Alan Wake 2 gave us several surprises during yesterday's PlayStation showcase. The first was the release date, which brings us the Alan Wake sequel later in October, and the second was the fact there will be a second protagonist fighting alongside Alan to escape the evil that clutches Bright Falls.
FBI special agent Anderson arrives in Bright Falls to investigate the murder of special agent Robert Nightingale, only to find herself trapped there by the same mysterious forces that have likewise kept Alan Wake. To many fans, Anderson appears like a brand-new character, but she was actually teased in Remedy's previous game.
As noted by AestheticGamer on Twitter, there's a live-action easter egg in Quantum Break called Alan Wake: Return. In it, two FBI agents arrive at Bright Falls to investigate a murder with Alan Wake suspected to be the killer. Game director Sam Lake lends his likeness to FBI agent Alex Casey, who later dies and leaves Anderson to find his killer.
Anderson has been "heavily reimagined" for Alan Wake 2, but the similarities between this easter egg and the trailer we saw yesterday are just too big to ignore. AestheticGamer notes that Anderson's name could also be highly relevant too.
"Saga was the name of a Norse Goddess, who lived in Sökkvabekkr (which stands for 'Sunken Bank') who would drink with Odin where 'cool waves flowed,'" they wrote. "Her last name being Anderson, like the Anderson brothers from [Alan Wake 1] who went by Odin & Tor, and you can't shake the suspicion that's connected in some way. Alongside that Alex Casey was obviously a character Alan Wake wrote, but now he's real, definitely paints their whole investigation into Bright Falls with a questionable brush."
Considering Alex Casey, Anderson’s partner, is murdered in the trailer, Quantum Break could have given us huge spoilers for the story to come in Alan Wake 2.
AestheticGamer has lots more to talk about from yesterday's trailer and how it relates to past Remedy projects, but we're heading deep into potential spoiler territory here. Proceed at your own risk.
A curious complication from yesterday's announcement is that Alan Wake 2 won't have a physical release. While the game will hit Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC via the Epic Games Store, you won't be able to buy a physical copy in stores. Fans are already divided on this all-digital strategy, but there is hope. Publisher THQ Nordic has stepped forward to offer its services getting Alan Wake 2 printed on disc. We'll have to see if Remedy takes them up on their kind offer.