Alan Wake 2 Vs “Final Draft”

If you’ve taken the opportunity to sweep Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2 under the rug, then you’ll no doubt have already spotted the “Final Draft” option sitting on the main menu. If so, then you’re probably wondering what it is, and how it connects to the original narrative, if at all. To answer these questions, we’ll need to go ahead and break it down, piece by piece, manuscript page by manuscript page. Care to hear the whole story? Then let’s jump right in.

What Is Final Draft?

To cut to the chase, the “Final Draft” option in Alan Wake 2 is a rewritten version of the same story, but with a selection of new features and tidbits. It is, for lack of a better word, the “true” script, and one that just so happens to shed light on some of the major plot points showcased at the end of the original story. In other words, the Final Draft is the main version, as well as Wake’s “complete” manuscript.

At the time of writing, Remedy Entertainment has just the two DLC titles in the works: Night Springs, and The Lake House, both of which are currently slated for a loose 2024 release on all major platforms. If what we’ve been led to believe turns out to be true, then the Final Draft will coincide with these future add-ons. However, with both expansions being set in different periods, and with different characters, we can’t say for certain whether or not it will feature Alan Wake, or even Saga Anderson, for that matter.

How to Unlock the Final Draft in Alan Wake 2

In order to unlock the Final Draft in Alan Wake 2, you will first need to complete the original story in its entirety. If successful, then you’ll be able to ping the New Game+ mode from the main menu, after the credits have rolled and all post-credits events have played out. Note that you do not need to complete the game on any particular difficulty in order to unlock the Final Draft mode.

Story & Narration

To answer the question, is the story in Final Draft any different from the original story mode? Yes, it is. It’s different, mainly down to the fact that the New Game+ mode offers a spool of new manuscript pages to collect, locations to explore, and conversations to unravel. At its core, it’s still the same fifteen-hour campaign with a lot of the same story beats, but occasionally, the Final Draft does cough up a few new nifty features, including a few more cutscenes, jump scares, and even an alternate ending, to boot.

For the record, Final Draft is not DLC, nor is it a standalone game with several different core elements. For what it’s worth, it is, more or less, a New Game+ mode, but with a few extra nuts and bolts, as well as the occasional unseen jump scare or fragment of dialogue.

Gameplay

As mentioned above, the Final Draft does churn out a few new minor details, particularly in the gameplay department. For the most part, the game offers a wide variety of additional manuscript pages, few of which touch base on unseen case scenarios, effectively making it a “deja vu” experience for both Alan Wake and Saga Anderson. In other words, it’s as if Remedy Entertainment had subtle plans to course players back to the beginning of the journey, if only to provide additional context to unchartered plot points.

Manuscript pages aside, jump scares are also located in different areas of the map, as well as characters’ whereabouts. There is also a selection of new segments to existing chapters, which includes Mr. Door’s talk show, and the beloved Tor and Odin brothers’ desperate search for Saga in Cauldron Lake. Granted, neither of these added portions boost the overall gameplay length, but they can provide players with an incentive to explore the boroughs of Cauldron Lake and Bright Falls for additional lore and story beats.

Similar to what’s shown in other New Game+ modes, the Final Draft also allows players to carry over their previously obtained weapons, upgrades, and collectibles, meaning, if you have already scrubbed certain sections of the map clean in your initial sitting, then you won’t need to make any last-minute returns in order to recollect them. With that said, you should still take the opportunity to explore every corner of both Cauldron Lake and Bright Falls, as each area boasts a rewritten web of perks, collectibles, and even the occasional never-before-seen jump scare.

Should You Play Alan Wake 2’s Final Draft?

It might not seem worth it after you’ve already beaten the main story, but if you’re looking to unlock the “true” ending, as well as a few more pieces of the puzzle that skipped the original cut, then you’ll definitely want to pour some hours into the Final Draft. In addition to it having an entirely new ending, the New Game+ mode also offers a few minor changes to the overall experience, which includes new manuscript pages to obtain, “Writer’s Journey” cutscenes to watch, and monologues to thread together.

To make it absolutely clear, Alan Wake 2’s Final Draft is more than a bog-standard New Game+ mode. If anything, it’s the culmination of the base game’s original nodes all being pooled into one singular cluster. What’s more, it’s also the “fully-realized” version of Alan Wake 2, which means, if you are planning on picking up the DLC at some point later this year, or (if all goes according to plan) Alan Wake 3, then you’ll probably want to romp through the Final Draft beforehand.

So, what’s your take? Will you be playing through the Final Draft in Alan Wake 2 this week? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.