The great thing about the second DLC for Alan Wake – called “The Writer” – is it’s the final download for Alan Wake and we get to see the story tied up into a nice neat little bow. The bad thing about the Writer DLC is it could be the final time we actually see Alan Wake.

While the disc-based game was great, the follow-up to that (The Signal DLC) wasn’t as strong and resorted to campy horde mode-esque tactics and meaningless driving. Hit the jump to see how the second and possible end to Alan Wake fares.

 Listen, you and I both know that if you already have The Signal DLC, or got it for free with your pre-order, you’re probably going to plop down the Microsoft points to get this (or you already have). It’s okay. I’m here to say that if you didn’t get The Signal for free, I would say skip it and go straight onto the Writer episode.

The DLC for the Writer starts off rough, but towards the end slowly crescendos into a wonderful climax (in my opinion better than the disc and Signal DLC combined).

Alan Wake is not known for his jumping or agile platforming ability, so why in the hell would Remedy put a jump from point A onto rotating point B mechanic into a game that flat out doesn’t need it? It barely works, and turns out to just be frustrating and downright stupid. Alan can barely use his Matrix-esque dodge move to get away from the Taken for 2.34 seconds. How in the hell is he going to jump from rotating platform to platform to get where he needs to go? It just doesn’t make sense. It was these design decisions that mar the great ambiance of Alan Wake and the northwestern town he’s in.

After the bad taste of Alan trying to jump all over the place, you get back into the core mechanic of what made the disc-based game so haunting. The unknown around the next corner, the dark foggy woods make a return, and the episode plays out like the nice pacing of a good book.

Things continue to get ramped up without the Signals retarded driving sequences that aren’t needed, or the almost impossible Taken horde mode that seems to last forever if you don’t run your ass off. The Writer DLC is definitely the better more fleshed out version of the two add-ons.

There’s the option to explore a little more of the area this time around. This DLC doesn’t make you run for your life through sections because it needs to include a good scare or to rape you. Those moments in The Signal turned out to be dull and frustrating for me. That’s not what Alan Wake is about. It’s about tense moments and having very little in your hands and around you, but being able to do so much. The Writer DLC nails this, and it definitely culminates all of these elements in the final run up the mountain to the ending. I won’t give anything away, but it’s one of those great gaming moments where you don’t need to shoot a single bullet or dodge a certain way in order to end it, you just need to time things right and prepare yourself. Just you and your flashlight for pure gaming bliss.

There are a few disappointing moments in the Writer (most notably the jumping mechanic early on), but they pale in comparison to The Signal, and it’s definitely more positive than negative. One of my tweaks would have been to have an Alan vs. evil Alan Wake fight (hey it can happen right?), with the goatee or beard from the other “bad” universe included. That would have been epic.

The DLC can be completed in one sitting in about an hour and a half. Definitely worth the 560 MS points. It doesn’t really warrant another play-through (unless you don’t get all of the collectibles). Oh and by the way, the collectibles this time around are great. Much better than the alarm clock from The Signal. These collectibles in the Writer definitely kept me on my toes listening for that oh-so-distinct sound that Xbox 360 owners have come accustomed to over the years.

If you got the Signal DLC for free, by all means, you need to complete the saga. You’ll kick yourself in the ass if you don’t. You don’t start a book series and just pick and choose. It’s your one and only shot and it could be your last look at Alan Wake. For those of you who haven’t bought either and have the option? Get the Writer DLC and skip The Signal. The Writer DLC is much tighter, better paced, and has fewer “Why in the fuck?” moments.