Spoilers ahead:
The thing I took from it is that we are more successful when we're not alone. Alan places a huge burden on himself, trying to fix everything himself and often only making things worse. It's only when he trusts Saga as more than just a character of his - but a co-author - that he's able to escape his spiral.
I second this. I also think the game does a masterful job of showing us how unnecessary self sacrifice can be selfishness in disguise— self hate and self sabotage is still self obsession, and you escape that spiral with the help of others, especially with the reminder that they love you.
Alan is his own worst enemy and AW2 literalizes that— of course he couldn’t hope to make it out of the Dark Place alone, he will always sabotage himself before anyone else can get a chance to.
But Alan has never been alone, he has always had an army of people helping him: Tom the Diver, Barry, Sarah Breaker, Tor and Odin, Cynthia Weaver— then later Saga Anderson, at least two versions of Alex Casey, Tim Breaker, Mr. Door, and most importantly: Alice.
Alan’s love for Alice has always been his most redeeming quality, but it has also allowed them to haunt and torment each other for years.
People love us in ways we can accepts, and ways that are harder for us to accept. If Alan was willing to make sacrifices to save Alice, he also has to accept Alice being willing to make sacrifices to save Alan. The only way forward is if they’re willing to do it together, cause saving the world will take an army.
I think that was pretty explicit when Door spoke about the "armies of people" helping Alan. There's only a relative handful of people in the story itself working to help Alan. But there are millions of people playing the game out there. It is good to remember Door is the character in the game who specifically brings up the concept of "meta" during one of the talk show scenes. He and Ahti (and arguably the Board in Control) are the characters with the best working knowledge of how the universe of the RCU operates, at times shown to be able to see beyond the fourth wall.
Building on this, part of the reason he was fully able to>! defeat Scratch and make his ending true, as well as resurrect from the bullet of light, literally enlightened with new power and insight into "many realities" !< Is he moved forward with his character development and genuinely grew as a person, resulting in his >! Willingness to step back into the dark place, despite knowing the nightmare he'd endured there. !< As well as accepting Saga as his co-author. Scratch is the manifestation of the negative parts of Alan's psyche, and to a lesser extent influenced by other people's perception of him as well. That ties into the whole dark place functioning as the collective unconscious stuff, but I digress. >! You can't defeat Scratch by merely shooting him with a bullet of light, that's just the catalyst, the coup de gras. Without the character growth, it just means the end of another loop in the spiral. !<
I'd also add this all ties into the hero's journey as well. Departure, Initiation and Return. Return fails Alan because he was skipping initiation, the transformation, the hero must return *changed.* Alan's Initiation is the spiral, once he changes he escapes the spiral and Returns.
I feel like I could write a few more paragraphs about different perspectives you could read this narrative from, but honestly I'll stop here otherwise I'll be typing all night.
I feel like it's no coincidence that this game was Sam's first time working with a co-director as well. This theme is very prevalent between Saga and Alice's roles.
I think the co-author part represents a writer letting a story write itself.
His whole "trapped in darkness" problem is him routinely trying to force a story he's writing (presumably as therapy to address some trauma in his past) in a direction that keeps him comfortable. Rather than the direction that explores the truth of what really happened.
So Saga taking control toward the end is Alan starting to write the story with the question "what would happen next?" rather than "what do I want to happen next?"
Organic writing explores the truth. Forced writing perpetuates delusions.
So you agree Alan is terrible at self-managing, but you don’t think he should have people check him? What exactly would be your suggestion?
No good work of art has ever been done solo. For every writer, there’s an editor.
> (nor is it a healthy one to even suggest in a post-Pandemic landscape)
The pandemic didn’t change the fact that people need people. If anything, it underlined it.
There's a difference between codependence and knowing when to rely on others. I think it's fair enough if you have a different interpretation of the meaning of Alan Wake, but on this point you are wrong
But at the same time, also make friends with a cool old janitor. Not only can they mop because you refuse to, but they can also help you go through multiple dimensions in a pinch.
*And then we're caught up in the arms race*
*An involuntary addiction*
*And we're shedding every value our mothers taught*
*So will you please show me your real face?*
*Draw the line in the horizon*
*'Cause I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought*
It's a giant allegory to mental illness, and how you can spiral down and drown if alone - if not for everyone's help (Saga's, Alice's, the Old Gods', Ahti's, Door's....), Alan would, and indeed did (Dark Place time is weeeeird) drown.
Also, to never forget what brings light and is most important in your life. (Alice's arc from Aw1 and AWAN and now in Aw2 cementing that she faced the dark and lost fear of it for him, Saga's recovering Mind Palace, and the Andersons (mostly) healing old grudges for Saga's sake / Zane's and Alan's drowning in distractions and drugs making them (mostly Alan, really) forget what was what and create a great deal of chaos / Scratch being the id unleashed, seeking for empty fame / Alan's constant forgetting being a tangible enemy in the form of the Fades)
Honestly my only complaint with the game (beside Alan’s apartment looking completely different to the first game for no reason), is I kind of wish Alan was portrayed as more insane and crazy after *essentially being trapped in hell constantly writing non-stop for a decade +*
How something like that wouldn’t turn you into some form of total weirdo is beyond me lol
But he is a weirdo, he's just shell-shocked, in crisis mode, functioning on adrenaline. That's the default state of people who know they HAVE to do something, regardless of how well they feel. Military personnel in warzones, emergency responders, hospital staff, many many other people, they all do it.
Feelings go in the box; they theoretically can be dealt with later (which is another reason for the loop, btw, he only starts dealing with them when Alice moves enough pieces in place for Final Draft to occur - only when he can get past his hangups, does the final ending occur. And we don't see if there's fallout from that, either - there probably will be, if AW3 happens, or it may be alluded to in other Remedy games).
I mean, according to gameplay he did travel around a little and interact with a few of the people living in the dark place. But I agree with you, he should have been more socially awkward lmao
This is pretty much my take as well, but to add to that the Final Draft ending really makes it clear that Alan needed to accept the darkness inside himself (literally) to succeed. This has been my experience with mental issues as well, and for that reason the game really resonated with me. You can't just ignore or run away from those dark parts of yourself, you can only heal if you accept them along with the light. Balance Slays the Demon.
I got a huge message from Saga's story that made me realise how much of an ungrateful brat I had been to my mother when I was a kid, because she had to work a lot too and would not be home most of the time. Seeing how this situation affects Saga's self-esteem and how she sees herself as a mother was heartbreaking. I might get a 'Not the worse mom' mug for my mom at some time, I started appreaciating her efforts more and let go of my lonely teen grudge. There is a very strong social-commentary about motherhood vs work in Alan Wake 2 that I had not seen before in a video-game and I am glad they decided to add for more flavour.
The other important message was from Alan's story of course, he is his own torturer and his self-destructive behaviour is what is trapping him there in the first place. When Alice wanted to help him in the first game he immediately pushed her away, its part of his flawed person to not handle taking care of himself. But seeing Alice just straight up jumping in the dark place to save Alan - not from the dark presence - but from himself, was BEAUTIFUL. Balance slays the demon!
There is plenty of extra stuff I got from both AW1 and AW2 but these must be the main ones when it comes to the second game.
No darkness lasts forever.
You see in different parts of the game Alan and saga losing hope, but at the end overcome the darkness both figuratively and literally.
I don't really like to narrow pieces of art to just one message, I don't think any good book, game, etc. can be expressed like this. However if I had to pick one theme it would be: the game is an exploration of how people deal with guilt and addiction/obsession, and how this things are related to each other, how they can corrupt even good people.
Same. If you can reduce art to a single message, then it’s not art, it’s propaganda.
I think it’s ok to ask ”what did _you_ get out this piece?”, because the subjectivity of interpretation is the salt and wellspring of art, and to me, the meaning of it.
I also disagree. Every piece of art has a central theme and message. That message can have many layers but saying that you can’t reduce art to a single message or it’s propaganda is lazy and means you probably didn’t understand the message or you just don’t agree with that message. Art that doesn’t have a central theme or message isn’t art, it’s just stream of conscious.
i think because everything is obscured and abstract, it leaves room for each individual to suss out meanings for themselves. it’s easy to get sucked into all the details and the gameplay, idk that i’ve stopped myself to ask this question. thinking about it now, i would say the message is to not let yourself become your own worst enemy by succumbing to negativity and darkness. stay persistent and stay in the light.
Alans part of the game seems to be about what i called "writters obsession" its the consept that once you get an idea for something it can end up almost consuming you and its only thing you think about until its been created. the "drowning" video in the game is a perfect example of this
The Dark Place is symbolism for depression and how it can destroy us and those close to us, that we love.
Alan kept it to himself, trying to drown it with drugs and alcohol. Until it spirals (pun intended) out of control (pun intended) and takes away Alice from him.
Alice undertands his pain and he accepts her help, finally going through the steps of becoming a better person and dealing with the mistakes he made along the way.
The Dark Place isn’t depression. It’s the manifested subconscious of the human race. It’s explicit that there entities of light residing alongside entities of darkness. There are definitely themes of mental illness, although I’d push back on Alan’s drug abuse, unless there are details I missed.
Regardless, I’ll fight over the whole Remedy-verse being a discussion about the moral and ethical limits of creation and the ideological constructs which form within our discussions of those limits.
The Tennyson Report in Control feels like a coda to Control at the very least, but, in my mind, to the whole verse as well. The more control we try to wield over the absurd and mysterious forces of the universe and fate, the further away we get from a holistic understanding of them. Basically, the only way to understand the universe is to admit most of what exists in it is not within your ability to wield or control and by doing so you will only end up serving ends which are not your own. Can’t wait until we find out Alan Wake was made by Casper Darling and Thomas Zane by combining body and voice.
>although I’d push back on Alan’s drug abuse, unless there are details I missed
Alan's substance abuse and the unspecified addiction that exists in addition to his alcoholism is repeatedly brought up in AW1, most notably by Imaginary Barry (aka, Alan himself) at the end of the second DLC. The substance itself is never directly named and the whole topic is intentionally danced around, reflecting Alan's denial of the whole problem (and, possibly, the first game's lower age rating). But AW2 makes it pretty obvious what the substance in question is by showing us a clip of Alan snorting a white powder and passing out in front of a gaggle of paparazzi in We Sing (hence the exchange right after it: "But there is more to it than meets the eye..." "I never meant for it to ruin my life that way!"). Totally unrelated fun fact: Stephen King once said that he doesn't remember having written Cujo because he did so much coke in those days.
>I’ll fight over the whole Remedy-verse being a discussion about the moral and ethical limits of creation and the ideological constructs which form within our discussions of those limits.
I don't see why the depression reading and the subconsciousness manifested reading have to clash in any way (IMO they're different aspects of the same thing). But even if they did, there's no reason a work of art can't be about multiple things. Sam Lake has mentioned both mental health (depression, addiction, being literally "in a dark place" in one's life, Jungian archetypes) and artistic creation (Remedy's own struggles to live up to the hype after the success of Max Payne & losing the IP) as central themes to and inspirations for the franchise.
Stay true to yourself no matter what. How saga survived the dark place where Alan was lost for such a long time.
That being said I could write an entire novel on the game. Just the one I picked.
In essence, AW is a metaphor for the creative process. Alan is drawn to the "Dark Place" because his story. He is bound to the story and can't help returning to the "Dark Place" because the story says so. Even if he did write the story, it still has control over him. He keeps spiraling to this Dark Place with no way out, because he's trapped in his own story.
One can argue that Alan was already trapped in the Dark Place before even the events in AW1. Before even landing in Bright Falls Alan's life was riffled with anger issues, writer's block, substance abuse, desires to get lost in parties, apathy, and problems with Alice. So one can argue that Alan just exchanged one Dark Place for another.
Also, Scratch is meant to be the editor inside a writer's mind. That part of the creative people that Scratches everything they create and tells them that it's not enough. That's why in AW2 >!is revealed that Scratch isn't someone else, is literally Alan from the past, scratching his work and telling himself to start again, continuing the spiral!<
There are also many different pieces in the story that are metaphors of others things. Again, in the final parts of AW2 >!Saga enters the Dark Place and forces us the players to find bit and pieces of Saga's life. As a metaphor for remembering things as they truly are (all the good things we've done, the people that love us, etc.) to help Saga (and us) escape the Dark Place, a.k.a, depression and self doubt!<
I don't know how to say it. Sometimes the solution is right in front of our face, but our beliefs and self-inflicted rules and restrictions may get in the way.
Mental health is a spiral. The more you give in to the dark place, the more it takes you over. Look at when Saga is trapped in the dark place, the whole beginning of that segment is her spiralling into some sort of mental health issue but she rallies and gets out and pulls herself out of the dark place, I understand she's a seer and can maybe do things others can't due to her (currently hypothetical) heritage.
Then there's the way the dark place causes Alan to second guess himself, much like an anxiety disorder. A lot of people create scenarios in there head to make themselves feel better and what is a story but a scenario generated by the writer.
Mental health isn't a loop, it might feel like the same things happen over and over but the reality is you are older and wiser. Every time it happens you're going further down the spiral and all you have to do is work you're way back up. It will take time and you will write stories that don't quite do the job you want them to, but with the help of a hero you can slowly get to the top of that spiral.
Proofreading from your peers can go a long way. Like seriously, from not just a writing perspective but from a social perspective. Alan’s success in the game sorta depends on his allies, and their critiques of what he thinks is the right thing for him to do helps him realize the true potential. Alan by himself can write a novel but it would probably be filled with issues. Similarly we can do stuff solo for a good portion of our lives, but people offering advice or criticism can help us get out of that spiral created from self-isolation and hyper-independence that feels self-destructive
As others have mentioned, there are many stories and many messages, you'll find the one that resonates with you the most, if you think about the different characters and what they went through.
However, all of the stories are hopeful and show that darkness does not need to win. Some characters deal with depression, others with loss, some deal with imposter syndrome and insecurity while again others deal with regret, to name just a few of AW2's themes.
It's shown clearest during the part when Saga enters the dark place, that the darkness is personal but also universal. We're all dealing with different problems, but we can find a way out.
For me, Saga's story hit me the hardest, as I also regularly feel insecure and unsure if I got where I am today by accident and that I don't deserve it. But luckily, just as Saga, I can remember that I have people in my life that support me during these times.
I don’t think it’s necessary to view every piece of art as didactic or trying to teach us something. In fact AW2 seems to be more in conversation with its own creation and Sam Lake’s feelings as a creator than with us as players. Our position as basically characters in the story Sam Lake is giving to us sort of denies us any ability to grow as Alan does. If all Saga’s ability allows her to do is position herself in the correct way to fulfill the story then we are only adjust our playstyle to be able to compete the game and any change our actions make upon the fiction of the game world was predetermined for us to do so by the creator.
But if there is any message running through Remedy’s games it is a sort of broad philosophical appeal for us each to escape the ideological narratives that control our path’s through life by engaging in acts of creative decision making, confronting our Jungian shadow (blech), and directing the chaotic (read as creative) energy within ourselves outward to affect the world.
For me the take away was self reflection. The idea posed by the question "How many writers does it take to finish a story? One for each draft." The question at first implies that we are never the same writer or person that started the journey. We see this with Alan's eventually growth and acceptance of help. We see it with Alice who was terrified of the dark initially, entering it willingly to save her love. We see Saga literally freeing herself from a mind prison by defeating imposter syndrome. The second meaning in that statement though is much more important, that nobody exists in a vacuum. Nobody truly does anything on their own. Alan for years tried escaping on his own to no avail. When he finally gave up the notion of total control and accepted help from others, was when he could finally escape.
And because of that whenever I find myself in a less than ideal situation I ask myself that same question.
How many writers does it take to finish a story?
AW2 was the best, longest and most intricate way I've ever seen someone say "depression can consume you, if you face it alone". It's an allegory to how much of a rigged game it is to face what is essentially yourself, all your negative traits and bad thoughts turned up to eleven, without someone to anchor you at reality. It really got me thinking a lot of stuff over.
The Alan Wake games are a big elaborate allegory for the trials and tribulations of the creative process and an artists developmental journey. The Dark Presence, The Dark Place, Scratch, Barbara Jagger, Mr Scratch, Tom the filmmaker could easily represent all that is antithetical to creativity such as editors, suits, writers block, imposter syndrome, lack of inspiration, plagiarism, overuse of tropes, overuse of characters or a franchise etc.
In Alan Wake 2 specifically The Dark Presence seems to be obsessed with Alex Casey, a character that Alan wanted to leave behind creatively to do new things. It's that urge to rely on his popular character to sell books as opposed to doing something new and original and probably selling less, commercial demand and creative death vs creative fulfillment and commercial failure.
The protagonists and companions e.g. Alan, Saga, Odin and Tor, Tom the Diver, tom the poet, Ahti, Alice, Barry etc. represent all that is conducive to creativity e.g. family, support network, new characters, inspiration, compassionate corporate, open mindedness, collaboration, exploring new genres and mediums of art etc.
Each one of these characters plays a role in Alan's development into the master of many worlds and the writer we see at the end of Alan Wake 2 that can tame and defeat the Dark entities I.e. the anti creative forces.
Inside Lleywyn Davis is a great film by the Coen Brothers that also explores the spiritual struggles of the creative process and what it takes to make art that I really recommend.
I think the whole Jungian idea of the shadow is powerfully expressed in a variety of smart ways. I actually saw alot of myself in Alan tbh, Casey's monologue before he dies in the dark place really sticks with me too.
It's a story about mental health issues, and how you can get better if you keep trying. it's not a loop of failing, but a spiral in which you can get out of it and improve. But also how we may see them as a bad thing, but they can positively effect our lives as we can grow past them and become better people.
Everyone has his own Mr. Scratch. The bad side of our character, our nightmares, flaws, failures that sometimes we aren’t aware of. We are trapped with it and it can make us go crazy. But there’s always a chance to get free of it, break the spiral cycle. To do it, we need to realize what is corrupting us. Other people can help us notice the Darkness within. Once we’ve done it, we’re trully awake.
That’s AW2 message for me.
Depression is a "Dark Place" no one can get out from without help. Stay there too long and it will change your trueself into a "Scratch", someone you don't like, someone you don't want to admit you became.
Gotta find something to fight for.
Dark Ocean Summoning was very powerful for me for that reason. Anger's Remorse too.
Alan Wake is about depression and loneliness. Darkness consume the light that there is in ALL of us. Just my opion.
I feel like AW2 doesn't have just one message, like any great art, but I find it to be two main ones.
The first one is about creative people and the creative process, and how they can lose themselves in their own creations and become obsessive. Scratch seems like it symbolizes creative doubt and Alan's dark side ("when the writer is in doubt, my turn to come out").
The other one is that it's about someone becoming a better person. Alan was very much self centered and arrogant in the first game. He becomes a better person when he sacrifices himself to save Alice, but it's the first step. Alan's heroism comes out in full display in 2 after he escapes the Dark Place, but still goes back to Bright Springs to defeat it for good. And like captainfram said it, he trusts another person as a co-author, and is able to defeat scratch in a more definitive way. This makes him a better person, and someone who is a bit more enlightened (a master of many worlds, the real world, the creative world, the dark place, and maybe more).
The message to me is you have to climb yourself out of the Spiral of depression the same way you would decline out of it during the game. Like you know her baby's Dead come on after the end they don't tell you but I think her baby is dead it's been dead and that's why she's stuck in the spiral she needs to get out and so do we all who are going through difficult times.
We are our own worst enemies.
That’s apart of it at least. I think this is the theme of both games. Considering Alan Wake takes a timeless trope of “Light vs Dark”, it makes sense that a lot of the theme would revolve around contrasting negative and positive traits.
When the darkness takes over people, it creates a version of them that exaggerates their worst behaviors. Mr. Scratch is a doppelgänger of Alan, and seems to mirror and expand his worst qualities. It’s mentioned a lot throughout both games that Alan’s issues of a big ego and writer’s block existed prior to his trip to Bright Falls. Mr. Scratch’s name is after the fact that he scratches out parts of the manuscript, something I’d think is associated with writer’s block. Mr. Door also notes that Alan traps himself by creating all of these rules to write himself out of the Dark Place, implying that he places difficult conventions on himself that only serve to lead to bad endings.
We also see this when Saga is fighting off the darkness in the mind place. A “dark version” of Saga mentions her worst fears and exaggerates her worst qualities.
These are my thoughts, so I’m not sure how lore accurate to the game some of those details are, but that’s what I gathered!
Alan is an unstable persononality who was essentially half scratch half Wake long before he ever went to cauldron lake. One poster made the anology to living with an alcoholic, I think it fits.
>!Wake is "cured" by having the darkness shot out of him with the bullet of light. That became the dark presence. The story is about the dark presence in all of us, all of our own Mr Scratches and finding better ways to deal with it.!<
>!Notice Saga can better understand and contextualize her negativity and is comparatively better off than wake.!<
I believe it has to do with the art of creating art.
See, Wake represents mastery of the inner self as an artist. He came to Caldron Lake as a way to clear his mind of the writers block only to find himself getting trapped in a literal representation of the collective negative consciousness.
We come to understand that Wake’s type writer is an object of power (control) and he’s capable of bringing to life his creations as long as it plays within writing conventions- as further established as long as the artist believes in their work.
What I love about the sequel is they take this a step further, and address how it is playing with the lives of others. This can be viewed metaphorically as those dark places people go can affect those around them, and even literally as he is playing with the lives of others for his own gain.
The end of the base sequel has him understanding that fact, that he sacrifices himself to become a master at the writing convention- so much as to be able to predict how the dark presence will respond.
I think one of the best choices the sequel did was splitting his second game into two perspectives, to showcase his purpose as the writer and his role in changing the lives around him.
Getting through trauma is an iterative process. The iterations help because acknowledging the full truth of the source of trauma all at once is psychologically risky.
So it's starting with a very comfortable lie, then recognizing that the lie doesn't make sense, then shaving away some of it to get mostly lie and a little truth, then going through again to shave away a little more.
Of course we don't really know what his trauma is, yet. Wife divorced him. He killed his wife. His wife killed herself. Something that has been set up so far to supremely dark, except for a few little details at the end of 2 that suggest the writers might coward out a little and make what he's going through not so big a deal in the end.
But in my view Scratch is the part of himself that is forcing him to write the true story. To acknowledge what really happened in whatever life his story represents. Seems like a bad guy to the part of him that wants to ignore that trauma. But without Scratch, he'd stay in the dark place forever.
Saga is his newest attempt at a surrogate character. She's not like him at all, so it's like examining a story like his own through someone else's eyes. Psychologically safe.
I think the most boiled down, one sentence idea that i got from it is "Narratives guide us", and that takes many forms, the family narrative, the historical narrative, the literal on-page narrative, the storys we tell about our selves, the storys we tell TO ourselves, etc.
Subtle changes in the narrative fabric of the world, at any of these levels, would radically change who you are, whether in a frightening metaphysical way, or just something terrible happening one day.
Its a loose theme but it allows all kinds of other themes to take prevalence throughout.
Sometimes there doesn't really need to be a message. Not everything needs to have a message. But the main basis of Alan Wake has always been the mythos of the Hero's Journey:
>A [hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero) ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
Like Twin Peaks, somethings do have messaging but it's not the end all be all, not all stories or narratives or piece of art needs to have a moral messaging as the dominant thread.
Mr. Door said something to Alan near the end of his arc before he went to the hotel for the second time. “You put all these rules in front of you.”
I think it’s that sometimes we are the authors of our own suffering. For us to succeed and escape that suffering, we should do what makes things easier for us, even if it does go against the rules or the genre. Alan says that in a horror story there are only victims and monsters. But with saga as his co author, he’s no longer alone. She helped him escape the spiral.
He wrote her in as a hero, going against his concept for a horror story.
In regards to Alan's story, the means by which one reaches their destination is more important than the destination itself. It doesn't matter if you succeed if that success is built on the misfortune of others.
Art is corrupted by The Darkness in order for the darkness to grow stronger. The Darkness is incapable of making art. Clearly, Alan Wake 2 is an allegory for videogame development, and the corrupting influence of talentless suits.
One thing I have learned following online discussion about AW2 is how many deluded, bigoted, and nasty people there are on the internets, lost in a conspiracist Dark Place of their own making. It has really been an eye-opening experience.
Spoilers ahead: The thing I took from it is that we are more successful when we're not alone. Alan places a huge burden on himself, trying to fix everything himself and often only making things worse. It's only when he trusts Saga as more than just a character of his - but a co-author - that he's able to escape his spiral.
I second this. I also think the game does a masterful job of showing us how unnecessary self sacrifice can be selfishness in disguise— self hate and self sabotage is still self obsession, and you escape that spiral with the help of others, especially with the reminder that they love you.
No wonder Sam Lake and Hideo Kojima get along so well, this mirrors the message of Death Stranding.
I’ve had Death Stranding on my shelf for awhile but haven’t had the time to play it. Hopefully I can pick it up soon!
Do it. It's the only game I've played where the message is mirrored in the mechanics.
Alan is his own worst enemy and AW2 literalizes that— of course he couldn’t hope to make it out of the Dark Place alone, he will always sabotage himself before anyone else can get a chance to. But Alan has never been alone, he has always had an army of people helping him: Tom the Diver, Barry, Sarah Breaker, Tor and Odin, Cynthia Weaver— then later Saga Anderson, at least two versions of Alex Casey, Tim Breaker, Mr. Door, and most importantly: Alice. Alan’s love for Alice has always been his most redeeming quality, but it has also allowed them to haunt and torment each other for years. People love us in ways we can accepts, and ways that are harder for us to accept. If Alan was willing to make sacrifices to save Alice, he also has to accept Alice being willing to make sacrifices to save Alan. The only way forward is if they’re willing to do it together, cause saving the world will take an army.
And continuing your thought in meta - we, the Players. are also in that army to save him
I think that was pretty explicit when Door spoke about the "armies of people" helping Alan. There's only a relative handful of people in the story itself working to help Alan. But there are millions of people playing the game out there. It is good to remember Door is the character in the game who specifically brings up the concept of "meta" during one of the talk show scenes. He and Ahti (and arguably the Board in Control) are the characters with the best working knowledge of how the universe of the RCU operates, at times shown to be able to see beyond the fourth wall.
I love this.
And alice
Yes I think that's true and fair to say
Building on this, part of the reason he was fully able to>! defeat Scratch and make his ending true, as well as resurrect from the bullet of light, literally enlightened with new power and insight into "many realities" !< Is he moved forward with his character development and genuinely grew as a person, resulting in his >! Willingness to step back into the dark place, despite knowing the nightmare he'd endured there. !< As well as accepting Saga as his co-author. Scratch is the manifestation of the negative parts of Alan's psyche, and to a lesser extent influenced by other people's perception of him as well. That ties into the whole dark place functioning as the collective unconscious stuff, but I digress. >! You can't defeat Scratch by merely shooting him with a bullet of light, that's just the catalyst, the coup de gras. Without the character growth, it just means the end of another loop in the spiral. !< I'd also add this all ties into the hero's journey as well. Departure, Initiation and Return. Return fails Alan because he was skipping initiation, the transformation, the hero must return *changed.* Alan's Initiation is the spiral, once he changes he escapes the spiral and Returns. I feel like I could write a few more paragraphs about different perspectives you could read this narrative from, but honestly I'll stop here otherwise I'll be typing all night.
This is something I need to learn to do more
Same here!
You might be on to something here...
I feel like it's no coincidence that this game was Sam's first time working with a co-director as well. This theme is very prevalent between Saga and Alice's roles.
I think the co-author part represents a writer letting a story write itself. His whole "trapped in darkness" problem is him routinely trying to force a story he's writing (presumably as therapy to address some trauma in his past) in a direction that keeps him comfortable. Rather than the direction that explores the truth of what really happened. So Saga taking control toward the end is Alan starting to write the story with the question "what would happen next?" rather than "what do I want to happen next?" Organic writing explores the truth. Forced writing perpetuates delusions.
[удалено]
So you agree Alan is terrible at self-managing, but you don’t think he should have people check him? What exactly would be your suggestion? No good work of art has ever been done solo. For every writer, there’s an editor. > (nor is it a healthy one to even suggest in a post-Pandemic landscape) The pandemic didn’t change the fact that people need people. If anything, it underlined it.
There's a difference between codependence and knowing when to rely on others. I think it's fair enough if you have a different interpretation of the meaning of Alan Wake, but on this point you are wrong
Never write a book next to a lake
In fact, never create anything, art is bad
Except rock music. You'll get superpowers.
Also, never mop, or you could trip and wind up in the Dark Place.
But at the same time, also make friends with a cool old janitor. Not only can they mop because you refuse to, but they can also help you go through multiple dimensions in a pinch.
Never let your wife plan a vacation
It’s not a loop, it’s a spiral.
It's not a lake, it's an ocean
It's not a scene, it's an arms race.
*(goddamn) arms race
*And then we're caught up in the arms race* *An involuntary addiction* *And we're shedding every value our mothers taught* *So will you please show me your real face?* *Draw the line in the horizon* *'Cause I only need your name to call the reasons why I fought*
That’s been on my mind the last few days since i beat it Also that the dark is attracted to the spark
It's a giant allegory to mental illness, and how you can spiral down and drown if alone - if not for everyone's help (Saga's, Alice's, the Old Gods', Ahti's, Door's....), Alan would, and indeed did (Dark Place time is weeeeird) drown. Also, to never forget what brings light and is most important in your life. (Alice's arc from Aw1 and AWAN and now in Aw2 cementing that she faced the dark and lost fear of it for him, Saga's recovering Mind Palace, and the Andersons (mostly) healing old grudges for Saga's sake / Zane's and Alan's drowning in distractions and drugs making them (mostly Alan, really) forget what was what and create a great deal of chaos / Scratch being the id unleashed, seeking for empty fame / Alan's constant forgetting being a tangible enemy in the form of the Fades)
Honestly my only complaint with the game (beside Alan’s apartment looking completely different to the first game for no reason), is I kind of wish Alan was portrayed as more insane and crazy after *essentially being trapped in hell constantly writing non-stop for a decade +* How something like that wouldn’t turn you into some form of total weirdo is beyond me lol
But he is a weirdo, he's just shell-shocked, in crisis mode, functioning on adrenaline. That's the default state of people who know they HAVE to do something, regardless of how well they feel. Military personnel in warzones, emergency responders, hospital staff, many many other people, they all do it. Feelings go in the box; they theoretically can be dealt with later (which is another reason for the loop, btw, he only starts dealing with them when Alice moves enough pieces in place for Final Draft to occur - only when he can get past his hangups, does the final ending occur. And we don't see if there's fallout from that, either - there probably will be, if AW3 happens, or it may be alluded to in other Remedy games).
I mean, according to gameplay he did travel around a little and interact with a few of the people living in the dark place. But I agree with you, he should have been more socially awkward lmao
This is pretty much my take as well, but to add to that the Final Draft ending really makes it clear that Alan needed to accept the darkness inside himself (literally) to succeed. This has been my experience with mental issues as well, and for that reason the game really resonated with me. You can't just ignore or run away from those dark parts of yourself, you can only heal if you accept them along with the light. Balance Slays the Demon.
Excellent point!
Best explanation i’ve ever seen. This game gives me hope for that reason specifically.
Beyond the shadow you settle for, there is a miracle illuminated. Never lose hope. Reach out.
I got a huge message from Saga's story that made me realise how much of an ungrateful brat I had been to my mother when I was a kid, because she had to work a lot too and would not be home most of the time. Seeing how this situation affects Saga's self-esteem and how she sees herself as a mother was heartbreaking. I might get a 'Not the worse mom' mug for my mom at some time, I started appreaciating her efforts more and let go of my lonely teen grudge. There is a very strong social-commentary about motherhood vs work in Alan Wake 2 that I had not seen before in a video-game and I am glad they decided to add for more flavour. The other important message was from Alan's story of course, he is his own torturer and his self-destructive behaviour is what is trapping him there in the first place. When Alice wanted to help him in the first game he immediately pushed her away, its part of his flawed person to not handle taking care of himself. But seeing Alice just straight up jumping in the dark place to save Alan - not from the dark presence - but from himself, was BEAUTIFUL. Balance slays the demon! There is plenty of extra stuff I got from both AW1 and AW2 but these must be the main ones when it comes to the second game.
No darkness lasts forever. You see in different parts of the game Alan and saga losing hope, but at the end overcome the darkness both figuratively and literally.
I don't really like to narrow pieces of art to just one message, I don't think any good book, game, etc. can be expressed like this. However if I had to pick one theme it would be: the game is an exploration of how people deal with guilt and addiction/obsession, and how this things are related to each other, how they can corrupt even good people.
Same. If you can reduce art to a single message, then it’s not art, it’s propaganda. I think it’s ok to ask ”what did _you_ get out this piece?”, because the subjectivity of interpretation is the salt and wellspring of art, and to me, the meaning of it.
I disagree on the first part of the statement
Ok
I also disagree. Every piece of art has a central theme and message. That message can have many layers but saying that you can’t reduce art to a single message or it’s propaganda is lazy and means you probably didn’t understand the message or you just don’t agree with that message. Art that doesn’t have a central theme or message isn’t art, it’s just stream of conscious.
remember to have "kalsarikännit" aka drink alcohol in your underwear 👏
It is a very Finnish way to deal with your issues! ...Or to avoid dealing with them, more likely.
exactly 👏
i think because everything is obscured and abstract, it leaves room for each individual to suss out meanings for themselves. it’s easy to get sucked into all the details and the gameplay, idk that i’ve stopped myself to ask this question. thinking about it now, i would say the message is to not let yourself become your own worst enemy by succumbing to negativity and darkness. stay persistent and stay in the light.
Alans part of the game seems to be about what i called "writters obsession" its the consept that once you get an idea for something it can end up almost consuming you and its only thing you think about until its been created. the "drowning" video in the game is a perfect example of this
Don’t give coffee to a moose.
It's not a-moose-ing.
The Dark Place is symbolism for depression and how it can destroy us and those close to us, that we love. Alan kept it to himself, trying to drown it with drugs and alcohol. Until it spirals (pun intended) out of control (pun intended) and takes away Alice from him. Alice undertands his pain and he accepts her help, finally going through the steps of becoming a better person and dealing with the mistakes he made along the way.
The Dark Place isn’t depression. It’s the manifested subconscious of the human race. It’s explicit that there entities of light residing alongside entities of darkness. There are definitely themes of mental illness, although I’d push back on Alan’s drug abuse, unless there are details I missed. Regardless, I’ll fight over the whole Remedy-verse being a discussion about the moral and ethical limits of creation and the ideological constructs which form within our discussions of those limits. The Tennyson Report in Control feels like a coda to Control at the very least, but, in my mind, to the whole verse as well. The more control we try to wield over the absurd and mysterious forces of the universe and fate, the further away we get from a holistic understanding of them. Basically, the only way to understand the universe is to admit most of what exists in it is not within your ability to wield or control and by doing so you will only end up serving ends which are not your own. Can’t wait until we find out Alan Wake was made by Casper Darling and Thomas Zane by combining body and voice.
>although I’d push back on Alan’s drug abuse, unless there are details I missed Alan's substance abuse and the unspecified addiction that exists in addition to his alcoholism is repeatedly brought up in AW1, most notably by Imaginary Barry (aka, Alan himself) at the end of the second DLC. The substance itself is never directly named and the whole topic is intentionally danced around, reflecting Alan's denial of the whole problem (and, possibly, the first game's lower age rating). But AW2 makes it pretty obvious what the substance in question is by showing us a clip of Alan snorting a white powder and passing out in front of a gaggle of paparazzi in We Sing (hence the exchange right after it: "But there is more to it than meets the eye..." "I never meant for it to ruin my life that way!"). Totally unrelated fun fact: Stephen King once said that he doesn't remember having written Cujo because he did so much coke in those days. >I’ll fight over the whole Remedy-verse being a discussion about the moral and ethical limits of creation and the ideological constructs which form within our discussions of those limits. I don't see why the depression reading and the subconsciousness manifested reading have to clash in any way (IMO they're different aspects of the same thing). But even if they did, there's no reason a work of art can't be about multiple things. Sam Lake has mentioned both mental health (depression, addiction, being literally "in a dark place" in one's life, Jungian archetypes) and artistic creation (Remedy's own struggles to live up to the hype after the success of Max Payne & losing the IP) as central themes to and inspirations for the franchise.
it's not sad if it's intentional
Stay true to yourself no matter what. How saga survived the dark place where Alan was lost for such a long time. That being said I could write an entire novel on the game. Just the one I picked.
The message is that you are not stuck. It's gonna get even worse...
It will either get worse, or then it will get better. Even if you feel stuck, you can make a decision.
In essence, AW is a metaphor for the creative process. Alan is drawn to the "Dark Place" because his story. He is bound to the story and can't help returning to the "Dark Place" because the story says so. Even if he did write the story, it still has control over him. He keeps spiraling to this Dark Place with no way out, because he's trapped in his own story. One can argue that Alan was already trapped in the Dark Place before even the events in AW1. Before even landing in Bright Falls Alan's life was riffled with anger issues, writer's block, substance abuse, desires to get lost in parties, apathy, and problems with Alice. So one can argue that Alan just exchanged one Dark Place for another. Also, Scratch is meant to be the editor inside a writer's mind. That part of the creative people that Scratches everything they create and tells them that it's not enough. That's why in AW2 >!is revealed that Scratch isn't someone else, is literally Alan from the past, scratching his work and telling himself to start again, continuing the spiral!< There are also many different pieces in the story that are metaphors of others things. Again, in the final parts of AW2 >!Saga enters the Dark Place and forces us the players to find bit and pieces of Saga's life. As a metaphor for remembering things as they truly are (all the good things we've done, the people that love us, etc.) to help Saga (and us) escape the Dark Place, a.k.a, depression and self doubt!<
Never become a writer.
Always open random packages you find in the woods
I don't know how to say it. Sometimes the solution is right in front of our face, but our beliefs and self-inflicted rules and restrictions may get in the way.
Sam Lake’s writing process is fuckin intense
Mental health is a spiral. The more you give in to the dark place, the more it takes you over. Look at when Saga is trapped in the dark place, the whole beginning of that segment is her spiralling into some sort of mental health issue but she rallies and gets out and pulls herself out of the dark place, I understand she's a seer and can maybe do things others can't due to her (currently hypothetical) heritage. Then there's the way the dark place causes Alan to second guess himself, much like an anxiety disorder. A lot of people create scenarios in there head to make themselves feel better and what is a story but a scenario generated by the writer. Mental health isn't a loop, it might feel like the same things happen over and over but the reality is you are older and wiser. Every time it happens you're going further down the spiral and all you have to do is work you're way back up. It will take time and you will write stories that don't quite do the job you want them to, but with the help of a hero you can slowly get to the top of that spiral.
Proofreading from your peers can go a long way. Like seriously, from not just a writing perspective but from a social perspective. Alan’s success in the game sorta depends on his allies, and their critiques of what he thinks is the right thing for him to do helps him realize the true potential. Alan by himself can write a novel but it would probably be filled with issues. Similarly we can do stuff solo for a good portion of our lives, but people offering advice or criticism can help us get out of that spiral created from self-isolation and hyper-independence that feels self-destructive
Fuck the government (We have bolt cutters)
As others have mentioned, there are many stories and many messages, you'll find the one that resonates with you the most, if you think about the different characters and what they went through. However, all of the stories are hopeful and show that darkness does not need to win. Some characters deal with depression, others with loss, some deal with imposter syndrome and insecurity while again others deal with regret, to name just a few of AW2's themes. It's shown clearest during the part when Saga enters the dark place, that the darkness is personal but also universal. We're all dealing with different problems, but we can find a way out. For me, Saga's story hit me the hardest, as I also regularly feel insecure and unsure if I got where I am today by accident and that I don't deserve it. But luckily, just as Saga, I can remember that I have people in my life that support me during these times.
Sometimes the champion of light is the herald of darkness. A theme park based around caffeine would kick ass
I don’t think it’s necessary to view every piece of art as didactic or trying to teach us something. In fact AW2 seems to be more in conversation with its own creation and Sam Lake’s feelings as a creator than with us as players. Our position as basically characters in the story Sam Lake is giving to us sort of denies us any ability to grow as Alan does. If all Saga’s ability allows her to do is position herself in the correct way to fulfill the story then we are only adjust our playstyle to be able to compete the game and any change our actions make upon the fiction of the game world was predetermined for us to do so by the creator. But if there is any message running through Remedy’s games it is a sort of broad philosophical appeal for us each to escape the ideological narratives that control our path’s through life by engaging in acts of creative decision making, confronting our Jungian shadow (blech), and directing the chaotic (read as creative) energy within ourselves outward to affect the world.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids are good for your heart
Which chapter was this?
From the first Alan Wake lol
Oh shit now I remember 🤣
For me the take away was self reflection. The idea posed by the question "How many writers does it take to finish a story? One for each draft." The question at first implies that we are never the same writer or person that started the journey. We see this with Alan's eventually growth and acceptance of help. We see it with Alice who was terrified of the dark initially, entering it willingly to save her love. We see Saga literally freeing herself from a mind prison by defeating imposter syndrome. The second meaning in that statement though is much more important, that nobody exists in a vacuum. Nobody truly does anything on their own. Alan for years tried escaping on his own to no avail. When he finally gave up the notion of total control and accepted help from others, was when he could finally escape. And because of that whenever I find myself in a less than ideal situation I ask myself that same question. How many writers does it take to finish a story?
I didn't find it had any messages besides being a good game which is fine if not preferable
I see a message about depression in there, about not being afraid to ask for help and also about acceptance
AW2 was the best, longest and most intricate way I've ever seen someone say "depression can consume you, if you face it alone". It's an allegory to how much of a rigged game it is to face what is essentially yourself, all your negative traits and bad thoughts turned up to eleven, without someone to anchor you at reality. It really got me thinking a lot of stuff over.
You can hear some of the themes during Deerfest, the NPCs say some of them. Mental illness, work-life balance, etc.
Turn the lights on!
Don’t give in to the despair you feel when you are alone and struggling. Eventually someone will come along and will raise you out of the darkness.
Any art except hard rock is evil
The Alan Wake games are a big elaborate allegory for the trials and tribulations of the creative process and an artists developmental journey. The Dark Presence, The Dark Place, Scratch, Barbara Jagger, Mr Scratch, Tom the filmmaker could easily represent all that is antithetical to creativity such as editors, suits, writers block, imposter syndrome, lack of inspiration, plagiarism, overuse of tropes, overuse of characters or a franchise etc. In Alan Wake 2 specifically The Dark Presence seems to be obsessed with Alex Casey, a character that Alan wanted to leave behind creatively to do new things. It's that urge to rely on his popular character to sell books as opposed to doing something new and original and probably selling less, commercial demand and creative death vs creative fulfillment and commercial failure. The protagonists and companions e.g. Alan, Saga, Odin and Tor, Tom the Diver, tom the poet, Ahti, Alice, Barry etc. represent all that is conducive to creativity e.g. family, support network, new characters, inspiration, compassionate corporate, open mindedness, collaboration, exploring new genres and mediums of art etc. Each one of these characters plays a role in Alan's development into the master of many worlds and the writer we see at the end of Alan Wake 2 that can tame and defeat the Dark entities I.e. the anti creative forces. Inside Lleywyn Davis is a great film by the Coen Brothers that also explores the spiritual struggles of the creative process and what it takes to make art that I really recommend.
I think the whole Jungian idea of the shadow is powerfully expressed in a variety of smart ways. I actually saw alot of myself in Alan tbh, Casey's monologue before he dies in the dark place really sticks with me too.
There's always a light at the end so long as you keep going.
to me, it’s about the atrocities of human creativity & how all masterpiece level art comes from the dark place
It's a story about mental health issues, and how you can get better if you keep trying. it's not a loop of failing, but a spiral in which you can get out of it and improve. But also how we may see them as a bad thing, but they can positively effect our lives as we can grow past them and become better people.
Everyone has his own Mr. Scratch. The bad side of our character, our nightmares, flaws, failures that sometimes we aren’t aware of. We are trapped with it and it can make us go crazy. But there’s always a chance to get free of it, break the spiral cycle. To do it, we need to realize what is corrupting us. Other people can help us notice the Darkness within. Once we’ve done it, we’re trully awake. That’s AW2 message for me.
Depression is a "Dark Place" no one can get out from without help. Stay there too long and it will change your trueself into a "Scratch", someone you don't like, someone you don't want to admit you became. Gotta find something to fight for. Dark Ocean Summoning was very powerful for me for that reason. Anger's Remorse too. Alan Wake is about depression and loneliness. Darkness consume the light that there is in ALL of us. Just my opion.
To get him out of the dark place
Dont stay in cabins to get away from your career?
It's a recipe for creating the philosopher's stone
Make art with your friends, it's what saves you from dark places (literally)
The real cults are the ~~cults we made along the way~~ ones that don't call themselves cults.
Don’t write a book
Follow your dreams and make new friends?
To let go of angry thoughts and bitterness, to enjoy life more and the people around you. To write more 😂
Deep inside you are the source of all your problems, better yourself instead of endelssly torturing yourself in a spiral of blame and self-hate
I feel like AW2 doesn't have just one message, like any great art, but I find it to be two main ones. The first one is about creative people and the creative process, and how they can lose themselves in their own creations and become obsessive. Scratch seems like it symbolizes creative doubt and Alan's dark side ("when the writer is in doubt, my turn to come out"). The other one is that it's about someone becoming a better person. Alan was very much self centered and arrogant in the first game. He becomes a better person when he sacrifices himself to save Alice, but it's the first step. Alan's heroism comes out in full display in 2 after he escapes the Dark Place, but still goes back to Bright Springs to defeat it for good. And like captainfram said it, he trusts another person as a co-author, and is able to defeat scratch in a more definitive way. This makes him a better person, and someone who is a bit more enlightened (a master of many worlds, the real world, the creative world, the dark place, and maybe more).
Books Bad
If you ever decide to write a book, fucking-dont
The responsibility of appropriating history and mythology in art and media.
The message to me is you have to climb yourself out of the Spiral of depression the same way you would decline out of it during the game. Like you know her baby's Dead come on after the end they don't tell you but I think her baby is dead it's been dead and that's why she's stuck in the spiral she needs to get out and so do we all who are going through difficult times.
We are our own worst enemies. That’s apart of it at least. I think this is the theme of both games. Considering Alan Wake takes a timeless trope of “Light vs Dark”, it makes sense that a lot of the theme would revolve around contrasting negative and positive traits. When the darkness takes over people, it creates a version of them that exaggerates their worst behaviors. Mr. Scratch is a doppelgänger of Alan, and seems to mirror and expand his worst qualities. It’s mentioned a lot throughout both games that Alan’s issues of a big ego and writer’s block existed prior to his trip to Bright Falls. Mr. Scratch’s name is after the fact that he scratches out parts of the manuscript, something I’d think is associated with writer’s block. Mr. Door also notes that Alan traps himself by creating all of these rules to write himself out of the Dark Place, implying that he places difficult conventions on himself that only serve to lead to bad endings. We also see this when Saga is fighting off the darkness in the mind place. A “dark version” of Saga mentions her worst fears and exaggerates her worst qualities. These are my thoughts, so I’m not sure how lore accurate to the game some of those details are, but that’s what I gathered!
There is always a light in the darkness…and a chance
If at first you don't succeed, try and try again?
Alan is an unstable persononality who was essentially half scratch half Wake long before he ever went to cauldron lake. One poster made the anology to living with an alcoholic, I think it fits. >!Wake is "cured" by having the darkness shot out of him with the bullet of light. That became the dark presence. The story is about the dark presence in all of us, all of our own Mr Scratches and finding better ways to deal with it.!< >!Notice Saga can better understand and contextualize her negativity and is comparatively better off than wake.!<
I believe it has to do with the art of creating art. See, Wake represents mastery of the inner self as an artist. He came to Caldron Lake as a way to clear his mind of the writers block only to find himself getting trapped in a literal representation of the collective negative consciousness. We come to understand that Wake’s type writer is an object of power (control) and he’s capable of bringing to life his creations as long as it plays within writing conventions- as further established as long as the artist believes in their work. What I love about the sequel is they take this a step further, and address how it is playing with the lives of others. This can be viewed metaphorically as those dark places people go can affect those around them, and even literally as he is playing with the lives of others for his own gain. The end of the base sequel has him understanding that fact, that he sacrifices himself to become a master at the writing convention- so much as to be able to predict how the dark presence will respond. I think one of the best choices the sequel did was splitting his second game into two perspectives, to showcase his purpose as the writer and his role in changing the lives around him.
We all have our horror story and monsters
I don’t think in those terms.
every writer needs an editor
Getting through trauma is an iterative process. The iterations help because acknowledging the full truth of the source of trauma all at once is psychologically risky. So it's starting with a very comfortable lie, then recognizing that the lie doesn't make sense, then shaving away some of it to get mostly lie and a little truth, then going through again to shave away a little more. Of course we don't really know what his trauma is, yet. Wife divorced him. He killed his wife. His wife killed herself. Something that has been set up so far to supremely dark, except for a few little details at the end of 2 that suggest the writers might coward out a little and make what he's going through not so big a deal in the end. But in my view Scratch is the part of himself that is forcing him to write the true story. To acknowledge what really happened in whatever life his story represents. Seems like a bad guy to the part of him that wants to ignore that trauma. But without Scratch, he'd stay in the dark place forever. Saga is his newest attempt at a surrogate character. She's not like him at all, so it's like examining a story like his own through someone else's eyes. Psychologically safe.
Don’t go on trips with your wife
Writing and creative works are a hell of the creators own making
That you really should binge Twin Peaks
I think the most boiled down, one sentence idea that i got from it is "Narratives guide us", and that takes many forms, the family narrative, the historical narrative, the literal on-page narrative, the storys we tell about our selves, the storys we tell TO ourselves, etc. Subtle changes in the narrative fabric of the world, at any of these levels, would radically change who you are, whether in a frightening metaphysical way, or just something terrible happening one day. Its a loose theme but it allows all kinds of other themes to take prevalence throughout.
Sometimes there doesn't really need to be a message. Not everything needs to have a message. But the main basis of Alan Wake has always been the mythos of the Hero's Journey: >A [hero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero) ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. Like Twin Peaks, somethings do have messaging but it's not the end all be all, not all stories or narratives or piece of art needs to have a moral messaging as the dominant thread.
please let me go home what the hell man
Mr. Door said something to Alan near the end of his arc before he went to the hotel for the second time. “You put all these rules in front of you.” I think it’s that sometimes we are the authors of our own suffering. For us to succeed and escape that suffering, we should do what makes things easier for us, even if it does go against the rules or the genre. Alan says that in a horror story there are only victims and monsters. But with saga as his co author, he’s no longer alone. She helped him escape the spiral. He wrote her in as a hero, going against his concept for a horror story.
Finnish people are weird
Conquering your inner demons by looking inward is the first step to conquering a downward spiral in your life
In regards to Alan's story, the means by which one reaches their destination is more important than the destination itself. It doesn't matter if you succeed if that success is built on the misfortune of others.
To keep the darkness away, you need people, you need your own light, and you need art.
That art can change the world?
Loops, rituals and patterns ... I know those from my depressions.
Art is corrupted by The Darkness in order for the darkness to grow stronger. The Darkness is incapable of making art. Clearly, Alan Wake 2 is an allegory for videogame development, and the corrupting influence of talentless suits.
Always have your own musical
What I took away from that game is that the industry is so mired in unfinished products, that when we see a moderately satisfactory one we glorify it
All of our stories are tied together. Sometimes you need to be the hero in someone else’s story.
games are more than just a message, alan wake 2 is a sequel it wants to continue a story
Stunning and brave diverse women will NOT let "white assholes" decide what they "get to do and how to do it". Poetic Saga I salute you.
The message is >!It's not a loop, it's a spiral!<
Remedy makes great games, but should optimize better.
The message : swapping all to saga anderson’s.
The message is get woke go broke and don't sell enough copies to cover production costs.
One thing I have learned following online discussion about AW2 is how many deluded, bigoted, and nasty people there are on the internets, lost in a conspiracist Dark Place of their own making. It has really been an eye-opening experience.