Review - Alan Wake 2 Night Springs is a short, sharp burst of brilliance which, despite existing simply to whet our appetites, is a great ride.
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "Regardless of title, "DLC" or "Expansion," everyone understands what they're all about: getting more of the thing you already like. Even if you've been satiated by the main game – be it MMO or a more modest endeavor – there's this natural yearning for more stuff that perhaps couldn't make the original deadline. Sometimes it's simply more content with some nuances, other times it's something that feels totally different. Unexpected, but enjoyable nonetheless. Regardless of where on that spectrum these finalists lie, one thing is certain: these were among the best 2024 had to offer."
VGChartz's Lee Mehr: "A humble expansion showcasing a developer's unique style is flanked on two sides. To its left, the unnecessary publisher meddling of having to pay the upfront cost of a Deluxe Upgrade; to its right, a wave of new expansions to some of the most popular titles. What modest DLC could hope to argue its value against those gargantuan competitors? Like most things in life, it's about perspective. For despite its limits in total runtime, this adventure into a world of shadow and substance, of things and ideas, is stuffed with loony What If? scenarios that excite one's imagination. If accepting the tradeoff of creativity over longevity then pay the toll and cross into... Night Springs."
Same here. But there is something to a certain game or storytelling concept that pushes me to being more excited than I typically am. Even if they were silly distractions, the meta-commentary and genre shifts in the Time Breaker episode (along with the writing) were the perfect kind of Remedy goofiness. It's damn near impossible to think of another big-budget developer doing that sort of thing.
Nairon from GL: "Anyone who goes into Night Springs expecting a direct continuation of Alan Wake II's story will be disappointed because that's not at all what this is."
