In the second major chapter of Alan Wake 2, you’ll be thrown into a nightmare version of New York City. Naturally, that includes its subway system. Here’s how to get past the barricaded entrance to the Shrine Street Station.
How to Get Around the Barricade in Shrine Street Station in Alan Wake 2
I got stuck on this for a few minutes, so I’m assuming someone else might also have a problem with it. The Shrine Street Station barricade is a sort of unlabeled puzzle in Alan Wake 2. It’s easy to assume you’ve missed something earlier in the level rather than continue to investigate the area.
However, the burned-out subway car you crossed through earlier is also an unlabeled, temporary point of no return. You can get back into the rest of the subway tunnels later on, but for now, you’re restricted to a relatively small area. Your only way forward is blocked by this barricade.
The Shrine Street Station barricade is right next to a Break Room and one of the pools of light where you can use Alan’s lamp. These light points can be “exchanged” via the lamp, which usually lets you either create a safe zone or force a short-range shift in your environment. The lamp can be used at the Shrine Street Station barricade but initially doesn’t seem to do anything.
What you may not notice unless you pull up your map is that there are actually two points of light at the barricade, and they’re right next to each other. You didn’t miss anything. AW2 just introduced a new sort of puzzle complication but didn’t inform you first. Rude, really.
The solution here is tricky to describe. That’s because it’s one of those puzzles you can randomly fumble through once you figure out what you’re supposed to be doing, but let’s give it a go.
Related: How to Solve the Parade Float Puzzle
Shrine Street Station Barricade Puzzle Solution
To get through the station barricade, first use both of the light points near the entrance. This should transform the area from a waiting room to an abandoned construction site.
Now, start at the Break Room’s door. Go forward slightly, turn left, then right. Use your lamp at the part of the barricade where the gate’s been reinforced by plywood (above, left). This should make it disappear.
You can now run all the way down the hall to a new dead end (above, right). Use the lamp to dispel the barricade on its other side. Doing so reveals the path forward into the station at the mural of the man and deer on the wall (below, left).
Run back the way you came and use Alan’s lamp on the gate at the end of the hall. It will stay where it is, but the tree mural next to it (below, right) will vanish.
This lets you get back to the Break Room, but more importantly, the way to the Shrine Street Station is now open. Go through the area where the tree mural used to be and hang a right.
That’s how to get past the barricade and into the Shrine Street Station in Alan Wake 2. Next, you’ll need to find inspiration. And later, you’ll need to complete a ritual. For more tips, tricks, and solutions, check out our dedicated AW2 guides hub.
