In time for Halloween, Remedy Entertainment has released The Lake House, an expansion for its 2023 horror title Alan Wake 2. This DLC opens the doors to a mysterious new setting, immersing players in a short but powerful story about the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), which connects Remedy’s universe, including Control and Alan Wake, in an intricate and unsettling way.
In The Lake House, players assume the role of Kiran Estevez, an FBC agent introduced in Alan Wake 2, who recounts a haunting tale to Saga Anderson, one of the main protagonists from the original game. While the story exists somewhat independently of Alan Wake 2, it offers a significant extension of Remedy’s connected universe, revealing new narrative threads and deepening the overarching storyline. The Lake House doesn’t just provide additional gameplay; it’s an open invitation to explore more of Remedy’s world.
Setting and Plot: The FBC’s Investigation of the Lake House
In The Lake House, Kiran is dispatched to investigate a research station near the infamous Cauldron Lake. Here, FBC researchers, Doctors Jules and Diana Marmont, along with their team, are probing the lake’s mysterious effects. In Remedy’s established lore, Cauldron Lake holds otherworldly power with a dangerous connection to human creativity. The Marmonts are experimenting on Rudolf Lane, a character whose artistic abilities can potentially predict—or even shape—the future. The scientist duo’s fascination with Lane’s creative abilities borders on the monstrous, with each experiment a chilling reminder of art’s delicate intersection with supernatural forces.
The FBC loses contact with the research team, forcing Kiran to conduct an investigation. With her small team, she ventures into the eerily silent Lake House facility, which serves as the setting for much of the expansion. Remedy’s designers blend the brutalist office space aesthetic from Control with horror elements, making the Lake House an unsettling, enclosed world of looping hallways, endless rows of typewriters, and ominously quiet rooms.
A Commentary on Art, Creativity, and Corporate Control
Through The Lake House, Remedy explores the theme of art’s exploitation, which runs deep throughout the game. In one memorable moment, a page of Alan’s own writing appears, reading, “The art was not art. Just content for the experiment.” This line resonates as both a commentary on the story and a critique of today’s corporate approach to creative industries. The DLC subtly criticizes how art can be repurposed, exploited, and commodified, stifling the imagination in favor of commercial ends. Remedy underscores this theme with antagonists whose misuse of creativity borders on horror—an apt reminder of the corporate hand’s grip on art.
Gameplay: Familiar Mechanics with New Twists
Kiran’s skills in combat are surprisingly similar to those of Alan Wake 2’s main protagonists. She wields the familiar flashlight to remove the shadowy armor from her enemies before taking them down with bullets. One new enemy type—the long-limbed, grotesque painting creatures—offers a fresh challenge, though the limited gameplay time only introduces them late in the story.
While Kiran’s experience as an FBC agent could have warranted unique mechanics, her expertise shows more in her calm demeanor when faced with supernatural threats. Her familiarity with the Bureau’s paranormal items, known to veterans of Control, reflects her experience subtly but effectively.
A Bridge Between Worlds and the Promise of What’s to Come
The experience of The Lake House, though brief, provides a fascinating dive into Remedy’s world. With a runtime of approximately two hours, the DLC serves as a bridge that links Alan Wake and Control, setting the stage for a larger connected narrative. Light switches and motels from Control reappear, and players encounter a familiar character whose presence alone reminds fans of Remedy’s unique universe.
Remedy appears poised to continue exploring its connected storyline on an even grander scale, hinting at potential apocalyptic stakes. The Lake House leaves players with a sense of both closure and anticipation, signaling that the world of Control and Alan Wake will continue to expand in new, eerie ways. As Kiran’s journey shows, Remedy is taking its players deeper into its dark, interconnected world—one eerie story at a time.
