You're the first one I see to analyse a myriad of things that are relevant to the meta side of the narrative. Specially Sam Lake tied in a chair with a deer mask. I also think the scene in which he is shot and the world seems doubled by intricate camera movements is worth analysing. Either way, amazing work. You got a new subscriber.
This is probably my favorite read of Alan Wake II. You nailed so many parts, things that I've only just been scratching (heh) the surface of until now. The critique of the monomyth and how it aligns with Lake's writing is just beautiful, man. I hope you keep making analysis videos like this.
Thanks! Glad you liked it. They'll be slower to make than my other content, but I definitely intend to make more story analysis videos. The other remedy games like Control as well as games ranging from Signalis to the Metal Gear Solid series are on my radar.
Great video! Just had a few thoughts while watching... With Rose and the messages not being real. I'm not convinced that's true, because there's probably thousands of loops Alan went through in 13 years. I think he only fully remembers past loops during the moment the light bullet enters his head, or at the very least shows no indication in Final Draft that he remembers going through the previous loop of the base game until the end. All that to say, when Alan says "I never left you messages" to Rose, that really isn't reliable because there's no reason he'd remember doing it. I'm also wondering exactly how time and the spiral works. It's clear that time has advanced unimpeded while Alan went through thousands of loops over 13 years. Technically there is no time travel, Alan dies, repeats loops and such in the dark place while those 13 years happen. The real world is not trapped in a loop. But somehow when Saga and Casey enter Bright Falls a loop is formed in the real world? Or should we picture time as a straight line and the spiral/loops passing over the line multiple times? So Saga hasn't looped, Alan has just looped back to a point of time Saga hasn't arrived yet. So Saga never goes through the game more than once, only Alan does? The center of the spiral would have to travel down the line though for the 13 years to pass, so he's going to the future and to the past while spiraling around the ever moving present? Or maybe the real world isn't even in the game? Saga and Casey drinking coffee at the exact time time has to mean something beyond being weird, right? This game is just crazy and amazing!
Oh, also wanted to say I don't think the Dark Place is Doors realm, he's the master of all worlds like Alan has become. All of the realms in Control he can just walk through them as he pleases, he's probably only in the Dark Place specifically to help his daughter by helping Alan.
I believe it's only Alan who keeps passing through loops in time even in the real world and though the story affected Saga, the world itself remains in a straight line in time. Alan is still connected to the Dark Place (Scratch) and if he has become an entity like Mr. Door, he might have the ability to walk through worlds and bend time but not yet mastered it, hence why he keeps looping
Best video I’ve found for AW2. Made everything make so much more sense. I only got the surface level stuff in the game as I was so confused lol. Great work
Vellum was an interesting overlap I did not know of. Dark Tower was more obvious, but, the most obvious influence on the visual style and the storytelling, for me, was Twin Peaks The Return.
I have to confess, I've never watched Twin Peaks. Will have to at some point. I was re-watching True Detective Season 1 and 4 recently and saw *very clearly* that Sam and co liked that show.
Ya I really love horror mysteries like these. having no clue what's going on up until the end where all the pieces get put together and it gives you that "OH SHIT" moment cuz all of the information you needed was RIGHT THERE and you could've figured it out on your own, but it doesn't hit you till you see the full picture
Kojima forcibly wants to be unique. Remedy formula feels natural and overall I think their story is better, not only compared to death stranding, also compared to Metal Gear
This isnt necessarily a problem with the strory but i hate that alice goes back to the dark place cause it undoes what alan sacrificed in the first game
@@AKblackandredYT yeah that totally makes sense and might be exactly what same lake was trying to say. I guess the normie part of me just finally wanted to see them reunited and have a happy ending for Alan, BUT maybe that's coming in the third game?
Hey genius, it’s kinda pointless to put a spoiler warning in the first part of the video if you’ve already plastered the videos title and thumbnail with arguably the biggest spoiler in the game.
If you can figure out the ending of the game from that string of words without knowing Alan Wake says them at the end of the game, or the context of them, that really is genius.
@@AKblackandredYT there’s already enough context with the first games ending? Plus the theme of looping is consistent throughout the game to the point where you made it a point in your video.
@@Woombi the line on its own doesn't explain anything, though. "It's not a lake, it's an ocean" in one doesn't tell you anything about the actual plot, and nor does this. The looping also isn't something you really see till you get into the weeds of the story. If I thought there was a genuine risk of ruining the story, my title would be different.
@@AKblackandredYT actually no, you even explained the line at the end of the first game in your video at 15:40 (so idk how you can even make that point) and another part of your video focuses on the theme of looping 2:20 (I know not the whole game is about looping but it’s pretty damn important). The looping in the game is a consistent aspect of the narrative to the point where it was pretty much always underneath the players nose they just didn’t know it yet(like you talked about with the overlaps) so no you’re absolutely wrong and I’m not accusing you of ill intentions of “trying to spoil it for other people” but I do think you got lost in your own sauce. I can go into why the looping and spirals theme alone is something you shouldn’t tell new players but this comment has gone on long enough and I’ll get into it if you question it but I really just thing the right solution is to make an acronym out of the title if anything, I know it doesn’t stick as hard but it’s the right thing to do. I really don’t understand how you don’t think putting the ending of the game in the title and thumbnail isn’t something that could ruin the experience for someone.
![Prey: How an ending no one picked contextualizes eldritch horror [Fixed Audio]](/img/n.gif)
One of the best games and pieces of media ever made.
You're the first one I see to analyse a myriad of things that are relevant to the meta side of the narrative. Specially Sam Lake tied in a chair with a deer mask. I also think the scene in which he is shot and the world seems doubled by intricate camera movements is worth analysing.
Either way, amazing work. You got a new subscriber.
Door is likely a god like Ahti. Saga is repeatedly referred to as a hero. And heros typically are half god.
Thanks! This is such an interesting analysis.
Not so many people on TH-cam understands themes and echoes in Remedy stories, but you did a great job!
I haven't watched this yet but I also immediately thought of Dark Tower.
This is probably my favorite read of Alan Wake II. You nailed so many parts, things that I've only just been scratching (heh) the surface of until now. The critique of the monomyth and how it aligns with Lake's writing is just beautiful, man. I hope you keep making analysis videos like this.
Thanks! Glad you liked it. They'll be slower to make than my other content, but I definitely intend to make more story analysis videos. The other remedy games like Control as well as games ranging from Signalis to the Metal Gear Solid series are on my radar.
Great video! Just had a few thoughts while watching... With Rose and the messages not being real. I'm not convinced that's true, because there's probably thousands of loops Alan went through in 13 years. I think he only fully remembers past loops during the moment the light bullet enters his head, or at the very least shows no indication in Final Draft that he remembers going through the previous loop of the base game until the end. All that to say, when Alan says "I never left you messages" to Rose, that really isn't reliable because there's no reason he'd remember doing it.
I'm also wondering exactly how time and the spiral works. It's clear that time has advanced unimpeded while Alan went through thousands of loops over 13 years. Technically there is no time travel, Alan dies, repeats loops and such in the dark place while those 13 years happen. The real world is not trapped in a loop.
But somehow when Saga and Casey enter Bright Falls a loop is formed in the real world? Or should we picture time as a straight line and the spiral/loops passing over the line multiple times? So Saga hasn't looped, Alan has just looped back to a point of time Saga hasn't arrived yet. So Saga never goes through the game more than once, only Alan does? The center of the spiral would have to travel down the line though for the 13 years to pass, so he's going to the future and to the past while spiraling around the ever moving present?
Or maybe the real world isn't even in the game? Saga and Casey drinking coffee at the exact time time has to mean something beyond being weird, right? This game is just crazy and amazing!
Oh, also wanted to say I don't think the Dark Place is Doors realm, he's the master of all worlds like Alan has become. All of the realms in Control he can just walk through them as he pleases, he's probably only in the Dark Place specifically to help his daughter by helping Alan.
I believe it's only Alan who keeps passing through loops in time even in the real world and though the story affected Saga, the world itself remains in a straight line in time. Alan is still connected to the Dark Place (Scratch) and if he has become an entity like Mr. Door, he might have the ability to walk through worlds and bend time but not yet mastered it, hence why he keeps looping
Great video. Really enjoyed listen to it. Keep up the good work.
Cheers.
Best video I’ve found for AW2. Made everything make so much more sense. I only got the surface level stuff in the game as I was so confused lol. Great work
Vellum was an interesting overlap I did not know of. Dark Tower was more obvious, but, the most obvious influence on the visual style and the storytelling, for me, was Twin Peaks The Return.
I have to confess, I've never watched Twin Peaks. Will have to at some point. I was re-watching True Detective Season 1 and 4 recently and saw *very clearly* that Sam and co liked that show.
Remedy will be 2nd Kojima-esque in Game Industry. I saw many breakdown and analysis of AW2 and the story is on par with Death Stranding, weird as fuck
Ya I really love horror mysteries like these. having no clue what's going on up until the end where all the pieces get put together and it gives you that "OH SHIT" moment cuz all of the information you needed was RIGHT THERE and you could've figured it out on your own, but it doesn't hit you till you see the full picture
Death Stranding, good game but AW2 is in a league of its own.
As much as i like death stranding , i think AW2 has a better story overall
Nope, Remedy is very unique. It’s an insult to say that they are Kohima-esque studio.
Kojima forcibly wants to be unique. Remedy formula feels natural and overall I think their story is better, not only compared to death stranding, also compared to Metal Gear
Its not a loop its a hedron
🔥🔥 its fractals all the way down bby 🔥🔥
This isnt necessarily a problem with the strory but i hate that alice goes back to the dark place cause it undoes what alan sacrificed in the first game
I get that, though you can also see it as the pair of them sacrificing for each other, love being about mutual support rather than a one way street.
@@AKblackandredYT yeah that totally makes sense and might be exactly what same lake was trying to say. I guess the normie part of me just finally wanted to see them reunited and have a happy ending for Alan, BUT maybe that's coming in the third game?
!!!SPOILER!!!
Is Alan wake kinda a god now? Or atleast a Polaris type entity after the true ending?
Have you played Night Springs? That seems to hint at an answer. Lake House may offer more...
Please avoid putting spoilers in the title and thumbnail
I clicked the video just to say this same thing.
Super annoying!
It's a story analysis..
It’s an analyst’s story
@@treadlightly76exactly
Did he change it or do you really consider that a Spoiler?
🤣
Hey genius, it’s kinda pointless to put a spoiler warning in the first part of the video if you’ve already plastered the videos title and thumbnail with arguably the biggest spoiler in the game.
If you can figure out the ending of the game from that string of words without knowing Alan Wake says them at the end of the game, or the context of them, that really is genius.
@@AKblackandredYT there’s already enough context with the first games ending? Plus the theme of looping is consistent throughout the game to the point where you made it a point in your video.
@@Woombi the line on its own doesn't explain anything, though. "It's not a lake, it's an ocean" in one doesn't tell you anything about the actual plot, and nor does this. The looping also isn't something you really see till you get into the weeds of the story. If I thought there was a genuine risk of ruining the story, my title would be different.
@@AKblackandredYT actually no, you even explained the line at the end of the first game in your video at 15:40 (so idk how you can even make that point) and another part of your video focuses on the theme of looping 2:20 (I know not the whole game is about looping but it’s pretty damn important). The looping in the game is a consistent aspect of the narrative to the point where it was pretty much always underneath the players nose they just didn’t know it yet(like you talked about with the overlaps) so no you’re absolutely wrong and I’m not accusing you of ill intentions of “trying to spoil it for other people” but I do think you got lost in your own sauce. I can go into why the looping and spirals theme alone is something you shouldn’t tell new players but this comment has gone on long enough and I’ll get into it if you question it but I really just thing the right solution is to make an acronym out of the title if anything, I know it doesn’t stick as hard but it’s the right thing to do. I really don’t understand how you don’t think putting the ending of the game in the title and thumbnail isn’t something that could ruin the experience for someone.
Ngl how tf would u even interpret the fact that it's a spiral? That takes a lot of story context to understand