Alan Wake: Difference between revisions

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* [[Abandoned Mine]]: Bright Falls Coal Mine

* [[Abandoned Mine]]: Bright Falls Coal Mine.

* [[Action Girl]]: Sheriff Sarah Breaker. Can't beat her infinite ammo shotgun.

* [[Action Survivor]]: Barry Wheeler. Alan himself only avoids falling into this role because {{spoiler|being a writer in this setting effectively makes him a [[Reality Warper]], albeit one who has to work within the realm of [[Narrative Causality]]}}.

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** It's hard to stay mad at {{spoiler|Mott the fake kidnapper}} once you realize that the only reason he tried to wrestle a manuscript out of Alan was because {{spoiler|Hartman was manipulating him to}}. Additionally, he runs into the Dark Presence shortly before he and Alan meet for the last time. We don't see what the Dark Presence does to him, but by the time Alan catches up to him, he's broken and sobbing, begging for mercy.

** This can also apply to {{spoiler|Agent Nightingale}} if you have access to ''[[All There in the Manual|The Alan Wake Files]]'' from the Limited Edition. {{spoiler|He feels guilt over his partner's death and is taking it out on others on the job. Of course, Alan receives the full brunt of Agent Nightingale's behaviour}}.

** Mister Scratch of all people is a helpless slave to the way he's written. As a self-aware fictional character, it bothers him enough that he tries to bring it up with Alan but ''can't''.

** Mister Scratch of all people is a helpless slave to the way he's written. As a self-aware fictional character, it bothers him enough that he tries to bring it up with Alan, but ''can't''.

* [[The Alcoholic]]:

** Agent Nightingale is said to drink due to his stressful job. {{spoiler|Having lost his old partner probably doesn't help either.}}

** Agent Nightingale is said to drink due to his stressful job. {{spoiler|Having lost his old partner probably doesn't help either}}.

** Alan is one himself, thanks to the numerous parties in the wake (pun unintended) of his recent bestselling novel.

** Walter, the drunkard locked up in the sheriff station. He later sneaks off to the Anderson farm to steal some moonshine. It goes badly for him.

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** The game begins just two weeks before the town's annual Deerfest and ends the night before it's scheduled with the final cutscene showing the festival going off without a hitch.

** A more literal version of this trope occurs when the Deerfest float is temporarily possessed and tries to run you over.

** An even MORE literal version occurs in The Writer DLC, where said possessed float breaks apart and ''throws itself at you''.

** An even MORE literal version occurs in "The Writer" DLC, where said possessed float breaks apart and ''throws itself at you''.

* [[Author Avatar]]:

** Wake is loosely based on Sam Lake, Remedy's lead writer, and he writes a novel starring himself as the protagonist. And to top it off, Sam Lake also appears as... Sam Lake during Alan Wake's late show interview... See also the Take That since, for ''Max Payne 1'', Sam Lake did double duty as the basis for Max's face.

** Wake is loosely based on Sam Lake, Remedy's lead writer, and he writes a novel starring himself as the protagonist. And to top it off, Sam Lake also appears as... Sam Lake during Alan Wake's late show interview... See also the [[Take That]] since, for ''Max Payne 1'', Sam Lake did double duty as the basis for Max's face.

** Also, for more [[Mind Screw]] for your buck, the Dark Presence itself which defines and dictates much if not most of the plot of the game.

* [[Author's Saving Throw]]: In-Universe, Alan's only hope to end the madness is to find a way to take back control of the story he's written, but there's a catch. {{spoiler|As he points out, a story ''must'' be true to its own internal logic, which is why he can't just sit down and write himself as an invincible [[Marty Stu]] or that the [[Deus Ex Machina|Care Bears show up and blast away the evil with beams of goodness from their chests.]] Though that might have been an option if he was writing something more like ''[[John Dies at the End]]''.}}

* [[Author's Saving Throw]]: In-Universe, Alan's only hope to end the madness is to find a way to take back control of the story he's written, but there's a catch. {{spoiler|As he points out, a story ''must'' be true to its own internal logic, which is why he can't just sit down and write himself as an invincible [[Marty Stu]] or that the [[Deus Ex Machina|Care Bears show up and blast away the evil with beams of goodness from their chests.]] Though that might have been an option if he was writing something more like ''[[John Dies at the End]]''}}.

* [[Autobots Rock Out]]: Nothing says: 'Let's kill some taken' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPi5G7-Nwys&list=UUsvcxby9YSHl3i-eNu51kEQ&index=1&feature=plcp like a little rock and roll].

* [[Awesome Yet Practical]]: Barry's Christmas lights provide him with a constant shield of protection, and with his headlamp, "I just ''look'' at them and they die!"

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* [[Badass Normal]]: Most of the cast who survives anything more than a single encounter with the Taken.

* [[Badass Grandpa]]s: It is implied that the Anderson brothers had fought the Dark Presence before and were able to hold the Presence back for many years until Alan came. They didn't exactly get away unharmed either; while not crazy (they never actually make up any thing that isn't true), they aren't exactly stable either. Regardless of their involvement with the Dark Presence, their music, rock stage and crazy banter definitely earn them this title.

* [[Badass Unintentional]]: For a writer on vacation, Alan Wake has a hell of a time fighting off the many forms of the Dark Presence, including tornadoes and bulldozers. {{spoiler|Because of [[Reality Warper|the lake]], he's technically a [[Badass Abnormal]].}}

* [[Badass Unintentional]]: For a writer on vacation, Alan Wake has a hell of a time fighting off the many forms of the Dark Presence, including tornadoes and bulldozers. {{spoiler|Because of [[Reality Warper|the lake]], he's technically a [[Badass Abnormal]]}}.

* [[Bag of Spilling]]: Between episodes and sometimes even during them Alan may lose his flashlight, his weapons, or both. In most cases it's justified. It doesn't make it any less annoying. While the weapons don't matter so much, losing a good flashlight for the basic one is a real kick in the pants, and that's often not justified to boot.

* [[Bag of Spilling]]: Between episodes and sometimes even during them, Alan may lose his flashlight, his weapons or both. In most cases, it's justified. It doesn't make it any less annoying. While the weapons don't matter so much, losing a good flashlight for the basic one is a real kick in the pants, and that's often not justified to boot.

** And come on, people. Don't store your loaded sidearm on the dashboard of a car. You mean Alan never found a suitable holster while he was hanging out in a small Washington town? This is just common sense.

*** A small town that is celebrating Deerfest (i.e. hunting season) no less. Meaning there's a very high population of hunters and the stores to support them.

* {{spoiler|[[Battle in the Center of the Mind]]: Both DLC are this, particularly when it's revealed that the 'Alan' the player controls is actually a manifestation of his own rationality, which has to physically fight its way to the emotionally-distraught and self-destructive Wake to help him.}}

* {{spoiler|[[Battle in the Center of the Mind]]: Both DLC are this, particularly when it's revealed that the 'Alan' the player controls is actually a manifestation of his own rationality, which has to physically fight its way to the emotionally-distraught and self-destructive Wake to help him}}.

* [[Beard of Evil]]: In "The Signal" one of the flashbacks Alan has involves Alice suggesting he try to look more menacing for a dustjacket picture, because in the latest book he was going to kill Alex Casey and ought to look "...like a murderer." As a result, she compliments his decision to grow a beard.

* [[Beard of Evil]]: In "The Signal", one of the flashbacks Alan has involves Alice suggesting he try to look more menacing for a dustjacket picture because in the latest book, he was going to kill Alex Casey and ought to look "...like a murderer". As a result, she compliments his decision to grow a beard.

* [[Bear Trap]]: All over the woods. They can be spotted with the flashlight. If you get caught in one, a Taken will spawn to try and score some cheap hits on the incapacitated Alan.

* [[Big Applesauce]]: Alan's apartment is in New York.

* [[Big Bad Ensemble]]: The main antagonists are split between the Dark Presence, Agent Nightingale and {{spoiler|Doctor Hartman}}, but the first one has the most weight over the story. And because [[Evil Is One Big Happy Family|evil is NOT one big happy family]], none of the three are working together. {{spoiler|In fact, it's the Dark Presence that physically kills Hartman and possesses Nightingale.}}

* [[Big Bad Ensemble]]: The main antagonists are split between the Dark Presence, Agent Nightingale and {{spoiler|Doctor Hartman}}, but the first one has the most weight over the story. And because [[Evil Is One Big Happy Family|evil is NOT one big happy family]], none of the three are working together. {{spoiler|In fact, it's the Dark Presence that physically kills Hartman and possesses Nightingale}}.

* [[Big Damn Heroes|Big Damn Hero]]: Alan gets a chance to do this himself late in the game. Sarah and Barry's helicopter has been taken down, so Alan decides specifically to leave the safety of the lit concrete pipe he's traveling in to go help. He arrives as Taken are swarming the other two. Sarah notes "You sure know how to make an entrance. Barry and I were just about to make like [[Bolivian Army Ending|Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.]]"

* [[Big No]]: Alan yells three of these in succession plus screams after learning from the Dark Presence {{spoiler|that Alice drowned in Cauldron Lake}}.

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** The Signal turns the small cellar into a larger boiler room, with LOTS of boilers to take advantage of and earn the "Words Will Never Harm You" achievement in the process by blowing up every single one of them.

* [[Blown Across the Room]]: This tends to happen to the human Taken Alan encounters.

* [[Bond One-Liner]]: When Barry one-hit kills a Taken with a flare gun, he says, "Guess that one saw the light!"

* [[Bond One-Liner]]: When Barry one-hit kills a Taken with a flare gun, he says, "Guess that one saw the light!".

* [[Book Ends]]: Taking into account the main story and the DLCs, Alan begins and ends the game {{spoiler|heading for a lighthouse}}.

** "Alan... wake up."

** "My name is Alan Wake. And I'm a writer."

* [[Break the Cutie]]: {{spoiler|Rose}} never quite recovers after being touched by the Dark Presence.

** It's not just that, either. {{spoiler|Rusty, the man with whom she had secret feelings for (and vise-versa), was murdered by the Dark Presence.}} And as if that and being [[Mind Raped]] weren't enough, {{spoiler|she's apparently being haunted by a possessed Agent Nightingale, who had previously had a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] moment when he comforted her during an interrogation.}}

** It's not just that, either. {{spoiler|Rusty, the man with whom she had secret feelings for (and vise-versa), was murdered by the Dark Presence}}. And as if that and being [[Mind Raped]] weren't enough, {{spoiler|she's apparently being haunted by a possessed Agent Nightingale, who had previously had a [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]] moment when he comforted her during an interrogation}}.

* [[Brick Joke]]: Crossed with a [[Funny Aneurysm Moment]] when you remember Rose's joke about how Ranger Rusty "used to be human, but now he's just black coffee wrapped in skin" after you face him as an [[Elite Mook|elite Taken]]. One of the achievements [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this: "Under a Thin Layer of Skin".

* [[British Brevity]]: Were ''Alan Wake'' an actual TV-series, its total running time of six episodes would remind of a British show rather than a typical American one (with approximately ''20'' episodes per season).

** Perhaps justified since Remedy is a Finnish company and thus may have been influenced by the near by Brits more than the Americans across the pond.

* [[Broken Bird]]: Fittingly enough, {{spoiler|[[Meaningful Name|Agent Nightingale]]. [[All There in the Manual|Outside reading material]] reveals that he used pretty much the exact opposite of how he is in-game, but the loss of his partner to the Dark Presence turned him into the character we see.}}

* [[Broken Bird]]: Fittingly enough, {{spoiler|[[Meaningful Name|Agent Nightingale]]. [[All There in the Manual|Outside reading material]] reveals that he used pretty much the exact opposite of how he is in-game, but the loss of his partner to the Dark Presence turned him into the character we see}}.

* [[Bullet Time]]:

** Usually occurs with a [[Scare Chord]] to warn of incoming enemy ambushes and to signal when the last enemy in a wave has been killed.

** Dodging just before you get hit can also cause a brief spurt of [[Bullet Time]]. You get [[Cosmetic Award|an Achievement]] for pulling off twenty of these.

** Lighting up a flare while surrounded by Taken sometimes causes a sudden slowdown, with the camera dramatically spinning around Alan as the Taken recoil from the sudden light. It's pretty much pure awesome every time this happens, because the ''only'' time it happens is when there's three or more Taken, and Alan is in serious trouble.

** Lighting up a flare while surrounded by Taken sometimes causes a sudden slowdown, with the camera dramatically spinning around Alan as the Taken recoil from the sudden light. It's pretty much pure awesome every time this happens because the ''only'' time it happens is when there's three or more Taken, and Alan is in serious trouble.

* [[Call Back]]: When you first meet the Anderson brothers in the Oh Deer Diner, one of them asks you to play "Coconut" on the jukebox. In Episode 5, at one point you pass the diner. It's unlocked, so you can go in and turn on the jukebox. Guess which song plays. ''And'' it's an achievement.

* [[Call Back]]: When you first meet the Anderson brothers in the Oh Deer Diner, one of them asks you to play "Coconut" on the jukebox. In Episode 5, at one point, you pass the diner. It's unlocked, so you can go in and turn on the jukebox. Guess which song plays. ''And'' it's an achievement.

* [[Came Back Wrong]]: Invoked by name, no less. {{spoiler|Thomas Zane attempted to rewrite his lover Barbara Jagger back to life, but she was corrupted by the Dark Presence}}.

* [[Captain Ersatz]]: Alex Casey, Alan's much beloved hero in his best selling book series, is a fairly clear parallel to Sam Lake's own grumpy detective [[Max Payne (series)|Max Payne]]. Some excerpts from a Casey novel are even read by Max's original voice actor, James McCaffrey.

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** The standee of Alan Wake. It survives a lot and pops up during the plot in unexpected places. If you thought it would be important or at least play some sort of role, the devs got you. It's really a [[Red Herring]].

* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: '''Everyone'''. Seriously, there are no characters introduced in the first chapter that do not turn out to be important in some way. [[Fridge Brilliance]] seeps in when you realize the below examples are true because apart from the sheriff, these are the only people he's met in Bright Falls in the short amount of time he's been in town before {{spoiler|he's forced to write a story about the place. You can bet he'd include more locals into the plot if he could have met them}}.

** That quiet man at the back of the ferry? {{spoiler|He's the kidnapper.}} {{color|white|Or is he?}}

** That quiet man at the back of the ferry? {{spoiler|He's the kidnapper}}. {{color|white|Or is he}}?

** That cool old radio host who wants to interview Alan? {{spoiler|He helps Alan escape Agent Nightingale at one point.}}

** That cool old radio host who wants to interview Alan? {{spoiler|He helps Alan escape Agent Nightingale at one point}}.

** That cheerful waitress who happens to be Alan Wake's biggest fan? {{spoiler|She drugs Alan and Barry under the influence of the Dark Presence.}}

** That cheerful waitress who happens to be Alan Wake's biggest fan? {{spoiler|She drugs Alan and Barry under the influence of the Dark Presence}}.

** That gas station owner who was supposed to give Alan the keys to the cabin? {{spoiler|He gets the honor of becoming the first known elite Taken.}}

** That gas station owner who was supposed to give Alan the keys to the cabin? {{spoiler|He gets the honor of becoming the first known elite Taken}}.

** That friendly park ranger who recommends the coffee? {{spoiler|He becomes the second known elite Taken.}}

** That friendly park ranger who recommends the coffee? {{spoiler|He becomes the second known elite Taken}}.

** Those two crazy, lovable old rockers who put de lime in de coconut? {{spoiler|They allow Alan to escape from the clinic, while pointing him towards the Lady of the Light.}}

** Those two crazy, lovable old rockers who put de lime in de coconut? {{spoiler|They allow Alan to escape from the clinic, while pointing him towards the Lady of the Light}}.

** That smug psychologist with the punchable face? {{spoiler|He tries to trick Alan into believing his wife was just kidnapped, then later kidnaps him and tries to convince him that he's clinically insane and that his wife is dead.}}

** That smug psychologist with the punchable face? {{spoiler|He tries to trick Alan into believing his wife was just kidnapped, then later kidnaps him and tries to convince him that he's clinically insane and that his wife is dead}}.

** That sheriff who found Alan at the gas station? {{spoiler|She helps Alan find the Lady of the Light and may have known about the Dark Presence all along.}}

** That sheriff who found Alan at the gas station? {{spoiler|She helps Alan find the Lady of the Light and may have known about the Dark Presence all along}}.

** That harmless old woman Alan meets in the diner who seems to be afraid of the dark? {{spoiler|She's the Lady of the Light you keep hearing about.}}

** That harmless old woman Alan meets in the diner who seems to be afraid of the dark? {{spoiler|She's the Lady of the Light you keep hearing about}}.

** That floating guy in the diving suit? {{spoiler|He's Thomas Zane, the light that has been guiding you through the game.}}

** That floating guy in the diving suit? {{spoiler|He's Thomas Zane, the light that has been guiding you through the game}}.

* [[Chiaroscuro]]: The Safe Havens act both as healing points and [[Check Point|checkpoints]]. Any enemies in the area will also vanish once you reach them. However, vanish and defeat are two different things. Enemies you haven't killed may reappear after you've left a Safe Haven.

* [[Christianity Is Catholic]]: Averted. The sign outside the Bright Falls Church mentions an upcoming visit by a Presbyterian congregation.

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* [[Cool Old Guy]]:

** Pat Maine, retired cop and current radio host. He gets a mention for calling out Agent Nightingale on his reckless pursuit of Alan Wake, especially after Maine very nearly got shot.

** The Anderson brothers, of course. See [[Badass Grandpa]]s.

** The Anderson brothers, of course. See [[Badass Grandpa]]s above.

* [[Cowboy Cop]]: [[Deconstructed Trope|Deconstructed]]. Agent Nightingale is a rough-around-the-edges, no-nonsense G-man who won't let regulations get in the way of ''justice''...[[Knight Templar|and has the personality]] [[Jerkass|of actual cops]] [[Revenge Before Reason|like this]], and his trigger finger quickly gets everyone in town hating him.

* [[Cowboy Cop]]: [[Deconstructed Trope|Deconstructed]]. Agent Nightingale is a rough-around-the-edges, no-nonsense G-man who won't let regulations get in the way of ''justice''... [[Knight Templar|and has the personality]] [[Jerkass|of actual cops]] [[Revenge Before Reason|like this]], and his trigger finger quickly gets everyone in town hating him.

** Ironically the Novel reveals he was the exact opposite of this trope alongside his partner, to the point where he didn't even touch Alcohol. {{spoiler|His partner was either killed or abducted by the Dark Presence, which turned him into [[The Alcoholic]] [[Cowboy Cop]] we see in the game.}}

** Ironically, the Novel reveals he was the exact opposite of this trope alongside his partner, to the point where he didn't even touch Alcohol. {{spoiler|His partner was either killed or abducted by the Dark Presence, which turned him into [[The Alcoholic]] [[Cowboy Cop]] we see in the game}}.

* [[Crazy Prepared]]:

** {{spoiler|Cynthia}} leaves behind a number of Safe Havens and supply caches as well as a secret way to find them in preparation for the battle against the darkness which the player can take advantage of. There's also the Well-Lit Room, which is so well lit that there are ''absolutely no shadows'' inside it. To keep it that way, {{spoiler|Cynthia}} regularly replaces every single bulb and working part in the room. To add to the crazy part, she's memorized exactly which bulbs need replacing when by serial number, manufacturer and so forth.

** Barry, when fighting Taken, grabs the biggest flashlight he can get his hands on, a headlamp, and wraps himself in Christmas lights for "protection. Like garlic against vampires".

** Barry, when fighting Taken, grabs the biggest flashlight he can get his hands on, a headlamp, and wraps himself in Christmas lights for "protection. Like garlic against vampires."

* [[Creator Cameo]]: Sam Lake appears as a guest on the talk show that Alan also visits.

* [[Creepy Monotone]]: Both {{spoiler|Rose and Alan}}'s voice actors try to do this when under the influence of the Dark Presence.

* [[Critical Existence Failure]]: Averted. If Alan's at low health, the screen becomes black and white and he walks around slouched down and holding his chest, but he does as much damage as ever.

* [[Critical Existence Failure]]: Averted. If Alan's at low health, the screen becomes black and white, and he walks around slouched down and holding his chest, but he does as much damage as ever.

* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: Barry. He's a boorish, slightly overweight New York literary agent. He's also Alan's best friend, and when things start getting trippy he steps up to the plate with gusto.

* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: Barry. He's a boorish, slightly overweight New York literary agent. He's also Alan's best friend, and when things start getting trippy, he steps up to the plate with gusto.

* [[Dark Is Evil]]: [[Captain Obvious|Yeah...]]

* [[Darkness Equals Death]]

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Alan isn't the best example of this, but he's got his moments. Special mention goes to a moment where Barry, after attempting to convince Alan he's nuts, hears the Dark Presence moving through the woods.

{{quote|'''Barry:''' What - what the hell was that? I saw it from the window - I saw - I saw something.

'''Alan:''' Forget about it, Barry. It's just me going crazy. }}

'''Alan:''' Forget about it, Barry. It's just me going crazy.}}

* [[Death by Genre Savviness]]: {{spoiler|Nightingale}} becomes Genre Savvy by reading the manuscript pages. All this really means, though, is that {{spoiler|he realizes that the Dark Presence is going to grab him}} about two seconds before it actually does. Also a case of [[Death by Irony]] since {{spoiler|after Alan escapes from him the second time, he shouts into the night something along the lines of "I'll catch you even if it kills me!"}}

* [[Death by Genre Savviness]]: {{spoiler|Nightingale}} becomes Genre Savvy by reading the manuscript pages. All this really means though is that {{spoiler|he realizes that the Dark Presence is going to grab him}} about two seconds before it actually does. Also a case of [[Death by Irony]] since {{spoiler|after Alan escapes from him the second time, he shouts into the night something along the lines of "I'll catch you even if it kills me!"}}.

* [[Death Seeker]]: By "The Signal" until the end of "The Writer", [[Enemy Within|part of]] Alan has apparently decided that he wants out of the [[And I Must Scream]] situation he's in... by any means necessary.

* [[Deconstructor Fleet]]: Due to the events of ''Departure'' dictating real life, the game takes an in-depth look at fiction and what it must be like to live in a world governed by narrative causality. [[Plot Hole|Plot holes]] and [[Deus Ex Machina|deus ex machinas]] in the book have deadly, menacing causes in the real world, and [[Contrived Coincidence|coincidences that normally would go unremarked-on]] are lampshaded and eventually accepted as a part of life. And that's just the beginning.

* [[Deconstructor Fleet]]: Due to the events of "Departure" dictating real life, the game takes an in-depth look at fiction and what it must be like to live in a world governed by narrative causality. [[Plot Hole|Plot holes]] and [[Deus Ex Machina|deus ex machinas]] in the book have deadly, menacing causes in the real world, and [[Contrived Coincidence|coincidences that normally would go unremarked-on]] are lampshaded and eventually accepted as a part of life. And that's just the beginning.

* [[Deus Ex Machina]]: {{spoiler|Zane attempts to write one for himself by bringing Barbara with no reason and explanation behind it, and as a result... Well, it doesn't end well for him.}}

* [[Deus Ex Machina]]: {{spoiler|Zane attempts to write one for himself by bringing Barbara with no reason and explanation behind it, and as a result... Well, it doesn't end well for him}}.

* [[The Dev Team Thinks of Everything]]:

** Manage to trick a Taken into following you into a Safe Haven? They die instantly.

** Some characters have lines that are only triggered by certain actions, like shining the flashlight in Barry's face.

* [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|Did You Just Rewrite Cthulhu]]: {{spoiler|Alan's master plan}} at Episode ~~Six~~'s conclusion. {{spoiler|"The Signal" shows Alan is a little too [[Mind Rape|busy]] to enact this, but "The Writer" has Alan getting ready to go at it.}}

* [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|Did You Just Rewrite Cthulhu]]: {{spoiler|Alan's master plan}} at Episode 6's conclusion. {{spoiler|"The Signal" shows Alan is a little too [[Mind Rape|busy]] to enact this, but "The Writer" has Alan getting ready to go at it}}.

* [[Difficulty by Region]]: The "Normal" mode of the PC version is actually the "Hard" mode of the Xbox 360 version. Apparently, this was to address the added advantage of the mouse-keyboard setup, as well as fan input that the original Normal mode was too easy.

* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Alan never knew his father. No reason is given for his absence. When Alan was seven years old and suffering from nightmares, his mother gave him the Clicker. She told him that his father gave it to her, making it more mythical in Alan's mind. In The Signal, a raving Alan in one of the televisions admits his denial that he does not care that he never knew his father.

* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Alan never knew his father. No reason is given for his absence. When Alan was seven years old and suffering from nightmares, his mother gave him the Clicker. She told him that his father gave it to her, making it more mythical in Alan's mind. In "The Signal", a raving Alan in one of the televisions admits his denial that he does not care that he never knew his father.

* [[Disconnected Side Area]]: A few areas from the main game cannot be explored until "The Signal" and "The Writer". In The Signal, you get to visit the Oh Deer Diner's bathroom and kitchen. In "The Writer", you get to properly enter and climb {{spoiler|the lighthouse}}.

* [[Disconnected Side Area]]: A few areas from the main game cannot be explored until "The Signal" and "The Writer". In "The Signal", you get to visit the Oh Deer Diner's bathroom and kitchen. In "The Writer", you get to properly enter and climb {{spoiler|the lighthouse}}.

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: Fighting off an unrelenting assault of once-human enemies that have been possessed (or "infected" if you will) on the deserted concert stage of an in-universe classic heavy metal band after switching it on to blast their biggest hit song and spew pyrotechnics everywhere. [[Left 4 Dead|Does that get the old]] [[Valve]]s [[Left 4 Dead|turning in your head]]?

** Oh yeah. It also sounds [[Brutal Legend|metal as hell.]]

* [[Do Not Touch the Funnel Cloud]]: At several points the Dark Presence takes the form of a tornado and chases down Alan but he is still able to run away from it unless it gets too close. Near the end of the game he must get close enough to one to shoot it up with flares. He even has to jump across several platforms to reach it, all while dodging the swirling junk.

* [[Do Not Touch the Funnel Cloud]]: At several points, the Dark Presence takes the form of a tornado and chases down Alan, but he is still able to run away from it unless it gets too close. Near the end of the game, he must get close enough to one to shoot it up with flares. He even has to jump across several platforms to reach it, all while dodging the swirling junk.

* [[Doppelganger]]: {{spoiler|Mr. Scratch, Alan's}} physical clone.

* [[Dream Apocalypse]]:

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* [[Driving Game]]: At times, Alan will be able to use a car to get places rather then having to walk there.

* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: All but outright stated to be the culprit throughout. [[H.P. Lovecraft|HP Lovecraft]] is given plenty of lip service.

* [[Eldritch Location]]: {{spoiler|The Dark Place at the end and in the DLC is really, ''really'' weird.}}

* [[Eldritch Location]]: {{spoiler|The Dark Place at the end and in the DLC is really, ''really'' weird}}.

* [[Elite Mooks]]: Some of the Taken are more powerful than others. It takes much longer to burn off the darkness protecting them, some of them can turn invisible and run around you at high speed, and some are big and have nasty weapons.

* [[Enemy Within]]: {{spoiler|Dark Alan}} from ~~the~~ Signal DLC is {{spoiler|Alan's psychotic [[Jerkass Woobie]]}} side '''[[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|turned up]] [[Death Seeker|to eleven]]'''.

* [[Enemy Within]]: {{spoiler|Dark Alan}} from "The Signal" DLC is {{spoiler|Alan's psychotic [[Jerkass Woobie]]}} side '''[[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|turned up]] [[Death Seeker|to eleven]]'''.

* [[Escort Mission]]:

** Played straight and inverted ''simultaneously''. At one point in Episode 2, Alan loses his gun but is saved by Mott, {{spoiler|the kidnapper}}. Mott has a gun, but refuses to give it to Alan, instead giving him flares. The next part of the level requires you destroy the darkness on the Taken so Mott can blast them.

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** {{spoiler|It is implied that Zane actually wrote some of Wake's life before vanishing}}.

* [[Equivalent Exchange]]: Alan buys Alice's freedom from the Dark Presence by {{spoiler|taking her place at the bottom of the lake}}. He even states that a lack of equivalent exchange is {{spoiler|what caused Barbara to [[Came Back Wrong|come back wrong]]}}.

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: The {{spoiler|not}} kidnapper is merely referred to as "the kidnapper" throughout the game. You don't find what his actual name is [[All There in the Manual|unless you find the relevant pages of the manuscript]]. {{spoiler|It's Mott.}}

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: The {{spoiler|not}} kidnapper is merely referred to as "the kidnapper" throughout the game. You don't find what his actual name is [[All There in the Manual|unless you find the relevant pages of the manuscript]]. {{spoiler|It's Mott}}.

* [[Everything Fades]]: Almost immediately. [[Deconstruction|It really creeps Alan out.]]

* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: Poltergeist objects, ordinary objects that are touched by the Dark Presence and are flung at the player.

* [[Evil Me Scares Me|Evil Me Annoys Me]]: {{spoiler|Dark Alan}}

* [[Evil Me Scares Me|Evil Me Annoys Me]]: {{spoiler|Dark Alan}}.

* [[Exploding Barrels]]: Propane tanks are one of the few things that hurt you as well as the Taken when they explode.

* [[Face Heel Turn]]:

** In "The Signal" and "The Writer", {{spoiler|Dark Alan}} does this in regard {{spoiler|[[Death Seeker|to himself]].}}

** In "The Signal" and "The Writer", {{spoiler|Dark Alan}} does this in regard {{spoiler|[[Death Seeker|to himself]]}}.

** Also in said DLC, {{spoiler|Imaginary Barry was initially disappointed that Alan chose to follow Zane instead of him in escaping his mind, then pushed over the edge when he realized that [[Dream Apocalypse|Alan's waking up would erase him from existence]].}}

** Also in said DLC, {{spoiler|Imaginary Barry was initially disappointed that Alan chose to follow Zane instead of him in escaping his mind, then pushed over the edge when he realized that [[Dream Apocalypse|Alan's waking up would erase him from existence]]}}.

* [[Fake Band]]: The Old Gods of Asgard, played by the real life band [[Poets of the Fall]]. [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] by the radio host who comments that for some reason Poets of the Fall reminds him of the Old Gods of Asgard.

* [[False Friend]]:

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** "The Writer" ends with Alan battling {{spoiler|Imaginary Barry who has become pissed off that Alan is following Thomas Zane instead of him}}, backed up by similar projections of {{spoiler|Dr. Hartman, the Anderson Brothers who wield their "axes" as weapons}}, and an endless legion of crows.

* [[Flare Gun]]: Against the [[Logical Weakness|light-hating enemies]], this is functionally equivalent to a rocket launcher, easily destroying whole groups of weaker enemies and producing enough light to drive away any survivors. You won't find much ammo for it, but it comes in very handy when you get swarmed.

** Episode ~~Six~~ is an exception, [[Suspicious Videogame Generosity|where plenty of ammo becomes available for it]].

** Episode 6 is an exception, [[Suspicious Videogame Generosity|where plenty of ammo becomes available for it]].

* [[Flash Back]]:

** Used to flesh out Alan's relationship with Alice.

** The entire game can be thought of as one huge flashback considering {{spoiler|Alan's eventual fate}} as well as Alan's interactions with himself through the televisions.

* [[Amulet of Dependency|Flashlight Of Dependency]]: Alan's flashlight fends off the Taken and Dark-touched objects. While his pistol and other weapons are important, they would be completely useless without using the flashlight to neutralize the Darkness first. The flares and flashbang grenades can also apply.

* [[Flawless Victory]]: "Night Life In Bright Falls", "The Signal", and "The Writer" all have achievements for getting through them in one go without dying or reloading a checkpoint. They are likely the game's most difficult achievements, with Signal's being the toughest.

* [[Flawless Victory]]: "Night Life In Bright Falls", "The Signal" and "The Writer" all have achievements for getting through them in one go without dying or reloading a checkpoint. They are likely the game's most difficult achievements, with "The Signal"'s being the toughest.

** The Signal gets extra asshole points for placing a bunch of the "tools" words next to bottomless pits, causing the supplies that fall out of them to most likely bounce or roll into the pit and possibly kill any players trying to grab them in time.

** "The Signal" gets extra asshole points for placing a bunch of the "tools" words next to bottomless pits, causing the supplies that fall out of them to most likely bounce or roll into the pit and possibly kill any players trying to grab them in time.

* [[Fling a Light Into the Future]]: Quite literally in the case of {{spoiler|Zane's}} [[Xanatos Gambit|gambit]] involving the Well-Lit Room and {{spoiler|his shoebox}}.

* [[Foreshadowing]]:

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* [[Gainax Ending]]: Arguably. It's deliberately ambiguous and open-ended.

* [[Gargle Blaster]]: Two aged rockers created a bunch of moonshine using water from the decidedly mystical lake in the center of Bright Falls. Not only does it get you totally drunk, but there's a high probability of you tripping out on the stuff. As Barry puts it: "I feel like my brain is comin' outta my nose."

* [[GASP]]: This first happened in the beginning of the game when the hitchhiker Alan runs over disappears. Afterward this usually occurs after Alan wakes up from a nightmare.

* [[GASP]]: This first happened in the beginning of the game when the hitchhiker Alan runs over disappears. Afterward, this usually occurs after Alan wakes up from a nightmare.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Alan. It's a borderline superpower given the setting. Then again, he is a writer {{spoiler|and did write the story}} so it's probably justified.

* [[Genre Savvy]]: Alan. It's a borderline superpower given the setting. Then again, he is a writer {{spoiler|and did write the story}}, so it's probably justified.

** It also becomes apparent that Sheriff Breaker is pretty genre savvy as well. Aside from curbing Nightingale's [[Cowboy Cop]] tendencies, she is also {{spoiler|aware that the lake has some unusual effects on their surroundings, and has plans in place to deal with them.}} Plus, {{spoiler|she doesn't even ask questions when Alan starts talking about the Taken. Her most important question essentially amounts to "How do we kill them?"}}

** It also becomes apparent that Sheriff Breaker is pretty genre savvy as well. Aside from curbing Nightingale's [[Cowboy Cop]] tendencies, she is also {{spoiler|aware that the lake has some unusual effects on their surroundings, and has plans in place to deal with them}}. Plus, {{spoiler|she doesn't even ask questions when Alan starts talking about the Taken. Her most important question essentially amounts to "How do we kill them?"}}.

* [[Genre Shift]]: This happens indirectly in the game with direct consequences. {{spoiler|While Alan was writing his manuscript at the cabin under the influence of the Dark Presence, the Dark Presence heavily edited it to change the genre into a horror story, giving it more power}}.

* [[Geographic Flexibility]]: Bright Falls is apparently the kind of town where "everybody knows everybody", but the town and surrounding area have a dormant volcano, a logging camp, a national park, an abandoned mill, a radio station, a coal mine converted into a museum, a psychologist's lodge, ''two'' ghost towns, a decommissioned power plant, and a large dam. Given that the game is set in [[The Other Rainforest|the Pacific Northwest]], this isn't as far-fetched as it sounds.

* [[Geographic Flexibility]]: Bright Falls is apparently the kind of town where "everybody knows everybody", but the town and surrounding area have a dormant volcano, a logging camp, a national park, an abandoned mill, a radio station, a coal mine converted into a museum, a psychologist's lodge, ''two'' ghost towns, a decommissioned power plant and a large dam. Given that the game is set in [[The Other Rainforest|the Pacific Northwest]], this isn't as far-fetched as it sounds.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: You can find "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Tivpqdc_SEA#t=729s Skanky Ho]" branded sunglasses in the stores around the game.

* [[Good Hurts Evil]]: [[Light Is Good]], and [[Dark Is Evil]]. Taken will cover their face and stumble back when hit with the flashlight no matter where you get them. Flashbang grenades will also [[One-Hit Kill|kill normal Taken instantly]]. Played with using the flare gun; anyone would be seriously hurt if shot with one, but it is like the [[James Bond|Golden Gun]] when fighting Ravens or Elite Taken.

* [[Good Hurts Evil]]: [[Light Is Good]] and [[Dark Is Evil]]. Taken will cover their face and stumble back when hit with the flashlight no matter where you get them. Flashbang grenades will also [[One-Hit Kill|kill normal Taken instantly]]. Played with using the flare gun; anyone would be seriously hurt if shot with one, but it is like the [[James Bond|Golden Gun]] when fighting Ravens or Elite Taken.

* [[Gotta Catch Em All]]:

** Many collectibles here including manuscript pages, coffee thermoses, can pyramids, chests, radio shows, TV shows, and signs. Many of these require the player to stray off the obvious path.

** Many collectibles here including manuscript pages, coffee thermoses, can pyramids, chests, radio shows, TV shows and signs. Many of these require the player to stray off the obvious path.

** "The Signal" DLC has you collecting alarm clocks and finding cardboard Alan Wake standees.

** "The Writer" DLC has you picking up ''Night Springs'' video game copies.

* [[Got Volunteered]]: Barry often gets Alan to do all of the hard tasks between them. Then again, Alan really cannot complain since he is the protagonist {{spoiler|of the story he created that is coming to life in Bright Falls}}.

* [[Guns in Church]]: Given a nod with a sign outside the Bright Falls Church that explicitly states, "No concealed firearms allowed."

* [[Guns in Church]]: Given a nod with a sign outside the Bright Falls Church that explicitly states, "No concealed firearms allowed".

* [[Harder Than Hard]]: Nightmare difficulty, in which not only do enemies do and take twice as much damage, it takes over twice as long to burn their shadows away. Most of your time on Nightmare will be spent dropping flares and running like mad.

* [[Hazardous Water]]: Cauldron Lake as the Dark Presence resides there, yet the Anderson brothers ''still'' put it in their moonshine.

* [[Healing Checkpoint]]: Safe Havens in ''American Nightmare'' heal you. In the original game you have [[Regenerating Health]], but Safe Havens make you regenerate more quickly.

* [[Healing Checkpoint]]: Safe Havens in ''American Nightmare'' heal you. In the original game, you have [[Regenerating Health]], but Safe Havens make you regenerate more quickly.

* [[The Heartless]]:

** The Taken, the [[mook]]s of [[Made of Evil|the Dark Presence]], fall into this category quite well: They're shells of people animated by darkness. One manuscript page suggests that their mind as well as body has been Taken from them. A TV episode suggests another possibility altogether.

** {{spoiler|Barbara Jagger}} is literally this after {{spoiler|a distraught Thomas Zane, realizing that she [[Came Back Wrong]] after writing her back into existence, carved her heart out. The hole in her chest even goes through her black clothing.}}

** {{spoiler|Barbara Jagger}} is literally this after {{spoiler|a distraught Thomas Zane, realizing that she [[Came Back Wrong]] after writing her back into existence, carved her heart out. The hole in her chest even goes through her black clothing}}.

* [[Heavy Mithril]]: The two songs by Old Gods of Asgard imply that they're this. Their name and their decorating tastes pretty much confirms it. Also, [[Poets of the Fall]], which even has a song that's playing in the middle of one of the more difficult fights in the game.

** It's worth mentioning that the two songs by the Old Gods are performed by Poets of the Fall.

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* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]:

** In order to save Alice and defeat the Dark Presence, {{spoiler|Alan stays behind in the lake to uphold the [[Equivalent Exchange]]}}.

** In order to stop the Dark Presence in his time, {{spoiler|Thomas Zane wrote himself and everything involved with him out of existence. He did, however, add a loophole...}}

** In order to stop the Dark Presence in his time, {{spoiler|Thomas Zane wrote himself and everything involved with him out of existence. He did, however, add a loophole}}...

* [[Hollywood Darkness]]: Semi-justified though; in the backwoods where the game take place away from the buildings and light pollution of the city and under the bright moon, you can actually see about as well as Alan can sans flashlight.

* [[Hollywood Healing]]:

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*** He also seemingly stuffs the shotguns and rifle into his pockets.

*** To be fair, he does have three jackets on.

** Taken who throw weapons will ''never'' run out of hammers, axes, or knives. This is most likely due to being Taken, as they can readily teleport thanks to the Dark Presence.

** Taken who throw weapons will ''never'' run out of hammers, axes or knives. This is most likely due to being Taken, as they can readily teleport thanks to the Dark Presence.

* [[Idiot Ball]]:

** Suuuuure, Alan, going into the ''very'' dark trailer owned by the monotone-speaking person who knows you're looking for manuscript pages even though you never told them is [[Sarcasm Mode|obviously the smart thing to do]]! Made far, far worse by the fact he's [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] ''considering he wrote it.'' How many times does he fall for the oldest horror story tricks in the book, again?

** Suuuuure, Alan, going into the ''very'' dark trailer owned by the monotone-speaking person who knows you're looking for manuscript pages, even though you never told them is [[Sarcasm Mode|obviously the smart thing to do]]! Made far, far worse by the fact he's [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] ''considering he wrote it''. How many times does he fall for the oldest horror story tricks in the book, again?

*** But then again, remember the rules of the setting - it's a setting ruled by the letter of the manuscript. Thus, even if he didn't want to, he would have to abide by what was written anyway. Also, it may very well be that the poor writing/justification of the scene as written the manuscript is the very reason the person in the trailer was Taken in the first place.

** Alan and Barry have just fought off wave after wave of murderous Taken. They know the Taken only come out at night and that dawn is still hours away, so what do they do? Get hammered on moonshine. {{spoiler|While they were not attacked by the Dark Presence, they get arrested by Agent Nightingale and thrown into the Sheriff's jail with one hell of a hangover.}}

** Alan and Barry have just fought off wave after wave of murderous Taken. They know the Taken only come out at night and that dawn is still hours away, so what do they do? Get hammered on moonshine. {{spoiler|While they were not attacked by the Dark Presence, they get arrested by Agent Nightingale and thrown into the Sheriff's jail with one hell of a hangover}}.

*** Well, they ''do'' get hammered on moonshine in a well-lit house {{spoiler|that happens to be owned by two guys who are very experienced at battling Taken}}.

* [[I Have Your Wife]]: Spoken nearly word for word by the {{spoiler|fake}} kidnapper and later by the Dark Presence.

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** Subverted with Sheriff Breaker, who's pretty good with her shotgun but won't hesitate to pump rounds into Taken who still have darkness shields up.

** Averted with the Taken and their thrown weapons. They are downright surgical with those things.

** {{spoiler|The kidnapper}} is a terrible shot, to the point that you will agree with Alan when he shouts "GIVE ME THE GUN!"

** {{spoiler|The kidnapper}} is a terrible shot, to the point that you will agree with Alan when he shouts "GIVE ME THE GUN!".

* [[Improvised Weapon]]: Anything and everything that creates light, from flashlights to flares to military-grade searchlights to Christmas lights. Not to mention [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|an entire stage of lights and pyrotechnics!]]

* [[I'm Your Biggest Fan]]: Rose, the waitress at the Oh Deer Diner. She's even got a life-sized cardboard cutout of Alan Wake right in her diner.

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*** If you want to be even more meta, thanks to the spoilers and needing to highlight them to see them...

* [[Indy Escape]]: This occurs near the end of the game when Alan is on a car bridge dodging and destroying various objects as well as trying not to fall through loose planks.

* [[Indy Ploy]]: "I had no real plan." Alan admits this to himself while on his way to meet the kidnapper for the third time. He also admits this while {{spoiler|traveling toward the final showdown with the Dark Presence.}}

* [[Indy Ploy]]: "I had no real plan." Alan admits this to himself while on his way to meet the kidnapper for the third time. He also admits this while {{spoiler|traveling toward the final showdown with the Dark Presence}}.

* [[Ineffectual Death Threats]]: The kidnapper keeps issuing threats to Alan that he will kill Alice if he does not get the manuscript. It's later discovered that {{spoiler|the kidnapper never had Alice and was just working under Hartman's plan to take and publish Departure}}.

* [[Infinite Flashlight]]/[[Ten-Second Flashlight]]:

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* [[Jerkass]]:

** To some extent this applies to Alan. He's got a rather volatile temper.

*** And given the internal (or whatever) monologue given by both Alans in The Writer, he's aware that he can be this.

*** And given the internal (or whatever) monologue given by both Alans in "The Writer", he's aware that he can be this.

** Agent Nightingale definitely qualifies, as the townsfolk can attest to.

** The kidnapper practically goes out of his way to insult Alan and threaten to kill Alice.

* [[Journey to the Center of the Mind]]: The first two DLC packs, "The Signal" and "The Writer", follow Alan's journey through the Dark Place... which is his mind. [[Mind Screw|Sort of.]]

* [[Jump Scare]]: Thankfully this game generally avoids using these, save for when {{spoiler|Barbara Jagger}} appears right in front of the camera in a cutscene. Also unknowingly stepping on a bear trap is guaranteed to send most players leaping out of their seats.

** Although, there is one instance near the start of ~~chapter~~ 2: ~~When~~ Alan is making his way down to Lover's Peak from the cabin, as you walk down the road a bin to your right will, without warning, explode in the loudest way possible, which will make you absolutely [[Bring My Brown Pants|soil yourself]], even if you're prepared.

** Although, there is one instance near the start of Episode 2: when Alan is making his way down to Lover's Peak from the cabin, as you walk down the road a bin to your right will, without warning, explode in the loudest way possible, which will make you absolutely [[Bring My Brown Pants|soil yourself]], even if you're prepared.

** Also, in the same area, if you walk into one of the empty houses, you may randomly take damage. Made even scarier if watching the ''[[Show Within a Show|Night Springs]]'' episode and it happens during that.

** Any time you walk into a puddle of darkness you haven't seen yet counts too.

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* [[Lock and Load Montage]]: Happens to Barry offscreen (via a manuscript page) in the Bright Falls General Store.

* [[Loophole Abuse]]: When {{spoiler|Zane}} wrote himself out of existence, he said that anything of his in {{spoiler|a shoebox}} would remain. This includes {{spoiler|[[Chekhov's Gun|his books in the cabin, the manuscript page, and the Clicker in the Well-Lit Room]]}}. Invoked since he made the loophole specifically ''to'' abuse it.

* [[Lovecraft Country]]: It's on [[The Other Rainforest|the other side of America]], though.

* [[Lovecraft Country]]: It's on [[The Other Rainforest|the other side of America]] though.

* [[Madness Mantra]]:

** The Taken often growl rhetoric at you themed after their clothing or occupation. A handyman, for example, might babble auto repair tips to you.

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* [[The Maze]]: Alan has to go through a hedge maze in the garden of the Cauldron Lake Lodge, fighting Taken along the way.

* [[Meaningful Name]]: The aforementioned initials of the protagonist ([[Mind Screw|and his wife]]). But there's also Sheriff Breaker - as in the electrical component.

* [[Medium Awareness]]: Played with. {{spoiler|The characters realize they're in Alan's book, but not that they're within a video game.}}

* [[Medium Awareness]]: Played with. {{spoiler|The characters realize they're in Alan's book, but not that they're within a video game}}.

** It gets even more meta once you notice the game is formed to resemble a season of TV series.

* [[Meta Fiction]]:

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** The manuscript page titled "Wake Reads a Page". Here it is in its full glory:

{{quote|'''Alan Wake, reading:''' "I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it, I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it, I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it, I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it, I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it, I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it."}}

** The ending has {{spoiler|Alan trapped in the cabin writing a manuscript...}} the same thing that happened at the beginning. Combined with the odd rewinding clock, this may mean that {{spoiler|Alan, upon finishing the manuscript, writes that he erases the whole thing and starts a new better manuscript, locking him and the Presence in a loop}} while the rest of the world can continue normally.

** The ending has {{spoiler|Alan trapped in the cabin writing a manuscript}}... the same thing that happened at the beginning. Combined with the odd rewinding clock, this may mean that {{spoiler|Alan, upon finishing the manuscript, writes that he erases the whole thing and starts a new better manuscript, locking him and the Presence in a loop}} while the rest of the world can continue normally.

** Let's not even get started on the live action prequel ''Bright Falls''...

* [[Minecart Madness]]: Only one of which happens with an actual minecart. Otherwise done with cable cars.

* [[Missing Time]]: One moment, Alan's diving into Cauldron Lake to save Alice, the next, he's in his crashed car hanging over a cliff a week later. He later finds out {{spoiler|He spent that week writing ''Departure'' under the influence of the Dark Presence.}}

* [[Missing Time]]: One moment, Alan's diving into Cauldron Lake to save Alice, the next, he's in his crashed car hanging over a cliff a week later. He later finds out {{spoiler|he spent that week writing ''Departure'' under the influence of the Dark Presence}}.

* [[Monster Sob Story]]: Poor {{spoiler|Dark Alan}}.

* [[Most Writers Are Writers]]: The game is basically built around this trope, both in itself and in-universe.

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** And in some cases, the fog will occasionally create silhouettes of things that aren't there, such as multiple-story-tall monstrous things, odd shaped people, or other weird things.

* [[One Bullet Clips]]: Justified, as none of the guns use magazines, and so each bullet has to be loaded one at a time.

* [[One-Hit Kill]]: Flareguns, especially if fired at a group of tightly clustered Taken, next to shooting the propane tanks, flashbang grenades, and clearing the boiler room at the church's basement in "The Signal". {{spoiler|The lighthouse in "The Writer" on open spaces after clearing away the blocking boulders, and it's very satisfying to see a large group of Taken disintegrate as they try to bumrush Alan. The downside: it's a lighthouse, so the light sweeps. The upside: two beams, so Alan's fine as long he has extra flares, flashbang grenades, and batteries as backup.}}

* [[One-Hit Kill]]: Flareguns, especially if fired at a group of tightly clustered Taken, next to shooting the propane tanks, flashbang grenades, and clearing the boiler room at the church's basement in "The Signal". {{spoiler|The lighthouse in "The Writer" on open spaces after clearing away the blocking boulders, and it's very satisfying to see a large group of Taken disintegrate as they try to bumrush Alan. The downside: it's a lighthouse, so the light sweeps. The upside: two beams, so Alan's fine as long he has extra flares, flashbang grenades, and batteries as backup}}.

** The flare gun and flashbangs are so powerful they're essentially a "No, I don't want to partake in this encounter, thank you" button.

* [[Open Says Me]]: Alan kicks at least a few doors/boards down. Luckily for him, the doors and their frames are usually old, and not as strong as they would be.

* [[The Other Rainforest]]: Remedy took literally ''thousands'' of photos of Washington state to ensure that Bright Falls looked authentic. Note that Remedy is a Finnish company so they would have had to [[Doing It for the Art|travel half-way around the world to do so]].

** Well yes, Remedy is from Finland. Which means that they are ''the'' right people to consult on how to do design and construct a town like Bright Falls in a state such as Washington in the first place. Finland is extremely well known for its own endless forest ranges, and so is the rest of Scandinavia (Denmark aside). They wouldn't really have to travel halfway around the world to get the idea; they ''were'' in the idea all along, and it truly shows in the game.

** Well, yes, Remedy is from Finland. Which means that they are ''the'' right people to consult on how to do design and construct a town like Bright Falls in a state such as Washington in the first place. Finland is extremely well known for its own endless forest ranges, and so is the rest of Scandinavia (Denmark aside). They wouldn't really have to travel halfway around the world to get the idea; they ''were'' in the idea all along, and it truly shows in the game.

*** Culturally Finland is a lot like the Northwestern US too, with past time activities such as hunting and fishing, the love of coffee and whatnot. In fact, one should not be surprised if most of those Twin Peaks -like character quirks you see in the game was Remedy simply inserting stuff they see everyday back at home.

*** Culturally, Finland is a lot like the Northwestern US too, with past time activities such as hunting and fishing, the love of coffee and whatnot. In fact, one should not be surprised if most of those ''Twin Peaks''-like character quirks you see in the game was Remedy simply inserting stuff they see everyday back at home.

** There's also the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIG1xnYdlFo Poets of the Fall music video for "War"], which was shot in Finland, but you really couldn't tell it from the game location just by looking at it. Sort of nails the point of Finland and Washington state being alike. '''A lot'''.

* [[Our Zombies Are Different]]: The Taken have a lot in common with traditional zombies, being former humans reduced to an undead puppet state. However, their ability to appear out of thin air and (as shown by Stucky) even teleport around gives them a phantasmal element as well. They're also crazy fast and a lot smarter in combat than most other survival horror zombie enemies.

* [[Overprotective Dad]]: On the way to the Anderson farm, there is a secret stash in a house. After leaving the house, a Taken greets you with "You stay away from my daughter!"

* [[Overprotective Dad]]: On the way to the Anderson farm, there is a secret stash in a house. After leaving the house, a Taken greets you with "You stay away from my daughter!".

* [[Passing the Torch]]: The ending implies that {{spoiler|Rose}} has taken over for {{spoiler|Cynthia as the new Lady of the Light}}.

* [[Perma-Stubble]]: Alan. Notably, he's clean-shaven during the flashbacks.

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* [[Pretentious Latin Motto]]: The phrase written on the sundial at Dr. Hartman's clinic says "In tenebras cadere", which roughly translates to "To fall into darkness".

** Justified, as it was created by a certain {{spoiler|Thomas Zane}}.

* [["Previously On..."]]: The game is set up as if it was a television show, complete with both [[Cliff Hanger]] endings cutting to a relevant song and "Previously on Alan Wake" segments to explain the story so far.

* [["Previously On..."]]: The game is set up as if it was a television show, complete with both [[Cliff Hanger]] endings cutting to a relevant song and "Previously on ''Alan Wake''" segments to explain the story so far.

* [[Primal Fear]]: This game plays up fear of the dark for all its worth.

* [[Product Placement]]:

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** Barry as well. When he isn't able to contact either Alan or Alice for a week, he immediately heads for Bright Falls.

* [[Psychological Horror]]

* [[Railing Kill|Railing Fall]]: While meeting with the kidnapper on a wooden viewing balcony, at one point Alan punches the kidnapper hard enough to break the railing he's leaning against and send them ''both'' falling to the ground below.

* [[Railing Kill|Railing Fall]]: While meeting with the kidnapper on a wooden viewing balcony, at one point, Alan punches the kidnapper hard enough to break the railing he's leaning against and send them ''both'' falling to the ground below.

* [[Railroad Tracks of Doom]]:

** Upon Alan's arrival in Bright Falls, a train crosses the railroad bridge the ferry passes under.

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** Inverted:

{{quote|'''Tor Anderson:''' It takes crazy to know [[Mind Screw|crazy]]!

'''Alan Wake:''' That's the sanest thing I've heard in a while. }}

'''Alan Wake:''' That's the sanest thing I've heard in a while.}}

** Played brutally straight in "The Signal" and "The Writer" {{spoiler|where Alan has gone completely insane and self-destructive, and the protagonist is the rational part of his mind trying to bring him back to his senses}}.

** Played brutally straight in "The Signal" and "The Writer", {{spoiler|where Alan has gone completely insane and self-destructive, and the protagonist is the rational part of his mind trying to bring him back to his senses}}.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: Washington's mountains and pine forests are beautiful, both during the day and at night.

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: At one point in Episode 4 that sticks Alan without weapons, he gets chased down a path by a trio of Taken toward a Safe Haven. Halfway to the Haven, there's a generator-powered light. However, the Taken are accurate with their weapons and fast enough that you won't have time to start the generator before they attack you; not that you'd know that on your first playthrough.

* [[Schmuck Bait]]: At one point, in Episode 4 that sticks Alan without weapons, he gets chased down a path by a trio of Taken toward a Safe Haven. Halfway to the Haven, there's a generator-powered light. However, the Taken are accurate with their weapons and fast enough that you won't have time to start the generator before they attack you; not that you'd know that on your first playthrough.

* [[Screw the War, We're Partying|Screw the Darkness, We're Partying]]: After fighting off Taken people and vehicles, Alan and Barry make it to the Anderson house. Barry then finds the brothers' moonshine.

{{quote|'''Barry:''' Hey, Al. Lots of hours before dawn. Might as well get some rest. And by rest, I mean drunk.

'''Alan:''' Come on, Barry. This is -- Yeah, what the hell. }}

'''Alan:''' Come on, Barry. This is -- Yeah, what the hell.}}

* [[Screw Destiny|Screw The Manuscript,]] [[Screw the Rules, I Make Them|I Write It!]]: {{spoiler|Zane}} wrote himself and everything he created out of existence to stop the Dark Presence but purposefully put in a loophole to pass knowledge on.

* [[Security Blanket]]: When he was young, Alan was afraid of the dark, so his mom gave him a light switch called "the Clicker" to drive the monsters away. {{spoiler|At the end of Episode 5, Alan finds the Clicker in a shoebox with a page written by Thomas Zane that basically gives it the power to defeat the Dark Presence.}}

* [[Security Blanket]]: When he was young, Alan was afraid of the dark, so his mom gave him a light switch called "the Clicker" to drive the monsters away. {{spoiler|At the end of Episode 5, Alan finds the Clicker in a shoebox with a page written by Thomas Zane that basically gives it the power to defeat the Dark Presence}}.

* [[Self-Deprecation]]:

** Emerson, one of the patients in Hartman's clinic, is a video game developer. He tries to scare people by "sneaking" up on them in plain view muttering "Scary, scary, scary, scary, BOO!" You can find him again soon afterward, where he's babbling a series of amusing [[Take That]]s at producers and writers. Also counts as a [[Take That]] against practically all past horror games that use the slasher/gore style of horror where things are scary because they're gross and unexpected. Did we mention that his room has an Xbox 360 and a copy of the ''Night Springs'' video game?

** Emerson, one of the patients in Hartman's clinic, is a video game developer. He tries to scare people by "sneaking" up on them in plain view muttering "Scary, scary, scary, scary, BOO!". You can find him again soon afterward, where he's babbling a series of amusing [[Take That]]s at producers and writers. Also counts as a [[Take That]] against practically all past horror games that use the slasher/gore style of horror where things are scary because they're gross and unexpected. Did we mention that his room has an Xbox 360 and a copy of the ''Night Springs'' video game?

** Dr. Hartman's reaction to Emerson adds to the self-deprecation. His voice is full of disdain when he mentions that Emerson makes video games, and he says that Emerson is allowed to stay at his clinic for artists because making video games takes "some small creative effort". It is also a [[Take That]] against critics who say video games aren't artistic (if not art). After all, this is a game that draws heavily upon some critically acclaimed pieces of media as well as drawing from media that are huge [[Mind Screw]]s. So this is a [[Mind Screw]] [[Take That]] [[Self-Deprecation]] joke.

* [[Sequel Hook]]:

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* [[Smug Snake]]: Dr. Emil Hartman attempted to convince Alan that he is one of his patients in order to get him to continue writing the manuscript. Alan distrusted him from the get-go, so he never had a chance.

* [[Spiritual Successor]]: To ''[[Max Payne (series)|Max Payne]]''.

* [[Spooky Painting]]: Alan sees several of these around Cauldron Lake Lodge and many more stashed in Dr. Hartman's office, {{spoiler|after Alan is committed there}}. They were painted by a patient at the lodge, who tells Alan that he could not find inspiration to paint until Alan arrived. Earlier in the scenario Dr. Hartman tells Alan that the patient's paintings have been dark in theme since he started painting again.

* [[Spooky Painting]]: Alan sees several of these around Cauldron Lake Lodge and many more stashed in Dr. Hartman's office, {{spoiler|after Alan is committed there}}. They were painted by a patient at the lodge, who tells Alan that he could not find inspiration to paint until Alan arrived. Earlier in the scenario, Dr. Hartman tells Alan that the patient's paintings have been dark in theme since he started painting again.

* [[Sprint Meter]]: An invisible one. Sprinting for too long causes Alan's speed to drop before eventually he's barely running. Standing still in this state causes Alan to put his hands on his knees and pant a while.

* [[Stand Your Ground]]: [[Tactical Withdrawal|Unless at low health and/or a Safe Haven is nearby]], Alan will face Taken and poltergeists of all kinds. This especially applies to the battle at the Anderson stage.

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* [[Super Drowning Skills]]: Jumping into water results in instant death. This is even lampshaded in the first episode, and somewhat justified given that Cauldron Lake is the domain of a particularly nasty [[Eldritch Abomination]].

* [[Survival Horror]]: Though given one discussion over at Gamasutra, your mileage may vary on whether Alan Wake is survival horror or whether it would be better to call it a psychological thriller. The distinction being along the lines of Halloween versus The Shining. In some ways, Alan Wake is best played like ''[[System Shock]] 2'' or ''[[BioShock (series)]]'' rather than ''[[Max Payne (series)|Max Payne]]'' [[Recycled in Space|in the woods]].

** A discussion that seemingly isn't hampered by the fact that Alan Wake bills itself, right on the very cover, as a Psychological Action Thriller. It isn't helped that some game reviewers / websites take any remotely scary game and slap "survival horror" on it, then complain that it isn't scary or horror enough.

** A discussion that seemingly isn't hampered by the fact that Alan Wake bills itself, right on the very cover, as a Psychological Action Thriller. It isn't helped that some game reviewers/websites take any remotely scary game and slap "survival horror" on it, then complain that it isn't scary or horror enough.

* [[Suspiciously Apropos Music]]: During the set piece where you fight on a stage in the middle of the field as music plays. Without spoiling too much, let's just say that this is one of the few cases that this is a [[Justified Trope]].

* [[Take That]]:

** A subtle one. As mentioned above, the character from [[Story Within a Story|Alan's books, Alex Casey]], is an [[Captain Ersatz|Erzatz]] of Max Payne. In the last book Alan wrote he killed off Alex, seeming to imply that Sam Lake has washed his hands off the character and wants no part in ''Max Payne 3'', which is being developed by Rockstar Vancouver rather than Remedy (and that interpretation would seem to imply that, in turn, ''Max Payne'' has technically become a [[Franchise Zombie]] to him.). For that matter, Thomas Zane and Alex Casey are voiced by Max Payne's voice actor.

** A subtle one. As mentioned above, the character from [[Story Within a Story|Alan's books, Alex Casey]], is an [[Captain Ersatz|Erzatz]] of Max Payne. In the last book, Alan wrote he killed off Alex, seeming to imply that Sam Lake has washed his hands off the character and wants no part in ''Max Payne 3'', which is being developed by Rockstar Vancouver rather than Remedy (and that interpretation would seem to imply that, in turn, ''Max Payne'' has technically become a [[Franchise Zombie]] to him). For that matter, Thomas Zane and Alex Casey are voiced by Max Payne's voice actor.

** For that matter, the game as a whole can perhaps be taken as a [[Take That]] from Remedy to past publishers it has worked with.

** A manuscript page has Rose saying Alan should ignore the trolls online who say Departure will never be released. Given that a certain game was in [[Development Hell]] , this could easily be seen as a [[Take That]] against the gaming community.

** A manuscript page has Rose saying Alan should ignore the trolls online who say Departure will never be released. Given that a certain game was in [[Development Hell]], this could easily be seen as a [[Take That]] against the gaming community.

** In Dr. Hartman's clinic, you meet a game designer by the name of Emerson. Hartman explains his role and describes video games as "trash," but took him in since they require "some small creative effort." Considering the game has a high story-to-gameplay ratio with many [[Shout-Out]]s to famous books and films, and how art plays a role in the game's plot, it seems to be a likely [[Take That]] towards detractors of the Video Games As Art argument.

** In Dr. Hartman's clinic, you meet a game designer by the name of Emerson. Hartman explains his role and describes video games as "trash", but took him in since they require "some small creative effort". Considering the game has a high story-to-gameplay ratio with many [[Shout-Out]]s to famous books and films, and how art plays a role in the game's plot, it seems to be a likely [[Take That]] towards detractors of the Video Games As Art argument.

* [[Talkative Loon]]: Plenty of Cauldron Lake Lodge's inhabitants fit this description.

* [[Tentative Light]]: Some Safe Havens break when Alan reaches them, plus he constantly has to change batteries for his flashlight.

* [[Theme Naming]]: A couple of the characters are named after authors. Agent Nightingale? Florence Nightingale. The crazy game designer Emerson? Ralph Waldo Emerson. There's probably others that haven't been picked up on too.

** The members of Old Gods of Asgard are named for deities in Norse mythology: Odin, Tor, Loki, and ([[Odd Name Out|Fat Bob]]) Baldur.

* [[Theory of Narrative Causality]]: {{spoiler|If you don't come up with a good reason why things happen while writing in Cauldron Lake, the Dark Presence will come up with a reason for you.}}

* [[Theory of Narrative Causality]]: {{spoiler|If you don't come up with a good reason why things happen while writing in Cauldron Lake, the Dark Presence will come up with a reason for you}}.

* [[Things That Go Bump in the Night]]

* [[This Is Gonna Suck]]:

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** Also, after hearing a chainsaw rev up:

{{quote|'''Barry:''' That's never a good sound

'''Alan:''' No. No, it isn't. }}

'''Alan:''' No. No, it isn't.}}

** Alan groans "You've got to be kidding me!" when he hears the combine harvester spring to life.

* [[This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself]]: Driven by his desire to save Alice, Alan {{spoiler|leaves the safety of the Well-Lit Room}} in order to confront the Dark Presence once and for all. He says these words almost exactly.

* [[Those Two Guys]]: The Anderson brothers. Also the two deputies you only encounter via the radio and a single cutscene.

* [[Time Travel]]: After drinking the Anderson Brothers' moonshine, Alan somehow {{spoiler|travels back in time to the point at which he blacked out after jumping into Cauldron Lake}}.

** More in the sense that Alan's {{spoiler|finally able to remember what happened during the week while trapped under the Dark Presence after Alice was taken.}}

** More in the sense that Alan's {{spoiler|finally able to remember what happened during the week while trapped under the Dark Presence after Alice was taken}}.

* [[Title Drop]]: Interestingly, not to the game, but to Alan's book, ''Departure''. During the TV interview in Episode 6, Alan mentions that his next book will be "a departure from the old for me." Well, [[Genre Shift|it was...]]

** An episode of Night Springs, the show Alan started his writing career with, drops the name of another book Alan would later write, ''Sudden Stop''.

** An episode of ''Night Springs'', the show Alan started his writing career with, drops the name of another book Alan would later write, ''Sudden Stop''.

* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: Arguably Barry from Episode 4 onwards.

** Also, Alan himself. In Episode 1, he spends a lot of time running from the first Taken he comes across. In Episode 5, he deliberately leaves the safety of a well-lit pipe to [[Big Damn Heroes|save Sarah and Barry from a horde of Taken]], and upon defeating several poltergeist objects, lets out a snarky, "[[Bond One-Liner|Down, boy.]]" On a more subtle note, if one pays attention, Alan's ability to sprint improves over the course of the game, allowing him to run longer.

** Also, Alan himself. In Episode 1, he spends a lot of time running from the first Taken he comes across. In Episode 5, he deliberately leaves the safety of a well-lit pipe to [[Big Damn Heroes|save Sarah and Barry from a horde of Taken]], and upon defeating several poltergeist objects, lets out a snarky, "[[Bond One-Liner|Down, boy]]". On a more subtle note, if one pays attention, Alan's ability to sprint improves over the course of the game, allowing him to run longer.

* [[Too Awesome to Use]]: Generally averted, as at the start of each episode Alan's gear from the previous is lost for one reason or another (i.e. being arrested by the police). This means that hoarding those flashbangs and flare guns instead of using them won't help. If you're hitting the climax of an episode, burn through that ammo!

* [[Too Awesome to Use]]: Generally averted, as at the start of each episode, Alan's gear from the previous is lost for one reason or another (i.e. being arrested by the police). This means that hoarding those flashbangs and flare guns instead of using them won't help. If you're hitting the climax of an episode, burn through that ammo!

** Unfortunately, that doesn't stop players from hoarding them just in case. Flare gun ammo and flashbangs are hard to come by in some levels and it's difficult to predict when you are going to lose all your gear.

** Unfortunately, that doesn't stop players from hoarding them just in case. Flare gun ammo and flashbangs are hard to come by in some levels, and it's difficult to predict when you are going to lose all your gear.

* [[Town with a Dark Secret]]: In the literal sense. It's ''so'' secret that most of the town doesn't know about it!

** Breaker all but outright states that {{spoiler|she knows about the weirdness going on around the town when she has Barry issue the "Night Springs" order.}}

** Breaker all but outright states that {{spoiler|she knows about the weirdness going on around the town when she has Barry issue the "Night Springs" order}}.

* [[Troperiffic]]

* [[Truth in Television]]: Notice Sheriff Breaker's right hand when she first meets Alan - it's hovering near her gun. This is before she assesses that Alan is not an intruder or about to attack.

* [[Unusual Weapon Mounting]]: In Barry's case, to deflect Taken he mounts a light on his head and wraps Christmas lights around his torso.

* [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]: {{spoiler|Dr. Hartman}}, who knew of the lake's power and planned to use Alan's writing skills to create a better reality.

* [[Vagueness Is Coming]]: Spoofed. In the opening level, Zane relays an incredibly cryptic prophecy to Alan, then asks, "Do you understand?" Alan replies with a very confused, "No."

* [[Vagueness Is Coming]]: Spoofed. In the opening level, Zane relays an incredibly cryptic prophecy to Alan, then asks, "Do you understand?". Alan replies with a very confused, "No".

* [[Verbal Tic]]: Nightingale constantly calls Wake [[What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?|famous authors' famous names]]: "Hemingway!", "Stephen King!", "[[Overly Long Name|H.P. Lovecraft]]!"

* [[Villain Decay]]: A minor example. The Taken who has a specific grievance against Wake in the beginning of the game, during the nightmare, and who speaks lucidly, is more intimidating than the ones who randomly shout gibberish based off of their lives.

** It's never quite clear if this is actually a Taken or just a part of Alan's nightmare. It could be intentional decay on Alan's part, remembering the nightmare and making that into what the Taken are, or it could be that this is what the Taken really are but he toned them down in his book. Suffice it to say [[Mind Screw|the game isn't going to explain it]].

*** It's just a part of Alan's nightmare. "The Writer" ends with a [[Boss Rush]] of {{spoiler|Dr. Hartman, the Anderson Brothers (both at once), and then Barry three times in a row; all of whom are lucid Taken, and the DLC takes place in Alan's nightmares.}}

*** It's just a part of Alan's nightmare. "The Writer" ends with a [[Boss Rush]] of {{spoiler|Dr. Hartman, the Anderson Brothers (both at once), and then Barry three times in a row; all of whom are lucid Taken, and the DLC takes place in Alan's nightmares}}.

** Might also be a case of [[Not Brainwashed]]. The guy was pretty butthurt about Alan killing him off in his book.

* [[Villainous Rescue]]:

** After the cable car crashes Alan, loses his gun and flashlight and is surrounded by numerous Taken. Suddenly, a flare is dropped into their midst, and the Taken are destroyed in a hail of pinpoint gunfire. Who is Alan's savior? The kidnapper. {{spoiler|Even though technically he's just a con-man.}}

** After the cable car crashes, Alan loses his gun and flashlight and is surrounded by numerous Taken. Suddenly, a flare is dropped into their midst, and the Taken are destroyed in a hail of pinpoint gunfire. Who is Alan's savior? The kidnapper. {{spoiler|Even though technically he's just a con-man}}.

** After escaping Nightingale in the trailer park, Alan is fleeing from the police at night with no flashlight and no gun. Gradually, the Dark Presence takes over the officers, and when Alan is fleeing from a helicopter along a narrow cliff, Taken crows cause it to crash. Of course, soon the Taken officers attack Alan, but by then he's got a new toy - [[Improvised Weapon|flashbang grenades]].

** After escaping Nightingale in the trailer park, Alan is fleeing from the police at night with no flashlight and no gun. Gradually, the Dark Presence takes over the officers, and when Alan is fleeing from a helicopter along a narrow cliff, Taken crows cause it to crash. Of course, soon the Taken officers attack Alan, but by then, he's got a new toy - [[Improvised Weapon|flashbang grenades]].

* [[Violation of Common Sense]]: Not in the plot, but grabbing some of the collectible items involves this. Examples include ignoring an [[Advancing Wall of Doom]] and running in the wrong direction, and ditching the character you are supposed to be escorting during a [[Multi Mook Melee]].

* [[The Virus]]: The Dark Presence can take any living creature, human or animal, and twist them into shells of their former selves filled only with hatred.

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** Barry, Sheriff Breaker, and Cynthia Weaver don't appear at all in Episode 6 or the ending.

** A Mouse is subverted in Episode 1. A caller on a night radio show says that his dog Toby had run after something rustling in the bushes and is now missing. This is a [[What Happened to the Mouse?]] until you play again on Nightmare Mode and unlock an extra manuscript page. [[Kick the Dog|Toby's fate is not happy]].

* [[What You Are in the Dark]]: Believe it or not, Agent Nightingale gets such a moment. At the Anderson brothers' farm he has the opportunity to murder an inebriated and passed out Alan but chickens out at the last minute, despite having tried to gun him down twice before.

* [[What You Are in the Dark]]: Believe it or not, Agent Nightingale gets such a moment. At the Anderson brothers' farm he has the opportunity to murder an inebriated and passed out Alan but chickens out at the last minute despite having tried to gun him down twice before.

* [[When All You Have Is a Hammer]]: Tor, literally. His standee in The Signal contains the quote "You're all nails to me!"

* [[When All You Have Is a Hammer]]: Tor, literally. His standee in The Signal contains the quote "You're all nails to me!".

* [[Who Writes This Crap?]]: Walter's last words. He comments that it's like a really bad sequel to a good movie where [[Rogue Protagonist|good guys become bad guys for no reason]].

* [[Wild Wilderness]]: The whole setting has a feeling of this just like the [[Geographic Flexibility]] entry states, but the main portions of it are in fact that Bright Falls is deep in the mountains, hidden away from view of the 'normal world', and no one outside of it even knows it exists.

* [[Words Can Break My Bones]]: Literally near the end, in "The Signal" and "The Writer". Alan takes damage if he runs into the Typewriter words that hasn't been been cleared by light yet. On the flip side, "boom!", "roll", "flash", "tools", "drive", and "red box" helps him out against the Taken.

* [[Words Can Break My Bones]]: Literally near the end, in "The Signal" and "The Writer". Alan takes damage if he runs into the Typewriter words that hasn't been been cleared by light yet. On the flip side, "boom!", "roll", "flash", "tools", "drive" and "red box" helps him out against the Taken.

* [[Wreaking Havok]]: The game's physics engine becomes increasingly obvious in the last part of the last level, where the darkness starts throwing really big things at you like a school bus or a boxcar.

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: Wake saving the day {{spoiler|has been written into the manuscript from the beginning}}. Player fumbles aside, {{spoiler|he's basically predestined to succeed}}.

* [[X Meets Y]]: [[Metroid Prime|Metroid Prime II]] meets [[Misery]] meets Bag Of Bones meets [[Infected]].

* [[X Meets Y]]: ''[[Metroid Prime|Metroid Prime II]]'' meets ''[[Misery]]'' meets ''Bag Of Bones'' meets ''[[Infected]]''.

* [[You Are Too Late]]: In this case, after Alan finds an injured Rusty in the dark, he attempts to find the generator to put the power back on, only to find an ax has been put through it.