Second Alan Wake II Expansion, The Lake House, Presents as Even Darker and Creepier

"The Lake House tells the story of Agent Estevez’s visit to the Lake House facility, which takes place in parallel with the early part of Saga’s story in Alan Wake II,” explains Lead Writer, Clay Murphy to Xbox Wire. “By the time Saga and Estevez meet, the story of this expansion has already occurred."

No strangers to twisting stories, tangents, characters and events like so many pretzels, the Alan Wake writing team love to test the limits of how narratives can unfold in non-linear fashion and ways. This looks to be even more true of The Lake House expansion for Alan Wake II, the base game's second full post-launch content piece (after the first expansion, Night Springs) and one set to take its horror and creepiness levels to new heights, and not just here but for the whole series (and its interconnected worlds across numerous IP). Just have a look at the trailer if you don't believe us:

While not explicitly expanded upon in the trailer, the events in The Lake House will open "brand new doors into the wider Remedy Connected Universe", according to the Wire blog entry, and given another title set within said universe was also revealed during the Xbox Partner Preview showcase in FBC: Firebreak, it's looking more and more like the story-telling powerhouse is on-track to 'MCU' the videogame landscape.

The Lake House is definitely more geared to the survival horror elements that only reared their head on occasion in the base game, but apparently the Valhalla Nursing Home sequence is a bit of a north star if you're looking to know what to expect. In addition, when going back to that Remedy Connected Universe, in The Lake House we'll play as Kiran Estevez who is directly linked to Control as a member of the Federal Bureau of Control which is where and why those "brand new doors" might not only be left slightly ajar at the game's finish, but potentially wide open for further narrative and gameplay investigation.

One of the other key bits of information you can take from the trailer above is the expansion's new enemy type -- The Painted. Themed from the location's abundance if paint and art, these enemies are apparently capable of shifting in and out of anywhere there is paint, and they deliver powerful melee blows, meaning you not only need to be aware of anywhere with a painting or even a can of paint, but also in knowing how to keep your distance and either avoid or dispatch them handily.

The full blog post linked earlier has a lot more information, but also has the potential to offer up experience spoilers, so click through at your own risk.

Check out our image carousel below. Alan Wake II: The Lake House drops for anyone who owns the Deluxe Edition of the game on October 22.