Remedy has been a celebrated developer ever since 2001's Max Payne. Their first effort after the now-famous noir detective story came in 2010, with Alan Wake. The supernatural thriller was exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PC until recently, when Alan WakeRemastered came out in October 2021.
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.
10 Loved: The Story
Remedy's games are notable for their stories, and Alan Wake is no exception. The narrative is its biggest draw, and keeps players engaged throughout its run time.
The story involves the protagonist searching for his missing 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.
9 Didn't Love: It Came Out Long After Control's AWE DLC
Remedy's 2019 title Control has several easter eggs implying a connection to Alan Wake. The game's second DLC, AWE, further confirms this connection and sets up a future for the character.
It is unfortunate this remaster came out so long after this DLC. Plenty of PlayStation owners probably played it without having played Alan Wake first. The DLC has a lot of spoilers for Alan Wake, and is not as enjoyable or meaningful to those who do not know the character's story.
8 Loved: Humor
Despite the deadly serious nature of the scenario, Alan Wake is 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.
The game takes influence a great deal of influence from the legendary television show Twin 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.
7 Didn't Love: Driving
Like a lot of games that aren't racing or open-world, the driving segments in Alan Wake are 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.
6 Loved: Unique Combat Idea
Regardless of its execution, the idea behind Alan Wake's combat 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.
5 Didn'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.
4 Loved: Licensed Soundtrack
People are used to licensed soundtracks in movies, but in games they are typically reserved to open-world experiences or sports titles. Alan Wake smartly uses licensed songs in a more cinematic manner.
The use of "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison feels like an homage to director David Lynch, who used the song to great effect in Blue 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.
3 Didn'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.
2 Loved: The Lore
Alan Wake is great as a standalone story, but its connection to Remedy'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 true Alan Wake 2, or if the character will simply be a big part of whatever is next for the world in which Alan Wake and Control take place. Perhaps a sequel will converge the two storylines.
1 Didn'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 than Alan Wake, too, but it game's legacy. Gamers wants remasters to be a definitive, encompassing version of the game, so American Nightmare's exclusion feels a little disappointing.
Alan Wake Remastered is out now for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC