Remedy has been a celebrated developerever since 2001’sMax Payne. Their first effort after the now-famous noir detective story came in 2010, withAlan Wake.The supernatural thriller was exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PC until recently, whenAlan WakeRemasteredcame out in October 2021.
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The re-release retains most elements of the original version, only adding visual updates and minor changes. Anyone who is currently on the fence would be served well reading the following list to see if the game is for them, and if the pros outweigh the cons. The 78 on Metacritic indicates a game with a few flaws, but one that is still worthy of any player’s time.
10Loved: The Story
Remedy’s games are notable for their stories, andAlan Wakeis no exception.The narrative is its biggest draw, and keeps players engaged throughout its run time.
The story involves the protagonist searching for hismissing wife, who has been taken by a mysterious force referred to only as the darkness. Adding onto the mystery is a manuscript Alan seems to have written during a week-long blackout. It’s suspenseful and spine-tingling, perfect for gamers who love supernatural thrillers.
9Didn’t Love: It Came Out Long After Control’s AWE DLC
Remedy’s 2019 titleControlhas several easter eggs implying a connection toAlan Wake. The game’s second DLC,AWE, further confirms this connection and sets up a future for the character.
It is unfortunate this remastercame out so long after this DLC. Plenty of PlayStation owners probably played it without having playedAlan Wakefirst. The DLC has a lot of spoilers forAlan Wake,and is not as enjoyable or meaningful to those who do not know the character’s story.
8Loved: Humor
Despite the deadly serious nature of the scenario,Alan Wakeis filled with humorous moments. There are several quirky characters and the oddities players run into throughout the game, which can’t help but elicit chuckles.
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The game takes influence a great deal of influence from the legendary television showTwin Peaks, which similarly balances the macabre with humor. Being too dour can lead to an uninteresting story, so humor helps lighten the mood and gives the game more personality.
7Didn’t Love: Driving
Like a lot of games that aren’t racing or open-world,the driving segments inAlan Wakeare the least enjoyable parts of the gameplay. The controls feel rough, turns are always too wide, and reversing takes way too long. On the plus side, it is still satisfying to hit the Taken with a car during these segments.
Fortunately, there are only a few moments when players have to drive. The last episode has a particularly long driving sequence, however, making it somewhat tedious.
6Loved: Unique Combat Idea
Regardless of its execution,the idea behindAlan Wake’scombat is interesting. Unlike so many other games of its kind, the combat here is not simply about shooting monsters. Players first have to use light itself to destroy the enemies' defenses.
This is typically done with a flashlight, but other weapons like flares, the flare gun, and the flashbang grenade also contribute to this idea. Light is also used as a place of safety throughout the game. This not only makes game feel unique, but emphasizes the story’s themes and integrates them with the gameplay.
5Didn’t Love: The Repetitive Combat
As interesting as the combat is, it grows repetitive after awhile. The environments do not help this complaint, either. Most of the game takes place during the night and in the woods, with little variety.
One episode changes things up, by being set mostly in the town of Brightfalls and not in the forest. Still, if the repetition bothers players, the story should still be enough to push most people through to the end.
4Loved: Licensed Soundtrack
People are used to licensed soundtracks in movies, but in games they are typically reserved toopen-world experiencesor sports titles.Alan Wakesmartly uses licensed songs in a more cinematic manner.
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The use of “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison feels like an homage to director David Lynch, who used the song to great effect inBlue Velvet. Other notable songs on the tracklist include “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, and “Up Jumped the Devil” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
3Didn’t Love: Possessed Objects
About halfway through the game, the darkness starts to possess objects and hurl them at the player. This concept is a classic trope of ghost stories and supernatural horror, but it doesn’t always lead to satisfying gameplay experiences.
When players kill the Taken, they deteriorate as they fling around with the glorious ragdoll physics. Possessed objects simply disappear, which is far less satisfying. It changes up some of the gameplay, at least.
2Loved: The Lore
Alan Wake is great as a standalone story, but its connection toRemedy’s future game,Control, makes its narrative all the more intriguing. Fans of the cult classic have been waiting for a continuation of Alan’s story for years, and now they are finally getting one.
It is still hard to tell if fans will get a trueAlan Wake 2,or if the character will simply be a big part of whatever is next for the world in whichAlan WakeandControltake place. Perhaps a sequel will converge the two storylines.
1Didn’t Love: No American Nightmare
The remaster thankfully comes with all the DLC. Unfortunately, it does not come with the standalone story,Alan Wake’s American Nightmare.This latter expansion is more action-focused and whether it is canon or not is up in the air.
The game has an entirely different tone thanAlan Wake, too, but it is part of the game’s legacy. Gamers wants remasters to be a definitive, encompassing version of the game, soAmerican Nightmare’sexclusion feels a little disappointing.
Alan Wake Remasteredis out now for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
