How to align Echoes in Alan Wake 2

Echoes are one of the collectibles found in Alan Wake 2, but they can only be found during Alan’s playable sections. You will need to align the orbs that make up an Echo to activate it, so we are going to be taking a look at how to properly align these Echoes in Alan Wake 2 so you can start collecting them. 

What are Echoes in Alan Wake 2?

In Alan Wake 2, Echoes are collectibles that can only be found in the Initiation levels; the ones where you play as Alan rather than Saga. They are not just shiny collectibles to pick up to work towards an achievement or trophy, though, as the Echoes will reveal elements of the story.

When you pick up an Echo, a shadowy scene unfolds. Most of these Echo scenes seem to come from Sam Lake’s film version of the Alex Casey series (Alan Wake’s detective book series), featuring a neo-noir style and offering a more in-depth look at Alan’s writing and how it is influencing the Dark Place as well as the outside world.

Despite being collectibles—which are usually optional elements of a game—some of the Echoes are mandatory and must be collected to progress. This is because some of the Echoes will provide vital inspiration to Alan’s investigations and plot elements for his story, so they can be used on the board in the Writer’s Room to change certain surroundings.

One example of this is the summoning ritual investigation found in the Subway. This is unlocked through an Echo, and it is the only way you can access the summoning theme, which is needed to continue through the subway. 

Finding Echoes in Alan Wake 2

The Echoes in Alan Wake 2 aren’t too difficult to spot once you know what you’re looking for, but they can be a little hard to find immediately. As per the image above, you will want to look for floating orbs. There should be a light orb and a dark orb, and you’ll need to align both to complete the Echo. The image above shows what the light orb looks like and the dark orb is much the same except for the color scheme.

The light and dark orbs won’t always be in the same place, though they will be within eyesight of one another. Have a look around and further away from the first orb if you have difficulty finding the second one.

You will also hear an eerie noise when you are close to an Echo, so you can easily listen out for them and get used to what they sound like to find them in the future.

If you’re still having trouble finding the orbs, then there is an alternative way of locating them all, and that is by finding Sheriff Tim Breaker as you traverse the Dark Place. Tim Breaker is the new Sheriff of Bright Falls in Alan Wake 2, and the cousin of Sheriff Sarah Breaker from the first Alan Wake game. He, too, becomes trapped in the Dark Place, but he can be of invaluable use during his time there. 

Tim will be hidden away in each of Alan’s levels and if you can find him, you can not only have a chat with him (actual human interaction is probably good for Alan’s severely dwindling mental health anyway), but he will also have a few supplies around the place as well as an interactable map that shows where you can find all the collectibles in Alan’s levels.

As well as the locations of the Echoes, Tim’s map also shows supply stashes and where to find the Words of Power collectibles that can be used to upgrade Alan’s weapons and abilities. Tim is a handy ally to have in the Dark Place, so I would recommend finding him even if you don’t want help with finding the Echoes. 

How to align Echoes in Alan Wake 2?

As mentioned, you will need to get both of the orbs into perfect alignment to unlock the Echo and allow the scene to play out. To do this, you will need to get both of the orbs to overlap one another by approaching the orbs from a specific angle.

The effect you will want to achieve is a sort of eclipse between the light and the dark orbs, which will happen when you line them up together. The orbs aren’t always within a close distance, but you will always be able to see both of them at the same time from a certain angle. It might take a bit of maneuvering around to find the sweet spot to stand in to create the eclipse of the light and dark orbs, but from my experience with the Echoes so far, it isn’t too taxing so long as you remember to hit that eclipse effect.

You will know when the orbs have been aligned correctly and the Echo has been activated as you will first hear audio, which is usually a clip of Alex Casey monologing. The shadowy figure of Casey—and anyone else who might be involved—will then begin to move around the scene to offer up insight and clues on certain story beats.

That’s all you need to know about Echoes in Alan Wake 2 and how to align them. Once you have aligned your first orbs to activate an Echo, you should have an easier time finding and aligning them in the future. Finding Tim Breaker is always an option if you are struggling to find Echoes, but even if this isn’t an issue for you, find Tim anyway, as his map is super helpful.

While they aren’t all mandatory, the Echoes can be a big help when it comes to putting together clues and changing the scenery, so I would advise finding as many as you can.