Cultural References in Alan Wake

This article is about cultural references in Alan Wake. For the references in the stand alone Alan Wake title, see Cultural References in American Nightmare.

Why the hell did you kill Casey? What the hell were you thinking, man? This article or a section of this article will contain full, or partial plot spoilers of an Alan Wake game or any other piece of media related to the franchise. You have been warned...

 Stephen King once wrote that nightmares exist outside of logic and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear. 

― Alan Wake, Episode 1: Nightmare

There are many cultural references of other media in Alan Wake. Beneath are all known references sorted by subject.

Television

The Twilight Zone (TV Show)

• The in-game television show, Night Springs, is in the same style as The Twilight Zone (eg. black and white, bizarre events taking place and the same type of narration).

LOST (TV Show)

• The Dark Presence in the game controls people, just like the Smoke Monster in LOST does, although the monster takes their appearance and thoughts not the actual bodies like the Dark Presence does. And both are, of course, depicted as a pillar of black smoke.thumb|right|180px|Smoke Monster almost identical to the Dark Presence and can here be seen in first person. Notice how it transforms into normal people
• A reference to the movie The Shining was also made in LOST. Michael Dawson is bouncing a ball against a wall and George Minkowski makes a joke referring to The Shining "Next thing you know, you’re going to go after your wife with an axe", Alan Wake refers to this scene as well.
• Diver's Isle suddenly sank to the bottom of Cauldron Lake in the 1970's. In the premiere episode of the final season of LOST, the whole island is revealed to be at the bottom of the ocean.
• In the game, there is a constant battle between light and shadow (even literally); in LOST, this is one of the most important aspects of the entire show, along with the heavy black and white symbolism throughout the series.
• In the Bright Falls mini-series, Episode 3: Lights out, Jake Fischer wakes up in the woods, similar to the very first scene in LOST with Jack Shephard.
• The events of time loss, temporal displacement, and waking up in different places can be found in the Bright Falls mini-series as well as LOST. In the Alan Wake universe: Alan Wake and Jake Fischer in Bright Falls, in the LOST universe: Desmond Hume in the episodes The Constant and Flashes Before Your Eyes.

Twin Peaks (TV Show)

• The setting of Twin Peaks is almost exactly the same as Bright Falls: A seemingly small and harmless (but fictional) logging town in Washington. In both towns, strange events occur.
• The Oh Deer Diner is a reference to the Double R Diner in Twin Peaks – the layout is identical to Twede's Diner in North Bend, WA, where Twin Peaks was filmed. Even the clothing of the waitress looks almost identical to Shelly Johnson's, but is red in the game instead of blue.
• The Cauldron Lake Lodge is very similar to the Great Northern Hotel in Twin Peaks – they're both old wooden hotels on a cliff overlooking a lake.

thumb|right|180px|Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks and his famous coffee scenes.

• The way the patient in the Cauldron Lake Lodge crawls over the couch and tries to scare Dr. Hartman and Alan Wake is the exact same way the surreal person "BOB" used to scare people in Twin Peaks.
• The jukebox was prominently used in Twin Peaks, and the little scene in the game with the Coconut song could be a reference to these moments.
• A more obvious reference is the Lamp Lady, Cynthia Weaver, an old crazy lady that carries a lantern all the time. In Twin Peaks, an old crazy lady called the "Log Lady" carries a log all the time.
• In both the game and the TV show Twin Peaks, an FBI agent visits a small town where strange things happen.
• In one of the manuscripts, FBI Agent Nightingale mentions that "... he didn't like the trees or the coffee". In Twin Peaks, FBI Agent Dale Cooper mentions, while entering the town, that the trees are beautiful here and later on, he gives compliments about the coffee at the diner.
• Ranger Rusty makes a compliment about the coffee at the diner, just as FBI agent Dale Cooper makes compliments about the coffee everywhere he goes. There is even an achievement named after his quote "Damn Good Cup of Coffee", which you get after collecting 25 coffee thermoses.
• The Alan Wake strategy guide contains notes on where to find the 100 thermoses of coffee written by an unnamed FBI agent. In some of them, this agent comments about his fellow agent "Cooper". One note mentions Cooper attending a transcendental meditation seminar and another note saying Cooper had "out there" theories in the past.
• In the book The Alan Wake Files, interviews are transcribed that Agent Nightingale made with his micro-cassette recorder. Agent Dale Cooper always recorded everything with his iconic micro-cassette recorder, starting his sentence with "Diane, ...".
• Mirror Peak is a reference to the name of the show Twin Peaks. Mirror can sometimes refer to two of the same person (like twins) and then Peak.
• In Twin Peaks, there are numerous mentions of a "Darkness" or "Presence" that lurks in the forest. In Alan Wake, the Dark Presence lurks in Cauldron Lake.
• In one of the last scenes in Alan Wake, Alan is confronted with his doppelganger, named Mr. Scratch, who was going to replace him if he died. This is exactly what happened to FBI agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks. He was trapped inside the Black Lodge and his doppelganger replaced him in the real world.
• In The Signal, a cardboard standee can be found of Sheriff Sarah Breaker, with a description that mentions her being the "...only girl in the Bookhouse" and tells of a "secret society" in Bright Falls. In the town of Twin Peaks, The Bookhouse Boys is a secret society.
• In a shed in Chapter 1 (the one with a radio inside) there is a locket hung up on a hook. This is a reference to Laura Palmer’s locket which became a key piece of evidence in the search for her killer.
• The FBI Agent in Alan Wake is Agent Nightingale. In Twin Peaks, Julee Cruise’s music is featured to create the dreamy ethereal feel of many scenes.  Julee Cruise can be seen performing her song “The Nightingale” in an episode.
• There are owls in various places throughout the game and even within the live action prequels. This is undoubtedly connected to “The owls are not as they seem” from Twin Peaks.

Verizon (Commercials)

• Verizon signs can be found all over the game on billboards.
• In Episode 4: The Truth, Alan can turn on the TV which shows two commercials. One of which is a Verizon commercial.
• In the first DLC episode, The Signal, Thomas Zane makes a reference to the Verizon TV commercials by saying the Verizon guy's quote, "Can you hear me now?"

Movies

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Movie)

• Sheriff Sarah Breaker makes a reference to the ending of the film just after they survive a Taken attack.

King Kong (movies)

• Alan makes a joke about how New York tends to be the plot setting for a lot of media, including King Kong.

Blue Velvet (Movie)

• "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison is played during the ending of episode one. The same song is used during a famous scene in the movie Blue Velvet. Blue Velvet was written by David Lynch (the creator of Twin Peaks), a major influence for the writers of the game.

Lost Highway (Movie)

• Another movie by David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks), referenced in Episode 1 when Alan see himself in the TV, just like character Fred, who received VHS tapes by mail - in Lost Highway. The game Silent Hill 2, another influence on Alan Wake, contains the same reference.

The Birds (Movie)

• Barry mentions that some birds flew through the chimney like the sparrows.
• The way the birds in the Alan Wake game attack are just like the birds from the movie.

Alfred Hitchcock (Filmmaker)

• While Barry Wheeler was being trapped in the house surrounded by birds that attacked him, he referred to Alfred Hitchcock. Alfred Hitchcock made a movie where birds attacked people, called The Birds, and is one of his most iconic works of all time (see above).

The Shining (Movie)

thumb|right|180px|Alan Wake references to this scene in The Shining when getting chased by an axe

• Alan Wake compared his situation (getting chased by a psychotic man knocking on a door with an axe) with the movie The Shining where Jack Torrance smashes a door with an axe in pursuit to murder his wife.
• When Alan is escaping from the Cauldron Lake Lodge, he has to go through a maze. Similar to the end of The Shining where Jack Torrance is chasing his son Danny with an axe.
• The way Clay Steward from Alan's dream is first hit with an axe is similar to the way Dick is hit by Jack Torrance.
• The opening sequence to Alan Wake is similar to that of The Shining.

Rambo (Movie)

• Alan makes a reference of Rambo when Barry says "I'm on the case!".

Lord of the Rings (Movie/Book)

• Barry refers to his head lamp as his personal "Flaming Eye of Mordor", also known as Barad-dûr in the Lord of the Rings universe.

Poltergeist (Movie)

• One of the achievements of the game, "They're heeeeeere!", where you have to destroy 20 possessed objects, is titled after a line from the movie.
• Cynthia Weaver states that she sometimes speaks to Thomas Zane through the TV, much like Carol Freeling did in the film.

The Evil Dead Trilogy (Movie)

• In Hartman's Cauldron Lake Lodge, there's a stuffed deer head possessed by The Dark Presence, acting as a "Poltergeist" Taken. It isn't thrown at Alan, it simply looks around the room. This could be a reference to a scene in Evil Dead II, where several objects in the cabin begin to laugh (but not attack in any way) at Ashley J. Williams, including a stuffed deer head.
• At one point of the game, Alan finds a Double Barrel Shotgun near an abandoned cabin in the woods. This could be reference to the main setting of the Evil Dead films.
• Sarah Breaker's cut-out references Ash's nickname for his sawed-off double barrel shotgun, "Boomstick".
• At least one of the cut scenes features the point of view sweeping and diving through the rooms of a house as if the camera is looking for Alan. This seems to be a reference to the original Evil Dead, which featured several similar camera shots.

Psycho (Movie)

• The fact the Norman gave keys to Marion in Psycho which led to her doom is very similar to Barbara Jagger giving the keys to Alan Wake in the beginning.

Vertigo (Movie)

• The tree ring display in one area of Elderwood National Park is almost identical to the one used in the scene where Madeleine and Scotty discuss their lives compared to the life of the tree.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Movie)

• During Alan's short stay at the Cauldron Lake Lodge, Doctor Hartman says "Jack has taken the other patients out on a fishing trip". In the movie, Jack Nicholson's character famously releases all of the mental patients and embarks on a crazed fishing trip.

Darkness Falls (Movie)

• There is a possible reference to the 2003 American horror film "Darkness Falls" The beginning of the game starts with you trying to get to a light house because it's the only place of safety, which is what the main protagonist does in the movie.
• The name of the town in Alan Wake "Bright Falls" could be a direct reference to "Darkness Falls" because bright is an antonym of darkness and they both end with the word, falls.

Music

thumb|right|180px|An interview with Alan Wake on the Harry Garrett Show also features The Poets Of The Fall

Poets Of The Fall (Band)

• A reference to "Late Goodbye", the ending theme for Max Payne 2, also done by Poets of the Fall, appears in the text of the second manuscript page of Episode 2.
• Poets Of The Fall is a rock band in Finland and some songs are featured in the game only under another alias the Old Gods Of Asgard.
• In the 'faux' interview with Alan Wake and Sam Lake on The Harry Garrett Show, you can see Poets Of The Fall at the end of the video.
• The song, "War" which is a main song of the game, was also played by Pat Maine on a radio, saying they reminded him of the Old Gods Of Asgard. This was played in the same episode that the song appeared at the end for.
• A music video was made to promote the game, using the song "War" and sang by Poets of the Fall. Ilkka Villi also portrayed the live-action version of Alan Wake in the music video.

Nursery Rhymes

• In Episode 2: Taken, after talking with Doc Nelson if Alan sticks around, he can hear Doc humming Row, Row, Row Your Boat.

Judas Priest

• When Nightingale shoots at Alan in the radio station, Pat Maine screams 'Judas Priest'.
• This is not necessarily a reference to the band, as yelling "Judas Priest!" as an expletive has existed longer than the band (and is likely where they got their name.)

Literary Works

Dharma Bums (Book)

• In Episode 3: Ransom, the fire lookout cabin is reminiscent of the cabin inhabited by Kerouac and the main character of Dharma Bums, Ray Smith.

Romeo and Juliet (Tragedy)

• The achievement description when earned for "What Light Through Yonder Window" is: "It is the east, and the flaregun is the sun to 50 Taken". This is a reference to one of Romeo's lines from the famous balcony scene: "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun."

The Bible (Book)

• The achievement Let There Be Light is a reference to the book of Genesis. Light was the first thing God created and it drove back the darkness.

Stephen King (Writer)

• The first two words that are being spoken by Alan Wake. Alan then quotes him.
• The creators of Alan Wake said that they also used Stephen King as a reference during the process of making the game.
• The genre Stephen King writes is somewhat similar to the genre Alan Wake belongs to.
• Stephen King's novel It revolves around an evil supernatural presence known as It that wants to destroy human life. It's counterpart and enemy is called The Turtle, another deity that wants to create human life and uphold it. This is similar to the Dark Presence and Light Presence fighting each other, with It being Barbara Jagger and The Turtle being Thomas Zane. Also, the town in It, Derry, is similar to Bright Falls.
• Alan Wake's most famous series was a series of crime novels revolving around a hardcore cop named Alex Casey. In Stephen King's novel The Dark Half, the main character writes crime stories about a violent killer named Alexis Machine.
• Alan Wake is also similar to Thad Beaumont, the main protagonist of The Dark Half in that both characters are writers who must fight against their own creations.
• The game shares a lot of themes and elements with Stephen King's fiction: a famous writer as the protagonist, the importance of memories and childhood trauma, the battle of good and evil, small American towns as the setting.
• In Duma Key an evil supernatural entity is trapped on a remote island and tries to escape by influencing a painter and manifesting itself through his works. This is similar to what the Dark Presence does to artists.
• In Bag of Bones the main character is an author who suffers severe writer's block and decide to move to an isolated lake house where he experience delusions. This is similar to Alan Wake's history.
• (SPOILERS) The Dark Tower series has very similar mythology and themes as American Nightmare. In The Dark Tower there is a place of darkness outside of reality, called the Prim. It is also filled with demons who wish to break into reality once more and fill the world with unending darkness. This is very similar to what Mr. Scratch and The Dark Presence wish to do. Roland, the main character of the series, is on a quest to The Dark Tower, a place where all of reality manifests itself and where God (called Gan) lives. Roland's quest ultimately leads him to facing the forces of evil personified, as a being called The Crimson King, defeating its attempts to destroy reality, and saving creation. You read all seven books only to find out at the end of the last one that the entire series is a giant time loop. Roland reaches the Tower, enters, confronts his personal demons, climbs to the top, and comes to a door called "Resumption." He enters and it transports him back to the beginning of the first book, wiping his memories, and starting the whole process anew. The series hints that it isn't a lost cause though, as each time minor changes occur that move Roland forward in his goal and possibly eventually setting him free of the loop. This is very similar to Alan, and his quest to save the world, defeat the Dark Presence, and get back to Alice but having to go through repeatingly looping stories each time adjusting things just slightly, in order to free himself and win.
• Mr. Scratch is reminiscent of a King character by the name of Randall Flagg. Flagg appears in many of King's works, but most prominently in The Stand and The Dark Tower. Flagg is described as being a handsome charmer who is seductive but mysterious. In reality he is a madman who serves the forces of evil and darkness that exist outside of reality who want to break through and cover the world in darkness. He has many supernatural abilities and causes chaos wherever he goes. One of the names for him in King's writings is even "The Dark Man."

Dan Brown (Writer)

• Agent Nightingale yells after Alan Wake, calling him Dan Brown.

Ernest Hemingway (Writer)

• Agent Nightingale calls Alan Wake Hemingway.

James Joyce (Writer)

• Agent Nightingale yells after Alan Wake using this name.

Mickey Spillane (Writer)

• Agent Nightingale calls Alan Wake Spillane.

H.P. Lovecraft (Writer)

• Agent Nightingale calls Alan Wake by this name.
• Some of Alan's novels have been described as "Lovecraftian horror". Meaning they are similar to H.P. Lovecraft's narrative style and theme.
• The remains of a tree called The Great Old One can be found in Elderwood National Park. A sign posted near the tree reads as follows: "Felled by lightning in 1937, this exceptionally tall Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesli subsp. glauca) was over 200 years old. According to local legends, it stretched beyond the stars. After it fell, it was measured to be 88 meters tall -- nearly a record length." In H.P. Lovecraft's Mythos, The Great Old Ones are ancient extraterrestrial beings of immense power, and most are also colossal in size. The most well-known of these from Lovecraft's fiction is Cthulhu.
• It should also be noted that the year The Great Old One was felled by lightning, 1937, is the same year that H.P. Lovecraft himself passed away. In this way one could view him as "The Great Old One of horror who fell in 1937."
• The third episode of Night Springs, "A Family Occasion", is filled with a rich quantity of references towards Lovecraft. The introduction of the episode is not only a nod to Lovecraft's literary philosophy, cosmicism, but also written in a similar fashion as the introduction of Lovecraft's short story, "The Call of Cthulhu". Furthermore, "the stars are right" is a quote from "The Call of Cthulhu" which refers to a cosmological event when the sunken city R'lyeh will arise from the ocean and release its otherwordly creatures on the earth.
• Nik'sih-Per'kah, the fictional god mentioned in Night Springs, "A Family Occasion", is a reference to Shub-Niggurath, a Lovecraftian deity. This reference becomes clear when the paranormal investigator feels something writhing inside his stomach and the woman says that his "body shall host his thousand young". The line "thousand young" is part of Shub-Niggurath's epithet "The Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young". The name of the god is actually a parody: it's pronounced like "Niksi-Pirkka", a column in a Finnish monthly magazine Pirkka that lists various handy household tips.
• The idea of people mentally connected in dreams is a similar concept explored in "The Call of Cthulhu". In the novel The Alan Wake Files, there are several hints at the possibility that Alan Wake, Clay Steward and Agent Nightingale share the same ominous nightmare, or vision. The dreams of these men (with the possible exception of Agent Nightingale) are influenced by the Dark Presence and feature a marine setting, as can be seen with the lighthouse in the first chapter of the Alan Wake video game. This focus on a marine setting is similar to "The Call of Cthulhu", in which a handful of artists from all over the world share the same nightmarish visions (the sunken city of R'lyeh) as Cthulhu whispers in their sleep.
• Similar to the Dark Presence resting at the bottom of the Cauldron Lake, one of the deepest lakes in the world, monsters in Lovecraft's stories often find home in deep water.

Bret Easton Ellis (writer)

• Agent Nightingale calls Alan Wake this name.

Raymond Chandler (writer)

• Agent Nightingale calls Alan Wake this name.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton (Writer)

• In The Signal, the imaginary Barry Wheeler references one of the quotes from the play Richelieu '('the Conspiracy), "The pen is mightier than the sword". The quote is often interpreted as "intelligence is better than brute strength."

Video Games

Death Rally

• There is a poster in Emerson's room of Death Rally. Death Rally is also a game developed by Remedy Entertainment.
• In The Signal, when Alan is in a vehicle going up against a monster truck, Imaginary Barry will say it's like a demolition derby, or as he calls it "a death rally".

Left 4 Dead 2

• The concert holdout is similar to the ending to The Dark Carnival Campaign (takes place on a rock stage, fighting many waves of enemies.)
• One type of Taken resembled the look of the "Hunter" in L4D2.

Half-Life

• A manuscript page in Episode 5: The Clicker details how Barry Wheeler comes across a conveniently placed barrel of crowbars. The crowbar is the somewhat trademark weapon of the Half Life series; it is found by the main character Gordon Freeman during initial game levels and signifies the true start of the game for the player. This is further referenced in the manuscript page by how Barry notes this is the 'scene where the hero had to gear up'.

Max Payne (franchise)

• In  Episode 4 when Walter is dying he says "Like a real bad follow up to a real good movie, where the best friend is suddenly the bad guy". It is probably an allusion to Max Payne 2 and Vladimir Lem, Max's best friend who becomes his enemy.

Remedy's famous game "Max Payne" is also hinted in Alan Wake

• In Episode 3 when you first wake up after drinking Rose's coffee you will see a book on a shelf named "Believe In Change" in the same room as the television. The cover will be of Alfred Woden with one visible eye.
• In the flashback at the beginning of Episode 2: Taken, Wake returns to his New York City apartment and comments it's the worst storm ever. This was the case in the original Max Payne, where it was set in a blizzard covered New York. It is possible, although unlikely, that the events of the Max Payne series and Alan Wake occur in the same universe. To further coincide with this, the storm had been going on for 3 days in both Alan Wake and Max Payne.
• Furthermore, also in Episode 2, Alan greets Alice by saying Max Payne's iconic line: "Honey, I'm home."
• Alex Casey bears many similarities to Max Payne, another Remedy character. Alex is described as being "...a very gloomy guy."
• The first two manuscript pages of Episode 2: Taken are narrated by James McCaffrey, the voice of Max Payne and Thomas Zane.
• In Episode 2, two crossed golden Beretta 9mm handguns are on display in Alan's apartment office. This could possibly be a reference to the Max Payne series, as the Beretta is Max's handgun of choice in Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.
• In the 'faux' interview with Alan Wake on The Harry Garrett Show, Sam Lake appeared. Sam Lake not only wrote the game's story and script, but also helped design levels and was the face model for the character of Max Payne in the first game of the series. This fact is highlighted when Sam Lake is asked to "Do the Face", to which he looks at the camera and mimics the face of Max.
• In the Episode 6 flashback of Alan Wake, Alan wakes up with a hangover and requires pain killers to stop the pain. The bottle is identical to the one that is used by Max Payne for his pain relief.
• In Episode 4 you meet a burned out game designer. The game designer rants about how they thought it was fun to include "mullets" and "mullet time" in their game. Soon producers wanted "mullet time" in everything. This is a reference to the "Bullet Time" ability both Max Payne games used. It quickly became a hype and got added to a lot of games before disappearing again when it was considered as a gimmick.
• Two pages of the Departure manuscript appear to be actually from The Sudden Stop. The implication of the protagonist's wife and child matches the setup for Max Payne. The reference to painkillers could also call out to the use of painkillers to restore health in Max Payne. Furthermore, the fact that those two pages end with the death of the protagonist may signify that Remedy has officially terminated with Max Payne, since the new Max Payne 3 departs from the first two in not being written by Sam Lake nor being developed by Remedy, apart from the lack of noir themes present in the first two installments.
• One of Wake's books is Return to Sender. In Max Payne some of the televisions are showing episodes of the series Address Unknown, in what the station is calling a "Return to Sender Marathon".
• In The Signal, after Thomas Zane speaks to Alan Wake through the bathroom mirror, the player can turn around and open the furthest stall door on the left. There is graffiti here which reads "Mirra Was Here." This is a reference to the character John Mirra from the show Address Unknown in Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.
• Wake's Alex Casey novel, The Things That I Want shares its name with a chapter from Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne as well as a pun said by Max.
• There is a dog in Episode 2 called Max.
• Alan's character in his books was called "Alex Casey". In Max Payne, there is an advertisement that can be found throughout the game saying "Real Men Drink Casey", an advertisement for alcohol.
• The game talked about vikings in certain comic strips. In Alan Wake, Tor and Odin often kept viking equipment at their farm.
• B.B. was described as another "cardboard cut-out" by Max in a comic strip in the first game. In Alan Wake, cardboard cut-outs appeared a few times throughout the game.
• In Max Payne 2, Max said "a bullet shaped hole where the answer should be". This is similar to when Alan said on the television set "there's a hole in her chest where her heart should be".

Silent Hill

• In the Silent Hill games, the protagonists are often searching for loved ones missing in a haunted town. In Alan Wake, the protagonist (Alan Wake) must find his wife.
• Both games features a car crash at the beginning of the story. Both protagonists think at one point that the events of the game are just hallucinations caused by a concussion.
• After Barbara Jagger gives Alan the cabin key, she says "Cauldron Lake is a special place, very inspiring." This might be a reference as Silent Hill has been referred to as a "special place" in a number of games, starting with Silent Hill 2.
• Silent Hill would emphasize fog quite a lot. Alan Wake does the same, just a little bit less.

Deadly Premonition

• Deadly premonition was also greatly inspired by Twin Peaks, and thus shares many similarities to the show with Alan Wake, including the premise of FBI agents coming to a small, friendly Washington town plagued by dark secrets and supernatural occurrences, and, of course, the famous Log Lady / Lamp Lady / Pot Lady.
• Both games' main enemies are townsfolk possessed by a dark force who turn into wisps of smoke when killed.
• Both games start with the quirky main character getting into a car crash and having to fight his way through the forest.
• Both games have episodic formats with eerily similar recaps at the beginning of each episode.

Real-Life Products

Verizon Communications Inc.

• Alan's cell phone was made by Verizon.
• In The Signal, Alan must follow a GPS signal on his phone, using the Verizon GPS application called VZ Navigator.
• In Episode 6: Departure, there are Verizon billboards on the side of the road.
• Thomas Zane makes a reference to "the Verizon guy" (see Television).
• In Episode 4: The Truth, when you are about to leave the clinic you can turn on a TV and it plays a Verizon commercial. This counts towards the "Boobtube" achievement.

Energizer Holdings, Inc.

• Through the normal campaign, the batteries used by Alan Wake are Energizer brand.
• In Episode 1: Nightmare, Alan picks up an Energizer brand flashlight and a revolver after he hides from Stucky inside the trailer.
• In Episode 6: Departure, there are Energizer billboards.
• The Heavy-Duty Lantern is Energizer brand.

Ford Motor Company

• In Episode 4: The Truth, when you are about to leave the clinic you can turn on a TV and it plays a Ford commercial. This counts towards the "Boob Tube" achievement.
• In Episode 3: Ransom, when you are walking with Paul Randolph one of the cars parked by one of the trailers is a 2011 Ford Fiesta.
• In Episode 6: Departure, when you are on the bridge with the poltergeists a 2010 Ford Flex is near the entrance.
• In a few episodes you will find a truck that is or resembles a Ford F100.
• In Episode 2: Taken, the vehicle you use to get back to Barry is a Park Ranger Ford F-350.
• In the lot of the Sheriff's station there is 2010 Ford Fusion.
• In Bright Falls, Jake drives a Ford Focus.
• In all the episodes the panel vans & the ambulance at the sheriff's office in episodes 2 & 5 are based on the Ford E-Series vans.
• In Episode 5: The Clicker, around the town there are sedans that resemble the 1998-2011 Ford Crown Victoria. Also the 2006-2008 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor appears in Bright Falls as Deputy Mulligan's police cruiser. Night Springs episode 2 the 2003-2005 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor makes an appearance.
• As Lincoln is a subdivision of Ford Motor Company, all of the below fall into this category as well.

Lincoln (automobile)

• Alan and Alice's car is a Lincoln MKT.
• In Episode 3: Ransom , the car parked outside of the trailer park is a 2010 Lincoln MKS.
• In Episode 6 : Departure a 2011 Lincoln MKX can be driven.

Jeep

• In Episode 2: Taken you will find a crashed vehicle that resembles a 2010 Jeep Wrangler in the parking lot of the visitors center of Elderwood.
• In Episode 6: Departure you will find another crashed 2010 Jeep Wrangler after you find the replacement car after you have the seizure in the tunnel.

Oldsmobile

• One car resembles a 1973 Delta 88. See "The Evil Dead Trilogy" (Movies).

Microsoft Corp.

• In Episode 1: Nightmare, in the cinematic where Alice tells Alan to get the keys from Stucky, the dashboard screen of the car says Microsoft Sync.
• In Episode 4: The Truth, while in the clinic, you can enter Emerson's room to find an Xbox 360 and an Xbox game called "Night Springs".
• When Alan is near collectible copies of "Night Springs" video games (all of which are for the Xbox 360), they make a noise that the Xbox 360 sometimes makes.

Dodge

• The police car parked in the lot resembles a Dodge Diplomat.

Sikorsky Air

• The FBI helicopter that attacks Alan in Episode 3, is a UH-60 Blackhawk
• The Coast Guard helicopter in Episode 5, is either a or resembles a HH-60 Jayhawk.