Highlights
- Alan Wake 2 will hopefully answer significant story threads, including whether Alan will escape The Dark Place and the fate of his wife Alice.
- Saga Anderson, the game's second playable character, may be a fictional character brought into existence by Alan as part of his escape plan.
- Fans speculate that Mr. Scratch, Alan's dark alter ego, will make an appearance in Alan Wake 2 to torment Alan and Saga.
Alan Wake 2's release is rapidly approaching, and a number of questions linger for fans of the series. As it's been 13 years since the original Alan Wake, some have been mulled over for quite a while. Many reach back to the beginning, while others were introduced in later DLCs and other titles.
With so many open mysteries and multiple theories and speculation surrounding them, fans have high expectations about what might be addressed in Alan Wake 2. Therefore, there are a handful of significant story threads the sequel is set to answer.
Will Alan Wake Escape The Dark Place/Presence?
Alan Wake's The Dark Place/Presence is the main antagonist of the series, and Alan's efforts to defeat it and escape are the crux of the plot. His final words at the end of the first game, "It's not a lake...it's an ocean," implied it's something even more menacing than it already seemed. While Alan was able to force it into a stalemate, he's still trapped while The Presence continues its attempts to manipulate him. However, given the nature of the survival-horror genre, whether Alan's escape will result in a truly happy ending might not be so certain.
Alice Wake's Whereabouts
The Dark Presence's capture of Alan Wake's wife, Alice, was the catalyst that kicked off his battle with it. Taking Alice hostage in its attempts to bend Alan to its will, Alan agreed to stay in The Dark Place if The Presence would release her. Since then, Alan has had no way of reaching her. Alice was most recently mentioned in a collectible note in Control as having been in talks with FBC agents about her experiences. Without any other firm information though, it's hard to say how canonical Control's events are to Alan Wake at this point. Assuming Alan is successful, fans can hope to see the couple finally reunited.
How Will Saga Anderson Fit In?
Alan Wake 2's Saga Anderson was previously revealed as the game's second playable character. She's an FBI profiler investigating Alan's disappearance and its impact on the town of Bright Falls. It's probably safe to assume she's related in some way to the Anderson brothers; the aging rockers who previously assisted Alan. Her prominence as part of the promotional material paints her as Alan's partner; a counterpart in the real world while Alan is lost in The Dark Place. Still, some fans speculate that in keeping with the spirit of the series, Saga may in fact be a fictional character brought into existence by Alan as part of his escape plan.
Will Mr. Scratch Show Up?
Mr. Scratch appeared near the end of the original Alan Wake. He later featured in The Signal and The Writer DLCs, and most prominently in Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Mr. Scratch, Alan's Wake's doppelganger, embodies his most unsavory impulses and characteristics. Alan seemed to only temporarily banish his dark alter ego in American Nightmare. Since the latter releases focused more on him, it wouldn't be surprising if Mr. Scratch popped up to further torment Alan and/or Saga in Alan Wake 2.
What Are The Implications for Remedy's Shared Universe?
Developer Remedy Entertainment has stated its intent to build a connected universe across its new releases. Alan Wake has appeared in the AWE DLC for Control and was referenced in Quantum Break. With all these titles featuring world-altering entities and events, Remedy has given itself quite the task of maintaining this aspect going forward. As the next official entry in the Remedy Connected Universe, Alan Wake 2 will need to balance these factors carefully to keep everything consistent and engaging in the future.
Alan Wake 2 releases October 27, 2023, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
