decent excuse to replay this
Alan Wake is quite the interesting beast. It has neat, well executed ideas that ultimately make it stand the test of time, even if it took a while for the game to truly become good.
The big theme of the story is being in the perspective of a writer, who is trapped in a story that seems to constantly spiral out of control, as it slowly turns into a horror story that will only benefit the darkness that desires it. It's a meta story that is very much self-aware of its weirdness. It takes a while to set up its main mysteries, but once it does, it becomes an engrossing and somewhat campy hero story. As one character describes, Wake's a bit heavy on the metaphors, and the entire game fits this belief like a glove, which speaks to how well it executes its ideas.
While the constant narration from Wake himself might be a turn off for people who likes to figure out the story on their own, I thought that his inner monologues made him more likeable, and also adds to the game's campy feel. It reminds me of The Velvet Underground's music video for After Hours, which had a charming and literal interpretation of the lyrics.
I also appreciate the details in its extra lore content, and how the game presents them. The manuscripts pretty much spoils near future events, and I find it to be a fresh and interesting take on meaningful side content. I savor the warm and cozy feel of the radio shows, and the silly Night Spring shows. You can tell that the people making the shows are having a blast making them.
The gameplay mostly involves using your flashlight to weaken enemies and blasting them to smithereens with conventional ballistic weapons, or using stronger light sources in the environment to get rid of them in a flash. The first three episodes (basically the game's chapters) were very one dimensional in terms of encounter and level design, you just keep running into the same kind of enemies and forced to deal with them in the same ways, and I almost wanted to quit the game because its such a slog. Thankfully it gets more interesting in every episode after that, especially in the post-main game special episodes. There's also tricky platforming puzzles and vehicular sections in larger areas that slightly helps the variety.
On Normal, it almost plays like a survival horror game. I thought the game is at its most fun when you're just trying your best to quickly get to the next checkpoint without killing every enemy, so naturally I had a lot of extra resources in hand. The game also takes away your resources quite frequently for story reasons, which is a bit annoying but it does lead to some interesting and challenging sections.
The combat itself is quite satisfying, with a highly fluid cinematic look to its presentation, and solid weapon feedback. It reminds me of older shooters like original RE4 and Timesplitters, where the gun and its reticule won't always be in the center of the screen, which in this case, adds to the cinematic feel. It's definitely held back by a lack of weapon variety, and somewhat uncreative encounter designs for a good portion of the journey.
It's not exactly a slam dunk bestseller, and yet Alan Wake still impresses. But the cloak over its true potential will soon be lifted, as Remedy sets the stage for its return. See you in October... fingers crossed.
The big theme of the story is being in the perspective of a writer, who is trapped in a story that seems to constantly spiral out of control, as it slowly turns into a horror story that will only benefit the darkness that desires it. It's a meta story that is very much self-aware of its weirdness. It takes a while to set up its main mysteries, but once it does, it becomes an engrossing and somewhat campy hero story. As one character describes, Wake's a bit heavy on the metaphors, and the entire game fits this belief like a glove, which speaks to how well it executes its ideas.
While the constant narration from Wake himself might be a turn off for people who likes to figure out the story on their own, I thought that his inner monologues made him more likeable, and also adds to the game's campy feel. It reminds me of The Velvet Underground's music video for After Hours, which had a charming and literal interpretation of the lyrics.
I also appreciate the details in its extra lore content, and how the game presents them. The manuscripts pretty much spoils near future events, and I find it to be a fresh and interesting take on meaningful side content. I savor the warm and cozy feel of the radio shows, and the silly Night Spring shows. You can tell that the people making the shows are having a blast making them.
The gameplay mostly involves using your flashlight to weaken enemies and blasting them to smithereens with conventional ballistic weapons, or using stronger light sources in the environment to get rid of them in a flash. The first three episodes (basically the game's chapters) were very one dimensional in terms of encounter and level design, you just keep running into the same kind of enemies and forced to deal with them in the same ways, and I almost wanted to quit the game because its such a slog. Thankfully it gets more interesting in every episode after that, especially in the post-main game special episodes. There's also tricky platforming puzzles and vehicular sections in larger areas that slightly helps the variety.
On Normal, it almost plays like a survival horror game. I thought the game is at its most fun when you're just trying your best to quickly get to the next checkpoint without killing every enemy, so naturally I had a lot of extra resources in hand. The game also takes away your resources quite frequently for story reasons, which is a bit annoying but it does lead to some interesting and challenging sections.
The combat itself is quite satisfying, with a highly fluid cinematic look to its presentation, and solid weapon feedback. It reminds me of older shooters like original RE4 and Timesplitters, where the gun and its reticule won't always be in the center of the screen, which in this case, adds to the cinematic feel. It's definitely held back by a lack of weapon variety, and somewhat uncreative encounter designs for a good portion of the journey.
It's not exactly a slam dunk bestseller, and yet Alan Wake still impresses. But the cloak over its true potential will soon be lifted, as Remedy sets the stage for its return. See you in October... fingers crossed.
tenho muitas perguntas... mas, primeiramente, que viagem é essa?
não consegui distinguir se eu amei ou odiei esse jogo, a jogabilidade é terrível, mesmo nessa versão de >2021<, a gameplay é extremamente repetitiva, o alan não para de perder todos os equipamentos e você passa o jogo todo indo do ponto A ao ponto B matando os mesmos inimigos...
mas mesmo assim ALGO me prendeu, a ponto de eu não abandonar e me divertir ás vezes no meio de tanta repetição... só não sei o que e boa sorte pra quem for tentar descobrir.
espero que o 2 seja melhor.... pq esse aqui é mediano, preciso fazer uma pós sobre ele pra ver se entendi alguma coisa.
não consegui distinguir se eu amei ou odiei esse jogo, a jogabilidade é terrível, mesmo nessa versão de >2021<, a gameplay é extremamente repetitiva, o alan não para de perder todos os equipamentos e você passa o jogo todo indo do ponto A ao ponto B matando os mesmos inimigos...
mas mesmo assim ALGO me prendeu, a ponto de eu não abandonar e me divertir ás vezes no meio de tanta repetição... só não sei o que e boa sorte pra quem for tentar descobrir.
espero que o 2 seja melhor.... pq esse aqui é mediano, preciso fazer uma pós sobre ele pra ver se entendi alguma coisa.
This one is a mixed bag for me.
I really hated the gameplay, the whole deal with the flashlight got old fast and every enemy encounter felt like tedious work.
The story and atmosphere of this game is outstanding though, which is why I ultimately pulled through and finished it.
I'm looking forward to Alan Wake 2 and I really hope Remedy has something better to deliver when it comes to gameplay.
I really hated the gameplay, the whole deal with the flashlight got old fast and every enemy encounter felt like tedious work.
The story and atmosphere of this game is outstanding though, which is why I ultimately pulled through and finished it.
I'm looking forward to Alan Wake 2 and I really hope Remedy has something better to deliver when it comes to gameplay.
Very good story, but gameplay is so boring and frustrating that from half on to the end I forced myself to play it
Estou ignorando o fato de que esse jogo é horripilante de tão feio e inferior ao original, mas ainda segue a mesma masterpiace oficialmente pronto para o Alan Wake II.
Foi a primeira vez de joguei Alan Wake e devo dizer que me impressionei com ele, mesmo com a enxurrada de elogios que o game recebe desde seu lançamento. A história é incrível e a narrativa me surpreendeu, adotando uma pegada de série investigativa dos anos 90, cheia de atuações canastronas (alô, Twin Peaks).
A jogabilidade é muito clunky o que é negativo por um lado por outro. o ponto bom disso é que ele mantém tudo como era quando foi lançado, em meados da geração PS3/X360, então dá uma certa vibe da época.
O problema mesmo ficou para a quantidade de bugs, com os inimigos clipando, texturas surgindo do nada e outras pequenas questões que não estragaram a experiência, mas me deixaram com um leve pé atrás.
Mesmo com esse último argumento, digo que foi um dos meus jogos favoritos do ano até agora e estou oficialmente hypado para Alan Wake 2.
EDIT: Joguei as DLCs e meu deus do céu, que coisa maravilhosa.
A jogabilidade é muito clunky o que é negativo por um lado por outro. o ponto bom disso é que ele mantém tudo como era quando foi lançado, em meados da geração PS3/X360, então dá uma certa vibe da época.
O problema mesmo ficou para a quantidade de bugs, com os inimigos clipando, texturas surgindo do nada e outras pequenas questões que não estragaram a experiência, mas me deixaram com um leve pé atrás.
Mesmo com esse último argumento, digo que foi um dos meus jogos favoritos do ano até agora e estou oficialmente hypado para Alan Wake 2.
EDIT: Joguei as DLCs e meu deus do céu, que coisa maravilhosa.
the bare minimum to be qualified as a remaster
When I first played Alan Wake in the early 2010s, not too long after it came out, I was lukewarm on it. It was impressive for the time, sure, but it didn't quite stand out to me as the 'cult classic' people had been hyping it up to be, even so soon after its release.
Now, a decade and change later, with it receiving the coveted next-gen remaster, I made a point to revisit Alan Wake with a fresh perspective, especially with the sequel on the horizon. Having done so, I found that my feelings on it haven't exactly changed in either direction.
One of the biggest issues for me is Alan Wake himself. Granted, Matthew Porretta portrays him well; however, I found the character himself to be infuriating. While much of that is intentional and part of his identity as a deeply flawed protagonist, I feel like they did too good of a job here. It was hard to find him compelling when he's out-shined by nearly every other character.
Several gameplay elements didn't work as well as they should have either, namely platforming. While you don't have to do much of it in Alan Wake, the little you do is disrupted by stiff, inconsistent jumping and climbing animations that are difficult to control at the best of times.
The amount of combat throughout Alan Wake is also a bit of a misstep. It's an action game first and foremost, yes, but the 'rock concert' level (by far the best part of the game to this day, by the way) is one of the very few times that it switches things up from the standard shooting gallery in the woods otherwise.
Now that the sequel is taking things in a survival-horror direction with fewer and more meaningful combat encounters, thankfully, it seems that Remedy have noted this and re-evaluated things moving forward.
All in all, the parts of Alan Wake that should work do work, namely the narrative and episodic structure, which, while superficial, lend credibility to emulating that TV serial mystery feel. Despite my qualms and final rating, I do believe it's worth revisiting in the wake (hah) of the new entry, just to see where Remedy have come from and where they're going next.
6.5/10
Now, a decade and change later, with it receiving the coveted next-gen remaster, I made a point to revisit Alan Wake with a fresh perspective, especially with the sequel on the horizon. Having done so, I found that my feelings on it haven't exactly changed in either direction.
One of the biggest issues for me is Alan Wake himself. Granted, Matthew Porretta portrays him well; however, I found the character himself to be infuriating. While much of that is intentional and part of his identity as a deeply flawed protagonist, I feel like they did too good of a job here. It was hard to find him compelling when he's out-shined by nearly every other character.
Several gameplay elements didn't work as well as they should have either, namely platforming. While you don't have to do much of it in Alan Wake, the little you do is disrupted by stiff, inconsistent jumping and climbing animations that are difficult to control at the best of times.
The amount of combat throughout Alan Wake is also a bit of a misstep. It's an action game first and foremost, yes, but the 'rock concert' level (by far the best part of the game to this day, by the way) is one of the very few times that it switches things up from the standard shooting gallery in the woods otherwise.
Now that the sequel is taking things in a survival-horror direction with fewer and more meaningful combat encounters, thankfully, it seems that Remedy have noted this and re-evaluated things moving forward.
All in all, the parts of Alan Wake that should work do work, namely the narrative and episodic structure, which, while superficial, lend credibility to emulating that TV serial mystery feel. Despite my qualms and final rating, I do believe it's worth revisiting in the wake (hah) of the new entry, just to see where Remedy have come from and where they're going next.
6.5/10
Esse jogo esperou muito na fila mas finalmente finalizei, eu já tinha jogado o Episódio 1 e parte do 2 no original, mas acabei focando em outros games e nunca terminei, até que o anúncio de Alan Wake 2 me deu uma motivação, mas não tinha ainda, até que tivemos um trailer recente e aí vi que tinha que voltar, como eu não lembrava tudo e o jogo original era só em inglês resolvi adquirir o remastered que tinha uma revisada gráfica e legenda pt-br, vou falar tanto do jogo e da sua versão.
O jogo em si acho bem bom, eu curti a história, ambientação e os personagens, a ideia da trama é muito interessante e a mecânica da lanterna é boa pra dar uma variada nesse estilo de jogo TPS, as história de Night Springs é bem legal, tbm curto os momentos live-action e as músicas que tocam ao final de cada episódio, mas acho que depois de um tempo se torna um pouco repetitivo, nada que se torne muito enjoativo porque ainda é bacana de jogar, mas algumas partes poderia ter mais variação de cenários ou inimigos e não curto como cada episódio é "independente" e com isso seu equipamento é retirado, sempre sentia que não estava progredindo e nem ligava pro meu equipamento, se tava com munição ou bateria, mas ainda gosto do jogo, uma boa duração, foram quase 10 horas, a dificuldade mesmo no normal é bem razoável e dei um bons rages. Curti bastante esse universo e estou curioso pra saber mais da história, as DLCs eu só testei a 1° mas por enquanto não devo jogar. Eu daria uma nota 7,5.
Agora a remasterização, pelo menos no PC ela é complicada. Na parte das melhorias ela é bem similar ao original, dá pra ver as melhorias em comparações, texturas melhores, iluminação mas nada demais, o bom é seu preço que é bem justo com o que é entregue, os problemas mesmo são os bugs e glitches, tive glitch em grama que me deixou desesperado pq estaria horrível de jogar, reiniciei o PC e não apareceu mais, mas quando muda de cutscene pra jogo dá algum glitch na tela, tem vezes que o game fica em tela preta, que fica sem som, a tradução pra português tinha vezes que tava meio estranha, enfim é um Port complicado, nem sei dizer qual vale mais a pena jogar, pelo menos não lembro desses problemas no original. Talvez em seu PC ou console não aconteça muito dos problemas que disse, mas pela minha experiência minha nota foi 6.
O jogo em si acho bem bom, eu curti a história, ambientação e os personagens, a ideia da trama é muito interessante e a mecânica da lanterna é boa pra dar uma variada nesse estilo de jogo TPS, as história de Night Springs é bem legal, tbm curto os momentos live-action e as músicas que tocam ao final de cada episódio, mas acho que depois de um tempo se torna um pouco repetitivo, nada que se torne muito enjoativo porque ainda é bacana de jogar, mas algumas partes poderia ter mais variação de cenários ou inimigos e não curto como cada episódio é "independente" e com isso seu equipamento é retirado, sempre sentia que não estava progredindo e nem ligava pro meu equipamento, se tava com munição ou bateria, mas ainda gosto do jogo, uma boa duração, foram quase 10 horas, a dificuldade mesmo no normal é bem razoável e dei um bons rages. Curti bastante esse universo e estou curioso pra saber mais da história, as DLCs eu só testei a 1° mas por enquanto não devo jogar. Eu daria uma nota 7,5.
Agora a remasterização, pelo menos no PC ela é complicada. Na parte das melhorias ela é bem similar ao original, dá pra ver as melhorias em comparações, texturas melhores, iluminação mas nada demais, o bom é seu preço que é bem justo com o que é entregue, os problemas mesmo são os bugs e glitches, tive glitch em grama que me deixou desesperado pq estaria horrível de jogar, reiniciei o PC e não apareceu mais, mas quando muda de cutscene pra jogo dá algum glitch na tela, tem vezes que o game fica em tela preta, que fica sem som, a tradução pra português tinha vezes que tava meio estranha, enfim é um Port complicado, nem sei dizer qual vale mais a pena jogar, pelo menos não lembro desses problemas no original. Talvez em seu PC ou console não aconteça muito dos problemas que disse, mas pela minha experiência minha nota foi 6.
I think the story present here is good enough to warrant most people to play through it but that doesn't save the gameplay from feeling pretty repetitive after Episode 4. This game manages to blend the aesthetic of a horror tv show with the identity of a game well enough, although it certainly shows it's age in most places. I felt that the two DLC episodes included also didn't add enough to the story and themes of the base game and were my least favorite bits of the game. Overall, this was a fine enough game that's gotten me excited to play the sequel when it comes out.
this community deserves a better class of 'cult classic'. this game's hare-brained commitment to pastiche, if it can even be called homage, is as tedious as its combat. there's a crude smugness underlining much of this that tries to lighten its self-deprecating nature and vindicate the nonsensical and confused narrative that increasingly put a bad taste in my mouth. to what end does any of this serve? a game whose central concept invites boundless ideas and yet is frequently constrained by rules and thematic barriers. its lovingly rendered environments and eccentric set-pieces ultimately do little to excuse the 2010s-isms that stink up its identity. i can understand its lasting appeal and at points I found its overtly deliberate camp charming but after the hundredth flying refrigerator, thousandth needless fail state, the millionth shootout, and the trillionth Twin Peaks reference, I tapped out.
When I first played Alan Wake I came out of the game thinking its writing was an absolute mess that debacled what made Max Payne interesting. I thought Sam Lake had gone too much to the extreme of the tropes he was supposed to subvert that he had lost the edge.
A few years passed and a sort of reevaluation happened in my mind; this was not a game about a good writer trapped in its own piece, it was about a bad writer trapped in its own shit. Now, through the remaster I came to a new conclusion that I think relates much more to its author, and it's kind of a middle ground between those two. Alan Wake is just mediocre, but the point is that he is on a deadline.
Alan Wake is not better or worse than any of your bestselling crime authors who fills the bookshelves, he's just a guy suffocated by his own character. This of course relates to the whole Sam Lake - Max Payne thing, with Remedy working on this project for 7 years without knowing exactly what to do and how to make a whole new thing after achieving a cultural hit with both Max Payne games.
Alan Wake is both the tale of a damned common writer and of its own creation, it's nothing new to write about how you can't write, but it's quite hard to do it with enough flair to build a world that can work on this many layers. Alan is a creation by Sam Lake who also created his own hard boiled grime noir detective, but Alan is also being written inside this story by another writer, one who already passed through this cycle of fighting against your creation to get something out of it, which opens a whole new world of possibilities about the meaning and significance of the game itself as a creation.
The brilliance of Alan Wake comes from how its metalayered story resonates with the notion of it being a game itself; its systems working to help Alan and the player through the writing and design, and making collectibles or secrets in the form of ammo crates a coherent helping hand from Thomas Zane (the writer of Alan's Story), Alan itself writing the plot of the game and the whole of Remedy designing the game.
The game manages to build a world of writers and stories that mix up and explicitly (and unashamedly) namedrops a whole lot of writers that might be an inspiration or just a joke. It threads on a line so interesting and dangerous that falls into parody at times, while managing to consistently feel like a rushed yet expertly craft script where everything feels cliché, but builds on itself to metacomment about not only the cliches, but the impossibility to run from them.
And while the game talks about this, it also feels like it missteps on certain decisions on the gameplay and level design. The game is constrained to linear levels that try open up a bit but never manage to do it right, and just let's you travel trough empty spaces that sometimes help to inmerse you in the mood, and most of the times just results in wasted time. This fight inside the game to be two things at the same time, the TV show esque with its own "PREVIOUSLY ON" and musical moments to end each chapter, and a game on its own that wants to open up and give freedom to the player is weirdly idiosyncratic now for the game, but never manages to reconcile in itself. The shooting suffers from the same middle ground, it wants the spectacle but also the horror and tension, and retains the slow-mo epic moments of Max Payne but with a completely broken ammo management that only works on a few ocasions on chapter 4 and 5.
It's a fascinating game all the time, a clear case of a flawed masterpiece that stimulates when it works and when it doesn't. One of the few Twin Peaks inspired games that has manage to actually give enough depth to its message to create a world worth diving into.
A few years passed and a sort of reevaluation happened in my mind; this was not a game about a good writer trapped in its own piece, it was about a bad writer trapped in its own shit. Now, through the remaster I came to a new conclusion that I think relates much more to its author, and it's kind of a middle ground between those two. Alan Wake is just mediocre, but the point is that he is on a deadline.
Alan Wake is not better or worse than any of your bestselling crime authors who fills the bookshelves, he's just a guy suffocated by his own character. This of course relates to the whole Sam Lake - Max Payne thing, with Remedy working on this project for 7 years without knowing exactly what to do and how to make a whole new thing after achieving a cultural hit with both Max Payne games.
Alan Wake is both the tale of a damned common writer and of its own creation, it's nothing new to write about how you can't write, but it's quite hard to do it with enough flair to build a world that can work on this many layers. Alan is a creation by Sam Lake who also created his own hard boiled grime noir detective, but Alan is also being written inside this story by another writer, one who already passed through this cycle of fighting against your creation to get something out of it, which opens a whole new world of possibilities about the meaning and significance of the game itself as a creation.
The brilliance of Alan Wake comes from how its metalayered story resonates with the notion of it being a game itself; its systems working to help Alan and the player through the writing and design, and making collectibles or secrets in the form of ammo crates a coherent helping hand from Thomas Zane (the writer of Alan's Story), Alan itself writing the plot of the game and the whole of Remedy designing the game.
The game manages to build a world of writers and stories that mix up and explicitly (and unashamedly) namedrops a whole lot of writers that might be an inspiration or just a joke. It threads on a line so interesting and dangerous that falls into parody at times, while managing to consistently feel like a rushed yet expertly craft script where everything feels cliché, but builds on itself to metacomment about not only the cliches, but the impossibility to run from them.
And while the game talks about this, it also feels like it missteps on certain decisions on the gameplay and level design. The game is constrained to linear levels that try open up a bit but never manage to do it right, and just let's you travel trough empty spaces that sometimes help to inmerse you in the mood, and most of the times just results in wasted time. This fight inside the game to be two things at the same time, the TV show esque with its own "PREVIOUSLY ON" and musical moments to end each chapter, and a game on its own that wants to open up and give freedom to the player is weirdly idiosyncratic now for the game, but never manages to reconcile in itself. The shooting suffers from the same middle ground, it wants the spectacle but also the horror and tension, and retains the slow-mo epic moments of Max Payne but with a completely broken ammo management that only works on a few ocasions on chapter 4 and 5.
It's a fascinating game all the time, a clear case of a flawed masterpiece that stimulates when it works and when it doesn't. One of the few Twin Peaks inspired games that has manage to actually give enough depth to its message to create a world worth diving into.
Great game, with great story, played the dlc and there are still a few things I did not understand. Probably I should play it again? IDK
A respectable Silent Hill inspired game. The maneuvering and stamina drain are notable flaws, but the light mechanic and shooting are decent enough. This was my first time playing it and I think it holds up well enough given it released over 13 years ago as of this review.
Good atmosphere but combat is kind of mediocre. Alan feels so sluggish to control and enemies are too bullet spongey. Ignoring that, it does have some real cool story sequences that make up for that a bit.
Achei o combate repetitivo dms, única coisa que salva msm e a historia que fica enrolando pra acontecer por causa dos combates chatos com os demônio da porra
Mas a historia e daora me amarrei
Joguei no Switch pareceu que o gráfico ficou pior que o jogo original
Toda vez que eu escutava barulho de pássaro ou aquele UEUMMMMMMMMMM eu queria morrer
Mas a historia e daora me amarrei
Joguei no Switch pareceu que o gráfico ficou pior que o jogo original
Toda vez que eu escutava barulho de pássaro ou aquele UEUMMMMMMMMMM eu queria morrer
13 years ago, Alan Wake became my favourite game of all time. Something about this game resonated with little 13 year old Jake, and much like my crush on Ramona Flowers, it's nice to know this adoration has survived through my teens and well into my adulthood.
Back then, I couldn't properly explain why I loved this game so much, and honestly I'm not even sure I can now. The closing sentence has stuck with me for half my life at this point, and my dumbass still doesn't even fully comprehend what it means 😌
Replaying this for the first time in over a decade and using the very same collectible guide as I did back on my Xbox 360 was such a great nostalgia trip, I didn't mind the jank and rust that was still ever-present from the original release.
The last time I went for a 100% run was at my old bff's house, where I played through the entire game in one long, uninterrupted sitting. A playthrough that I'm certain was my 2nd that weekend alone, I was obsessed.
This isn't much of a review I realise but my appreciation of this game is on a deeper level than it's surface. The combat may be simple and sorta clunky but I've always really liked the unique approach of using light to basically break shields. The characters are great, a lot of them are a little one-note or weird but considering the consistent Twin Peaks vibe the game gives off, everything feels much more deliberately uncanny than lazy or amateurly written. I am of course speaking with all the bias on earth, but it's my review init 😌
The core premise with the writer and the manuscript pages you find and how everything ties together is really cool too I think. I just think it's neat :)
Hoping and praying that Alan Wake II lives up to the first, I remember liking the AWE DLC for Control so I'm confident that whatever my boy Sam has cooking will be worth the time. Maybe my review of that game will actually be a review, who knows :p
Back then, I couldn't properly explain why I loved this game so much, and honestly I'm not even sure I can now. The closing sentence has stuck with me for half my life at this point, and my dumbass still doesn't even fully comprehend what it means 😌
Replaying this for the first time in over a decade and using the very same collectible guide as I did back on my Xbox 360 was such a great nostalgia trip, I didn't mind the jank and rust that was still ever-present from the original release.
The last time I went for a 100% run was at my old bff's house, where I played through the entire game in one long, uninterrupted sitting. A playthrough that I'm certain was my 2nd that weekend alone, I was obsessed.
This isn't much of a review I realise but my appreciation of this game is on a deeper level than it's surface. The combat may be simple and sorta clunky but I've always really liked the unique approach of using light to basically break shields. The characters are great, a lot of them are a little one-note or weird but considering the consistent Twin Peaks vibe the game gives off, everything feels much more deliberately uncanny than lazy or amateurly written. I am of course speaking with all the bias on earth, but it's my review init 😌
The core premise with the writer and the manuscript pages you find and how everything ties together is really cool too I think. I just think it's neat :)
Hoping and praying that Alan Wake II lives up to the first, I remember liking the AWE DLC for Control so I'm confident that whatever my boy Sam has cooking will be worth the time. Maybe my review of that game will actually be a review, who knows :p
Alan Wake was one of my first favorite games, while it's significance has varied over the years I can genuinely say my excitement for the second is completely unparalleled by any game in a long couple years. Alan Wake Remastered does a lot of things, some good, some bad, some odd.
The gameplay of Alan Wake is one of my favorite parts, even if others disagree with that sentiment. The flashlight being such an interesting thing to manage and brings it beyond a mindless 3rd person shooter with horror spooks. However it's also nothing to write home about, it has it's fun gimmicks and I enjoy those.
The story is amazing, I love the style of the storytelling and I know the writers tried really hard to make that work, applauds to Sam Lake and his team. While the same still has some questionable voice acting from time to time, it really still does steal you with the story and the way it's presented. I think it's one of the better straight-forward (but it definitely obtuse) stories of all time. I still hold some complaint with the ending, but with Alan Wake II right around the corner, I'm not too upset waiting a little longer for that conclusion. And yes, of course, some moment in the game are meh, but you get that with a lot of games from this era so I can mostly push those few instances of awkwardness aside.
The "Remaster" was the hard part for me to actually sink my money into because, from most gameplay examples, I was shown a very minimal overhaul in the game and more just a refresh for textures, which is fine, but a little undercutting it for the price the game sells at. I also ran a little bit into loading errors whenever I would pause a menu, but they weren't immersion-breaking to say the least. In a sense, as a "Remaster" it's fine, I would probably play it if I were to revisit again, but there is some of the style lacking from the original that doesn't really make it into this game, just a minor point though.
Alan Wake is a good game, I love it a lot and the sequel looks to be shaping up really well and I can't wait for it. It was about time I came back to this title and gave it my proper review 13 years later and it still holds water. Love it, looking forward to the follow-up in October.
The gameplay of Alan Wake is one of my favorite parts, even if others disagree with that sentiment. The flashlight being such an interesting thing to manage and brings it beyond a mindless 3rd person shooter with horror spooks. However it's also nothing to write home about, it has it's fun gimmicks and I enjoy those.
The story is amazing, I love the style of the storytelling and I know the writers tried really hard to make that work, applauds to Sam Lake and his team. While the same still has some questionable voice acting from time to time, it really still does steal you with the story and the way it's presented. I think it's one of the better straight-forward (but it definitely obtuse) stories of all time. I still hold some complaint with the ending, but with Alan Wake II right around the corner, I'm not too upset waiting a little longer for that conclusion. And yes, of course, some moment in the game are meh, but you get that with a lot of games from this era so I can mostly push those few instances of awkwardness aside.
The "Remaster" was the hard part for me to actually sink my money into because, from most gameplay examples, I was shown a very minimal overhaul in the game and more just a refresh for textures, which is fine, but a little undercutting it for the price the game sells at. I also ran a little bit into loading errors whenever I would pause a menu, but they weren't immersion-breaking to say the least. In a sense, as a "Remaster" it's fine, I would probably play it if I were to revisit again, but there is some of the style lacking from the original that doesn't really make it into this game, just a minor point though.
Alan Wake is a good game, I love it a lot and the sequel looks to be shaping up really well and I can't wait for it. It was about time I came back to this title and gave it my proper review 13 years later and it still holds water. Love it, looking forward to the follow-up in October.
Uma ótima história que me prendeu desde o começo do jogo, gameplay diferenciada e interessante, porém fica um pouco massante quando você está enfrentando os mesmos inimigos que só mudam o modelo do início ao fim, fora isso é um jogo muito bom
De los peores juegos que probé este año
Alan Wake Remastered is a must-play for fans of the thriller and horror genres, and the remastered version is a great improvement on the original. With its gripping story, stunning visuals, and impressive sound design, it's a game that's sure to keep you engaged and entertained from start to finish.
Read our Full Review >
Read our Full Review >
Remedy has always been one of my favourite game studios and Alan Wake is another great game of theirs. Everything from story to setting to soundtrack and even dialogue hit the mark. Roll on Alan Wake 2!
Reading some mixed to negative reviews of this on here before I played this one, I was a bit surprised. I played the original back in 2010 on Xbox 360 and really enjoyed it, and wanted to check out the remaster to get brushed up for the sequel in a few months. Now that I’ve played it again, I can understand some of the mixed reception. But I still really like this game!
It’s weird, kooky, creepy, features a writer as an action protagonist, and has so many tributes to other pop culture things I love. Wake as the narrator works so well, Barry is fun comic relief, and the spooky woods/factories/lumber yards/small town etc. setting is perfect for this tale. And Remedy as a developer are so good at action gameplay mixed with weird challenging narratives; loved the segment where Alan is doing a late night TV interview along with Sam Lake next to him and the host tells him to do the “face” referencing Max Payne - chefs kiss. And in terms of shooting, it’s smooth and never gets old blasting the Taken away with the slo-mo rag doll effects as they explode into light fragments.
Now… what got to me here was the annoying difficulty spikes, sometimes clumsy dodging, and the gunplay felt uneven. The game gets real frustrating at segments where you are being chased and attacked at all angles, as well as poltergeist items flying at you and taking huge chunks of your health. If you could just blast away at your hearts content, it would be different, but this is Alan Wake; you need the light to weaken enemies. The flashlight and even regular flares sometimes take forever to destroy the dark aura shields on the Taken, and when you’re overwhelmed and surrounded it can be hard as hell. Especially when there’s no automatic weapons in this. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good old handgun, shotgun and rifle and I’m glad Wake doesn’t turn into a machine gun wielding generic badass, but some situations almost call for it to survive. Thankfully the rocket launcher-like flare gun helps. Dodging though, as cool as it looks when pulled off, can be iffy where you feel like you should’ve easily dodged a particular attack, but nope. And there’s also the typical brute bullet-sponge enemies. It gets a bit repetitive.
I decided to check out the DLC episodes that come with this that I missed originally, and only managed to finish The Signal before putting the game down - the final “boss battle” segment is so unbalanced, especially without a flare gun. You’re overwhelmed from the front and behind in a small space and it just wasn’t fun. I’ll check out The Writer at some point, but I think I’m done with the game for now.
Still, 4 stars for just being a very “me” game! I love the character, the 3rd person action gameplay, the setting, the weirdness, and when it does the cool Matrix-y bullet time 360 camera spin when you light up a flare or shoot a flare gun into a group of enemies gets me every time.
Legitimately can’t wait for the sequel!
It’s weird, kooky, creepy, features a writer as an action protagonist, and has so many tributes to other pop culture things I love. Wake as the narrator works so well, Barry is fun comic relief, and the spooky woods/factories/lumber yards/small town etc. setting is perfect for this tale. And Remedy as a developer are so good at action gameplay mixed with weird challenging narratives; loved the segment where Alan is doing a late night TV interview along with Sam Lake next to him and the host tells him to do the “face” referencing Max Payne - chefs kiss. And in terms of shooting, it’s smooth and never gets old blasting the Taken away with the slo-mo rag doll effects as they explode into light fragments.
Now… what got to me here was the annoying difficulty spikes, sometimes clumsy dodging, and the gunplay felt uneven. The game gets real frustrating at segments where you are being chased and attacked at all angles, as well as poltergeist items flying at you and taking huge chunks of your health. If you could just blast away at your hearts content, it would be different, but this is Alan Wake; you need the light to weaken enemies. The flashlight and even regular flares sometimes take forever to destroy the dark aura shields on the Taken, and when you’re overwhelmed and surrounded it can be hard as hell. Especially when there’s no automatic weapons in this. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good old handgun, shotgun and rifle and I’m glad Wake doesn’t turn into a machine gun wielding generic badass, but some situations almost call for it to survive. Thankfully the rocket launcher-like flare gun helps. Dodging though, as cool as it looks when pulled off, can be iffy where you feel like you should’ve easily dodged a particular attack, but nope. And there’s also the typical brute bullet-sponge enemies. It gets a bit repetitive.
I decided to check out the DLC episodes that come with this that I missed originally, and only managed to finish The Signal before putting the game down - the final “boss battle” segment is so unbalanced, especially without a flare gun. You’re overwhelmed from the front and behind in a small space and it just wasn’t fun. I’ll check out The Writer at some point, but I think I’m done with the game for now.
Still, 4 stars for just being a very “me” game! I love the character, the 3rd person action gameplay, the setting, the weirdness, and when it does the cool Matrix-y bullet time 360 camera spin when you light up a flare or shoot a flare gun into a group of enemies gets me every time.
Legitimately can’t wait for the sequel!
At the end of Episode 2, 'Haunted' by Poe plays over a foggy screen, a blinking "press X to skip" sitting in the bottom left hand corner. This song, along with the rest of the tracks from the eponymous 2000 album form a companion piece of sorts to the much referenced and loved Mark Z. Danielewski novel House of Leaves.
When you buy House of Leaves you are intending to purchase a fictional novel, but no one has told the book that, and it will continue to present itself as a diary wrapped around an academic journal centering on a non-existent (in world and out of world) documentary about a house. Alan Wake is a game, it is very much a game to all of it's faults, but it desperately wants to be a TV Show about a writer who may or may not be living within his own manuscript.
Sadly in the year of our lord 2023, the monkey paw has already curled and we can't ask for a world where Remedy and Sam Lake just made a TV Show instead because Quantum Break exists and no one gave a shit.
In the pilot episode of Twin Peaks, Laura Palmer's body is washed up from Black Lake. The 2008 australian indie film Lake Mungo opens with footage of a young Alice Palmer being dredged from the aforementioned Lake. In Alan Wake, Alice Wake finds her own way out of Cauldron Lake.
When you buy House of Leaves you are intending to purchase a fictional novel, but no one has told the book that, and it will continue to present itself as a diary wrapped around an academic journal centering on a non-existent (in world and out of world) documentary about a house. Alan Wake is a game, it is very much a game to all of it's faults, but it desperately wants to be a TV Show about a writer who may or may not be living within his own manuscript.
Sadly in the year of our lord 2023, the monkey paw has already curled and we can't ask for a world where Remedy and Sam Lake just made a TV Show instead because Quantum Break exists and no one gave a shit.
In the pilot episode of Twin Peaks, Laura Palmer's body is washed up from Black Lake. The 2008 australian indie film Lake Mungo opens with footage of a young Alice Palmer being dredged from the aforementioned Lake. In Alan Wake, Alice Wake finds her own way out of Cauldron Lake.
Really good
Loved the story but the gameplay has not aged well, QoL updates in the remaster are minimal. The game deserved better, repetitive gameplay, environments and scenarios made me quit.
its okay? I dont regret my time with it, but its definitely mediocre and overrated. Theres better games that deserve your time more than alan wake, for sure.
A lot of padding at certain points and some weird bugs don't stop this game from being a fun horror romp with a cool way of fighting and a lot of fun characters.
Excited for the sequel.
Excited for the sequel.
played this after seeing the amazing trailer for Alan Wake 2. very excited to see where the team is at 13 years later.