***Spoilers*** The game has an ending.

[SQUENIX BASED REMAKES]

Soooo I finally after 3ish year got around to beating Alan Wake American Nightmare. Alan Wake is one of my favorite games of all times. Everytime I reply it brings more questions then answer. American Nightmare (IMO) didn't disappoint. For a 15$ XBLA title it was a great action style Alan Wake game.

My only question is:

Do you think Alice and Alan are really back together or was it just a show of Night Springs?

btw I think it may be both. Alan at the end of Alan Wake says in order to return to the real world he must write Return. While there is another book being written in American Nightmare we just don't know the title. I think it will all come down to two different things:

If Remdy never gets the funds to make Alan Wake 2, American Nightmare will be Return.

or

If Remdy gets the funds to make Alan Wake 2, American Nightmare will only be Nighty Springs and the defeat of Mr Sratch.

What do you guys think?

[Ogisha]

At the end of the Credits it says:
Night Springs episode "Return"
Written by Alan Wake

Alan Wake's journey through the night will continue.

So, American Nightmare is Return and I think that it's just a beginning of much bigger plot lying ahead.
I don't think they're back together... That movie scene where they're hugged is simply unreal (bright sky behind Alice and dark clouds behind Alan, like some metaphore).

I doubt they'll not have the funds for AW2 and strongly believe in that last sentence :)

[SQUENIX BASED REMAKES]

Hmm I guess skipping the credits hurt me. Well, That's weird. I still don't think Return is American Nightmare as Return is meant to be a book.

[Ogisha]

Truth is, we don't know anything. Anybody could be right.
I was thinkin' a lot about story&stuff before... finally, I decided just to wait for sequel because there're just too many interpretations of everything and I don't like that :)

[SQUENIX BASED REMAKES]

That's the thrill of Alan Wake. Discussing the what could be.

[TheArjay]

i agree i think we have to wait for the second one to know how what actually happened

[Blattdorf]

I think the point is that while Alan can't get back to the real world just yet, he can create a fictional story that can be disseminated in the real world. He's probably trying to anchor himself to the real world and sending a message of sorts to all interested parties. He will need outside influence to balance the story right and pull himself out of the Dark Place.

Mr. Scratch probably still exists, though it's also likely that Alan pulled him into the story to finish him off (you could say they met at a middle ground between the other world and the real world) and limit the Dark Place's influence on the real world until he figures out what to do next.