Alan Wake 2: Lake House Expansion Review and Evaluation
After delving into the depths of darkness and learning about the mysterious forces that control the town of Bright Falls in the original Alan Wake 2 adventure , The Lake House expansion comes to complete the dark and exciting journey into the world of the famous writer Alan Wake.
This expansion reveals more terrifying secrets and takes us to a new and mysterious location, known as “The Lake House”, a secret facility completely hidden from view and was a red line for Agent “Saga” to go to.
This facility is rumored to have been the scene of mysterious experiments, making it an integral part of the psychological nature of the events we witnessed in the main game.
Story without spoilers
The Lake House expansion focuses on FBI agent Keren Estevez, and takes place in a mysterious research facility known as the Lake House near Cauldron Lake. The facility is used to study the supernatural effects of the lake. It is revealed throughout the story that the facility is part of a dangerous experiment that ties the events of the game into the world of Control. The story begins with Keren encountering terrifying new creatures and investigating the terrifying research conducted by scientist couple Jules and Diana Marmon. The story also includes the appearance of an artist with a similar ability to Alan Wake, but who uses art to alter reality.
Kirin, with her ability to deal with mysterious and terrifying phenomena, finds herself in situations that are beyond her human capabilities; unlike Alan and Saga, Kirin does not have the same supernatural abilities, which adds a greater sense of realism and horror to the adventure. The story runs parallel to the beginning of Saga Anderson's journey in the main story of the game; however, this expansion does not provide answers to the ending of the original story, and is also very short, as it can be completed in less than two hours.
About the gameplay
- The Lake House facility consists of several floors, and the player must find the elevator keys to unlock the next floors.
- In terms of combat, there have been no major changes compared to the original game, but it has become much simpler due to Kirin's lack of any supernatural abilities. In this context, Kirin's available weapons are limited to a pistol and a rifle with a flashlight, but as the events progress Kirin will obtain a completely new weapon that will become essential for progressing in the expansion.
- Enemies in the expansion include a new type of creature; tall, colorfully stained figures that make terrifying sounds as they emerge from walls. These enemies lurk in the walls and suddenly pounce on the player, adding an element of sudden terror; they are difficult to defeat without the new weapon, but even then they remain a challenge.
- Although the game maintains its psychological horror style, the level of horror is relatively lower than in the original game. The expansion relies more on surprise moments and tense situations, where enemies attack the player suddenly and unexpectedly.
- As for the puzzles, they have been greatly simplified compared to the original game, making them less challenging to the mind and easier to solve.
Advantages of expansion
- The Lake House expansion adds even more depth to the shared universe Remedy has created,Making it similar to Marvel's shared parallel universes. The expansion helps strengthen the connections between the Control and Alan Wake worlds, opening the way for further developments in the second part of the Control game.
- Although the level of horror is relatively lower, the expansion retains its mysterious and terrifying atmosphere.And skillfully plays on the psychological chord.
- The expansion introduces entirely new environments.Distinctive visual designs enhance the game's mysterious atmosphere.
- The technical performance of the expansion has seen a slight improvement.Compared to the original game.
Disadvantages of expansion
- One of the most prominent drawbacks facing this expansion is its short duration.It is very short compared to previous expansions.
- The expansion does not provide answers to the questions raised by the original game's ending,Its story also doesn't have much excitement except for a reference to Control 2.
- No major changes in gameplay,The expansion doesn't offer any gameplay improvements, and it can feel repetitive.
Is the expansion worth buying?
The decision to buy The Lake House expansion largely depends on how interested you are in the world of Alan Wake and the Remedy universe in general, and how much you appreciate the story developments. If you’re a fan of Remedy’s games and like to explore the connections between their game worlds, you might find the expansion interesting as it adds new details that connect the events of Alan Wake and Control. This aspect might be enough to motivate you to buy it if you want to see how this shared narrative universe expands.
Expansion Story - 6.5
Gameplay - 6
New additions and changes - 6
Technical Performance - 9
Horror Experience - 7
Value for money - 5.5
Remedy Shared Worlds Interconnection - 9
7
Good
The Lake House expansion adds a new chapter to the Alan Wake universe, strengthening the connections between the games and making Remedy's shared universe more clear and deep; while the expansion is short and doesn't answer all the questions, it's a good experience, and opens the door to future developments that could be pivotal in Remedy's upcoming games.