The Writer, the second DLC for Remedy's moody "action-thriller" Alan Wake takes what's best about the original game and puts, quite literally, a new spin on it. It's the same length as most chapters in the game, taking a bit over an hour to complete. We find Alan still trapped in the Dark Place trying to regain his sanity in order to continue his fight for freedom. Helped by the presence of Thomas Zane, Alan must confront his own fears and memories in order to survive.
There are three or four major set pieces, each of which is neat it its own way. A section of the game where you are forced to climb through a fun-house version of previous game locations, while the entire thing slowly spins around, is technically impressive and a fun navigation puzzle. The last climb up to the lighthouse was also fun and a new take on using light and dark to your advantage. There are a few platforming sections that are definitely not a strength, but good enough.
I love the Alan Wake story and am a fan of the two step combat, so if you already know you're not consider those grains of salt. This new bit of content reminded me how much I loved Alan Wake. I hope they can make a full sequel.