Alan Wake 2 – Return 8: Deerfest (Alan) walkthrough

As we speed toward the game’s ending, we see Scratch’s twisted vision beginning to affect reality. Though this is a Saga chapter, you’ll be controlling Alan the whole time.

With this guide, you’ll learn how to put a stop to Scratch’s evil plot in Alan Wake 2‘s Return 8. There isn’t much combat involved, but there is some exploration to get done.

Jump pack into the Dark Place

A cutscene has Alan traveling back to Bright Falls. It’s a suspense-filled drive, as Alan knows he’s returning to the Dark Place it took him so long to escape from. However, it has to be done, though even Alan admits that he’s terrified.

On the other side of the Overlap, things are far more cheery than you might expect. Bright Falls is celebrating Deerfest. Weirdly, they’re also deeply obsessed with Alan Wake and his novel Return. This is part of Scratch’s sick desire to steal everyone’s attention. Take your time walking through Bright Falls, you’ll hear the citizens discussing details of Return, and some characters from the previous game get a mention

To end the horror, you have to find a copy of Return. It’s at the end of the street, not too far from the Elderwood Lodge. The novel is being held by a cardboard cutout of the writer. After you grab the text, the townsfolk will start chasing you. Don’t bother trying to fight them, just run into the lodge, keeping as straight a path as possible until you exit from the kitchen on the other side of the building.

Get to the Writer’s Room

With the book in your possession, A cutscene has you traveling to Valhalla Nursing Home. The attic contains the Writer’s Room where Alan can finally change the ending. You can’t enter the nursing home yet, so you’ll need to take the back door into the Wellness Center. In there, make your way to the exit that should spit you out into the nursing home.

Unfortunately, just before you reach the door, Scratch will be on your tail. Once again, don’t worry about fighting. Just run until you get to the safety of the Security Room where the light will protect you. You can’t stay there forever, so eventually, you’ll have to leave out the other door which is when you can loop back to the doors that will take you back to Valhalla Nursing Home.

Rose will be there to greet you, and she’ll direct you to the third floor where the Writer’s Room is. It’s the door on the far end, the only one with a metal door with a spiral on it. Ahti will open the door for you, but not without some cryptic lines.

Now it’s time to write the perfect ending needed to prevent Scratch’s bad ending. There’s an Echo in the room that you should activate. It lays out everything the ending should contain, including the fact that those dragged into it shouldn’t be hurt and the hero must pay the price.

Head to the writer’s board and you’ll be able to piece together the final plot piece. Alan finally has the idea for the perfect ending. Now he just needs the Clicker.

There are no changes in the Final Draft version of this chapter. To find out which chapters do have differences, check out this comprehensive Alan Wake 2 hub.