If nothing else, Alan Wake 2 certainly follows a formula to the letter. As a result, players can anticipate what they will have to deal with in each chapter. Saga will have her Case Board and profiling while Alan has to put together story threads and scenes to find ways to go deeper into the Dark Place.
Initiation 8: Zane's Film does not change this formula at all. It isn't as lengthy or maze like as Initiation 2: Casey, but players will want to stop and think about how each story thread should be used in order to progress. Here is what players can expect as they begin Initiation 8: Zane's Film.
This walkthrough contains spoilers, so players should proceed with caution.
Find Thomas Zane
The start of this chapter begins with a video of Alan losing his mind as he reflects on the horrific situation he finds himself in. Go up the stairs to end up out on the streets again. Run to the Oceanview Hotel and enter the lobby. Go right toward the elevator that will go up to Room 665 where Zane is. Walk inside the room and use the projector just like in Initiation 5: Room 665.
After a very macabre live-action cutscene, leave the hotel by using the elevator. Outside, the lights of the movie theater can be seen far off to the southeast. Start heading in that direction, but keep an eye out for Shadows and Taken. Stopping by the nearest save point is not a bad idea. Supplies are extremely limited if not outright nonexistent, so it is generally better for players to run as if Mr. Scratch was chasing them.
Explore the Cinema
In order to enter the Cinema, players must approach the ticket booth and insert the ticket. To begin with, go up the stairs on the left side of the lobby. Look down to activate an Echo. This gives players a new story thread to use, but before doing so they may want to explore the lobby a bit first. In the room behind the concession stand, there is a map along with some supplies.
Open up the storyboard and put the Cult of the Word story thread onto the scene. There is an area that gets blocked off by a barricade. Remove the story thread and then enter that area that is blocked. Insert the Cult of the Word story thread onto the scene to get past the barricade and find another Echo that provides a story thread. Place this new story thread onto the scene to open the way to the Theater Hall, which is a new scene.
In the Theater Hall, place the Cult of the Word story thread onto the scene and then go back into the previous room. There will be an Echo in here that will give players a new story thread. Insert the new story thread into the scene and then go back toward the screen, but watch out for the Shadows that got up from their seats. Approach the screen and use the Angel Lamp to progress the story.
Find a Way into the Projection Booth
Go through the door that leads outside and then use the New York's Finest story thread on this new scene. Activate the Echo and then use the Angel Lamp in this area. Go past the small barrier and activate the Angel Lamp while still facing the police car. If positioned correctly, players will bypass the barrier and will be able to walk up a set of stairs lit up with red light.
Go up the stairs and then head up the ladder. At the top of the roof of the Cinema, head south and go through the gate. Go towards the text on the map that says "Cinema Sign" near a ladder symbol. This leads to a dead end where players should switch the story thread to the Cult of the Word. Activate the Echo that appears to get a new story thread labeled "The Grandmaster".
Move as quickly to this location as possible. Shadows and Taken will keep on spawning outside. There are far too many to fight, so just deal with the ones that get in the way and run.
Go back down to the bottom and head to the area depicted in the image above. While this door was originally locked, it is now open and provides players with a way of getting back into the theater. Go back to the Theater Hall and place the Grandmaster story thread onto the scene. Go into the theater and go up the door on the left side to wind up on the stage.
Activate the Echo on the stage. Then turn around and interact with the screen. This leads players into a looping maze. Keep following the exit sign until eventually players will come across a cultist tied up in a chair. Interact with him and he will mention a knife. Go to the left and pick up the knife. After this, keep following the exit signs. Upon reaching a dead end, as mentioned by Alan, turn around and go back. This leads players to the murder site. Interact with the corpses to trigger a cutscene that brings the chapter to a close.
Afterward, go out the door to the right of the bodies. This leads out to the Theater Hall. Players have the option to watch an obscenely long live-action cutscene that is being displayed on the screen, but watching it is entirely optional. Go down the stairs toward the exit of the theater. Make sure to activate the Echo on the way out. Head toward Parliament Tower. Approach the entrance until the nearby phone rings and go right to find it.
After the cutscene ends, go to the statue of Alan outside of Parliament Tower and put Alice's pictures into the shoebox. If players have done these missions in the same order as this walkthrough, they will be switched back to Saga at this point.
Alan Wake 2 is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
