Alan Wake Remastered

Alan Wake Remastered is a remastered version of the survival horror action game inspired, among others, by Stephen King's novels and the TV series Twin Peaks. The game was originally released in 2010 on the Xbox 360 console and, until its release on PC, was one of the most important exclusives on that system. Alan Wake was developed by the Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment, well known thanks to the first two instalments of the Max Payne series and the Quantum Break and Control games. The development of the remaster was for a long time the subject of rumours and speculation, and its official announcement was made in September 2021.

Plot

The main character of the game is Alan Wake, a popular author of bestselling novels, who in search of inspiration goes on holiday with his wife to the picturesque town of Bright Falls, located in the American state of Washington. After the mysterious disappearance of his beloved during their holiday, he becomes involved in a series of supernatural events that cause him to lose touch with reality as he knows it...

The plot in Alan Wake Remastered is told in an episodic format that imitates a classic TV series. Each Alan Wake episode features its own twists and cliffhanger, as well as a brief recap of events so far and a preview of future revelations.

Alan Wake Remastered also offers fans two additional scenarios, The Signal and The Writer, which were originally available as DLC.

Mechanics

Alan Wake Remastered is a third-person perspective action game, enriched with elements known from classic survival horrors. Most of the time during the game we will spend wandering a region of Bright Falls. We'll visit forest trails, farms and local tourist attractions. On our way we meet many NPCs and hidden collectibles.

Our main enemy is a mysterious "darkness", that is a paranormal power taking control over people and animals. These enemies appear only at night and without artificial light they remain completely indestructible. In addition to standard weapons, Alan Wake must always have a torch at hand to weaken his opponents' defences. Unfortunately, torches quickly run out of batteries. Replaceable batteries therefore remain the main resource we look for during the exploration of locations. Fortunately, sometimes we can also use other sources of light, such as lanterns or flares.

Technical aspects

Developers of Alan Wake Remastered have improved 3D models in the game (including the main character), as well as most of the textures. Additional graphic effects and support for 4K resolution are also new. Another attraction of the remaster is the possibility to play the game with the director's commentary enabled, thanks to which we can learn more about the development process, as well as the challenges the developers faced.