Alan Wake Remastered review | PS5

There are few gaming protagonists with a more intriguing first outing than Alan Wake. Remedy Entertainment are now well-known for their love of narrative and willingness to experiment with sequencing and structure, thanks to more recent games like Quantum Break and Control. Back in the mid-2000s, however, they only had the first two May Payne titles and Death Race under their belt, a lot of ideas and an eagerness to do something original.

by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry

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Developer: Remedy Entertainment, D3T
Publisher: Epic Games
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Players: 1

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Thanks to a publishing deal with Microsoft, Alan Wake released exclusively on Xbox 360 in 2010, before coming to PC a couple of years later. The launch of this remaster presents PlayStation fans with their first opportunity to explore Bright Falls as the troubled, titular writer - fortunately, it holds up well.

Coming to the game having already enjoyed those later Remedy titles, things do feel a little rough and ready. The character control isn’t very smooth, particularly when you need Alan to jump across gaps or perform any sort of fine movements. Fortunately, the central gameplay is fairly straightforward – point your torch (“flashlight”) at a dark, shadowy being until the darkness burns away and they’re ready to receive a few gunshots.

The introductory section does well in teaching the mechanics, though, as somewhat of a survival horror experience, the difficulty can be fairly punishing even on easy mode. This tutorial sequence also serves as a primer to the surrealistic setting on which Wake’s psyche has an impact.

Bright Falls is an escape for Mr. Wake, it turns out, as the famous author has been trying to write another best-seller for two years without success. Wake’s wife, Alice, whose fear of the dark is telegraphed as an important plot point very early on, tries to get him in the writing mood by bringing a typewriter along. This leads to an argument, and things start to get very dark from there.

While progressing through the story, you’ll find hints in the form of manuscript pages which foreshadow events that either just happened or are still to come. This makes gathering what are essentially collectables more meaningful, since they can give you a tactical advantage when you get into a situation with prior knowledge.

Remedy knows how to reward players who pay close attention, and the live-action Night Springs TV show, which heavily borrows from the format and style of The Twilight Zone, also hints at upcoming plot elements. 

In fact, the presentation overall carries an episodic format; there are quick credits sequences and “previously on” recaps as you progress. Looking back, it’s clear to see how the multimedia stylings of Quantum Break came about. Disappointingly, though, the prequel live-action miniseries Bright Falls isn’t included in this remaster.
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Darkness is an ever-present companion in the narrative, with various story beats necessitating that Wake be out in the woods, alone, at night. It gives the game an isolated feeling similar to early examples of survival horror (compounded by slightly awkward character controls).

Whether or not the game is for you depends on how exciting untangling a supernatural mystery sounds.

Additional weapons and light sources gradually become available, which help to mix up the gameplay and more efficiently eliminate harder enemy types. While this is all well and good, the unfolding narrative intrigue is the real draw. Whether or not the game is for you depends on how exciting untangling a supernatural mystery sounds. The game puts its case forward early on, telling you what you’re letting yourself in for and sticking to its guns.

​In terms of the remaster itself, the visuals and particularly how it uses light – which is especially important here – are noticeably improved by Remastered developers D3T. The official comparison trailer makes it clear that the original was already punching above its weight, but now it looks sharper and plays smoother than ever thanks to 4K at 60 FPS performance on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC.

The ominous atmosphere and presentation goes a long way to immediately bring you into the story. Narratively the game can be hammy and far-fetched at times, though it’s absolutely aware of what it is; it’s easy to recommend to any fan of Remedy that hasn’t played Alan Wake before.

​For returning players, besides the inclusion of the hit-and-miss DLC you may not have played, there’s not anything new or particularly different to bring you back. Since the experience was designed to remain faithful to the original release, however, that’s not a huge surprise. It might even be a positive for purists looking to relive an old favourite in search of nostalgia.

With the spooky season officially upon us, you could do far worse than picking up Alan Wake Remastered and discovering an action-adventure classic. Now’s the perfect time to book a trip to the surreal town of Bright Falls.

Pros

• Intriguing story and good characterisation
• Updated visuals, with impressive lighting and shadows
• Discover ties to the world of Control

Cons
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• Movement and animations can feel awkward
• Occasional performance drops and texture pop-in
• Not much is new for returning players

9/10​