Shine a light on me
It is hard to believe, but the original Alan Wake launched over a decade ago. Remedy has become more of a household name thanks to their recent critical darling Control. Before that though, the team built some of the most unique story-driven games of all-time. Alan Wake returns after resurfacing in the aforementioned Control. Fans have been clamoring for his return since the original game on Xbox 360 all those years ago. With Alan Wake Remastered, Remedy has done an outstanding job of finally making me feel like a remaster actually looks better than I remember. New lighting, better frame rate, and updated character models make this one of the best remasters in recent memory.
The story of Alan Wake feels like a Stephen King novel come to life. Players take on the role of Alan Wake (clever play on words as normal) a famous writer who moves to the small town of Bright Falls with his wife Alice in order to get him over his writer’s block. Things pick up right away and Alan realizes things are not right in this town. The game takes twists and turns along the way with creepy atmosphere and premonitions associated with his writing. I won’t spoil all the fun, but this game takes twists and turns that make it a memorable experience even 11 years later.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
What really sells this game thematically though is how it is structured. The game plays like an episodic TV series that ends on cliffhangers and keeps players wondering what will happen next. The idea is that Alan is living through these moments as a character in one of his stories would. This is extremely engaging, and Remedy has done an outstanding job of world building and crafting interesting characters. This is the type of game that ages well and players new and old can return to it without much hassle.
Alan Wake has always been worth playing, but with the new features there has never been a better time to jump back in or experience it for the first time. This was an Xbox 360 game and that is still evident. While there is a new coat of paint, the mechanics remain the same. This is both a blessing and a curse. I could see the limitations of the older console at work in several ways. The way Alan Wake moves, and the limited combat are definitely a product of their time. What is improved though does make the experience worth it. The new lighting and character models are improved, even if purists don’t like them. Some questionable faces have been improved, while others look not so great. It is a mixed bag at times, but the good usually outweighs the awkward.
The core game play breaks down into sections. There is the combat with is of the third-person variety. Alan Wake must wear down his foes with a flashlight before pelting them with bullets. The flashlight uses an ammo mechanic much like the gun in that it requires batteries. The original had a license with Duracell, one of the few minor things removed from this remaster. Outside of combat players explore the world through each chapter unravelling the story and finding collectibles. There is a nice mix of linear and more open-ended areas that keep the pace fresh. The collectibles are overwhelming though with 100 of each meaning players will likely lose interest long before getting them all. I know I did.
Once the main campaign is done Remedy has also added in the two DLC packs The Signal and The Writer. Sadly though, American Nightmare is nowhere to be found. I would have loved to see this quirky piece of Alan Wake included as it is vastly different from the core game. Not much else is here though. This is a remaster which means all the good and all the bad are still present in the underlying package.
Alan Wake remastered is something I have always wanted to exist as the original was highly under looked when it came out. It was tied to one console and frankly Remedy was not quite the household name it is today. It is one of their best games and worth checking out whether you played the original or not. It still carries plenty of jank and questionable design mechanics from that era, but the story and characters excel it past most of its own issues. This is one experience that is worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
