About a year after the release ofControl, Remedy unveiled a teaser trailer for the then-upcoming AWE DLC. This trailer revealed that Alan Wake and the Bright Falls Incident would be the subject ofControl’s second story expansion, officially connecting Remedy’s 2010 psychological thriller to the 2019 action-adventure. Soon after,Remedy creative director Sam Lakeconfirmed the existence of the Remedy Connected Universe, and stated that future projects would take place within it.FBC: Firebreakis one such project.
Set six years after the events ofControl,FBC: Firebreaksees players exploring the Oldest House once again, which is still in the midst of a widespread Hiss invasion. Generally speaking,FBC: Firebreakfeels a little disconnected from the rest of the Remedy Universe. But the appearance of one staple Remedy character could have fixed that.
FBC: Firebreak Is Missing The Remedy Connected Universe’s Anchor Being
Ahti Has Become a Key Component of The Remedy Connected Universe
Ahti is introduced within the opening few minutes ofControl’s main story, where he greets Jesse Faden in the lobby of the Federal Bureau of Control’s headquarters. It’s clear there’s something a little off about the Finnish janitor, but he seems friendly enough. Ahti appears throughoutControl’s runtime, tasking Jesse with various janitorial side missions and giving her directions to navigate the Oldest House’s constantly-shifting corridors.
According toControl’s in-game collectibles, Ahti appeared suddenly in the Oldest House all the way back in the 1960s, claiming to be the building’s janitor despite it only being discovered hours prior. It’s believed that Ahti is a paranatural entity, though despite actively investigating him, the FBC aren’t sure of his origins or the scope of his abilities. That said, Ahti can seemingly communicate telepathically and teleport at will throughout the Oldest House. Though he doesn’t play a major role inControl’s story, his importance to the game’s world is clear.
It’s teased a few times in bothControlandAlan Wake 2that Ahti could actually be a Finnish sea god.
Towards the end ofControl, Ahti tells Jesse he’s going on vacation. Completing all of his side missions rewards the player with a postcard from Ahti, who’s visiting Watery, a location fromAlan Wake. This thread is picked up inAlan Wake 2, where Ahti can be seen in various locations throughout the game’s story, once again acting aloof and seemingly teleporting to places he shouldn’t be able to access.
WhileAlan Wake 2also features some appearances from FBC agents, Ahti is one of the game’s strongest connections toControl. It seems likely that Ahti’s role is only going to grow with eachnew entry in the Remedy Connected Universe, and he’s already become a sort of anchor being for it.
Ahti Is Nowhere to be Found in FBC: Firebreak
Despite being set in the Oldest House,FBC: Firebreakfeels oddly disconnected from the rest of the Remedy Universe, with it adding very little story content of its own and only referencing past games a few times in throwaway lines or in loading screen text documents. Ahti, for instance, is only referenced twice inFBC: Firebreak, both in regard to the giant furnace in the mission “Hot Fix.”
These very brief references seem to suggest that Ahti hasn’t returned to the Oldest House in some time. While Remedy could be planning something big forAhti inControl 2, a small cameo inFBC: Firebreakwould have gone a long way in making the game feel more connected to the universe’s overarching story.
