I wonder if instead of A Scanner Darkly, the title more refers to 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly;" Meaning that we see reality as though we are looking at it reflected on a dirty mirror.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I can't imagine it wasn't; the phrase is too poetically unique, and the ideas of the passage too perfectly reflect the book's themes. Add in Dick's love of incorporating religious themes into his books, and he certainly knew what he was doing.
how it is explained is not necessarily clairvoyance, because Alan ends up in the dark place in the 2010s and sees echoes of events going on in the real world, Alan as a child would also see these echoes in his dreams. we know the dark place can retroactively affect reality, so Alan being in it in his 40's, affected his experience as a child.
it is mentioned in the game, he used to have visions that he assumed was his way of creating characters in his mind palace (the writer's room) in the same way that saga interpreted hers as her way to profile suspects in her cases from her mind palace (the mind place / the investigation room)
So I have been playing Alan Wake with my sister recently. She is a big Stephen king and twin peaks fan. According to her Stephen King, the character in the books, unconsciously knows about what happens in the multiverse and writes about it. Very similar to Alan.
It always seemed odd to me that the community was so eager to say Alan orchestrated the events of Control, it's like they really want him to be a super villain.
I second that@@GamingUniversityUoG Also, just because Alan didn't write events directly doesn't mean he's a hero. I mean, he still writes reality shifting stuff at the expense of others wellbeing anyway. He's morally grey, a really dark grey if i say so.
The community also adamantly denied that Quantum Break had any connections to the Remedyverse, but now we know for a fact it does. They denied that Mr. Door and Martin Hatch were the same person, and that continued into Alan Wake 2 because David Harewood played Warlin Door, but then the doors were smashed when the revelation came that Lance Reddick was set to play Warlin Door until he tragically passed away. The community gets a lot wrong g, because they do not know how to “read between the lines” and that’s something Sam Lake purposely does to make connections.
It’s less that Alan is a super villain and more to do with the fact that he grew desperate after 13 years of escape attempts. It’s confirmed that he receives visions from reality to incorporate into his writing, he likely received a vision of the Hiss invasion and, knowing that it was inevitable, altered a few details to facilitate their spread and get Jesse moving in a direction that would work to his benefit. If the Hiss invasion is going to happen anyway, and Jesse is going to be there to stop it regardless, what’s the harm in changing a few details if it could potentially help you escape a nightmare liminal space dream world? 😝 Though we also know that the future affects the past, and Alan has uneasy feelings about a Demigod version of himself that’s further ahead on the spiral playing a dangerous game, one that’s leading himself to that point. It’s not that Alan is a villain, so much so that his desperation unknowingly created a version of himself that would act selfishly to facilitate his own needs.
There are lines of dialog in the AWE DLC describing Alan's need for a hero with experience fighting an intangible hostile force that can control living and inanimate things for its own ends. Alan absolutely has clairvoyance such as seeing details of Alex Casey's life but the works of fiction he writes around those kernels of truth are where he influences reality. I don't think Alan created Jesse and the FBC but I DO think he created Hiss or at least facilitated the events of Control's main plot and/or the AWE DLC. I don't think we've ever seen a page written by Alan that didn't end up coming true. We know the Cult of the Word would not exist without him writing them even if Casey did exist.
We also know now that Alan, saga and possibly other parautilitarians can alter events and create certain scenarios by performing certain actions, i also think that is what chester bless is doing in control
Congrats for the video! You deserve far more subscribers! What I find even more remarkable is that you are very consistent, regarding the high quality of your content! I have only one question about Alan Wake, which I hope you could answer for me: Why were all Night Springs episodes (American Nightmare, Number One Fan, North Star, Time Breaker) failed attempts for Alan Wake to escape from The Dark Place? Were they unsuccessful, because Alan skipped the Initiation phase? Or because, only Saga could play the role of the writer's savior better than anybody else? Or for some other reason perhaps? I would love to hear your thoughts on it! 🌀📖🦌🦉
I very much appreciate your words! Regarding the other episodes, I'd start off directing you to the section of Monty Zander's AW2 retrospective. He discusses his thoughts about it. Firstly since they are designed as TV shows therefore they are created as fictional tales that don't reflect real life. So anything that happens won't work. But also there are other issues. Like the ending for North Star was contrived. No part of the story hinted at or setup the twist that Alan is in the basement. So it is just a bad story. I'll talk about this more when I do the Dead by Daylight Night Springs episode. It involves Alan's boss at the Night Springs tv show office calling him out on using bad narrative devices like that.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Very interesting points! Thank you so much for your enlightening reply as well as for the recommendation to check Monty Zander's analysis on the subject! I look forward to your next episodes!
OK so I need help trying to understand 2 contradictions in Alan Wake 2 the first one is While the plaque in the entry hall of the Valhalla Nursing Home states the building was built in 1965 for Finnish filmmaker Thomas Zane there are a number of indicators the building is far far older The date 1887 is lettered on the roofline above the main entrance which would be consistent with the manor's Victorian style date marks like this often note a building of historical value A newspaper clipping in the basement indicates Thomas Zane had purchased the old manor house outside town which means the building existed well before his and Barbara's arrival in Bright Falls So that's one thing that contradicts it's self I just put it dawn as Alan's story changing things but what I need help with is the second contradiction I need to know if you think this is a mistake made by Remedy or if it's on purpose cus it will mean something in the story So I was playing Alan Wake 2 and in the Valhalla Nursing Home Pat Maine says in 1991 a 15 year old girl called Norah Hesberg drowned in the old bunker, In 2014 Barry Wheeler buys the building near by and turns it into the Valhalla Nursing Home Then after Tor gose into the overlap if you go to the front porch where the old people are and talk to them a woman will say I think Tor and Odin got this place cheap cus a girl drowned and the place is haunted this confirms the building was turned into a nursing home years after the girl drowned But the problem starts when I went through the overlap cus in the bunker there is a newspaper that says, The local girl Norah Hesberg age 15 who went missing on Saturday of last week was discovered dead in the sealed underground bunker near Valhalla Nursing Home in Bright Falls The girl is said to have drowned in 1991 multiple times in the game and this newspaper is talking like it was only written a week later so how do they know the building is called Valhalla Nursing Home when it wouldn't have been named that until 2014 Is this a mistake by Remedy or was it done on purpose cus I think it is a mistake cus the first contradiction with the age of the Nursing Home adds something to the story it shows Alan's story is changing things and cus the building is older than originally thought there could be something special about the building but the newspaper adds nothing to the story its just weird how the newspaper calls the building the Valhalla Nursing Home when it wasn't named that yet
Little things like this rarely go onto my radar since reality is changing all the time. It likely shows remnants of different variations of the story. One of the residents also claims the building didn't exist at all before. The point of it all is we constantly question what is real and what's the story. We can track each individual detail down but it won't tell us anything really.
A side topic, I know, but now I can't help but wonder if the quest "Through a nightmare, darkly" from TES IV: Oblivion is inspired by "A Scanner, Darkly" too? If so, it would be the second side quest I know to be inspired by a (weird) story, the first being "The shadow over Hackdirt", obviously inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The shadow over Innsmouth".
Hey Dean, amazing video as always. I was wondering, would you make a video about the similarities between the Starling and Willow AWE? And your theory on what exactly happened in the Willow AWE? I would love to hear your thoughts on that
Hard to say on the Sterling/Willow AWE comparisons. I think that is likely going to be referenced more in a future Remedy game. Considering it also relates to the Platonic Solids that the Time Breaker dlc references as well. Personally I think something came out of it since they mention it directly in one of the documents. Possible a vehicle of traveling between realities. Hard to say though.
Nice video, as soon as I found that document in my playthrough of control I thought of a scanner darkly as well since it’s one of my favorite sci-fi drug movies. If your going over night springs episodes from every game are you going to include the dbd one? I’m still unsure of how much remedy was involved in that one but the vibe I got was they were trying to be as accurate to the series as possible and remedy basically gave the stamp for it so I sort of consider it cannon. Maybe if fictionalized events connecting to reality is the theme of night springs then it would be pretty on point to consider it.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I can get that way too sometimes with books but hey everyone’s got different reading paces. I coincidentally just lent one of my friends a copy of house of leaves (which I expect to be on the list of books in the book club), and he’s not started it yet but when he reads it’s arguably faster than me. I like to take my time and digest every chapter mentally before I move on with novels personally, everyone’s got a different pace and you’ve got a successful RUclips channel to run so it makes sense my guy.
Do you by chance have a link to the opening theme for night springs? Not the ending one, just the twilight zone inspired one...i like it and would like a copy for several RUclips Playlists of mine
I have long wondered why content creators rely on Norse myths when interpreting Alan Wake, when the games come from Finnish developers. It is not wrong, the franchise is intentionally ambiguous. For example the world trees people refer to as Yggdrasil or Lérað in Alan Wake games may be that, or it could be The Great Oak, Iso tammi, from Finnish perspective. This is distinct Karelian, Finnic, and Slavic world tree. Also understanding of soul is very different in old Norse beliefs than it is in old Finnic mythology. I wish that Dean would read a bit more into Finnish mythology, there are great sources online, and Kalevala isn't the only source. For example Dark Place has very clear inspirations from Tuonela, and Tuoni as a threshold. Realm of eternal sleep and dreams.
Here's some info about self understanding under the ancient Finnic framework: "Ancient Finns believed that each person had multiple souls. They identified three main soul entities: the spirit soul, the self-soul, and the guardian spirit. The spirit, also called "löyly," represented life and vitality, manifesting as breath, warmth, heartbeat, and blood flow. It initiated life in the womb and sustained it until the last breath, departing at death, sometimes seen as a small animal or bird. The self-soul formed one's personality and psyche, independent and aware, giving a newborn consciousness and personality. It was thought to be reborn within the family lineage and, upon death, joined the ancestors, maintaining its earthly appearance. If someone died violently or unjustly, their soul could become a restless ghost, unable to join the ancestors and instead seeking moral reparation or rebirth. The guardian spirit, known as "nature" or "luonto," was a supernatural protector that could appear as a person's double. It might be inherited at naming or teething and was believed to provide strength and success. A strong guardian was thought to grant exceptional abilities, and if it weakened, spells could strengthen it. Loss of this guardian led to misfortune, illness, or depression. Soul loss, akin to depression, was believed to stem from trauma, broken vows, or malevolent looks. It caused detachment from community and self, leading to a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. Healing involved a shaman, who, through ecstatic trance, would search for and retrieve the lost soul. This process emphasized that recovery required connecting with others, as only another's soul could restore a lost one, reigniting full humanity and community membership." Source is Taivaannaula .org "Sieluista ja niiden menetyksestä"
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I wonder if instead of A Scanner Darkly, the title more refers to 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly;" Meaning that we see reality as though we are looking at it reflected on a dirty mirror.
Just hearing that makes me feel that it may be the influence for the books title too.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I can't imagine it wasn't; the phrase is too poetically unique, and the ideas of the passage too perfectly reflect the book's themes. Add in Dick's love of incorporating religious themes into his books, and he certainly knew what he was doing.
Plato's myth
So what this confirms is that Alan Wake has some degree of clairvoyance. A naturally accruing parautilitarian.
how it is explained is not necessarily clairvoyance, because Alan ends up in the dark place in the 2010s and sees echoes of events going on in the real world, Alan as a child would also see these echoes in his dreams. we know the dark place can retroactively affect reality, so Alan being in it in his 40's, affected his experience as a child.
it is mentioned in the game, he used to have visions that he assumed was his way of creating characters in his mind palace (the writer's room) in the same way that saga interpreted hers as her way to profile suspects in her cases from her mind palace (the mind place / the investigation room)
I would say so, tbh ıt seems like everyone involved with the lake has some sort of clairvoyance, like Anderson brothers and Saga
So I have been playing Alan Wake with my sister recently. She is a big Stephen king and twin peaks fan. According to her Stephen King, the character in the books, unconsciously knows about what happens in the multiverse and writes about it. Very similar to Alan.
I think he mentions in 2 that his nightmares as a kid were the Dark Presence trying to influence him even back then.
It always seemed odd to me that the community was so eager to say Alan orchestrated the events of Control, it's like they really want him to be a super villain.
I think it is largely from the fanbase that came in with Control and had a misunderstanding about how the Dark Place works. I could be wrong though.
I second that@@GamingUniversityUoG Also, just because Alan didn't write events directly doesn't mean he's a hero. I mean, he still writes reality shifting stuff at the expense of others wellbeing anyway.
He's morally grey, a really dark grey if i say so.
The community also adamantly denied that Quantum Break had any connections to the Remedyverse, but now we know for a fact it does. They denied that Mr. Door and Martin Hatch were the same person, and that continued into Alan Wake 2 because David Harewood played Warlin Door, but then the doors were smashed when the revelation came that Lance Reddick was set to play Warlin Door until he tragically passed away. The community gets a lot wrong g, because they do not know how to “read between the lines” and that’s something Sam Lake purposely does to make connections.
It’s less that Alan is a super villain and more to do with the fact that he grew desperate after 13 years of escape attempts. It’s confirmed that he receives visions from reality to incorporate into his writing, he likely received a vision of the Hiss invasion and, knowing that it was inevitable, altered a few details to facilitate their spread and get Jesse moving in a direction that would work to his benefit.
If the Hiss invasion is going to happen anyway, and Jesse is going to be there to stop it regardless, what’s the harm in changing a few details if it could potentially help you escape a nightmare liminal space dream world? 😝
Though we also know that the future affects the past, and Alan has uneasy feelings about a Demigod version of himself that’s further ahead on the spiral playing a dangerous game, one that’s leading himself to that point. It’s not that Alan is a villain, so much so that his desperation unknowingly created a version of himself that would act selfishly to facilitate his own needs.
Insert "If those kids could read, they'd be very upset!" meme here.
Oh dear lol
I don't remember finding that document in Control. Now I'm gonna have to replay it again for the 5th time just to find it
These ones are in the AWE DLC so Investigation Sector.
2:09 yup, Alan definitely wrote this.
Lmao yes it was. That whole sentence was a bit much. Amateur writer right there.
The Threshold Kids are the true villains behind it all.🤣
Mr. Bones is final boss confirmed
Binging a bunch of your content again, cause i crave Alan Wake n Control knowledge
Haha glad you are enjoying the playlists!
Always happy to dive into your videos. Love your introspection.
Glad you enjoy them dude!
Thank you!
Great video as usual!
Thanks a bunch!
There are lines of dialog in the AWE DLC describing Alan's need for a hero with experience fighting an intangible hostile force that can control living and inanimate things for its own ends.
Alan absolutely has clairvoyance such as seeing details of Alex Casey's life but the works of fiction he writes around those kernels of truth are where he influences reality.
I don't think Alan created Jesse and the FBC but I DO think he created Hiss or at least facilitated the events of Control's main plot and/or the AWE DLC.
I don't think we've ever seen a page written by Alan that didn't end up coming true. We know the Cult of the Word would not exist without him writing them even if Casey did exist.
Always impressed by your videos ! very interesting !!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed
Interesting video on threshold darkly.
Thanks dude!
We also know now that Alan, saga and possibly other parautilitarians can alter events and create certain scenarios by performing certain actions, i also think that is what chester bless is doing in control
Congrats for the video! You deserve far more subscribers! What I find even more remarkable is that you are very consistent, regarding the high quality of your content!
I have only one question about Alan Wake, which I hope you could answer for me: Why were all Night Springs episodes (American Nightmare, Number One Fan, North Star, Time Breaker) failed attempts for Alan Wake to escape from The Dark Place? Were they unsuccessful, because Alan skipped the Initiation phase? Or because, only Saga could play the role of the writer's savior better than anybody else? Or for some other reason perhaps?
I would love to hear your thoughts on it!
🌀📖🦌🦉
I very much appreciate your words!
Regarding the other episodes, I'd start off directing you to the section of Monty Zander's AW2 retrospective. He discusses his thoughts about it.
Firstly since they are designed as TV shows therefore they are created as fictional tales that don't reflect real life. So anything that happens won't work. But also there are other issues. Like the ending for North Star was contrived. No part of the story hinted at or setup the twist that Alan is in the basement. So it is just a bad story.
I'll talk about this more when I do the Dead by Daylight Night Springs episode. It involves Alan's boss at the Night Springs tv show office calling him out on using bad narrative devices like that.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Very interesting points! Thank you so much for your enlightening reply as well as for the recommendation to check Monty Zander's analysis on the subject! I look forward to your next episodes!
Just wanted to say, this video title is fucking top notch.
Haha its the name of the episode that Alan wrote. So we should thank him for it.
Amazing video, I love it.
Glad you enjoy!
OK so I need help trying to understand 2 contradictions in Alan Wake 2 the first one is
While the plaque in the entry hall of the Valhalla Nursing Home states the building was built in 1965 for Finnish filmmaker Thomas Zane there are a number of indicators the building is far far older
The date 1887 is lettered on the roofline above the main entrance which would be consistent with the manor's Victorian style date marks like this often note a building of historical value
A newspaper clipping in the basement indicates Thomas Zane had purchased the old manor house outside town which means the building existed well before his and Barbara's arrival in Bright Falls
So that's one thing that contradicts it's self I just put it dawn as Alan's story changing things but what I need help with is the second contradiction I need to know if you think this is a mistake made by Remedy or if it's on purpose cus it will mean something in the story
So I was playing Alan Wake 2 and in the Valhalla Nursing Home Pat Maine says in 1991 a 15 year old girl called Norah Hesberg drowned in the old bunker, In 2014 Barry Wheeler buys the building near by and turns it into the Valhalla Nursing Home
Then after Tor gose into the overlap if you go to the front porch where the old people are and talk to them a woman will say I think Tor and Odin got this place cheap cus a girl drowned and the place is haunted this confirms the building was turned into a nursing home years after the girl drowned
But the problem starts when I went through the overlap cus in the bunker there is a newspaper that says, The local girl Norah Hesberg age 15 who went missing on Saturday of last week was discovered dead in the sealed underground bunker near Valhalla Nursing Home in Bright Falls
The girl is said to have drowned in 1991 multiple times in the game and this newspaper is talking like it was only written a week later so how do they know the building is called Valhalla Nursing Home when it wouldn't have been named that until 2014
Is this a mistake by Remedy or was it done on purpose cus I think it is a mistake cus the first contradiction with the age of the Nursing Home adds something to the story it shows Alan's story is changing things and cus the building is older than originally thought there could be something special about the building but the newspaper adds nothing to the story its just weird how the newspaper calls the building the Valhalla Nursing Home when it wasn't named that yet
Little things like this rarely go onto my radar since reality is changing all the time. It likely shows remnants of different variations of the story. One of the residents also claims the building didn't exist at all before. The point of it all is we constantly question what is real and what's the story. We can track each individual detail down but it won't tell us anything really.
A side topic, I know, but now I can't help but wonder if the quest "Through a nightmare, darkly" from TES IV: Oblivion is inspired by "A Scanner, Darkly" too? If so, it would be the second side quest I know to be inspired by a (weird) story, the first being "The shadow over Hackdirt", obviously inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The shadow over Innsmouth".
Hey Dean, amazing video as always. I was wondering, would you make a video about the similarities between the Starling and Willow AWE? And your theory on what exactly happened in the Willow AWE? I would love to hear your thoughts on that
Hard to say on the Sterling/Willow AWE comparisons. I think that is likely going to be referenced more in a future Remedy game. Considering it also relates to the Platonic Solids that the Time Breaker dlc references as well. Personally I think something came out of it since they mention it directly in one of the documents. Possible a vehicle of traveling between realities. Hard to say though.
Nice video, as soon as I found that document in my playthrough of control I thought of a scanner darkly as well since it’s one of my favorite sci-fi drug movies. If your going over night springs episodes from every game are you going to include the dbd one? I’m still unsure of how much remedy was involved in that one but the vibe I got was they were trying to be as accurate to the series as possible and remedy basically gave the stamp for it so I sort of consider it cannon. Maybe if fictionalized events connecting to reality is the theme of night springs then it would be pretty on point to consider it.
Anything by PKD is nuts lol.
The DBD one is on my list of episodes to discuss yes!
@@GamingUniversityUoG hell yes. Would also love if you did a remedy book club on any PKD books. His work is so influential and ahead of its time.
I need to stop procrastinating and finish the book we wre already working on. Got buried under like 4 novels lol
@@GamingUniversityUoG I can get that way too sometimes with books but hey everyone’s got different reading paces. I coincidentally just lent one of my friends a copy of house of leaves (which I expect to be on the list of books in the book club), and he’s not started it yet but when he reads it’s arguably faster than me. I like to take my time and digest every chapter mentally before I move on with novels personally, everyone’s got a different pace and you’ve got a successful RUclips channel to run so it makes sense my guy.
Do you by chance have a link to the opening theme for night springs? Not the ending one, just the twilight zone inspired one...i like it and would like a copy for several RUclips Playlists of mine
here's a RUclips link to it
ruclips.net/video/whcu0AJoHMI/видео.htmlsi=CPvQFBtqJtELlYH3
I do actually. I'll find it after work. Another RUclipsr made it and we got permission to use it.
It’s called return cause…. We return…
Drugs are bad m'kay
What is the name of the music in the beginning of the video? It haunted me since the unpleasant profession of Johnathan Hobs.
Side note, polaris world looks like, instead of fingers out the sand. More like tuning forks
Like how we use them to find resonances
What was the background music used in this video?
I recognise it from some videogame.
EDIT:
Nevermind, It's from The Evil Within 2.
Thanks for that lol. I have no clue since Yellowbat picks the music.
@@GamingUniversityUoG Haha you’re very welcome, Dean
I have long wondered why content creators rely on Norse myths when interpreting Alan Wake, when the games come from Finnish developers. It is not wrong, the franchise is intentionally ambiguous. For example the world trees people refer to as Yggdrasil or Lérað in Alan Wake games may be that, or it could be The Great Oak, Iso tammi, from Finnish perspective. This is distinct Karelian, Finnic, and Slavic world tree. Also understanding of soul is very different in old Norse beliefs than it is in old Finnic mythology. I wish that Dean would read a bit more into Finnish mythology, there are great sources online, and Kalevala isn't the only source. For example Dark Place has very clear inspirations from Tuonela, and Tuoni as a threshold. Realm of eternal sleep and dreams.
Here's some info about self understanding under the ancient Finnic framework:
"Ancient Finns believed that each person had multiple souls. They identified three main soul entities: the spirit soul, the self-soul, and the guardian spirit. The spirit, also called "löyly," represented life and vitality, manifesting as breath, warmth, heartbeat, and blood flow. It initiated life in the womb and sustained it until the last breath, departing at death, sometimes seen as a small animal or bird.
The self-soul formed one's personality and psyche, independent and aware, giving a newborn consciousness and personality. It was thought to be reborn within the family lineage and, upon death, joined the ancestors, maintaining its earthly appearance. If someone died violently or unjustly, their soul could become a restless ghost, unable to join the ancestors and instead seeking moral reparation or rebirth.
The guardian spirit, known as "nature" or "luonto," was a supernatural protector that could appear as a person's double. It might be inherited at naming or teething and was believed to provide strength and success. A strong guardian was thought to grant exceptional abilities, and if it weakened, spells could strengthen it. Loss of this guardian led to misfortune, illness, or depression.
Soul loss, akin to depression, was believed to stem from trauma, broken vows, or malevolent looks. It caused detachment from community and self, leading to a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. Healing involved a shaman, who, through ecstatic trance, would search for and retrieve the lost soul. This process emphasized that recovery required connecting with others, as only another's soul could restore a lost one, reigniting full humanity and community membership."
Source is Taivaannaula .org "Sieluista ja niiden menetyksestä"
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