Review Of Alan Wake: The Signal

Alan Wake's ending is open for interpretation. Some people believe the dark presence exists in Alan's world. Others see it as a figment of a mental patient's mind. A few souls out there will even tell you that Alan Wake is just a character in a book.

I believed strongly in one of these possibilities...until I played through Alan Wake's first DLC offering The Signal. The game didn't sway me to a new possibility, nor did it make me believe my theory was invalid. Instead of giving an answer, or even a few clues to point toward the correct theory, The Signal recognizes and teases every conceivable outcome, and in the end, just made me all the more confused. I'm now of the mind that any and all theories are correct. I'm even beginning to think that Alan Wake may have been abducted by aliens.

If you went into this DLC expecting answers, you'll undoubtedly be disappointed. However, if you just want to play around with a flashlight more, you're going to love what Remedy has cooked up. The Signal offers the game's most dynamic gameplay. Enemies swarm in great numbers, and light is used in different ways to combat their assaults. I don't want to ruin the surprises ahead, but I will say that fire, explosions, and words are used brilliantly in fights. This chapter is just as lengthy and polished as any of the others in the main game. Instead of collecting flashlights, you are now tasked to collect 10 alarm clocks. Before you say anything, the clock did make me think about one of the theories out there. One of the many possibilities that this DLC taunts you with.

The most closure delivered from this DLC is the fate of that creepy deer float. That's something, right? I enjoyed playing through this new chapter and grabbing a few new Achievements, but it confused me more, and left me with that Lost-like feeling of "Do the writers really know where they are going with this story?" Here's hoping the next DLC offering, The Writer, wraps it all together. If Alan has to endure more of this mental chaos, I fear he may turn the shotgun on himself. And yes, I'd settle for that ending.