Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft new game plus mode explained

Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft intro cutscene with deer head in lake
(Image credit: Remedy)

The Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft new game plus has an extended ending and a more challenging difficulty for hardcore fans. If you've already completed Alan Wake 2 and have your game up to date with update 1.0.13, you'll spot the new "The Final Draft" option on the main menu, allowing you to replay Saga and Alan's nightmarish stories but this time with the true ending – remember, it's a spiral, not a loop. Below, I've laid out exactly how you begin The Final Draft and new game plus in Alan Wake 2 as well as what to expect from it.

How to start the Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft new game plus mode

Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft menu

(Image credit: Remedy)

If you've got version 1.0.13 of Alan Wake 2 installed and have completed the game once already, you'll have access to The Final Draft new game plus mode via the game's main menu. Just select "The Final Draft" from the list, then choose your difficulty – more on the new Nightmare mode below – and you'll get into a new game. In this New Game Plus mode, the game starts off with a new cutscene that carries on the original ending before eventually transitioning to the normal game where you start as Nightingale.

Like a lot of new game plus modes in other games, the Alan Wake Final Draft mode preserves all your weapons, charms, and upgrades for both Saga and Alan (like Alan Wake 2 lunchboxes and Alan Wake 2 Words of Power) that you unlocked in your previous playthrough. Importantly, you won't start the game with all these items. Instead, all of Saga and Alan's previous gear is stored in the first shoebox you find for each character.

Along the way in your Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft playthrough, you'll have the chance to find new manuscript pages and videos, revealing and clarifying a few more elements of the story. Remedy also says to expect "other subtle additions" too. Most importantly, you'll also see an extra cutscene right at the end of the game, revealing plenty more about Saga and Alan's efforts to put an end to the machinations of the Dark Presence.

What is Alan Wake 2 Nightmare difficulty?

Alan Wake 2 The Final Draft Nightmare difficulty option

(Image credit: Remedy)

Nightmare is a new Alan Wake 2 difficulty option that you can pick for both new games and Final Draft runs. Based on my experience playing, the main changes seem to be that enemies hit harder and are harder to kill. Once you've got all your previous gear back from a shoebox, Nightmare mode is also a bit less nightmarish too. With that said, the increased damage Saga and Alan suffer when attacked means bosses like the Alan Wake 2 Nightingale fight can be pretty brutal.

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Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at GamesRadar+ who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.