Mayor Setter has become an overnight sensation in the world of Alan Wake 2. This charming canine politician has captured the hearts of players everywhere thanks to his hilarious campaign ads scattered throughout Bright Falls. Interacting with Mayor Setter leads to special rewards in-game, making him a worthwhile character to seek out for those wanting to fully complete Alan Wake 2.
Introducing Mayor Setter
Mayor Setter is a dog running for office in the fictional town of Bright Falls, the primary setting for Alan Wake 2. His political ads feature prominently on billboards, television screens, and posters throughout the ominous location. Despite being a canine, Mayor Setter has generated substantial hype and popularity as a humorous counterpoint to the game’s intense horror atmosphere.
The absurdity of a dog politician campaigning has struck a chord with Alan Wake 2 fans. Social media has exploded with viral fan art and memes celebrating Mayor Setter. Players eagerly share their encounters hunting down his ads or themes speculating what policies he might actually enact if elected as mayor. He provides some welcome comic relief in the otherwise nightmarish return to Bright Falls.
Finding Mayor Setter in Game
To experience Mayor Setter’s rewards for yourself, you first have to locate his campaign ads scattered in key areas. Six Mayor Setter ads in total can be found posted around both Bright Falls and the additional Watery location introduced in Alan Wake 2.
Discovering these ads is time-sensitive, as portions of Bright Falls become closed off after reaching Chapter 6: Scratch in the story. This restricts backtracking, so be sure to explore thoroughly early on to avoid missing any ads. Locations span everywhere from the Ol’ Stucky’s Diner to various streets and buildings.
Successfully locating all six ads then leads you to a Mayor Setter poster in Saga Anderson’s Mind Place. This poster provides a map marker directing players towards Suomi Hall, where Mayor Setter himself awaits on stage for a memorable face-to-face encounter.
Interacting With Mayor Setter
Upon reaching Suomi Hall and finding Mayor Setter, you’re finally able to interact directly with Bright Falls’ famous four-legged politician. Petting Mayor Setter triggers a notification that you’ve earned the “Nice Things in Life” achievement. It’s a silly yet oddly heartwarming moment getting to meet this fan favorite character.
Mayor Setter also rewards the player with a unique in-game charm. Equipping this charm will display the locations of all collectibles around the map, providing a major asset for those aiming to fully complete every aspect of Alan Wake 2. Given the expansive world and abundance of hidden items, this perk saves considerable time hunting.
How to Pet Mayor Setter
When you arrive at Suomi Hall and spot Mayor Setter on stage, approach him until the button prompt appears allowing you to pet him. Depending on if you’re playing on keyboard & mouse or controller, this will either be displayed as “Interact” or a controller face button like X or A.
Press this repeatedly to engage in petting, with a notification eventually popping that you’ve unlocked the special charm along with the “Nice Things in Life” achievement tied to this interaction. With his fluffy tail wagging, Mayor Setter definitely enjoys the attention!
Mayor Setter’s Debate Popularity
Beyond the actual game, Mayor Setter has become a viral phenomenon in his own right online. Fans have flooded social platforms creating thousands of memes presenting Mayor Setter as a completely serious political contender weighing in on real socioeconomic issues.
Tweets and Reddit threads pretending to analyze his policy stances or debate performance against human candidates humorously lean into the absurdity. “He made some compelling arguments on tax reform” quips one faux pundit analyst. This fan community spotlight has greatly boosted Mayor Setter’s popularity.
Mayor Setter’s Rising Fame
Mayor Setter has developed a growing fandom of his own beyond just chasing in-game rewards. Fans express love for his character through fan art and creative interpretations of how his campaign might play out. Popular YouTube series cosplay Mayor Setter reviewing debates and conducting interviews.
Some of the most liked Alan Wake 2 social media content features images of players’ dogs dressed as Mayor Setter as well. Over 300 fan accounts across Instagram and Twitter have even been created dedicated solely to sharing memes and appreciation posts celebrating Bright Falls’ favorite furry politician.
Impact on Game Replay Value
The addition of secret content like Mayor Setter’s campaign ads helps encourage replay value for those dedicated to fully completing Alan Wake 2. As collectibles are missable if certain chapters are unlocked first, it incentivizes starting over to optimize finding all discoverables early on.
Mayor Setter’s unique charm revealing all other collectibles also compels revisiting previously explored territory armed with new knowledge of item locations. Much like the first Alan Wake, reimburse provides motivation to replay.
The Future for Mayor Setter
While Mayor Setter’s appearance is mostly intended as a one-off bit of levity, fans seem eager for his return. DLC campaigns featuring Mayor Setter or the ability to play as him have appeared as popular requests. Developers have hinted they aren’t fully ruling out revisiting fan favorite characters down the road either.
For now Mayor Setter’s run as Bright Falls’ top elected official remains confined to posters and billboards around the haunted locale. But his surge of viral popularity seems poised to make him an iconic part of Alan Wake history regardless.
