Alan Wake 2: The Lake House
This chapter of the Alan Wake 2 story really helps flesh out a character that I wanted more information on while tying the game more directly with Control and the FBC while providing a concise narrative that I really enjoyed.
Agent Estevez didn’t get much screentime in the main story of Alan Wake 2. When she was on screen however, she left an impression. She’s a no nonsense woman with a strong, commanding presence that knows how to get things done. Getting to know her a bit more in this chapter, allowed me to see she’s more than just that tough exterior. Estevez really cares about her agents and wants to ensure the FBC doesn’t become morally corrupt like many other government entities. Unfortunately, it seems she’s a little late to stop what happened at the Lake House facility.
Kiran goes into the facility on her own, to try and find someone to help with the sudden energy spike from Cauldron Lake. This chapter seems to take place during the events of the main story, but with the way the story is told, it could be at any time. Anyways, Kiran is trying to find the heads of research for the Lake House as they’ve been studying the lake for many years. If they can help prevent the altered world event from getting out of hand, she’ll gladly accept their assistance. Of course it can’t be that easy though. Once descending into the facility, she comes across strange paintings and no one to be found. There’s paint all over the walls and eerie sounds in the darkness; she’s too late, but she perseveres anyway. Maybe she’ll find out what happened here or at least get some information that can help Bright Falls. You’ll have to play to find out!
The setting is fairly similar to that of Control, the main difference is that you’re fighting the Dark Presence, rather than the Hiss. You’re not levitating around or using psychic powers on enemies either, just guns. You do get a new one of these, but it’s not used too much. Speaking of, the gameplay here doesn’t differ much from the main story of Alan Wake 2. It’s not a bad thing as the dodging and shooting still feel solid, if not a little clunky. This was a part of the main game’s charm in my opinion as a control style can heavily influence how powerful the player feels in a given scenario. Because of this, the enemies are more threatening. To be honest though, you don’t come to Remedy games for the combat, you come for the story and this DLC delivers.
The story told here is concise, but still feels meaningful in the scope of the universe. The FBC has been researching how other forms of art can be used to influence the world around them, hence the paintings. It’s a story about how far one will go in research and it ties back to the main story as some of the characters question whether their actions are their own. Because Alan writes reality, they don’t know if his words are controlling them or if he’s merely recording their lives. This aspect adds tension to the reels you can see of the FBC employees talking about their research. It almost makes you feel sorry for them, but their actions speak louder than their words.
Alan Wake 2 was my game of the year last year, and this DLC only added to my love of the series. Remedy has such a unique way of telling stories. Despite some of the topics being covered many times over, their takes are always fresh and enthralling for me. There are some great surprises and connections being made in this chapter, and it’s got me even more excited for what comes next!
