Given how important the Manuscript is to Alan Wake 2‘s story, it makes sense that the Fragments of the reality-altering tome would be just as beneficial. Here’s how to find Manuscript Fragments in Alan Wake 2 and how to use them.
Much like Charms, you won’t find Manuscripts Fragments simply blowing the streets of Bright Falls or sprinkled around the foliage of Cauldron Lake. These coveted pages of power are specifically hidden away off the beaten path, and while you don’t necessarily need to work too hard to uncover them, you should know what you’re looking for.
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While a Manuscript Page is a solid sheet of (grimy) A4 paper, the Fragments are too small to be kept out in the open. Thus, they’re tucked away in lunchboxes. Who’s doing that? Wouldn’t want to give any spoilers away, so all you need to know for now is that the person behind the secret treasure chests is a massive fan of Alex Casey, the hardboiled detective created by Alan Wake in his novels, who is played by Sam Lake, the creator of Alan Wake. It’s all very out there, but it makes sense in context.
Now while you’re exploring Alan Wake 2‘s various hub-worlds, you want to keep your eyes open for strange multicolored signs dangling from branches, ceilings, or rocks. When you see one of these diamonds, you know that a lunchbox is close. They look like this:
Search the area around these mobiles and Saga will eventually state that there’s a lunchbox nearby. Interact with it and she’ll crack it open to reveal a collection of Manuscript Fragments. Depending on the difficulty you’re playing on, you’ll either receive a decent chunk or barely anything. So if you’re playing on Hard, you’ll need to really think long and hard about which upgrades you want purchase.
Speaking of which, Manuscript Fragments will allow you to upgrade your various guns in Saga’s Mind Place. Once you find your first bundle, you’ll be able to enter the Mind Place and look to either the left or right side of the room (depending on what direction you’re facing), and you’ll see the table with a bunch of firearm magazines spread across it. Interact with them, and you’ll be given the option to choose from three different upgrades for the selected weapon, each one cost a certain amount of Fragments.
As stated above, Manuscript Fragments in Alan Wake 2 are very scarce, so if you’re not 100% sold on an upgrade, I’d advise you to sit on your collection before tossing them at an improvement in which you’re not confident. As any writer will tell you, manuscripts are super important, even if they’ve been ripped up.
