"Finally someone noticed": Alan Wake 2 dev thrilled to see people pick up on major story clues hidden in the audio almost a year later
Aug. 6, 2024The secret to the game’s big bad is hidden in the Mind Place from pretty early on
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It turns out some of the biggest story moments inAlan Wake 2are hiding in plain, uh, sound, from pretty early on in the game, and one Remedy developer is just happy people are finally taking notice.
There will bemajor story spoilersdiscussed in this piece, so turn back now if you haven’t beaten Alan Wake 2 yet.
As evidenced in the video below, if you hover over Alan Wake’s profile picture in The Mind Place, you’ll hear the Dark Presence that possessed Mr. Scratch and turned him into the psychotic doppelganger at the center of Alan Wake 2’s mystery. It’s unlikely you’d make that connection playing the game for the first time, but it’s a thoughtful way to foreshadow what’s arguably the most significant reveal in the story.
Alan Wake 2 senior sound designer Josh Adam Bell confirmed that this was “100% on purpose” and said he’s psyched “finally someone noticed.”
I booted up an old save in Alan Wake 2 to see/hear this for myself, and it turns out it isn’t limited to just Wake’s profile. If you hover over the Anderson brothers, who formed the Viking power metal band Old Guards of Asgard and famously performed duringthe absolutely wild musical chapterin the game, you’ll hear a stringed instrument. Meanwhile, if you hover over the Oh Deer Diner waitress Rose Marigold, you’ll hear the faint sound of dishes in a sink, and Alex Casey’s profile seems to make the sound of static. Nightingale sounds like he’s underwater when you hover over his profile card.
Alan Wake 2 is very much Sam Lake’s passion project, dialing up the mind-bending surrealism Remedy’s known for to 11, and there are so many subtle details showing a rare degree of care and artistry at every level of the game. It might be Lake’s story, but it’s a Remedy game, through and through.
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After all, there’s a reason it’s high on our list of thebest horror gamesto play today.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
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