Alan Wake II was released in October of last year, but isn’t finished yet. Remedy delivers on their promise of adding new content to the game with the Night Springs expansion DLC coming out tomorrow June 8th, less than 24 hours after its reveal at Summer Game Fest. The expansion is set to feature episodic gameplay that investigates some “what if” stories in the fictional town of Night Springs, a town from a television show within the world of Alan Wake. So already dealing with some layers of creative inception.
Night Springs’ atmosphere calls to mind the vibe of Twin Peaks, a relatively isolated normal town with dark secrets underneath. The characters players will be following in these stories might look familiar from experiences in the base game but these characters aren’t the same. Instead Night Springs has players following versions of characters in stories written by Alan Wake when he’s trapped in the Dark Place.
Already others are noting a connection between the 2012 spin off Alan Wake American Nightmare and the new Night Springs expansion, noting how they both shift the tone of their original games. Compared to the survival horror and desperation of Alan Wake II’s main game, Night Springs seems to adopt a more energetic, chaotic mentality. The expansion seems to have an almost Twilight Zone-esque storytelling idea as it moves us between the fictional world of Alan Wake into the dream within a dream of Night Springs. It also serves as a chance to see actors who portrayed some of the memorable characters from the base game in new contexts and new lives. Overall, with the game releasing tomorrow, reviews might come out faster than the hype train can take over everyone. For anyone looking forward to more from the world of Alan Wake II, worry not the wait is almost over.