There are hidden easter eggs all over Alan Wake 2. Remedy Entertainment puts a lot of attention to detail and you’ll find cleverly disguised references to previous works from this developer all over the environment. These easter eggs are pretty easy to miss as the game is more open to explore this time around.
During my time with Alan Wake 2, I compiled 16 of the best easter eggs I found in this article. Be careful of spoilers for Alan Wake 2, Alan Wake, and Control.
Quantum Break
One of the characters you’ll meet is Sheriff Tim Breaker who is played by actor Shawn Ashmore. The very same one who played the main protagonist of Quantum Break from Remedy Entertainment. His name itself is a play on words for “time breaker” which you can easily miss if you blink.
You’ll even meet him occasionally in The Dark Place where he talks to Alan about dreams where he’s someone else and a red-haired woman who could possibly be Beth Wilder or Jesse Faden. Both red-haired women are played by Courtney Hope.
American Nightmare Outfit
When Saga and Casey both meet Alan for the first time, he’s shown wearing a dark tattered suit that he does in the trailers. However, when they make their way back to Bright Falls, Alan is shown to be wearing a plaid long-sleeved polo shirt. This is a call back to his choice of style in American Nightmare.
The Max Payne Connection
When Remedy Entertainment first made Max Payne, they based his likeness on creative director, Sam Lake. However, it’s James McCaffrey who did Payne’s voice. In Alan Wake 2, they used another character with Sam Lake’s likeness named Alex Casey who is also voiced by James McCaffrey.
Dr. Casper Darling
You can find a book written by Casper Darling in Mr. Door’s dressing room at The Talk Show Studio during the first time you play as Alan Wake himself. Darling played an important role in Control as the Head of FBC Research and the one responsible for creating the Hedron Resonance Amplifiers.
Twin Peaks References
Alan Wake 2 shares many similarities with Twin Peaks which serves as an inspirational source for its creative design. Oh Deer Diner in Bright Falls is clearly modeled after Double R Diner in Twin Peaks which even have the same layout. This sequel being about an FBI agent who investigate a murder leading them to an unusual town with extremely strange things happening mirrors the premise of Twin Peaks. Alan Wake 2 even has a landmark called “Mirror Peak” mountain.
The Lady of the Light
In the first game, one of Alan Wake’s most prominent allies is Cynthia Weaver who is considered to be a bit of an eccentric. However Cynthia is responsible for maintaining the lights around Bright Falls due to being aware of the Taken. Because of this, she has saved Alan’s life more than once or twice.
You’ll meet her again in the Valhalla Nursing Home where she’s kept the Clicker on her dresser along with photos of the power station and Thomas Zane. Tragically, Cynthia loses her title as the Lady of the Light which left her vulnerable enough to becoming one of the Taken.
Wrong Eye
A testament to Alan Wake 2’s attention to detail is Odin’s eye. During Initiation 4: We Sing, we’re treated to a younger version of Odin played by Marko Saaresto who has an eye patch on his left eye. When you meet his older version played by Cliff Carpenter, the eye patch is on his right eye. Remedy Entertainment didn’t forget that a younger Odin only wore the eyepatch to invoke the image of the Norse god before he lost his eye for real.
Poets of the Fall
Pivotal to the game’s plot in both the first game and Alan Wake 2 are the Old Gods of Asgard. In real life, they’re actually a Finnish band called Poets of the Fall who have been collaborating with Remedy Games since Max Payne 2. They play an integral role in guiding Alan to stop The Dark Presence through their songs: The Poet and the Muse and Balance Slays the Demon.
Though their likeness in the game is played by Cliff Carpenter and Lloyd Floyd, the voices for when they’re singing are from Marko Saaresto and Markus Kaarlonen. Both of whom are band members from Poets of the Fall.
The Almighty Janitor Ahti
You may remember the unassuming janitor, Ahti, who works for the Bureau of Control. Nobody knows exactly what he is but he’s in the know of secrets that not even the higher-ups in the bureau do. He’s also present in Alan Wake 2 appearing in both The Dark Place and the real world without being disturbed by The Dark Presence.
Death Rally
While Remedy Entertainment is known for being the developers of Max Payne, it isn’t their first game ever. That honor belongs to Death Rally, an arcade game you can find in room 105 of the Elderwood Lodge Palace in Bright Falls.
Mr. Door
During Initiation, Alan Wake is interviewed by a talk show host called Mr. Door. This is most likely the very same person who’s connected to the antagonist of Control and there’s even a book written by Casper Darling in his dressing room. He only appears in the live-action segments played by Dave Harewood and doesn’t seem to be antagonistic to Alan aside from making an ominous threat during their last meeting.
Shoeboxes
You’ll find shoeboxes in the break rooms where you can save your progress and get some reprieve from the dangers outside. Shoeboxes are important to Alan as they’re said to contain whatever is left of Thomas Zane who serves as an ally to the titular character. You even find the Clicker in the shoebox during the first game.
Sam Lake Loves Coffee
Coffee is everywhere in Alan Wake 2; it’s how you save, Alex Casey drinks it a lot, and there’s even an amusement park centered around coffee. Creative director Sam Lake can’t get enough of the stuff and it bleeds into the game itself.
FBC Takes Control
Spoiler alert for Alan Wake 2, but the Federal Bureau of Control invades the main plot which throws a wrench into everyone’s plans. They show up just in the nick of time to arrest Alan before Saga can hand him the Clicker and take control (pun intended) of the situation. Their presence in Bright Falls may indicate that one of the Alan Wake 2 DLCs is a crossover with Control.
Oceanview Hotel
The Oceanview Hotel is a key location in Alan Wake 2 that the titular character goes to in order to find a way out of The Dark Place. Not so coincidentally, Jesse from Control also visits a location named Oceanview Motel which even has doors with strange markings that you can find in Alan Wake 2.
Stephen King and “The Shining”
One particularly compelling Easter egg awaits players in Room 101 of the Oceanview Hotel. Here, you’ll find a bathtub with curtains partially drawn, an unmistakable homage to the spine-tingling bathroom scene in Stephen King’s masterpiece “The Shining”, echoing the deep influence that King’s work has had on the Alan Wake series. The eerie atmosphere of the Oceanview Hotel, prominently featured in the chapter Initiation 5: Room 665, unmistakably recalls the haunting layout of the Overlook Hotel famously portrayed by Stanley Kubrick in the film adaptation of “The Shining.”