Alan Wake 2: Night Springs Review - Screenshot 1 of 3

Alan Wake 2 was big, bold, stylish and just a fantastic rollercoaster ride from start to finish last year, so you can bet your bottom dollar that we've been all over Alan Wake 2: Night Springs since it was basically shadow-dropped right after Summer Game Fest 2024. Night Springs brings together three individual episodes into the first half of Alan Wake 2's Deluxe Edition DLC plan - and it's every bit as weird and wonderful as the base game is.

One thing you can cross off that introduction in regards to the DLC is 'big', though. Two of these episodes clock in at around 45 minutes long, while the third one is a good hour or so - so we're talking about two and a half hours total gameplay with Night Springs. When you consider that this half of the DLC plan is less than £10 though, you can't really go wrong with another chunk of Alan Wake 2 at that price, even if we'd have liked to spend more time with it!

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs Review - Screenshot 2 of 3

In terms of how each episode plays out, you take the reigns of three different Alan Wake characters - although as it turns out, none of them are either Alan Wake himself or Saga Anderson from the base game. Episode 1 is the diner's Rose Marigold, Episode 2 is Control's Jesse Faden, and Episode 3 lands you in the shoes of Tim Breaker - the Alan Wake 2 sheriff who bares a striking resemblance to Quantum Break's Jack Joyce. As you can probably tell, then, there's some Remedy multiverse-level shenanigans going on here.

One of the big things that sticks out in these episodes though, is the overall tone. Alan Wake 2: Night Springs is genuinely funny, especially Rose's episode which has you locked and loaded with tons of ammo trying to take down Alan Wake's 'jealous brother'. Episode 2 has you returning to Coffee World from the main game, and while the atmosphere is much darker here, you still end up being stalked around a warehouse by giant disposable coffee cups by DLC's end. Yeah, not exactly what we were expecting, but that's Remedy for you!

The third and final episode is probably the most intriguing, though. Of course, as Xbox fans we absolutely loved all of Episode 3's neat references to Quantum Break - the Microsoft exclusive that clearly still holds a place in Remedy's heart, and its connected universe. Funnily enough, this is the episode that ties the whole DLC together — and to the base game for that fact — and it was great to see Remedy's 2016 time-bending adventure get the spotlight - especially because moving through space and time is such a central theme to Alan Wake 2. Episode 3 is the real highlight of Night Springs, and we actually think that part of the expansion is worth the price of admission alone.

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs Review - Screenshot 3 of 3

And, to be honest, that's about all we have to say about Night Springs without completely spoiling it for you Alan Wake 2 fans out there. Just know that if you enjoyed the strange, zany vibes of the base game you're going to be well served by these DLC episodes, and Remedy's asking price is surprisingly low in this day and age - even if lots of the game's core assets are reused in this expansion.

Conclusion

Late last year, Alan Wake 2 surprised us by how different a take it was from the first Alan Wake, and Remedy's venture into the true unknowns of the universe is carried on here with Night Springs. You'll have to wade through some of the team's weird multiverse stuff, which isn't always the easiest to understand, but that hasn't hampered our enjoyment of recent Remedy titles - and it doesn't here, either.

Buckle up Alan Wake 2 fans, you're in for yet another wild wide with Expansion 1: Night Springs.