Alan Wake Remastered Review

For those who owned an Xbox 360, Alan Wake was a standout game. It left players wondering why no sequels were announced for years. Remedy Entertainment, the developer, shifted focus to new titles like Quantum Break and Control. Surprisingly, Remedy revealed that Alan Wake and Control are connected and part of a shared universe. The AWE expansion in Control directly continues Alan Wake’s story, hinting at a new installment. To prepare players, Remedy released Alan Wake Remastered on all platforms. But is it worth $30? Let’s find out in this review.

Story

The story follows Alan Wake, a famous horror writer facing writer’s block. His wife takes him to the small town of Bright Falls for a peaceful getaway. However, the town harbors a dark secret tied to another writer, Thomas Zane.

Alan Wake stands out in psychological horror, focusing on suspense rather than jump scares. It offers a cinematic, episodic structure reminiscent of TV shows like *Bates Motel* or *American Horror Story*. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger, drawing players into the next chapter.

While the story initially feels like a typical horror tale, it evolves into a deeper narrative with layered characters. The seemingly superficial personalities hide complex emotions and secrets, making the story compelling and engaging.

Gameplay

The gameplay is linear, involving environmental puzzles and combat. Puzzles often require finding missing items to progress. These sections allow exploration of eerie environments, adding to the tension.

Enemies are shadowy figures connected to the story, armed with axes, and inspired by classic horror films like *The Shining*. Combat requires constant movement as attacks can come unexpectedly, creating intense battles.

However, the gameplay feels repetitive, especially in the remaster, as it lacks significant updates. While functional, it doesn’t compare to modern titles with varied mechanics.

Graphical Changes

Graphics received minor updates, including improved lighting, textures, and character models, particularly Alan himself. The overall gray tone of the original is preserved with enhanced details. The game runs at 4K with 30 FPS on older consoles, and up to 60 FPS on newer hardware.

While the enhancements make the game look more polished, they don’t bring the visuals to cutting-edge standards, making the remaster feel like a simple update for modern systems.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve never played Alan Wake and own a modern console, this is your chance to experience a classic with updated visuals. However, returning players might find the remaster underwhelming as it offers little beyond improved graphics. While enjoyable, it doesn’t meet the expectations of a fully reimagined experience.

Cons:

• Minimal graphical upgrades
• No changes to address original gameplay flaws
• Lacks HDR and ray tracing support

Pros:

• Excellent story
• Engaging characters and atmosphere
• Good technical performance

Final Rating: 7/10