Summary
When it comes to things for you to find across theAlan Wakeseries, you’ll find that it’s not a lake, but an ocean of collectibles for you to search for. Each game in the series has plenty for you to look for, usually withan associated achievementfor a whole set.
Most of them are tchotchkes that do little but trigger that satisfying bleep-bloop of an achievement being unlocked, but some of them give you deeper insight into the world of Alan Wake. More importantly, some of them also come with some sweet loot. But which items in the three-game collectathon are the best? Here they all are, ranked.
16Can Pyramids
Alan Wake
These things. As cool as it sounds to shoot a pyramid of empties, the fact of the matter is that finding these is a chore. They don’t stand out visually or have a related audio cue to help you spot them, not to mention they can end up in some random places.
In fact, they’re such a chore that you only have to find and topple about half of them to get the related achievement.
15Night Springs Video Games
Alan Wake - Special 2: The Writer
The Night Springs video games are a nod to Alan Wake’s media. Other than the humorous concept (imagine Twilight Zone: The Game), these don’t really have much going for them.
You’ll have to look into some nooks and crannies to findall ten copies scattered through the DLC. They have an associated sound cue when near, a neat little nod to their roots on the Xbox 360, but it’s so quiet, you might not be able to hear it over some of the ambient noises of the Dark Place.
14Alarm Clocks
Alan Wake - Special 1: The Signal
Like most of the collectibles in the first Alan Wake, the alarm clocks are there to be collected and that’s about it, adding no lore or other unlocks, save for an achievement. If we’re reaching, they could represent Alan’s need to ‘wake up’ from his Dark Place-induced mania.
Alarm Clocks are tucked away out of sight, so you’ll need to search for them a bit, but their ubiquitous ticking means that you’ll always know when you’re near one.
13Deer Heads
Alan Wake 2
There seems to be some kinship between Saga and deer, likely a nod to her Nordic roots, or her natural empathy, from what her collection of these implies. There are 12 of these to find, scattered across the three ‘real world’ areas of Cauldron Lake for Saga to find.
They’re not always easy to spot, especially on night maps, and the only way to track your progress with them is by interacting with the deer head in Saga’s mind place. Other than a brief, if interesting, sequence at the Elderwood Lodge, once you collect all these, you also get a huge stash of resources (flares, flashbangs, bullets, etc.). Curiously, you don’t get an achievement.
12Cardboard Standees
The cardboard standees are not always easy to find, but they always stand out. They’re the most interesting of the AW1 collectibles, save for the Manuscript Pages, each depicting a member of Alan Wake’s supporting cast, similar to the standee of Alan that Barry Wheeler carries around the game.
Each one comes with a blurb about a theoretical and humorous book about the depicted character, as sensational as if Barry had written them himself.
11Thermoses
Yes, like most of the collectibles in the first game, the Thermoses just function to be collected, adding little to the game save for having to scour the map so that you can unlock an achievement. But, unlike most of those other items, the Thermoses (Thermii?) areiconic.
Initially a cheeky little reference to Twin Peaks and some damn fine coffee, the Thermoses have become an icon in their own right. Instantly recognizable, they’ve become Altered items, a spring of hot, refreshing coffee that allows Saga and Alan some reprieve (and for you to save your game).
10Radio Broadcasts
Alan Wake Series
Found throughout the whole series, Radio Broadcasts provide extra lore to the world of Alan Wake, filling in some of the details in the more mundane world that exists in the periphery of the story.
While finding them all only nets you an achievement in the first game, they provide something far more important for the series as a whole: more lore. From an outside perspective into the story, to catch-ups with important characters, you learn a lot.
9Words Of Power
Words of Power are one of two collectibles (three if you count Echoes) found in the Dark Place. Each one falls into a certain category that powers up an aspect of Alan. You can spend these like skill points to power up your equipment or give you new capabilities.
you may usually find these in an area by following the yellow luminescent paint, but the dream logic of the Dark Place means that you might end up searching around to find them. They don’t add much lore-wise, but they’ll help keep Alan alive at least. Only the first one you find gets you an achievement.
8Dark Place Television
The televisions found in the Dark Place give us rare insight into Alan’s mind in the intervening 13 years between the main games. He’s… not doing great. At times, it’s hard to watch, but these glimpses give valuable context into Alan’s actions and thickens the plot in some interesting ways.
Finding all of these nets you the On The Trail of The Writer achievement and, for the most part, you can’t miss them. If you’re the type to search around a bit before advancing, you’re almost certain to get this achievement.
7Cult Stashes
Cult Stashes are the secret stashes of equipment hiddenaround the Cauldron Lake localesby the Cult of the Tree. Most of them are pretty easy to spot through regular gameplay, thoughyou might miss a few if you don’t go off the beaten path. Luckily, you can find maps that show you where each one is about halfway through the game.
Each of these boxes is locked and requires solving a puzzle to open them. These range from fun little jaunts for nearby clues to some infuriating high school-level math. The prizes are usually just common resources, but a few of them are quite valuable, like inventory-expanding pouches or even a weapon. The associated achievement is shared with the Lunchboxes, meaning you’ll have to find all of both sets for the unlock.
