There actually weren’t many flaws to shine a shaky flashlight beam on in Alan Wake II, however one factor I did lament in 2023’s wonderful survival horror sequel was the entire absence of Night Springs episodes on the in-game televisions. These quirky, Twilight Zone-inspired tales have been a constant pleasure to find in Alan Wake’s unique 2010 journey, so to seek out them seemingly off the air as if they have been the casualties of some form of in-game writers’ strike was a contact disappointing. The excellent news is that the sequence has returned in a now fully-playable type because of the Alan Wake II: Night Springs DLC, which serves up three standalone tales that take us again to the small city of Vivid Falls and past. They’re admittedly somewhat on the quick aspect since I used to be capable of knock all three episodes over in a single two-hour sitting, however I actually had a blast with these twisted new nightmares whereas they lasted.
Night Springs’ first episode, Quantity One Fan, is unquestionably each the goofiest and goriest within the assortment, permitting us to play as obsessive Alan Wake fan Rose Marigold as she waits tables in Vivid Falls’ Oh Deer Diner. This action-heavy installment begins with Rose topping up espresso cups and clearing away pie crumb-covered plates, however she’s quickly compelled to blaze a path by means of a bloodthirsty mob after she’s despatched an SOS from Alan Wake himself, who’s apparently been kidnapped. How does she obtain this request for assist? Through an sudden transmission by means of the puckered maw of a type of wall-mounted Large Mouth Billy Bass singing fishes that 1000’s of dissatisfied dads unwrapped on Fathers Day within the 12 months 2000. Yep, issues in Night Springs are enjoyably off-kilter virtually from the very outset.