What to Expect From Alan Wake 2's Lake House DLC

Summary

Alan Wake 2, released after a 13-year hiatus, lived up to its ambitious goals and took the horror landscape by storm, earning praise from fans and critics as one of the best in the genre in 2023.
Remedy Entertainment's "Remedy Connected Universe" links its IPs together, with Control and its DLC, AWE, being the first to establish this connection. Alan Wake 2 expands on this interconnected world, setting up Control's sequel in the process.
The Lake House DLC for Alan Wake 2 will heavily feature the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), a secret government institution that investigates paranormal threats. The DLC will likely explore an alternate timeline and further establish the Remedy Connected Universe.

Warning: Spoilers for Alan Wake 2 and Control After a 13-year hiatus, Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake 2 was finally released this past Fall. As the studio's most ambitious title to date, Alan Wake 2 by many accounts lived up to its lofty goals. Presenting a full survival horror experience heavily influenced by games like the modern Resident Evil remakes with its own signature style and meta-narrative, AW2 arrived on the scene to take the horror landscape by storm. Highly praised by fans and critics, the sequel was counted among some of 2023's best in the genre and of the year overall.

Remedy unveiled its plans for all its IPs to be linked together in the "Remedy Connected Universe" in 2020. The developer's previous game, Control, and its second and final DLC, AWE, was the first piece of content explicitly linking separate titles under the RCU banner. With the established world in place, Alan Wake 2 contained more elements that laid the groundwork for further expansion. 2024 will bring two DLCs to AW2; Night Springs and The Lake House. The latter is likely to build upon both games' stories and set up Control's eventual sequel in the process.

The Lake House currently does not have a release window, although it may be set to release in Fall 2024 if it follows Remedy's previous schedule.

What Alan Wake 2's Lake House DLC Could Be

The Federal Bureau of Control and The Lake House in Alan Wake 2

The FBC was the central component of 2019's Control. As a secret government institution akin to the fictional Secure Contain Protect Foundation, it essentially enacts protocols that involve investigating all kinds of paranormal threats and otherworldly intrusions into normal reality. The organization secretly monitors and catalogs supernatural events while working to prevent them from causing too much damage and to keep their existence hidden from everyday citizens.

The Lake House itself was an FBC outpost set up in Alan Wake 2's town of Bright Falls by the shore of Cauldron Lake, near the Dark Place, a dimensional rift in reality where the Dark Presence entity resides. In the plot, it's mentioned that the House suffered some kind of unnatural attack and is currently out of commission. Alan Wake 2's Final Draft includes two important moments tied to the FBC. Dr. Casper Darling, formerly a head researcher, is briefly seen lost and exploring the Dark Place. Meanwhile, the new ending depicts Alan awakening with the ability to seemingly travel through realities without impediment. Both imply The Lake House will feature the FBC heavily.

Predicting Alan Wake 2's Lake House DLC Plot

The DLC's official description states that players will, "explore the House and embark on two separate adventures as the realities of Saga Anderson and Alan Wake collide again." This could indicate that it will be set in an alternate timeline, like one of the Dark Place's surreal looping scenarios. The mysterious janitor Ahti from Control also makes an appearance in Alan Wake 2, and may act as an enigmatic but beneficial force, as he was shown previously assisting both Alan and Control's protagonist, Jesse Faden.

Based on the summary, Saga could be returning, perhaps partnering with FBC Agent Kiran Estevez, who appeared during the course of events, taking over Saga's case and later providing specialized equipment to combat the Dark Presence and Alan's possessed form, Mr. Scratch. The Lake House could center on players discovering what occurred at the station, and possibly restoring it for the FBC. It's not unlikely that Jesse Faden herself makes an entrance, mirroring Alan's appearance in AWE and leading more directly into Control 2. In any event, The Lake House will undoubtedly further establish the Remedy Connected Universe, providing titillating hints about what's to come.

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Survival Horror

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 93%

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Released: October 27, 2023
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language
Developer(s): Remedy Entertainment
Publisher(s): Epic Games
Engine: Northlight Engine
Franchise: Alan Wake