At the end of September, Remedy shared a piece of Alan Wake 2 footage previously only available to those who attended their Gamescom press event, In the footage, we see Alan step away from the action to work on his Plot Board, secured within his mental Writer's Room.
With the Plot Board, Alan can alter his surroundings, forming new pathways, and push the story forward.
In an interview with GameRant, Kyle Rowley (Game Director) expanded on the dual importance of the Plot Board both as a gameplay mechanic and to help strengthen the story, "...we wanted to invest so many resources into things like the case board and the plot board because they act as a means for the player to catch up on stuff. If they've been playing through Saga's sequence for quite a long time, they then go back to Alan and you can check your board. You can see what you did before where you're at in the game. It was a nice way mechanically to fulfil those power fantasies but also allow the players to catch up on the narrative they've done before." Read the full interview, HERE.
Like Saga's Case Board, Alan's Plot Board isn't the only thing available in the room, with players able to review and explore radio and television shows.
Transcript & Visual Description
Visual Description: Alan looks around the graffiti-covered Caldera Street Subway Station. The sign above reads "Looper Express to Mirror Heights except late nights." and "Late nights YOU end here: Dark Av Downtown via Bridge". The subway looks abandoned, with litter and traffic cones scattered across the platform. He edges forward slowly before stopping.
Visual Description: With a click of a button, he is in his own mind palace, the Writer's Room. The setting takes place in an elongated version of the room in Bird Leg Cabin, complete with a taxidermied owl and writing desk. To the left-hand side, there is an option to use the radio or check out the plot board. To the right is the option to watch TV. He moves to the Plot Board, the words at the top reads "Initiation Draft 1".
Alan Wake: I had a location. I had a story thread. I would put them together, write them into my story to create a path deeper into the Dark Place.
Visual Description: He focuses on a photograph of Caldra Station. A note next to it reads, " a liminal place, crossing the threshold". A prompt, "Missing Agent", is below, and he adds the note, "They caught him. The blood trail led to the darkness of the tunnel"
Visual Description: The scenes zooms into the photograph, and we're back into the game. The sound of typewriter keys can be heard following the transition. Suddenly, lights appear in the darkness and reveal new details further down the platform. The sign next to him reads "Caldera St. Station. I've always had a vivid imagination. 1) But this dream unsettled me. 2) it was wild and dark and weird, even by my standards. 3) So yes, it began with a dream." An LED sign rolls above, reading "Not In Service". At the end of the platform, a drawn shadow of a man on the wall.
Alan Wake: The Dark Place had reacted to my story. The way into the tunnel was no longer blocked.
