Alan Wake: The Writer
Playtime: 1.5 hours (1.5 hours total)
Personal Rating This Session: 9 - Although this DLC has only a tad more story than the previous, the gameplay, level design, and ideas they've put in this episode stand above anything they've ever done.
I was not very impressed with The Signal, the first piece of DLC for Alan Wake, but I still bought The Writer without even a second thought. I also didn't know it was the last piece of content they were releasing, but I after finishing this one, it was obvious there couldn't be anymore. Everything is wrapped up so well, the only possible follow-up would be a sequel (which they are doing, thankfully).
In reality, both DLCs could have just not existed, in terms of the story - the whole 3 hours of gameplay that made up both packs is just Alan trying to not go insane. Still, The Writer made me feel glad to have played it. The scenery and landscape is twisted and wonderful; each setpiece is set up great, and reflects Alan's inner warring emotions a lot better than anything in The Signal. In almost every area, there's some new mechanic or interesting piece.
The idea of this all being a psychotic episode is also played with, specifically in one particular scene with Dr Hartman and a recording of Alice. Hartman gives a sobering, logical look at everything that's happened, which a version of Alan agrees with. Shortly after, Alan rebukes all of it, saying it's all some trick the Darkness is playing on him, and none of it is real. It's really interesting to think of the possibility of Zane in the role of the villain, pulling Wake deeper and deeper into 'enlightenment' of the fantasy world, and further from the reality of his own insanity in the real world. Too bad fans would lynch the creators if that was the case.
I'll have to make Alan Wake 2 a day-one buy now, whenever it comes out.
