Alan Wake Explained - Riverport Blackboard Easter Egg (Analysis) 

Forget RPGs, Remedy games have the deepest lore.

Gaming University talking to us about a video game lecture? Extremely fitting

I just realized something - Underhill was a professor. Though not stated, she could possibly the one responsable for the lecture, and also makes sense in the bio lab area. Though why she's talking about Alan is unclear, she may be looking into Thresholds. Perhaps that University was preparing new FBC agents.

5:08 watching this part I've just realized something. In IGN's gameplay video of Alan Wake 2 where Alan walks down the alley and meets Alex Casey, the walls of the alley are scribbled with graffiti. One of the words on the wall was "Initiation".

The metaphor of dark matter/energy being the Dark Place/Presence was so unexpected to me yet so obvious. The creator makes the Universe come to life by imagining it, like Alan in the Dark Place, and everything else is dark/invisible, uninitialized basically lol. I figured I'd leave my other impressions here instead of writing separate comments :D I loved seeing Baba Yaga references because my native language is Russian and I've known tales about her since my childhood, and I don't know how I did not see it in the name of the Bird Leg Cabin. Also, in the tales, she often guides the hero to the other world, the 'far away kingdom' so to speak. I never really liked poetry but the Alan Wake context makes me appreciate the poems. I really did like 'Some are Born to Endless Night' and some of Zane's poems.

I'd say AWE is a double entendre in this case. One thing I hope to figure out in AWE expansion is the definitive answer as to how to get through those doors. We know Emily comments that perhaps the only way to go through it is to have entered it so maybe Alan will try to contact Jesse in some way or maybe some thing from the Dark Place will attempt instead. Also makes me wonder if Darling potentially knows more, since we know that Hedron showed him some things before he vanished. Which brings me to the point of the Hiss/Hedron. We know the Hiss allows certain people to see different universes like with Dylan but it also allows information bc Trench mentions being shown too much and knows a lot about Ahti bc of it. Maybe Hedron has that ability too but it only happens if you get too close like Darling did, maybe Polaris could do the same thing for Jesse. I mean Hedron(maybe Polaris, kind of confused on that point) was showing Dylan where Jesse was when he was trapped by the Bureau so I think it could work the same way for Jesse. I mean how else did Darling know that Hedron died and knew that a new director was chosen so that he could deliver that message to Jesse through the Hotline near the end of the game? Unless he's still alive in some form I'd say he was shown a lot like Trench & Dylan.

What do you think about American Nightmare being the Initiation part of the journey? I found this on the wikipage for Hero's journey: "The road of trials is a series of tests that the hero must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the hero fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. Eventually the hero will overcome these trials and move on to the next step." Alan had exactly three cycles/tests in AN and achieved his goal of defeating Mr. Scratch and reuniting with Alice if I remember correctly. Although I'm not sure if other stages of Initiation fit in or if they do at all.

Man who thought when we played Max Payne as kids the likeness of Max Payne would help write the wildest connected universe ever

Great work, that didn't feel like 18 minutes at all. Did you hear Remedy are on the lookout for a lead writer? Sounds like a dream job, but I hope Sam isn't stepping down anytime soon.

This is pure gold! Have been searching for some deep dives (pun intended?) into the world of Alan Wake for many years... And finally someone who actually thinks way out of the ordinary (pun again) interpretations of the game and its lore. Now when Remedy is starting to connect their games it is so great to have a place to help one self to connect all the dots! Please keep this up in the future!

I was replaying Control, and there is an interesting blackboard with a load of chalk writing - in the 'sound' lab. It's about dark and light, looks in part like a poem

Watching this after Alan Wake 2 is insane.

Another great vid! I really hope we get some sort of closure regarding Alan Wake's situation in the AWE expansion. They teased it in the main game, and they don't seem to tease lightly. So maybe.

Love this channel man! Keep up the great videos! The world needs more alan wake content

Dude this has been my favorite game and company. I like how you also use science to explain aspects of the games.

great as always. I don't know if I am just seeing things that are not there. but in the creator's dilemma (page 94 of the alan wake files) Hartman writes about one of his patients, a sculptor who became strangely attached over a limestone block he obsessed over three days. I think that maybe an altered object. also, in the files we can also read a couple of works of Alan's. one is of Alex Casey, which we can assume is a real event in Max's life. but the other is a horror one called Errand Boy (page 54). this one may take place in Max's universe or an alternate one. doesn't feel there is much on those stories to mention, but they are there. and also am not sure if all stories written by authors or Alan, in particular, would necessarily be real ones from other universes.

I'm going mad waiting for AWE. Even a teaser trailer would be nice, at least we could pick it apart lol. It can't be far off I hope.

This channel is so slept on. I'm going to share these videos as much as I can! Keep up the excellent content.

Another Alan Wake banger 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I've been thinking. Had it not been for Zane appearing in Alan's dream prior to arriving in Bright Falls, one interpretation could've been that Alan just got inspired by the things he saw in Bright Falls and created everything. Maybe the shoebox was just a shoebox and Alan simply wasn't familiar with Thomas Zane. Maybe the lamp lady was just eccentric. Maybe Mott was just some jerk on the barge. Maybe Hartman wasn't some evil mastermind. Maybe the Andersons didn't record The Poet and the Muse. And maybe Alan took all those unrelated elements and crafted a story through them.

Something I noticed playing through the game is there are often wooden "gate" structures encountered. You often pass through them before entering areas where shit happens like Taken encounters or encountering other Darkness-related events. Even before crossing onto Diver's Isle you pass through one of these gates. Their shape is reminiscent of Torii gates, which passing through a Torii gate usually symbolizes crossing a threshold from the mundane into the mystical or sacred. I felt it could be an interesting point.

Bro, Thank you!!! Again, you knock it outta the park... GREAT video, keep up the good work!!!!

These are the only videos I look forward to on youtube anymore. keep up the great work!

Super interesting! Thank you! I enjoy listening to your stories the most as I drive after dark in a mountain area. A perfect setting!

My man, this was incredible. Good work.

The front cover of Alan Wake’s novelization by Rick Burroughs also features Some Are Born To Endless Night under Some Are Born to Light!

Outstanding video. Subscribed.

Top content, as always.

As always, just amazing

Younger Jessy was questioned by Control Agent, when she and her brother were first brought into the bureau. She was asked about Thomas Zane the movie maker and Jessy replied: "You mean, the poet." If I remember correctly, the shoe box had different contents - either we saw it in the game, or it was described in the same audio log as the aforementioned conversation. Was it the actual box, or some other one, which agents tested to try to recreate the Bright Falls AWE (as described on a blackboard in Control)?

"Some are born to endless nights" was in the very first teaser trailer for Alan Wake, I believe

Thanks for the very interesting video!

The mention of AWE on the blackboard is kinda mind blowing if it's inferring the entire concept of Control was already established during the development of QB

Control being the Initiation makes sense now :0

10:48 it dosnt even take 6 days it can start as soon as 3 days but I've at 1+ days (over 24 hours) the brain starts to not work right, losing the ability to tell what an object is your holding if you cant see it.

What if the initiation isn't necessarily something Alan needs to do, but something that would need to happen in order to have return. That initiation could be Jesse becoming the full director of the FBC. Maybe her initiation was a requirement for his return?

I literally just finished QB..this is madness.

Great video. Oh how good remedy is at world building.

I've seen some good theories as to why this whole thing is in a college classroom but And I'm completely spitballing here Alan un/intentionally made a random professor obsessed over his plight through his "smoke signals" from American Nightmare, in a somewhat similar way to the guy from Alan's nightmare at the beginning of the game

This was a great!

8:25 "But if there's no eeeeeeEEEEeeed, there can be no beginning (there can be no beginning)"

You know, lectures on video games can actually have potential for schools when they teach poetry or books and even movies, and if they do movies, why not video games. I would absolutely love to do some of Remedy's games for game-analysis.

Can’t wait for Alan Wake 2!

Alan Wake - Where our hero is forced and struggles to write 3 good manuscripts

alan wake is departure, quantum break is initiation and control is return, i say thats why the authors name is crossed out, they hadent decided on a final name yet, and initiation is underlined to highlight that is the "chapter" you are currently playing. alan wake is the "departure" from our common reality, with quantum break being your first "initiation" into the crazy connected remedy universe, with control being both your "return" to it, as well as jessi/dylan's "return" to the FBC. a "depature from normal" giving way to an "initiation into the wyrd" and then a "return to power", the "remedy-verse" IN ITSELF IS the mono-myth. (plus you return to the "bright falls" AWE in the DLC of control.)

Ive recently replayed all the games, and im kind of confused. Is it stated somewhere that Alan is still missing? I ask because in the files in Control, it is stated that the only people of note still missing from the Bright Falls AWE were Nightingale and Doctor Hartman. If Alan was missing, wouldnt he be a "person of note?" Also why would they consider him a candidate for Director if he was still missing? And in Quantum Break, at the beginning there is a tv showing what looks like an advertisement or trailer for his book "Return" With Sam reprising his role as Alex Casey/Max Payne. I get the feeling that this black board is discussing the books Departure and Return as literary fiction, and not as actual events as Alan has returned to the world and published them.

Control is about the initiation of Jesse Fayden as director of the FBC which is verified in the AWE dlc. Thoughts?

At the end of AWE Alan says there will be a Return, it's the same name as thr American Nightmeare manuscript but if there where rewrites maybe AN is a failed atempt at a Return without Initiation and that's how Mr Hatch is still alive, because it was rewriten. Maybe the AWE DLC is Initiation and the right return will be whatever comes next.

Coming back to the fact that creation of all life according. To Christianity started with “let they’re be light”

Remedy thinks always for future, but what I know is that FBC is confidential organization how can a whole awe event is explained in a university

With the Alan Wake 2 trailer out now, the neon sign on the right most likely does say initiation, signifiing aw2 is the lost manuscript and the next step in his journey. At least I think so, why did he start writing return first then? Did that mess him? Does the Return easter egg trailer in Quantum Break have anything to do with what's going on in anyway?

Baba yaga features in Castlevania Lord of Shadows even the chicken legs house is present probably why Remedy dropped it in Alan wake

Makes me curious, if in Alan wake 2, will we see Alice again, is she still trying to find him and does she still love him, or has she moved on and with someone else, and if Alan finds out about that will he spiral?

I have a simple answer to the final question: the lecture is being held in the Organic Chemistry room due to scheduling conflicts. I wouldn't be surprised if this resulted in an OC lecture being held in the Mechanical Engineering hall or something. Also, you missed scratching out one "Mr. Sc***ch" at 17:08. Woops.

I'm still hoping that you'll still make a video about Dark Matter and Regular Matter.

Bro is it possible that alan wake wrote all the events in quantum break like as FBC have been getting reports of many new awe events after 2010 ?

13:31 hm. By any chance could the Barbara in the tennyson report in control been the same Barbara from alan wake?

Control is the initiation stage. Think about it.

In the end you say “you will see in the next video” - has it been already published?

So this may be off topic but what game series should I buy Allen wake or Max Payne since I want to play but don't know what to get... If anybody can answer

A W E = Another Wreat Eideo XD

I haven't even got the chance to play Quantum Break, but if I like this video I can put the counter at 666 How could I ever resist? And now that that's done I'll watch it.

Great series but please reduce the sharp S sounds in your audio!

Why do you mute "scratch"?

How do professor knows all the events in the game ?

Wasn't Samantha's house in ordinary Maine? I can't find the reference now. It must be the same ordinary

I wonder how your videos may interface with the writers of Alan Wake. I don't think it's out of the realm of reasonable possibilities.