Video Games
“The Final Draft” New Game Plus Mode Available Now for ‘Alan Wake 2’ [Trailer]
Those looking to jump back in to Alan Wake 2 to experience the New Game Plus mode can do so today. Announced during The Game Awards 2023, the New Game Plus mode, referred to as “The Final Draft”, allows players to not play Alan Wake 2 with all of their weapons, charms and player upgrades, but also introduces a new difficulty mode and a new ending.
“From the beginning, our plan was to create a New Game Plus mode for Alan Wake 2 as an essential part of the experience,” explains Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake via PlayStation Blog. “When we started working on the game and the story, the idea was always there. It made sense on multiple levels. We were creating a dense experience. It felt that there was enough to support multiple playthroughs for all the aspects of the story to sink in, and for all the collectibles to be found and pieced together. With the New Game Plus, a clear motivation exists to do that.”
According to Lake, in addition to the new ending and difficulty, “The Final Draft” includes further incentive to play the game again in the form of some narrative elements that have “shifted”, providing meaning for the replay. “There is progress. You are making progress. You will hear that in Alan Wake’s narration at the very beginning. A new awareness, even if it soon fades—a promise.”
If that’s not enough, there will be additional post-launch content for Alan Wake 2 in the new year. The first expansion, called “Night Springs”, is estimated to be coming out in late Spring 2024.
Alan Wake 2 is out now for PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series.
https://twitter.com/alanwake/status/1734279411619221846
When Season 7 “Project Boneyard” arrives for The Outlast Trials on July 14, players will be greeted with the return of Prime Asset Sergeant Leland Coyle. And he’s not alone. Launching for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox, Project Boneyard will include a new Trial, two fresh MK-Challenges, major updates to Escalation and Invasion, new customization features, and a new Ex-Pop enemy stalking the Prison Farm known as The Biter.
Season 7 will see Reagents sent into Murkoff’s latest correctional nightmare in the Prison Farm. At the center of it all is Sergeant Coyle, returning in a prominent new role for the season’s new Trial, Locksock the Warden.
The American prison is a meat grinder, taking in sociopaths and criminals and extruding functioning members of society. But strict routine, severe conditioning, and close quarters create a crucible for power dynamics built on violence, contraband, and flesh.
With the new Trial, you are freedom. The indefinable promise that keeps prisoners at the grindstone that turns authority to profit and back again. Don’t let false authority stand in the way of real capital. Kill the Warden, and set yourself free.
Season 7 also brings with it two new MK-Challenges. In “Bribe the Judges”, you are the master, whose property is the purpose of the law. Salary reminds enforcement that their monopoly of violence only exists for your monopoly of capital. Collect the bribes in order to pay the judges. Meanwhile, “Cancel the Broadcast” has you sabotaging the broadcast and defiling the faithful with blood in order to be let out.
Then there’s the new Ex-Pop stalking the Prison Farm in The Biter. Having had its arms removed to prevent further self-harm, Biters are universal sadists, still capable of grievous harm with their mechanically enforced jaws. Though Biters are kept chained by the neck for safety, you should approach them with caution, as their augmented legs grant them unexpected velocity.
If that’s not enough content for you, from July 14 to August 11, Twitch users who tune in to participating The Outlast Trials Twitch streams can earn rewards through the latest Twitch Drops campaign. You can read up on the full details from the FAQ on developer The Red Barrels’ website.
Lastly, Project Boneyard also introduces a range of new features and improvements for The Outlast Trials, designed to “expand player expression, streamline preparation, and improve the overall experience” across key modes. That includes the introduction of Rig Customization, Knife Customization, Loadout Presets, and Mastery Tasks, giving players new ways to “prepare for therapy” and personalize their approach before entering the Trials. The update will also bring major reworks to both Escalation and Invasion, with significant changes designed to improve the flow, structure, and overall player experience of both modes.
More details on these features, and the full contents of Project Boneyard, will be revealed closer to launch.