PLATFORM: PC, PS4, XBOX ONE (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
2010’s Alan Wake is an early attempt at the narrative-driven cinematic action adventure games that developers Remedy have come to specialise in over recent years, with Quantum Break (which itself was built around the foundations of an aborted AW sequel) and 2019’s vastly underappreciated Control. Split into episodes, it’s the story of a writer, Alan Wake (of course), whose wife disappears while the two are taking a break in the Twin Peaks-esque town of Bright Falls. Alan’s efforts to track down his spouse are hindered by shadowy figures known as the Taken – mysterious figures who have been overcome by darkness – as well as strange events from his own forthcoming book, that he has no memory of actually writing, occurring all around him. Alan’s quest takes him across Bright Falls, through its surrounding mountains and forests to the bottom of the sinister Cauldron Lake where all of his questions are answered…
The original game has become something of a cult classic since its 2010 release. Its episodic structure is a perfect fit for the supernatural thriller that plays out through each of the game’s six acts, the murky, cold and foreboding atmosphere adds a huge amount of tension to Alan’s escapades through the forests filled with menacing forces that lurk in the darkness, and the unique way of dealing with the Taken – by beaming light onto them to burn away the darkness before finishing them off with his gun – certainly makes the gameplay stand out.
All of those things remain in place in this remaster, which also goes to great lengths to address the original’s (relatively few) shortcomings by smoothing things out in the graphical department. Environments which once looked fuzzy and blurry are now crystal clear, allowing us to see Bright Falls in all its glory, and the notoriously low resolution cutscenes have been polished up beautifully. There’s still the occasional hangover from the original’s more primitive technology, like some slightly clunky movement and some alarming glassy bug-eyed facial expressions, but think of them as endearing reminders of the game’s more primitive origins and you shouldn’t find anything too distracting.
The two additional chapters that were released as DLC ten years ago are both included and, as a bonus for PlayStation owners, the remaster is available on PS4, marking the game’s first release on a Sony console, opening it up to a whole new player base. Whether you’re revisiting Bright Falls or making your first journey into its bizarre world, Alan Wake Remastered is a perfectly competent attempt at reviving an old favourite. Just remember to pack a few extra batteries for that torch, because you’re going to need them…
