feeling. The pale walls evoke the same sort of emotions as the Oldest House from Control, albeit far smaller. There are offices drenched in the brutalist atmosphere that made the Oldest House such an iconic location.
The other great thing about The Lake House‘s visual design is how it tells the story of the DLC in subtle ways. A lot of the walls in the facility are covered in a goopy substance. On the surface, it seems like a darker and more twisted form of blood. However, as you learn more about the mystery of The Lake House facility, the discovery of what the liquid covering the walls is only adds to the tragedy and horror of the narrative.
The gameplay loop is also quite good. Much like the base game, the amount of detail is staggering. The flesh of those taken by the Dark Place deform depending on where you shoot them. At some points, especially after an encounter, their faces look like they’ve been torn apart. The new haptics added by the recent update also create a far greater feeling of immersion.
Additionally, the new weapon and enemy are also really cool. My only issue is that the new enemy is often a bit too unfair to fight. They often sneak up on you and will take you to a quarter health with very little effort. Further, the new weapon was introduced very late in the DLC, and there were very few pieces of ammo that you could collect. I do kind of wish they used it a lot more, but it is very overpowered, so I understand why ammo is so limited.
Overall, the gameplay in Alan Wake 2: The Lake House is great. I never found myself too frustrated and both the puzzles and gunplay were very satisfying. I also really enjoyed looking around to find more pieces of worldbuilding connected to the broader Remedy Connected Universe. The Lake House is the perfect demonstration of the developers’ prowess and how fantastic their future projects are likely to be.
One Door Closes, Many Others Open
With this, Alan Wake 2‘s post-launch lineup has come to an end. The two credits themes from Petri Alenko/Amelia Jones and POE clearly reflect this, as both function as a send-off to arguably one of the best survival horror games of the last decade. The Lake House is the perfect farewell to the story of Alan Wake 2 and a fantastic way to open the door to new horizons.
Make no mistake, this is not an ending: it’s a “to be continued.” Not only is the story of Alan Wake and Saga Anderson unfinished, but so is the story of the Federal Bureau of Control. This likely won’t be the last we see of Kiran Estevez, especially as the next project in the Remedy Connected Universe directly deals with the Oldest House itself.
The Lake House shines in how it brings to light the best parts of Alan Wake 2. While it still suffers from some minor frustrating pieces of design, the visuals, narrative, and gameplay loop all shine. Throughout the entire experience, I was constantly buzzing in my seat as I formulated theories while blasting monsters. I was thoroughly invested from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to jump back in and get the trophies I missed.
More than that, I can’t wait to play through Alan Wake 2 all over again. With all of the DLCs now out and several updates to the base game implemented, it has quickly become one of my favorite games of all time. I am thrilled to be a part of Remedy’s wild journey, and I am more than prepared to see what brilliant work of art comes next for this fantastically creative studio.
