Alan Wake

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2165 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,547 out of 2165
  2. Mixed: 460 out of 2165
  3. Negative: 158 out of 2165
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  1. Eradan
    Apr 30, 2012
    5
    I waited for Alan Wake for years, promised from the hyped press that i would get a twin-peaked-stephen-king immersive and psychotic game. I loved Max Payne 1&2. I still love horror games. Sadly i was disappointed.
    The game is well packed, nice graphics, cure for the details, amazing audio but it smells clichè from the very beginning. The storyline is somewhat interesting but    I waited for Alan Wake for years, promised from the hyped press that i would get a twin-peaked-stephen-king immersive and psychotic game. I loved Max Payne 1&2. I still love horror games. Sadly i was disappointed.
    The game is well packed, nice graphics, cure for the details, amazing audio but it smells clichè from the very beginning. The storyline is somewhat interesting but sure isn't original and the pace is broken by the action part of the game, totally separated from the narration. It's like watching a - often mediocre - cut scene, starting to merge with the story and the characters and then been thrown in the same level over and over, in the dark woods, craving for a source of light, some ammo and the next checkpoint, hoping to end it quickly to go back to the real part of the game. Yeah, it's like this. Reach a location, watch a brief scene, find yourself in the woods at night, follow an absolute linear path through enemies, find that the only difficulties in engaging them is the poor camera control and the low ammo resources, reach the next location, start over. And that's not all, since the devs should have come to realize that this sucked hard they added a lot of manuscript pages to pick up during the "exploration" (read: straight on walk), the sad thing is that this poor written pieces of paper contain spoilers about your next location and the next chunk of story, making it even less interesting to watch.
    This game should have been a 9 for its atmospheres and its potential. Don't buy it unless its price falls under 10$.    … Expand
  2. Naatan
    Feb 18, 2012
    6
    The story is very interesting but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. It's incredibly linear in the sense that 90% of the time you are just following a path in the woods while you shine your flashlight on enemies and finish them off with your gun. There's some distractions in the shape of puzzles but even those are just rehashed over and over again. It just feels like you're watching aThe story is very interesting but the gameplay leaves much to be desired. It's incredibly linear in the sense that 90% of the time you are just following a path in the woods while you shine your flashlight on enemies and finish them off with your gun. There's some distractions in the shape of puzzles but even those are just rehashed over and over again. It just feels like you're watching a movie but you have to work your way through tedious and repetitive gameplay to actually get to the story. The repetitiveness of the gameplay aside most of what's happening is also very predictable. You just KNOW you're about to get attacked when you find more than a fair amount of ammo, and when you've gone through part of the story where you don't have weapons and you finally find some again; guess how long it takes before you get to use them? More than anything I just feel frustrated playing this game, frustrated by being force-fed terrible, predictable and linear gameplay just to get to what seems like a good story.… Expand
  3. v00d00m4n
    Feb 25, 2012
    6
    This game is waste of great potential, which was killed few years ago, when Remedy suddenly shifted to console market from PC, this cause a lot of troubles, forced them to waste to many time to port code to Xbox and optimize (downgrade graphics, physics, etc) it for crappy hardware, and because of this they have too little time to work game content itself, which forced them to cut half ofThis game is waste of great potential, which was killed few years ago, when Remedy suddenly shifted to console market from PC, this cause a lot of troubles, forced them to waste to many time to port code to Xbox and optimize (downgrade graphics, physics, etc) it for crappy hardware, and because of this they have too little time to work game content itself, which forced them to cut half of game which wasn't well-polished. From a great open world survival-horror-adventure, game squeezed to boring linear light-em-shoot-em-up, with many game design flaws, including total lack of melee combat which existed in almost every survival horror since the old days, because ammo is always limited in this genre and whenever you out of ammo you should fight your way with fists, pipes, axes, and everything... or you could just run away, but in Alan Wake you can not do either. Seriously, Alan cant even run like normal man, his run ability somewhere close to fat grandpa at the edge of heart attack - what was Remedy designers thinking when they limited run distance to about 10 meters? Dodging is barely works and sometime when you just want to run, Alan suddenly starts from dodge. Also enemies just the same everywhere, "taken" humans with shield of darkness, about 4 of them - white trash, cops, oversized, and special character, they only reminds me zombie, and zombies cant scare anyone. Remedy should look at Silent Hill, Cold fear or Dead space, to get the idea of how to make scary creatures. Playing linear levels where all you can do is aim flashlight, shoot, barely run and dodge away from non scary humans, and where all the adventure element are "go forward, press button to open gatedoor or pick up manuscript" - not fun at all, just boring and repetitive. Also i don't even want to talk about Riding part of game, it even worse and buggier than it was in Alone in the dark 2008 (which is by the way much better and more imaginative game than Alan, and Alan kinda ripped off many things from it, including episodic format and darkness)
    The only thing that could keep anyone playing is the story, however its very cut and some time parts just don't tied well together, because of Remedy cut too much, you always feel that something else should be between this and that and it was cut without attempt to smooth this out. And this story is impressive for non educated people who never saw Twin Peaks, and other Lynch movies and never reed King books. For me - a King and Lynch fan this story looks as predictable rip-off from Lynch movies and King books, its about 50% Twin Peaks, 30% King, 10% of other rip-off and about 10% of something original. But its well-written rip-off so i still consider story as good story, but nothing super-awesome.
    No let me talk about PC port specifics: for a game that was once PC exclusive 1st DX10 game, return to PC in form like this is insult to all the PC users who waited this game so long! GFX is worse than in time it was announced 5 years ago, dx9 only, textures blurry low res, render distance of high detail LOD is low and transition is noticeable, shadows pixelated just like GTA 4, cut-scenes pre-rendered at 720p 30fps, with a lot of compression artifacts, washed out colors that dont match gameplay gamma, and this really breaking immersion... so in addition to dated 5 years old gfx, laziness of Remedy to bring at least high res textures and real-time cut-scenes to PC, this game is slow as hell! Performance optimization not even here! With gfx like this this game should run at 60fps on 5 years old pc, but it barely runs at about 25 fps on 1 year old PC. And the funny thing - Remedy not even ported this game to PC, they hired Nitro games - 5 (yep u can see it in credits) noob monkey-programmers + 3 testers. this shameful team ported Alan to PC, and Remedy didn't even cared to provide em high res textures and real-time cut-scenes, and no one bothered to enhance gameplay after all the criticism of x360 version. Its just exact copy with few minor extra settings. Which is real shame, especially comparing to what this game once was on PC several years ago.
    This is real insult to all the PC gamers and yet another wasted opportunity to return this game to its original glory that was lost during transition to xbox 360. I hope after Remedy recieved a lot of money from PC crowd and covered development cost in 48 hours, they could invest extra more to bring PC gamers an excuse for all the troubles as 6 simple things 1) Good patch with real optimization of CODE (not the cut of already poor gfx) +dx1011 2) High res texture pack 3) Real-time cut-scenes 4) Render distance sliders that actually affects render distance 5) Tweaks to gameplay, Quick saves, or at least checkpoints after every pickup, and re-usable Save heaven checkpoins + melee combat, at least ability to knock out enemy with flashlight or gun, improvements to run and dodge 6) Modding SDK. After this i would not feel myself insulted and cheated.    … Expand
  4. Jackermy
    Apr 7, 2020
    5
    This game causes strange feelings. Firstly it has got a great story and some fresh ideas, but on the other hand, we got boring gameplay, useless methods to stretch the passage and a few puzzles that are not interesting at all. The game is linear and very boring, all that you need - kill some "taken" and go farther. Also, it is not a horror, quite bad atmosphere and you always got somethingThis game causes strange feelings. Firstly it has got a great story and some fresh ideas, but on the other hand, we got boring gameplay, useless methods to stretch the passage and a few puzzles that are not interesting at all. The game is linear and very boring, all that you need - kill some "taken" and go farther. Also, it is not a horror, quite bad atmosphere and you always got something to protect yourself.
    The game can not offer you a lot of types of enemies (4 types) or weapons (3 types).
    As for me, this game is unworthy of your attention, but you can play for this game just for the story if you are ready to lose some hours for killing enemies and finding a key in the nearest cab.    … Expand
  5. Geralt123
    Mar 13, 2021
    5
    This could have been a very good game, but it has one serious problem: the combat.

    The combat sucks so much, it is a major annoyance. You have like 20 bullets and a few batteries. Then come 3 waves of 3 enemies. You have to stun them with your torch and then shoot them. Sound fun, but isn't. You constantly run out of bullets and batteries. Running away is not an option because Alan can    This could have been a very good game, but it has one serious problem: the combat.

    The combat sucks so much, it is a major annoyance. You have like 20 bullets and a few batteries. Then come 3 waves of 3 enemies. You have to stun them with your torch and then shoot them. Sound fun, but isn't. You constantly run out of bullets and batteries. Running away is not an option because Alan can run fast only for 20 meters before he catches his breath.

    Other than that, the story and graphics are very well done. The whole atmosphere is chilling and frightening.

    I don't know how the devs could ruin a good game with a combat like this. Had they implemented normal doom-style combat, this could have been a great game.

    Other annoyance is the the camera is left and behind of Alan and you have to walk at a certain angle all the time.

    Seriously devs, why did you ruin this game?

    And needless to say, if you fail at combat, which happens A LOT, you will go back to the last savepoint and repeat the whole ´sh*t over an over again.

    5/10, with a better combat it would have been an 8.    … Expand
  6. Kujin
    Dec 3, 2020
    5
    With a traditional Remedy zaniness sprinkled through the game's story, Alan Wake is a game with a mediocre and boring gameplay, encouraging the player to stay put, point at the baddies and shoot. It's story is a cliche-riddled tale of nothing, barely exploring it's themes while being completely uninterested in it's characters. Alan himself is a prick you don't want to succeed, and twoWith a traditional Remedy zaniness sprinkled through the game's story, Alan Wake is a game with a mediocre and boring gameplay, encouraging the player to stay put, point at the baddies and shoot. It's story is a cliche-riddled tale of nothing, barely exploring it's themes while being completely uninterested in it's characters. Alan himself is a prick you don't want to succeed, and two years after beating this game i couldn't remember his wife's name. It's not scary, and it's attempts to mix up the gameplay loop are pathetic. I don't think I will ever think about Alan Wake as anything than a hiccup from Remedy, a step down from Max Payne and an unfortunate stepping stone to Quantum Break and Control… Expand
  7. elefsar
    Apr 22, 2021
    5
    Story is mediocre, game play is bad, action side is lacking fluent. Couldn't like it.
  8. Alexey970
    Jan 12, 2014
    6
    To be honest, the game is so-so. The storytelling is good, despite of everything other. The gameplay is quite poor. It's poorly copy-past the famous resident evil series, and contains no puzzles, no interesting enemies. So we are getting half novel story-telling, half shooting game very similar to Max Payne, and to be honest it doesn't justify my expectation. I pretty sure that you willTo be honest, the game is so-so. The storytelling is good, despite of everything other. The gameplay is quite poor. It's poorly copy-past the famous resident evil series, and contains no puzzles, no interesting enemies. So we are getting half novel story-telling, half shooting game very similar to Max Payne, and to be honest it doesn't justify my expectation. I pretty sure that you will get more fun by playing in resident evil or silent hill.… Expand
  9. Osmium
    Jul 30, 2013
    6
    Somehow, I never managed to find something special in this game. To me, Alan Wake is basically just another third person action shooter. It is one above average though, but still I found the gameplay itself to become very boring and repetitive after only around two hours into the game. I was also rather annoyed than fascinated by what I felt to be a pseudo in depth psychological horrorSomehow, I never managed to find something special in this game. To me, Alan Wake is basically just another third person action shooter. It is one above average though, but still I found the gameplay itself to become very boring and repetitive after only around two hours into the game. I was also rather annoyed than fascinated by what I felt to be a pseudo in depth psychological horror storyline. Graphics, sound, and atmosphere are all very good, but the gameplay itself just couldn't keep me entertained. I finished the game within less than 10 hours and won't give it another go.… Expand
  10. Mykwon
    Dec 8, 2012
    5
    Well, after playing quite a while, this is disappointing: the action is extremely repetitive. You just run around in the woods killing enemies. This only thing saving this game is the story with a lot of potential. But it ends very abruptly with a lot of questions asked, and a hope that they will be answered in a next opus. So overall, feels it should be more a movie than a game as theWell, after playing quite a while, this is disappointing: the action is extremely repetitive. You just run around in the woods killing enemies. This only thing saving this game is the story with a lot of potential. But it ends very abruptly with a lot of questions asked, and a hope that they will be answered in a next opus. So overall, feels it should be more a movie than a game as the game part itself is boring.… Expand
  11. sft
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    The light fantastic (almost)

    Credit is due Remedy for making ALAN WAKE a story-driven game. It’s a partial success, though not a complete one. They have entirely eschewed the typical RPG tropes of dialogue trees and progression choices in favour of a linear, non-interactive structure. The story is played out in a series of cut-scenes and simple A to B tasks. Basically you just have to    The light fantastic (almost)

    Credit is due Remedy for making ALAN WAKE a story-driven game. It’s a partial success, though not a complete one. They have entirely eschewed the typical RPG tropes of dialogue trees and progression choices in favour of a linear, non-interactive structure. The story is played out in a series of cut-scenes and simple A to B tasks. Basically you just have to battle your way from one place to the next. There’s certainly a place for this type of game, and when it’s done well la Half-Life 2) it can be very rewarding. Unlike Half-Life 2, however, ALAN WAKE doesn’t quite pull it off. Firstly, there isn’t enough humour. There’s some but it would have benefited from more. And the story isn’t exactly original. But the main problem for me was the combat. I hated the way control is wrenched away from the player every time enemies approach. I get why they did it (there’s no other way of knowing they’re coming, apart from some audible warnings) but I often found myself disoriented when the camera had finished sweeping around and control had retuned. Several times the sweep lasted so long that by the time I had control again the enemies were right on me and it was impossible to avoid taking a hit. Frustrating to say the least. On the plus side the environments look very good and it’s quite atmospheric (although not as creepy as I would have liked Silent Hill still sets the bar for that). One other thing worth noting is that I found the special episode, The Writer, to be better than what had gone before. It’s even more atmospheric and far more inventive. Overall this is a good game if not an outstanding one.    … Expand
  12. Deific
    Oct 23, 2012
    6
    A game that could have been so much more. What could have been an open world master-piece became a cut down, linear, repetitive and tired novel in the shape of a game. The plot thickens in places but never leaves predictable, and both the writing and voice acting is cringeworthy in places, sounding like an amateur attempt at 'serious' crime/horror writing. Even one of the charactersA game that could have been so much more. What could have been an open world master-piece became a cut down, linear, repetitive and tired novel in the shape of a game. The plot thickens in places but never leaves predictable, and both the writing and voice acting is cringeworthy in places, sounding like an amateur attempt at 'serious' crime/horror writing. Even one of the characters criticises it as 'heavy on the metaphors' which it absolutely is - exhaustingly so. By the time you reach the end of the third chapter, you're willing the game to be over in the fourth, but still have several more to grind through, with the last couple feeling drawn out needlessly so. The 'climax' of the game, simply feels like the writers ran out of ideas, so threw in all kinds of surreal environments and events, none of which last more than a minute or so. The enemies through-out have no variation and you're still fighting the same enemies at the end as you were at the very start of the game. The visuals in places look fantastic (mainly during daylight which you rarely get to see), whilst in others (and for the majority of the game) they're pretty dire. The weaving plot does hold your interest at times and you do find yourself getting a little pulled in to certain twists, but they're over before you know it and you're back to predictable. Combat would feel satisfying if it didn't become tedious first. I bought it on steam for less than a fiver and it feels like I paid its worth.… Expand
  13. gerbils99
    Sep 7, 2013
    6
    The story is told in a unique and generally brilliant way, but the gameplay becomes incredibly monotonous by the fifth level. Could have been excellent.
  14. ingreenblue
    May 1, 2014
    5
    If you like your Stephen King, you will like the story. Graphics and sound design are superb. However, the game fails in terms of gameplay. Shine a light and shoot. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. There is almost no enemy variety and no real sense of progression. After the first few Chapters, the only thing that kept me going was the story.
  15. MD1032
    Feb 15, 2015
    5
    From an experienced gamer...

    This game wasn't worth the small 7 hours that I spent on it. In summary, the story shows great promise but is ultimately a let-down at the end, the combat is pretty horrible, and the graphics just aren't quite there. Please do yourself a favor, if you're not really into the suspense-thriller genre, and really like your combat to be interesting, please give    From an experienced gamer...

    This game wasn't worth the small 7 hours that I spent on it. In summary, the story shows great promise but is ultimately a let-down at the end, the combat is pretty horrible, and the graphics just aren't quite there. Please do yourself a favor, if you're not really into the suspense-thriller genre, and really like your combat to be interesting, please give this game a pass. You really aren't missing anything. This is at its core, a short, 100% linear game, with a low amount of content. The developers of this game used long S-shaped paths with lots of waves of enemies to bring up the play time, and the combat just isn't enjoyable.

    Spoilers past this point.

    Firstly if you don't have a lot of patience, I would recommend enabling cheat codes by setting "-developermenu" in launch options in steam. This will allow you to refill your ammo when you run out.

    UI: The highly offset camera angle is a constant nuisance. You will literally zig-zag through this entire game with W-A and W-D combinations the entire time. Walking in a straight line is extremely difficult. The slow-motion enemy deaths are way overused, and there's an irritating, lengthy camera sweep every time an enemy approaches from behind during which you can't do anything but watch it run/fly towards you and get the first hit. The funniest thing is that they combined the "sprint" key with the "dodge" key, so literally every single time you want to start sprinting, you will first perform a "front dodge" maneuver, so it will look like Alan is going to fall over and then all of a sudden he's running at full blast. Lazy and comical. Vehicle physics are barely usable. All of the cars basically have bald tires and 500 horsepower because they're so tail-happy it's ridiculous.

    Combat: It is actually possible to run out of ammo and get stuck at certain points in the game. Your only way of dispatching enemies is with guns, and there's no option to run past them in 90% of zones. The combat in this game is boring, there is no avoiding it. Right-click on an enemy with your flashlight to drop their shields, then use a small handful of weapons (you literally only get like 3 guns the whole game) to take down their health. Rinse, wash, repeat. Don't get me wrong, the combat is OK in small doses. The problem is that you'll find yourself fighting past wave after wave after wave just to get to the next Dan Brown-style mini cliffhanger at the end of each episode.

    Story: Alan Wake does not end with a resolution to the storyline, which is a shame, because the story in this game was well thought out and is quite good at its core. Instead of trying to figure out an ending that ties everything together and makes everyone happy, it half-resolves a couple things and asks a few more questions. This is SO LAZY, and a HUGE pet peeve of mine. You spend the whole game fighting all this garbage just so the dude can get his wife back, and then, it doesn't happen. Many of the elements in this game are borrowed.

    Graphics: Textures and effects range from incredibly detailed to cheesy and overused. The characters' faces are absolutely terrible for a 2011 game. Misshapen, not following the dialogue at all. None of the characters ever change clothes for the entire game. There's no visual or soft barrier for the environments, so once in a while, you'll jump down a small cliff and just die. Finally, there's this annoying blur effect that is used so often that it actually prevents you from properly seeing the graphics they did actually do right, things like smoke and lighting.

    Conclusion: 5/10 Good effort, but would not recommend.    … Expand
  16. TitaniumDragon
    Feb 21, 2013
    5
    This game is greatly overrated. What's wrong?

    Well, it starts off strong enough you get into the action quickly (none of this "oh I don't get to really play for an hour" nonsense) and you get into the mystery of the piece pretty quickly. What's not to like? Well, the problem is that Alan Wake suffers from two problems: 1) The action is terrible. 2) The story isn't great.    This game is greatly overrated. What's wrong?

    Well, it starts off strong enough you get into the action quickly (none of this "oh I don't get to really play for an hour" nonsense) and you get into the mystery of the piece pretty quickly. What's not to like?

    Well, the problem is that Alan Wake suffers from two problems:

    1) The action is terrible.

    2) The story isn't great.

    The first is obvious; in the intro, you learn how you burn the shadows off of enemies, then you shoot them to death. Okay, cool, so they expand on it right? No. The ENTIRE GAME'S GAMEPLAY is exactly the same thing burn the shadows off of enemies, then shoot them. There isn't even much variety in the way of enemies there are normal enemies, that cut you; fast enemies, which are harder to hit; and large enemies, who deal more damage and take more damage to cut down. There are moving objects that lift themselves up and hurl themselves at you as well, which sounds a lot better than it actually is the physics of it is awkward and the AI sucks, meaning they often "get stuck" on stuff.

    Thus the ENTIRE game's action consists of doing the same thing over and over and over again, to enemy after enemy after enemy, with little variation. Somewhere around episode 2 (of 6) it wears thin, and there's a lot more to go.

    The collectibles, likewise, leave something to be desired. Half of them are stupid, and the other half of them, while okay, suffer from the problem that searching for them messes up the gameplay and pacing; rather than trying to get out of the woods, instead you spend hours wandering around in the woods trying to find pages and thermoses and other nonsense. It sucks; the game plays a lot better when you aren't running around trying to find stuff because (let's face it) the gameplay wears thin anyway, it is even thinner stretched out like that. It doesn't help that Alan Wake can't run for very long, and has to slow down if you have him run for more than thirty feet or so that dude is seriously out of shape.

    Okay, so the gameplay rather sucks (even if the basic premise sounds interesting). What about the story?

    Well... again, the story kind of sucks too. The problem is that you start off the game with a mystery, and all's well, right? Well...

    It becomes glaringly clear what the answer to the mystery is early on, and without that mystery, there's just... nothing really substantive. Sure, the characters run around, and Barry and Sarah are okay characters, but Alan Wake himself is a bit bland and really it all feels a bit pointless. The story isn't terrible, but it isn't amazing either, which means that it doesn't make up for the mediocre gameplay. There is a brief upswing in the story in episodes 4 and 5, where it feels more fun, but the end of the game is as bland as chapters 2 and 3 were, and feels very empty due to the loss of any other characters interacting with you.

    Overall I can't recommend this game, but I don't discourage you from buying it either; however, it is average, neither great nor terrible.    … Expand
  17. Necrotaur
    Aug 11, 2012
    7
    Alan Wake is like playing a Stephen King novel, interspersed with (for the most part) bland shooting segments that I wished would be over so I could move on to the next exposition. Overall enjoyed Alan Wake, but the repetitive nature of the combat, and constant 'run through a forest with a flashlight' segments got boring fast. The controls and camera angle are a little awkward as well.Alan Wake is like playing a Stephen King novel, interspersed with (for the most part) bland shooting segments that I wished would be over so I could move on to the next exposition. Overall enjoyed Alan Wake, but the repetitive nature of the combat, and constant 'run through a forest with a flashlight' segments got boring fast. The controls and camera angle are a little awkward as well. The atmosphere is great though, and I enjoyed seeing the story unravel.… Expand
  18. keefbaker
    Oct 6, 2013
    5
    When big budget games screw up they screw up well. This game attempts to take Stephen King tropes and turn them into a computer game, it looks great, is well voiced but massively over-cutscened. Also the only real scares come from being overwhelmed by sheer numbers of enemies. I didn't complete this simply because I stopped caring. Sad really..

    It feels like a sci-fi channel movie.    When big budget games screw up they screw up well. This game attempts to take Stephen King tropes and turn them into a computer game, it looks great, is well voiced but massively over-cutscened. Also the only real scares come from being overwhelmed by sheer numbers of enemies. I didn't complete this simply because I stopped caring. Sad really..

    It feels like a sci-fi channel movie.

    Basically if you want a really scary game get Amnesia: The Dark Descent.... That's what you need,    … Expand
  19. violent
    Mar 11, 2012
    5
    I really like the scinematic cutscenes but the game got really repetative after a while. The "puzzles" are more like roadbumps that slow you down than real puzzles because they are so easy. They just take time to do. I really liked the beginning of the game but I eventually got tired of the repetative combat encounters that I stopped playing it.
  20. Vex
    Jul 6, 2012
    5
    First of all, I haven't had any performance issues whatsoever.... so the mediocre score I'm giving this game isn't reflective of it's performance at all. My main gripe with this game is extreme repetitiveness and lack of true innovation. I'm some 4 hours into the game right now and from what I've seen, the entire gameplay can be boiled down to "run through the dark forest -> get attackedFirst of all, I haven't had any performance issues whatsoever.... so the mediocre score I'm giving this game isn't reflective of it's performance at all. My main gripe with this game is extreme repetitiveness and lack of true innovation. I'm some 4 hours into the game right now and from what I've seen, the entire gameplay can be boiled down to "run through the dark forest -> get attacked by a bunch of dark psychos -> kill them all with a flashlight and a gun -> repeat until you've reached your destination". In this day and age when more and more games provide true choice and shape the outcome according to the choice you make, boring games like this with the 90s gameplay have no place on any serious gamer's shelf. The first hour or so was fun but after that I was bored to tears.

    Onto the more positive aspects: the atmosphere is decent, graphics are good and the surroundings look pretty and realistic. Too bad every good aspect is spoiled by extreme repetitiveness and dull gameplay with no true innovation.    … Expand
  21. Lukinsons
    Apr 2, 2012
    7
    Alan Wake has really nice story and dark atmosphere so play it only at night. The story is divided on few epizodes like some series. But there is only few type of enemies in this game. The optimization is very bad and after 2 episodes it will be very stereotype for you.
  22. BoredSeal
    Jun 1, 2013
    5
    Story and technical side of game are ok. But gameplay is very boring. Spending all the time running in predicted way and fighting all the time with same weapons and pointing flashlights is not my kind of fun. Most of older horror games are much more entertaining.
  23. violentine
    Jul 5, 2013
    5
    5 seems a bit rough score for a game that got so many positive reviews already. In all honesty, I don't know how the game managed to get so far with such a mediocre gameplay. I guess the trick is in graphics which are still beautiful and create a fantastic atmosphere suitable for the Stephen King-esque storyline. The story is definitely a homage to King with the writer in distress, weird5 seems a bit rough score for a game that got so many positive reviews already. In all honesty, I don't know how the game managed to get so far with such a mediocre gameplay. I guess the trick is in graphics which are still beautiful and create a fantastic atmosphere suitable for the Stephen King-esque storyline. The story is definitely a homage to King with the writer in distress, weird murderers and dreamlike locations near a very american mountain village. It's like cliche in a cliche. You're armed with a flashlight and a gun and must first use the light to sort of "break down shields" from enemies to be able to shoot them with your weapon. That's all there is to fighting mechanics. Use flashlight, shoot with a pistol. Run to the next area. Bad guys appear from the shadows. Use flashlight, shoot with a pistol. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. There are also collectibles for those people that bought this game with their last moneys and just HAVE to get everything out of it. The beginning of the game felt a bit like Resident Evil 4 which is a great game. You should play that instead.… Expand
  24. csabber
    Aug 19, 2013
    6
    The story in Alan Wake is quite exceptional comparing to other video games in the genre. Too bad the rest of the game can't match up to the well-written storytelling.

    The game kicks off interestingly where we meet our protagonist, who is struggling with writing crisis and a "little bit" of insanity. Soon we find ourselves fighting with shadowy creatures named 'The Taken' controlled by a    The story in Alan Wake is quite exceptional comparing to other video games in the genre. Too bad the rest of the game can't match up to the well-written storytelling.

    The game kicks off interestingly where we meet our protagonist, who is struggling with writing crisis and a "little bit" of insanity. Soon we find ourselves fighting with shadowy creatures named 'The Taken' controlled by a mysterious force.

    The fighting mechanics based on the power of light are unique. While this newish fighting scheme is fun at first it lacks deepness, so it becomes repetitive. Unfortunately nothing good can be said about the controls, which is one of the most discouraging features of the game: awkward movements, slow reaction times, super sensitive mouse controls

    One of the high points of the game is the voice acting. It phenomenally supports the great story, which pushes the player for resolution...that may or may not exists in the end. The end of the story will leave many with questions and bad taste, but the open nature of the conclusion is not necessarily a bad thing at all. However, the special chapters (The Signal and The Writer) will help put a proper end to this tale.

    After 6 chapters it is hard to think of any reasons why anyone, who is not a fan of Alan would start this game all over again. The replay value of the game is very low thanks to its linear nature. Other than some collectibles there's no point to return. Alan Wake is one of those games that would've been enjoyable on a big screen rather than with a controller in a hand.

    Rating: 65/100; Replay Value: 1/5; To Beat: 14-16 hours (incl. the specials); Played on: normal.    … Expand
  25. COMThing
    Jul 17, 2014
    5
    A very linear game with predictable gameplay. It might as well be a movie since the story and atmosphere are the only things worth noting amongst the many scripted events. As far as gameplay goes, you know something big is about to happen whenever you get a new piece of equipment or find a resupply cache.
  26. fasad
    May 6, 2014
    5
    Gameplay is extremely repetitious and not a lot of fun in itself. The enemy's can provide a few scares early on in the game, but you soon find yourself attacked by the hundredth fishman/lumberjack zombie and the effect is lost. There are only a handful of different enemies and very few unique environments the player can interact with, which reduces the gameplay into a pretty tedious grind.Gameplay is extremely repetitious and not a lot of fun in itself. The enemy's can provide a few scares early on in the game, but you soon find yourself attacked by the hundredth fishman/lumberjack zombie and the effect is lost. There are only a handful of different enemies and very few unique environments the player can interact with, which reduces the gameplay into a pretty tedious grind.
    A unique part of the gameplay is shining a torch (flashlight) on enemy prior to being able to damage them. However, you are rarely attacked by large numbers and are almost always provided with enough ammo and flares to easily keep out of trouble. Both player and enemies move slowly, and most combat takes place in an open environment, so backing away from enemies is an effective but boring tactic.

    The story is reasonably interesting, but it evolves slowly and is so "cheesy" it is hard to take seriously. All the characters in the game are extremely unlikable, and seem like they were designed by a child. This reduces motivation to progress through the game, as the only real reward for the gameplay is plot progression.

    Graphics and sound are generally impressive, but viewpoint is frustrating and not really suited for mouse control. The character controls are quite clumsy, and the dodging mechanic isn't really very useful (avoiding enemies is far more effective).    … Expand
  27. CharlyPlayman
    Dec 24, 2015
    5
    It's not a bad game but very repetitive, i thought it was going to be like Silent Hill but it has no puzzles and too many shoots, too much arcade and not scary and i found a not interesting story
    Pros: light effects and graphics + smooth controls
    Cons: repetitive + no puzzles + you get tired very soon playing it + not scary + odd story
  28. bancandrei
    May 24, 2020
    5
    The mechanics get in the way of the story. I will say for them that they are gripping, so that you don't get bored by linear pathways through samey environments, probably better than the interludes which are more on the boring side. Out of Stephen King's books the story seems to me most inspired by Bag of Bones, which is far from his best.
  29. erichlebt
    Feb 26, 2012
    6
    I have to agree with Naatan in every way. I was really looking forward to this cause I loved the old Silent Hill games and expected AW to be a little like those. The story is promising, atmosphere is excellent. What ruins this game is it's awfully dull game-play. Run through the woods, (due to bad camera position) try to aim and shoot some zombies or evade them (though Alan appears to beI have to agree with Naatan in every way. I was really looking forward to this cause I loved the old Silent Hill games and expected AW to be a little like those. The story is promising, atmosphere is excellent. What ruins this game is it's awfully dull game-play. Run through the woods, (due to bad camera position) try to aim and shoot some zombies or evade them (though Alan appears to be handicapped), get to a locations and maybe solve a switch-puzzle and watch another cut-scene of the indeed great story.… Expand
  30. vitalyx
    Feb 19, 2012
    7
    I'm making another review of Alan Wake, since I was able to tweak the settings and get half-decent performance at 1360x768 resolution.

    The game uses an original way to tell a story. The way the story is told is great - episodic format, TV and radio show sequences, manuscript fragments you find. All very original. The story itself is not bad too. There are bad things, like facial    I'm making another review of Alan Wake, since I was able to tweak the settings and get half-decent performance at 1360x768 resolution.

    The game uses an original way to tell a story. The way the story is told is great - episodic format, TV and radio show sequences, manuscript fragments you find. All very original. The story itself is not bad too.

    There are bad things, like facial animations and lipsyncing, even in prerendered cut scenes and low level of detail in models and textures. There are good things like lighting effects on sparks when you shoot the "taken", their smoky shadows, disturbance effects just before the "taken" appear and volumetric light effects - all look amazing.

    Ultimately, though, the gameplay gradually becomes more and more boring. It's original in a way, because you have to use the flashlight on the "taken" before you are able to shoot them. But it's not that engaging to keep doing this over and over again for the length of the game. For me, the story wasn't interesting enough to endure the frustrating gameplay. For example Dreamfall had gameplay issues too, but it had a very compelling story that kept me playing even through the tedious parts till the very end of the game. With Alan Wake I gave up in the middle of the forth chapter.

    So, to wrap it up, the game is not that bad to stop playing after 30 minutes, but at the same time not that great to finish it and say "that was a wonderful experience".

    P.S.
    It looks like Metacritic is full of fanboys and any rating in the yellow or red automatically receives mostly downvotes. We are all sharing personal opinions here. Sorry, I didn't like your favorite game as much as you did.    … Expand
  31. goshnya
    Mar 2, 2012
    5
    First off, credit where it's due: the PC port is excellent. Unfortunately for me, I did not find the gameplay interesting or engaging, it was too repetitve and shallow for me. Nor did I like the story. But I suspect people who like survival horror games will really like this one. It's not a bad game, I just did not find it to be fun to me.
  32. ZootMan
    Mar 2, 2012
    7
    *Cracks knuckles*................First off the detractor statements- the dodge mechanic implemented is flawed and WILL get you killed for relying on it. The manuscript pages are literally text on a screen (Remember Lost Odyssey?) and after the first page, I disregarded each thereafter. The vehicles handle akin to an elderly person in a wheelchair running over an oil slick and the camera*Cracks knuckles*................First off the detractor statements- the dodge mechanic implemented is flawed and WILL get you killed for relying on it. The manuscript pages are literally text on a screen (Remember Lost Odyssey?) and after the first page, I disregarded each thereafter. The vehicles handle akin to an elderly person in a wheelchair running over an oil slick and the camera while driving will urge you to find the nearest barf bag. Why am I constantly losing and regaining pickup items? You spend far too much time grabbing sh*t off of tables, etc only to do it again, and again and again....with the horror vibe, I was hoping Remedy would adopt an RE4 model with continuous inventory. (Oh well.) Also, not to nitpick, but the cutscenes are a joke. Dead Rising characters emoted more than this game. IMO they should have stuck with keeping you as far away from the hideous uncanny valley faces as possible. Lest I forget yo mention it, but Alan Wake is full of MONSTER CLOSETS! Oh, the humanity...here's the entire strategy in this game: Step 1, run through gated spawn point. Step 2, trigger enemy spawns via slow motion scene. Step 3, run back the way you came and funnel them down the narrowest possible stretch of surface area. Rinse, repeat. Starts to get just a wee bit old after 5 or so hours...................and now, the great things about Alan Wake and why it deserves a a 'good' score, but not 'great': The story, the writing, the characters are all memorable and occasionally legitimately humorous. I enjoy the base combat to an extent and the flashlight mechanic as a visual metaphor and tangible game-y device is tactile and interesting. The presentation after each episode ends is nicely done, with some great musical inclusions..............So, a bunch of gripes, yet the game IS worth a try, throw down some $ for a discounted steam copy in a few months I'd say.-------------------------(And to all the babies complaining about the controls: buck the f*ck up and grab a controller. The game is clearly intended first and foremost around a gamepad. This is not a 'twitch' game, people.)------------------------… Expand
  33. daveyy12
    Mar 5, 2012
    7
    I originally gave this a 4, because the controls were hard to get used to and the game had severe ammo/weapon limitations. However, as the plot developed and the game spanned across some beautiful scenery, I became somewhat addicted to this game and I was able to use most of the controls. Perhaps, I just haven't been exposed to a game where you have to rely so much on a flashlight.
  34. Blurtex33
    Feb 21, 2012
    6
    As with any multiplatform game played on a PC, it is nowhere near the quality of the console version. I would suggest that anyone who isn't a complete gaming hipster to just stick to the console version if they want to replay it.
  35. Coffeesipper24
    Mar 6, 2012
    7
    Now this is a very interesting game. It has an interesting and unique storyline backed with an original concept. The graphics are solid and voice acting sounds natural and I enjoyed the plot immensely. The storyline is, very much, the strong point of this game. The plot feels very much like a Dean Koontz book; not highly complex, but dark, enjoyable and at points, unexpected. The firstNow this is a very interesting game. It has an interesting and unique storyline backed with an original concept. The graphics are solid and voice acting sounds natural and I enjoyed the plot immensely. The storyline is, very much, the strong point of this game. The plot feels very much like a Dean Koontz book; not highly complex, but dark, enjoyable and at points, unexpected. The first person narrating, however, becomes a bit intrusive at points. The game, however, is letdown by a very difficult and clumsy combat system. The player does not get any real crosshair to aid them in shooting; instead they get a beam of torchlight. This is all good and well, however the character lined up in a slightly askew manner such that â… Expand
  36. DaGleese
    Mar 13, 2013
    6
    A game that has a great story, and if enjoyed as more of an interactive move rather than a game is a real blast.

    Unfortunatly the combat really lets this game down, it is trying to be scary making you feel vulnerable with just a few bullets and a flashlight, but that is not actually the case. The game does not have crosshair aim, and your bullets auto aim at enemys, and often miss. As a    A game that has a great story, and if enjoyed as more of an interactive move rather than a game is a real blast.

    Unfortunatly the combat really lets this game down, it is trying to be scary making you feel vulnerable with just a few bullets and a flashlight, but that is not actually the case. The game does not have crosshair aim, and your bullets auto aim at enemys, and often miss. As a result you will run out of bullets ALOT in this game. Fortunately the game allows you to dodge enemy attacks, but once you get the timing down on that you basically cannot be killed. Running out of torch/bullets means you simply cannot kill any enemies, and must flee, however they messed that up too as the sprint function shares the same key as the dodge function, but you can still be hit while sprinting. It's actually better to merrily strole down the road with the enemy glitching out behind you constantly swinging at you and you hit the dodge button every time, taking no damage till you find a streetlight that doesnt explode as you arrive. It's not scary or stressful, it's just tedious as hell and feels like pointless filler between the excellent plots and story of the game. I'd have been quite happy if they took the combat out of the game altogether, but thne the game would be like 30 mins long.

    The very least that can be done to improve this game is give infinite bullets. The torch battery thing is enough to contend with without worrying about ammo when there simply isnt enough of it in the game. However to give the game any higher than a 6 the combat would need to be entirely reworked. Preferably to be fun/scary as opposed to tedious/frustrating/time wasting/filler.    … Expand
  37. Vatolicious
    Mar 16, 2012
    6
    The game start out AMAZING! I was incredibly entranced. It felt like I was playing a stephen king novel. The further you get in the story though the more off the wall it gets. The game wraps up and it feels like a different story than you started playing. If I could rate just the later half of the game I would say its a 2. But the Starting bit is a solid 10. Hopefully the 2nd game willThe game start out AMAZING! I was incredibly entranced. It felt like I was playing a stephen king novel. The further you get in the story though the more off the wall it gets. The game wraps up and it feels like a different story than you started playing. If I could rate just the later half of the game I would say its a 2. But the Starting bit is a solid 10. Hopefully the 2nd game will have a better story arch.… Expand
  38. birdman3
    Jul 21, 2013
    6
    Alan Wake has some great writing, a great story, great embedded atmosphere, but suffers a bit from repetitive gameplay. I found all of the cutscenes to be a relief from having to use the same mechanics over and over again to fight the zombies. With no RPG elements to speak of, I found myself becoming bored by the gameplay about half way through, but the story was too compelling to give upAlan Wake has some great writing, a great story, great embedded atmosphere, but suffers a bit from repetitive gameplay. I found all of the cutscenes to be a relief from having to use the same mechanics over and over again to fight the zombies. With no RPG elements to speak of, I found myself becoming bored by the gameplay about half way through, but the story was too compelling to give up on. Second, the survival elements of this game are out of whack. I found the game to be a lot of feast and famine- some levels, I would have all the flares and ammunition I needed. On other levels, I died multiple times because there's no way to kill bad guys without ammo, and I would get stuck in an area with constantly spawning enemies. Since there's no indication of this, I would try and fight my way out, trying time after time, but would eventually have to run out to escape (which is difficult, given your character's limited stamina). On a side note, there's tons of great, original content that went into this game- the story pages, the original songs, and the Night Springs TV show. These items, plus the story, made the game worth the trip.… Expand
  39. J583
    Feb 9, 2014
    6
    Its a good game.

    First of all, the good bits: The voice acting is overall excellent. The characters are compelling. The graphics/environment is very nice. The story keeps you in doubt all the time. I like the torch mechanic, you actually need to use it as a torch sometimes. The bad: The talking animations are really bad...Fortunately they seem to get better as you progress. The    Its a good game.

    First of all, the good bits: The voice acting is overall excellent.
    The characters are compelling.
    The graphics/environment is very nice.
    The story keeps you in doubt all the time.
    I like the torch mechanic, you actually need to use it as a torch sometimes.

    The bad: The talking animations are really bad...Fortunately they seem to get better as you progress.
    The game forces you to go out of your way to collect "the story", its annoying and boring. It shouldnt be so time consuming.
    Gameplay is just ok.
    The story never ultimately explains itself and some people seem to like this, but not me. I hate it, this really is the downfall of the game.

    Well worth the    … Expand
  40. NLS
    Jan 21, 2014
    7
    I like this game.
    I like the story telling, I like the genuine american horror story feeling.
    I would wish it was less linear.
    Definitely a good game though.
  41. leviathan34
    Jan 1, 2014
    7
    I will be truthful and tell you that this game is good. However, it is grueling. The story takes a very long time to play out, and has a pretty boring archetype to it. The actual story however is awesome and will capture you immediately. The game just feels like there is too much repetitive fighting for how much story happens in between the fighting. About 3 hours in, I was ready forI will be truthful and tell you that this game is good. However, it is grueling. The story takes a very long time to play out, and has a pretty boring archetype to it. The actual story however is awesome and will capture you immediately. The game just feels like there is too much repetitive fighting for how much story happens in between the fighting. About 3 hours in, I was ready for the game to just be over already. The game is an extremely awesome concept, but it could have been executed much, much better… Expand
  42. aythamipt
    Dec 13, 2018
    7
    Simplemente escribo esto para que me conste como un análisis y que la nota del juego me salga en mi apartado de votaciones y tener un historial. Saludos
  43. kezzyhko
    Jul 26, 2020
    6
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  44. Dubroc
    Aug 25, 2012
    7
    Un juego que te atrapa desde el principio por su narrativa y división de episodios como si de una serie de televisión se tratara. Al mismo tiempo una puesta en escena, gracias al sistema de iluminación y luces, que te sumergen dentro la atmosfera que va creando la historia.

    Tal vez sus dos puntos más débiles sean el abuso de escenas en las que te has    Un juego que te atrapa desde el principio por su narrativa y división de episodios como si de una serie de televisión se tratara. Al mismo tiempo una puesta en escena, gracias al sistema de iluminación y luces, que te sumergen dentro la atmosfera que va creando la historia.

    Tal vez sus dos puntos más débiles sean el abuso de escenas en las que te has de enfrentar con "sombras" y un final que deja una sensación rara, que puede no ser del gusto de todo el mundo.    … Expand
  45. EmuChicken
    Apr 2, 2014
    7
    With a setting seemingly taken out of a book from Stephen King, this game is full of scary stuff.
    ... Nah, really. I couldn't count the amount of times that I physically JUMPED out of my chair. This one has more frights than the latest Resident Evil game.
    Released originally for the Xbox360 (2010), and ported to the PC (2012). Yeah a port. Taking the role of Alan Wake, a writer    With a setting seemingly taken out of a book from Stephen King, this game is full of scary stuff.
    ... Nah, really. I couldn't count the amount of times that I physically JUMPED out of my chair. This one has more frights than the latest Resident Evil game.
    Released originally for the Xbox360 (2010), and ported to the PC (2012). Yeah a port.

    Taking the role of Alan Wake, a writer stuck on vacation. Your wife goes missing, and its your mission to find out what happened to her after your concussion.
    Dark forces are at work, and light is your only escape, and method into beating them. Using a torch, you wear away their "shield", and once you've done that, you can shoot them with any regular means (guns...). There is no knife, or melee weapon to fall back on.

    Story is the real strongpoint to this whole game. The player wants to learn what happened to the wife, and is sucked into the world with its great writing. Writing? Oh, and you find white paper on the way actually telling you what will happen next. Confused? Yeah, its a bit strange like that.
    There are six episodes in the package. Each a chapter to the story.
    A few of the characters, Alan, Barry (comic relief), the police lady, Odin and Tor, that doctor guy, the freaky guy. There are many in this story, but you'll only remember a handful. Everyone else just gets the nickname "that xxxx guy".

    Gameplay is pretty good. Whilst I'd have liked to see slightly tighter controls, it plays very well. Battles are quite exciting and you get a slight choice in weapons (there aren't many). It plays similar to a crossbreed of Resident Evil 4 & Indigo Prophecy. The battles, however are a bit hit and miss, as they seem to be a bit on the "lite" side. Serious gamers will probably be bored with the same enemies by the second or third episode.

    Graphics are very good. Whilst textures at times are a little less than desirable (eg, Episode six, when you watch your TV), they help bring the player into the story. I'd say comparable to the first Batman : Arkham game.
    Sound? Great. No complaints at all. Soundtrack fits. Swizzle.

    As this was first released on the Xbox360, it may have been released in parts. But towards the middle of the game, there is a feeling of it being slightly rushed. You will keep encountering the same enemies, yet the battles play out no different. You defeat them in the same way.
    The surroundings also feel like you're still in chapter one. Night setting, full of trees... Wood cutting tools... For the length (six chapters, maybe 10-11 hours standard playtime), it feels like you are going around in circles just to watch the story continue.

    Pros
    +Great story
    +Good graphics and sound, helps portray the story well
    +EEP! Jumped out of seat a few times
    +Good controls

    -Many characters I don't care about
    -Copy and paste enemies and environment models.
    -On, and on, and on (too long in comparison to substance)

    Overall rating; 7/10

    Last thought: Feels like a spiritual sequel to Resident Evil 4. I wouldn't re-play this title, but if you are a gamer that likes a strong "horror" type story- this game is worth a shot. Might feel a little uh, "cheap" half way through though! ;-)    … Expand
  46. directx11frank
    Jan 1, 2013
    6
    This is 8/10, but because of this problem with the camera problem not centered, I have to give only 6/10, sorry, the developer of "Remedy Entertainment", yes you the guys have create this feature of bad implemented camera not centered, 8/10 - 2 = 6/10. I never see that kind of camera implementation, I don't understand when you testing the game, Is it not disturb you, please centered theThis is 8/10, but because of this problem with the camera problem not centered, I have to give only 6/10, sorry, the developer of "Remedy Entertainment", yes you the guys have create this feature of bad implemented camera not centered, 8/10 - 2 = 6/10. I never see that kind of camera implementation, I don't understand when you testing the game, Is it not disturb you, please centered the camera, like ALL other games...… Expand
  47. GolovA
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    7.5 Actually.
    I enjoy this game for the story and the graphics. Gameplay is pretty lame, and as others said the off-center-semi-shoulder camera angle can become really noxious, tedious, and frustrating. Besides, it is never constant, and keeps shifting depending on what needs to be shown in the specific place in the game. Trying to complete a jump puzzle with such camera view becomes    7.5 Actually.
    I enjoy this game for the story and the graphics. Gameplay is pretty lame, and as others said the off-center-semi-shoulder camera angle can become really noxious, tedious, and frustrating. Besides, it is never constant, and keeps shifting depending on what needs to be shown in the specific place in the game. Trying to complete a jump puzzle with such camera view becomes ridiculous.
    The game-play itself is this: you point your flashlight and shoot. That's it. Some path-finding bugs (which a not many, but present) take away from enjoyment.
    Nonetheless, as i said before, i enjoy this game for the story and graphics (even though buggy in-game auto-tune up optimizer told me my system req's are below minimum requirement, i am running smooth on all maxed up without a hick-up), and it is a good experience which is a blend of cinematic feeling and a quest with shooting elements. Good game.    … Expand
  48. kotekzot
    Feb 19, 2014
    7
    Alan Wake is certainly an enjoyable game and a good horror story, the way the narrative zigzags between normalcy and madness is particularly impressive. The gameplay could stand to be deeper and Alan could learn to hang onto his equipment better between chapters, but these are small niggles overall. Collectibles in this game actually enhance the experience rather than detracting from it,Alan Wake is certainly an enjoyable game and a good horror story, the way the narrative zigzags between normalcy and madness is particularly impressive. The gameplay could stand to be deeper and Alan could learn to hang onto his equipment better between chapters, but these are small niggles overall. Collectibles in this game actually enhance the experience rather than detracting from it, unlike most games, which is a pleasant surprise; but on the other hand product placement and advertisement can get obnoxious. Graphically the game is quite pretty, the lighting effects being particularly well-executed. Unfortunately, the PC port is subpar and can occasionally have problems even on top-tier hardware, so be careful about buying this game if your PC has modest specs. The PC port does boast several useful improvements such as adjustable FOV, however, which is commendable.… Expand
  49. Bitek
    Mar 24, 2020
    7
    this is good, unique game.It does look good considering that it was released almost a decade ago. the game has interesting good story, nice graphics and good atmosphere. If you like shows such as Twin Peaks or Stranger Things then you will enjoy this game. The game gets a little bit repetitive over time because there is little variety of enemies and not many real boss fights but all in allthis is good, unique game.It does look good considering that it was released almost a decade ago. the game has interesting good story, nice graphics and good atmosphere. If you like shows such as Twin Peaks or Stranger Things then you will enjoy this game. The game gets a little bit repetitive over time because there is little variety of enemies and not many real boss fights but all in all it is good , unique game. Included DLCs are pretty good too. You can access them once you finish main campaign. I would like to see Alan Wake 2 in the future.… Expand
  50. FFStudios
    Jul 24, 2012
    7
    Before I start this review, I should point out that Alan Wake is actually quite a good console port. For once, a made-for-console game actually feels playable with a PC and seems well-optimised, so bravo Remedy. Anyway, Alan Wake is survival horror game set almost exclusively in a spooky forest. I bought this on a whim during the Steam sale and I can safely say that I liked this game a lotBefore I start this review, I should point out that Alan Wake is actually quite a good console port. For once, a made-for-console game actually feels playable with a PC and seems well-optimised, so bravo Remedy. Anyway, Alan Wake is survival horror game set almost exclusively in a spooky forest. I bought this on a whim during the Steam sale and I can safely say that I liked this game a lot more than I thought I would: the atmosphere is suitably spooky & unnerving, the story is interesting & will keep you engaged up until the end and the game looks fabulous. Now, negatives. The game has a good atmosphere, but does its best to sabotage it; practically broadcasting enemy locations to you and padding out the levels to stretch its length. Also, while the story is mostly good, the execution is uneven; with some weak characters and weird lip-syncing. I know graphics aren't important, but in a cutscene heavy game like this, it does become quite immersion breaking. So to sum up Alan Wake, it's a competently put-together enjoyable nine hours that, despite it's flaws, did enough to keep me interested. Wait for a sale though.… Expand
  51. cunningmunki
    Jul 16, 2012
    7
    The vast and beautiful scenery in Alan Wake often gives the impression that the game is bigger than it is. I was, therefore, unsurprised to learn that the game was originally envisioned as being more of a free-roaming RPG before the limitations of the Xbox turned it into a a more liner 'on-rails' effort. And it shows. The landscape begs to be explored, but as soon as you travel anyThe vast and beautiful scenery in Alan Wake often gives the impression that the game is bigger than it is. I was, therefore, unsurprised to learn that the game was originally envisioned as being more of a free-roaming RPG before the limitations of the Xbox turned it into a a more liner 'on-rails' effort. And it shows. The landscape begs to be explored, but as soon as you travel any distance off the predetermined track you come to a cliff face or edge, and you start to feel a bit penned-in.
    The driving sections offer more of a sense of freedom, but even then you've got to stick to the road if you want to advance the plot.
    The story itself is interesting, and wears its Twilight Zone/Stephen King inspirations on its sleeve, but it has trouble captivating because from the very start you don't know what's real and what's a dream, which makes the threat feel too ethereal rather than something solid that can hurt you (even though it obviously can). You find yourself constantly wondering, 'is this bit a dream or real?', 'am I alive or dead?', 'do I really care?'.
    The atmosphere is the game's strongest point, and makes you wonder why more horror/suspense games don't do it better (I'm looking at you, Resident Evil series). The use of the flashlight is original, and the combat well executed, although it does suffer from being a tad repetitive by the game's end.
    It's a shame so much of the game is set at night (something necessary to the plot), because the graphics are showcased much better in the daylight scenes, and I'd have quite happily spent hours roaming around the hills and valleys of Bright Falls if given the opportunity.    … Expand
  52. Zudeare
    Nov 23, 2012
    6
    It's okay, but very short and it's not hard at all, the game play it pretty shallow at times, but luckily the story is decent, which is to be expected from a remedy game.
  53. lucidanarchy
    May 27, 2012
    7
    I was quite impressed with the story and the graphics but the game is quite linear and can get repetitive quite quickly. There is also an immense amount of cut scenes which add to the story but it takes a lot of the gametime away.
  54. DonnyT
    Apr 11, 2012
    7
    I found the gameplay more tedious than fun. My only problem with this game was the repetitious levels. The art and detail of the levels were amazing, I had no performance issues running at highest setting, but you basically do the same thing over. A little bit of story; then the action, which has Alan making his way to a certain area while fighting the dark forces. Enemies are not thatI found the gameplay more tedious than fun. My only problem with this game was the repetitious levels. The art and detail of the levels were amazing, I had no performance issues running at highest setting, but you basically do the same thing over. A little bit of story; then the action, which has Alan making his way to a certain area while fighting the dark forces. Enemies are not that difficult (even on hardest setting) or varied enough to make this game interesting. Weapons are fun for the first 10 minutes. The main driving factor of this game is of course the story. You will want to finish the game to see how it ends. My only problem was that there were not really any character development between some of the main characters so you end up not really caring what happens.… Expand
  55. ShinsFortress
    Sep 13, 2015
    5
    Concept and story were fine. Console roots, accepted. Graphics just about okay.

    But in this day and age I expect visuals that work. Alan has inertia like from some games over ten years old. Character models too wooden for a current/recent title (Bioshock Infinite had this problem too). And most annoyingly lyp sync seems to be something the developers decided was not even a "nice to have".
  56. ghostrider90
    May 26, 2012
    6
    PS: I gave the game a wrong mark on my previous review. This is the real mark. Hope i made myself understood. There are games a lot better than this. Half-losing time, half-good.
  57. brndnrsl
    May 9, 2012
    5
    This isn't really a game, closer to a movie. It has a linear plot which is OK. If you want a game, look somewhere else, if you want a scary movie, here you go. I gotta say it does look pretty nice though. I wouldn't get it for full price, maybe grab it when it's on sale on steam.
  58. PTFox
    May 15, 2012
    6
    Alan Wake is a decent game.The gameplay is fun, the presentation is excellent and the game isn't over before you even realize it. Unfortunately, the game is also very, very repetitive; you've seen and done all there is to do and see within the first hour of playing, and the rest of the approximately 10 hour long experience is a long, drawn-out and uninteresting experience. It's a shame,Alan Wake is a decent game.The gameplay is fun, the presentation is excellent and the game isn't over before you even realize it. Unfortunately, the game is also very, very repetitive; you've seen and done all there is to do and see within the first hour of playing, and the rest of the approximately 10 hour long experience is a long, drawn-out and uninteresting experience. It's a shame, because technically, the game delivers on nearly all fronts; the graphics are excellent, the sound is great and the presentation in general is convincing and stylistic. There's just not enough to the gameplay to make it anything worthwhile.

    With a better story and more focus on varied gameplay, Alan Wake could've been a great game, but as it stands now, it's an overly long exercise in tedium. Pick it up if it drops below 10$, but don't expect anything fantastic.    … Expand
  59. Foilface
    Jul 4, 2012
    7
    This game looked and played great. The story is so-so, but the voice acting and characters are pretty good, keeping the gamer engaged. It's more of a casual/adventure game than an action game, so it's perfect for winding down the day.
  60. Garian
    Jun 26, 2020
    7
    The controls are easy to get used to and the PC port is great, no performance issues whatsoever. However the game is a little predictable after a while and for the most part you will be trudging through the same thing over and over again only hoping that the next part of the story will unravel. Every time it does get to an important plot point however, it'll keep you on the edge of yourThe controls are easy to get used to and the PC port is great, no performance issues whatsoever. However the game is a little predictable after a while and for the most part you will be trudging through the same thing over and over again only hoping that the next part of the story will unravel. Every time it does get to an important plot point however, it'll keep you on the edge of your seat and you'll be itching to find out what happens next.… Expand
  61. GBowles
    Jan 5, 2013
    7
    If the game had better shooting mechanics and better level design then Alan Wake could have been something amazing. The story sucks you right in from the start, you want to get to the bottom of all the mystery. The levels that take place at daytime are also great, while there isn't much action its somewhat fun just interacting with various characters. Alan Wake loses its charm when theIf the game had better shooting mechanics and better level design then Alan Wake could have been something amazing. The story sucks you right in from the start, you want to get to the bottom of all the mystery. The levels that take place at daytime are also great, while there isn't much action its somewhat fun just interacting with various characters. Alan Wake loses its charm when the shooting segments of the game become tedious. You would need to be very determined to uncover the truth if you want to get past the frustratingly unfair fights you encounter later in the story.… Expand
  62. frankielee
    Jun 17, 2015
    7
    atmosphere, story telling, music, story, narrative; everything is really good about this game. except for, unfortunately, game play. it gets boring after some time and all the good aspects of this game cannot cover for a boring game play. and i think game play is what matters most in a PC game.
  63. parpabico
    Jul 4, 2013
    7
    It's an ok game, I loved the setting and story establishing strokes, however, it manages to spoil itself and my criticism of the game mainly concerns its length and how it affects the story. Basicly, it's too long and boring, the combat gets repetitive and the pop culture references are way too blatant. They should have delivered a tighter, more serious horror-oriented story that wouldIt's an ok game, I loved the setting and story establishing strokes, however, it manages to spoil itself and my criticism of the game mainly concerns its length and how it affects the story. Basicly, it's too long and boring, the combat gets repetitive and the pop culture references are way too blatant. They should have delivered a tighter, more serious horror-oriented story that would have been devoid of any comic relief moments.… Expand
  64. Avalord
    Oct 23, 2017
    6
    It could have been great. Tense Atmosphere, great graphics. But they ruined it with two decisions:
    1. The game is way too difficult and 2. Those Savepoints are too far apart.
    If you want to experience a horror game and your following the story you just don't want to try the same segment again and again because you haven't got enough ammunition, or those safe lantern places keep    It could have been great. Tense Atmosphere, great graphics. But they ruined it with two decisions:
    1. The game is way too difficult and 2. Those Savepoints are too far apart.
    If you want to experience a horror game and your following the story you just don't want to try the same segment again and again because you haven't got enough ammunition, or those safe lantern places keep shattering their light bulbs in the last moment before you reach them, or yet another group of foes appear and so on.
    Just doesn't work: Tense storyline and dying over and over and having to repeat the same over and over!    … Expand
  65. sengork
    Nov 24, 2013
    7
    Fortunately Remedy have not flopped when they released Max Payne 2. For them the flop (if one can call it a flop at all) was second series of games, Alan Wake. Let's just call it a decline. For me I expected higher level of character insight and relation to the protagonist I've enjoyed with Max Payne 1 & 2. Alan Wake did not intrigue me with the story line and the main protagonist did notFortunately Remedy have not flopped when they released Max Payne 2. For them the flop (if one can call it a flop at all) was second series of games, Alan Wake. Let's just call it a decline. For me I expected higher level of character insight and relation to the protagonist I've enjoyed with Max Payne 1 & 2. Alan Wake did not intrigue me with the story line and the main protagonist did not capture my attention. I understand Remedy spent more time on the gameplay mechanics/atmosphere and an attempt at TV series episodic release schedule (something nobody has still pulled off in video game industry). In my opinion they should have focused on storyline a little more. One of the good things I've discovered during this game is original The Twilight Zone series which inspired the ingame TV series Night Springs. Atmosphere in this game is omnipresent and deep, you will find yourself in an "ecosystem" of interleaved and interrelated themes that creates an ingame world that Remedy have mastered over the years.

    Lastly I'd like to thank Remedy for securing a PC release of this game. Would it not be for Xbox we would have seen a PC port much earlier. PC realm is where Remedy originally come from so I am glad to see they have delivered for their dedicated fan base.    … Expand
  66. Nerokin
    Nov 24, 2015
    7
    Bring Light Into The Story Of Bright Falls

    Overall: 70% (83.5/120)

    Atmosphere: 7.8/10
    Graphics: 6.5/10
    Level Design: 5.8/10
    Sound: 7.4/10

    Balance: 7.8/10
    Controls: 5.5/10
    Mysteries: 7.0/10

    Animations: 7.4/10
    Artificial Intelligence: 6.3/10

    Story: 8.6/10
    Tutorial: 4.5/5
    Variety in Items: 6.9/10

    Cost-Benefit Ratio: 1/4
    System Requirements: 1/1
  67. DDilettante
    Jan 17, 2015
    7
    Darkness can be a frightening thing. It was certainly a factor for my childhood; anything beyond the crisp reaches of light was out of bounds, and I’d do everything in my power to stay in. Anything could be lurking in those shadows. What if there was only perpetual night, and there really were dark creatures out there? In the town of Bright Falls, that’s exactly what happens.

    Alan Wake    Darkness can be a frightening thing. It was certainly a factor for my childhood; anything beyond the crisp reaches of light was out of bounds, and I’d do everything in my power to stay in. Anything could be lurking in those shadows. What if there was only perpetual night, and there really were dark creatures out there? In the town of Bright Falls, that’s exactly what happens.

    Alan Wake is a psychological thriller which draws the majority of its inspiration from darkness, and what happens when those with an active imagination are thrust into it.

    The titular character - a famous horror writer – escapes with his wife to Bright Falls for a holiday, and to help write his next novel. Things turn south when his wife goes missing, and he is haunted by an evil supernatural presence. It goes from bad to worse when he then realises that he is now the protagonist of a horror novel he cannot remember writing.

    My impressions after roughly halfway through the game were not positive. I had a massive break from the game, because when I left it, it just wasn’t engaging enough to return to. It felt like the creators got together in the back corner of a cinema lobby: “Hey, how many cliché horror references do you think we can get thrown into to one game?”

    The swarms of crows, the axe through the door (here’s Johnny!), and the plot twists (was it all his imagination?) were all just collected from other sources, mainly Stephen King. Which they certainly don’t deny; in the very first monologue, his name is mentioned, and it isn’t the only time.

    The gameplay mechanics, although initially fresh, began to feel repetitive as you run through the dark woods from generator to generator, hoping to step under that pool of light before the “Taken” reached you. Shining your torch on these Taken until they’re rendered vulnerable and shooting them is the only way to take them down. Flares and flashbangs were fun to get out of that sticky situation, too.

    Anyway, this was before I left the game for a year. My recent impulsion to finish all those incomplete games brought me back, and I’m glad it did. The plot, although a little complicated and brandished with a few pot holes, did turn in the right direction. The challenges in the game did gradually increase (dang haunted bulldozers), and the game wasn’t afraid to have a little fun on the way, most notably when defending a music stage on an old farm, blasting the Taken while the rock plays on.

    While the graphics weren’t pushing the boundaries when the game was released, the visual direction was excellent. Stalking through darkness only to have an old trawler boat land metres in front out of nowhere is hard to see coming.

    It wasn’t Game of the Year material, but it was fun to escape into the Darkness.    … Expand
  68. Nuker
    Jun 28, 2015
    7
    Good: Story, Setting, Atmosphere/Mood, Art Direction
    Mixed: Shooting
    Bad: Very monotonous after some time, Linear

    This game is a mixed bag. After some time becomes very boring and monotonous.
  69. karstenk
    Jul 23, 2023
    6
    A bit boring. The game repeats itself a lot, same enemies, same weapons, main story story starts great, but soon gets uninteresting, halfway through the game, I didn't really care how it would end, I just wished it would end soon.
  70. zimmer600
    Aug 16, 2017
    7
    The game is inspired by the books of Stephen King, from the legendary Remedy studio (who gave us max payn), Alan Wake will immerse you in a rather gloomy and interesting world filled with riddles, the answers to which generate even more mysteries. For all fans of Stephen King, it's necessary to get acquainted.
  71. gattienzo
    Jul 26, 2015
    6
    Como película pinta bien , pero la verdad que como juego posee una jugabilidad que no es muy buena , por momentos un tanto repetitivo. Los gráficos están bien y la banda sonora también , en cuanto a la diversión, me termino aburriendo. Dale una oportunidad si lo consigues gratis.
  72. Overvulture
    Nov 9, 2015
    7
    Stylish and tries to be something different. Not the tightest action, but unique and interesting enough to stay compelling. It's definitely a labour of love on part of the developers and has a lot of great moments here and there. Fans of Max Payne 1 and 2 will enjoy some in-jokes and stylistic touches.

    It looks like a horror game, but it's much more of a shooter with a bit of extra    Stylish and tries to be something different. Not the tightest action, but unique and interesting enough to stay compelling. It's definitely a labour of love on part of the developers and has a lot of great moments here and there. Fans of Max Payne 1 and 2 will enjoy some in-jokes and stylistic touches.

    It looks like a horror game, but it's much more of a shooter with a bit of extra atmosphere. If you're looking for scares, you'll be disappointed, but it does have a creepy feel to it that sets it apart.    … Expand
  73. kylocosplay
    Nov 13, 2020
    7
    Me ha sorprendido mucho, buen juego de terror y misterio con una historia bastante original. La jugabilidad es muy buena ya que a diferencia de otros juegos la luz es muy importante para derrotar a los enemigos. La historia es bastante larga y los dlc especiales 1 y 2 también son buenos.
  74. Leda21
    Jan 22, 2016
    7
    The psychological-Thriller proposal is accomplished with amazing ambiance, catchy and mysterious history line, and the really good play with the "dark-light" theme; The Concept art is really good, using very well the mystery that a lake provides.The soundtrack is AMAZING - also giving the right mood to the game when it is necessary. The characters are amazingly charismatics, funny andThe psychological-Thriller proposal is accomplished with amazing ambiance, catchy and mysterious history line, and the really good play with the "dark-light" theme; The Concept art is really good, using very well the mystery that a lake provides.The soundtrack is AMAZING - also giving the right mood to the game when it is necessary. The characters are amazingly charismatics, funny and characteristics (each one is a representation of a completely different personality). The dubbing voices are really good, though the sync is really lazy.

    Although the cinematographic technical features, the game lacks in gameplay - you can only change guns, shoot, focus the flashlight, run, dodge, pick items and jump. Another problem is the linearity of the game- you have basically no puzzles, and only one way to follow the path. The AI is almost null (kill kill mode) and the gameplay difficulty is easy to normal.

    The GAME itself in therms of gameplay is poor, but the good plot, cinematographic features, ambiance and the soundtrack makes this a game you must, at least, try.    … Expand
  75. AbeMC
    May 29, 2016
    7
    Alan Wake is a linear third-person shooter whose atmosphere and story attempt to redeem the frankly clunky combat. The game proceeds in six episodes (with two additional DLC episodes that are now included for free). Worth a purchase on sale if you enjoy a combat-driven interactive movie, but there's not much replayability (unless you're a collectibles and achievements fanatic).

    Alan's    Alan Wake is a linear third-person shooter whose atmosphere and story attempt to redeem the frankly clunky combat. The game proceeds in six episodes (with two additional DLC episodes that are now included for free). Worth a purchase on sale if you enjoy a combat-driven interactive movie, but there's not much replayability (unless you're a collectibles and achievements fanatic).

    Alan's wife, Alice, gets “taken” by a mysterious “dark presence.” The entire game is spent trying to release her from its power. Alan is frequently lost, operating on whim, and not really sure of how to proceed. A writer himself, he begins researching old legends of Cauldron Lake and the power that words written there seem to possess. This is really the best part of the game, as the labyrinth of creation and created and how to balance what is desired with what is needed leads Alan down an increasingly dark path (pun intended). As he discovers, he is not alone in his knowledge of the lake's mysterious power, nor the first to suffer from it. The supporting cast are varied and colorful characters, several of whom have their own history with Cauldron Lake.

    The atmosphere is suitably dark and fog-swept at times. Most of the game happens at night, so turn down your room lights and crank the audio to catch the ambiance (the sound design is superb). The setting is a unique one: the woods and small town atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest. The ambiance is captured nicely, and the woods have thick foliage and dark shadows. Old logging and mining gear abounds, providing just the right touch of historical nostalgia and rusty menace. The buildings and architecture are a mix of rustic, country-style structures (built sturdy to withstand the harsh winters) other more attractive, modern structures designed to impress tourists (Cauldron Lake Lodge). The superb music score is the icing on the atmospheric cake: moody but melodic, it catches the feeling of solitude at night-time haunted by the supernatural.

    A supernatural that is made perhaps more terrifying by the clunky combat. Shine a light at enemies to burn away the darkness, then shoot them with whatever weapon you have to hand. It works well enough, but feels loose and sloppy. The weapons are few, but do feel different: revolver, shotgun (regular and pump-action), flare gun, hunting rifle, flares, and flash-bangs. That's it. They're not all available at the same time, and at the beginning of each episode, Alan only has a flashlight and a revolver. So, no matter how good you were with saving up your gear, thinking there might be a big battle coming up, once the episode ends, you'll lose it all anyway. The enemies offer little variety. You've got the standard hatchet-throwing “taken”, the big “taken”, the fast “taken”, and random flocks of crows that fly out of the sky and attack Alan. Sometimes random objects (like cars, tires, dumpsters) will become possessed and attack Alan. With so many creatures that dwell in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, I expected there might be a boss fight with a bear or a pack of coyotes, but no.

    None of these drawbacks would matter if the total experience offered by Alan Wake were more than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, it isn't. I enjoy it because when I first played it years ago I had no idea that video games could handle narrative in this fashion. I'll always have a nostalgic appreciation for it and it just kills me to provide a mixed recommendation. But if you want more than story and atmosphere, look elsewhere, because you'll be sorely disappointed by everything else. If story and atmosphere suffice, though, get Alan Wake right away.    … Expand
  76. MrSchipunov
    Aug 11, 2020
    6
    Good story with an extremely repetitive gameplay. I'm glad this was a stepping stone for the masterpiece that is Control.
  77. Muyrka
    Apr 12, 2020
    6
    Atmosphere and story is great, reminds of classic horror. But gameplay is dull. For me the worst was that someone can oneshot you and you trudge through the same piece of map again and again.
  78. Mobile
    Nov 15, 2017
    6
    ENG
    Briefly: night, forest, night forest, not a lot of morning woods, in his left hand the flashlight (which is the law of the genre goes out after 10 seconds of use, the right hand gun or something stronger, and louder (carbine, shotgun), throw it a couple more flares and light source, which will heal any injuries from axes and other dark spirits. The main thing to endure the first    ENG
    Briefly: night, forest, night forest, not a lot of morning woods, in his left hand the flashlight (which is the law of the genre goes out after 10 seconds of use, the right hand gun or something stronger, and louder (carbine, shotgun), throw it a couple more flares and light source, which will heal any injuries from axes and other dark spirits. The main thing to endure the first location and to understand the mechanics of the game, and it will be possible to play without unnecessary pain. Gameplay the plot is also nothing new, to empathize with the heroine we all the game, there is no desire, as the character is not revealed at all, except that she is afraid of the dark well, her name.
    RU
    Кратко: ночь, лес, ночной лес, не много утреннего леса, в левой руке фонарик (который по закону жанра тухнет через 10 секунд использования, в правой руке пистолет или, что-нибудь по крепче и по громче (карабин, дробовик), докинуть еще парочку фальшфейеров и источник света, который излечит любые травмы от топоров и прочей темной нечисти. Главное перетерпеть первые локации и понять механику игры, и в это можно будет играть без лишних мук. Геймплей такое себе, сюжет тоже не в новинку, сопереживать героини которую мы всю игру ищем нет ни какого желания, так как персонаж не раскрыт вовсе, кроме того, что она боится темноты, ну и ее имени.    … Expand
  79. UncleEd
    Oct 12, 2021
    7
    As a Twin Peaks and Stephen King fan, I installed this almost immediately after reading about all the references thereto. If you are familiar with Stephen King books or Twin Peaks, it does hit the right notes when you start the game. References are impossible to miss. As I continued playing though, I realized how much the game was crippled with bad and repetitive gameplay. You will spendAs a Twin Peaks and Stephen King fan, I installed this almost immediately after reading about all the references thereto. If you are familiar with Stephen King books or Twin Peaks, it does hit the right notes when you start the game. References are impossible to miss. As I continued playing though, I realized how much the game was crippled with bad and repetitive gameplay. You will spend the entire game trying to run from one location to another. In the meantime, same enemies will keep spawning and attacking you, as you try to avoid or slow them down using your weapons, flashlight or by simply dodging.

    Some games with bad gameplay can still be quite good if they are strong in other aspects. However, that was not my experience with Alan Wake. What I have gotten was an average Stephen King wannabe story. Atmosphere is alright, writing is not so bad, but all things considered Alan Wake was not a memorable game. Everything it tried to do, felt more like a -bad- derivative from the source material, whether it is Twin Peaks or a Stephen King novel.

    6.5/10    … Expand
  80. Nazar228
    Jul 10, 2019
    6
    Alan Wake is an action-adventure video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios, released for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake, as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencingAlan Wake is an action-adventure video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios, released for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake, as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.… Expand
  81. LordFarquad
    Apr 15, 2020
    6
    Игра очень нудная. Графика неплохая, геймплей хороший, но вот сюжет мне не понравился. Игра очень растянута, 6 эпизодов бродить по лесу и убивать монстров, мне это не очень нравится. 6 из 10.
  82. SilverOrlov
    Nov 16, 2020
    7
    I really tried, but no... I accept that this story has interesting beginning and intriguing dense atmosphere of mystics... But it very fast became boring. I am not a graphic-maniac, I played and very liked many indie games with strong story and simple graphics, but here is something else. This game in "black & white World" from level to level marking time in place in the game-play andI really tried, but no... I accept that this story has interesting beginning and intriguing dense atmosphere of mystics... But it very fast became boring. I am not a graphic-maniac, I played and very liked many indie games with strong story and simple graphics, but here is something else. This game in "black & white World" from level to level marking time in place in the game-play and making tired from the monotony of the narrative. From a certain moment, the nerve-wracking passage of dark forests and mountains with a hundred ghosts bothers and outweighs a potentially interesting story.
    UPD: After "Control" and it's DLC about Alan's Universe, I tried again but on easy level only for the story, and ended the game. The great sound-visual work, still the great storytelling and atmosphere, still great landscapes, even now in 2020. But, still deadly boring after about 40% of the game.
    ...And I hate when creators make horror/thriller genre by making main character slow as snail. He can't run even 50 meters. Seriously?!
    ...Oh, and it was annoying every chapter to lose all inventory.
    So, it will be still 7/10.    … Expand
  83. Cobrax657
    Oct 31, 2021
    6
    story is good but the gameplay is just a cheap disaster..................................
  84. Soullex
    Nov 30, 2022
    5
    Güzel bir hikaye anlatsa da, oynanışı dayanılamayacak kadar çok sıkıcıydı. Özellikle sonlara doğru.
  85. elolugo
    Jul 23, 2019
    7
    Good game. A fresh air to all of the other AAA games. The game relies on jumpscares and sometimes overwhelming enemies. Not difficult depending on the experience of the player
  86. Wodzu_Andzej
    Jun 15, 2023
    5
    The game is super boring. I literally forced myself to play it. I don't know if it's just not my vibe or if the game is just bad.
  87. Kelen
    Oct 9, 2021
    7
    7.5 / 10 - Good
    (after 21 hours of playing & completing the game)

    A clumsy, not very pleasant combat system and not very diverse opponents.
    The plot is linear, interesting, sometimes a bit chaotic. Great vibe
  88. Thejodjeremie
    May 7, 2020
    7
    Thw gameplay of the game is good but there's not much customization. The story is interesting.
  89. Rustick
    Jul 7, 2022
    7
    геймлей надоедает сюжет весьма интересен атмосфера очень хороша
  90. Shalapai
    Jun 28, 2020
    7
    Игра в целом хорощаян, атмосферная, с интересным сюжетом и красивой графикой, но с очень скучным геймплеем
  91. ErayTellezi
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    Hikaye olarak farklı, bunu anlatış tarzı olarak değişik bir iş. Combat'ı bir yerden sonra sıkıyor.
  92. BenzoSt
    Jul 12, 2022
    7
    Your enemy is the darkness and you don't have any magic missiles with which to attack it! But seriously, Alan Wake is a spooky psychological horror experience, presented with excellent dialogue, cutscenes, and graphics. Unfortunately, this "game" feels more like an episodic TV series than a ... uh... game. Furthermore, it's completely linear, quite easy, and lacks a scoring system. Thus, IYour enemy is the darkness and you don't have any magic missiles with which to attack it! But seriously, Alan Wake is a spooky psychological horror experience, presented with excellent dialogue, cutscenes, and graphics. Unfortunately, this "game" feels more like an episodic TV series than a ... uh... game. Furthermore, it's completely linear, quite easy, and lacks a scoring system. Thus, I suppose that folks who enjoy psychological thrillers will enjoy Alan Wake, but folks who play games for the sake of overcoming challenges will feel unsatisfied.… Expand
  93. TEG_17
    Jan 31, 2022
    7
    Классная атмосфера, интересный сюжет, средний геймплей.
  94. buddookan
    May 9, 2021
    5
    Jakim cudem tak zła gra ma tak wysokie noty.

    - zero klimatu. Przeciwnicy już po drugim spotkaniu stają się śmieszni. - na kartkach czytamy TO CO MA NASTĄPIĆ wiec od razu wiemy co sie stanie - gra traktuje gracza jak upośledzonego. Narrator informuje nas o wszystkim co się dzieje tak jakbym sam nie widział... - główny bohater oszukiwał na WF-ie ! Biega jak 150 kilowy facet. Zadyszkę    Jakim cudem tak zła gra ma tak wysokie noty.

    - zero klimatu. Przeciwnicy już po drugim spotkaniu stają się śmieszni.
    - na kartkach czytamy TO CO MA NASTĄPIĆ wiec od razu wiemy co sie stanie
    - gra traktuje gracza jak upośledzonego. Narrator informuje nas o wszystkim co się dzieje tak jakbym sam nie widział...
    - główny bohater oszukiwał na WF-ie ! Biega jak 150 kilowy facet. Zadyszkę ma co 10 metrów. Oczywiście wróg wymaga wpakowania miliona pocisków w głowę, a nasz protagonista może unieść tylko parę paczek amunicji.
    - walka jest okrutnie zła i niesatysfakcjonująca. Często brakuje amunicji , latarka kończy żywot po paru sekundach, uciekać się nie da.
    - gra przyzwyczaja nas do tego że światło daje schronienie... bzdura. Światła się gaszą zaraz po dobiegnięciu.
    - w grze robimy banalne rzeczy po to by sobie oglądać cutscenki.
    -wszystko to ma formę żałosnego serialu. Rozwaliło mnie pokazywanie co się działo w pierwszym epizodzie JAK JA DOPIERO CO GO SKOŃCZYŁEM !
    - animacje twarzy... lepiej gdyby zamiast nich wkleili głowy w bezruchu bo te mini potrafią rozbawić.
    - Gra nie jest straszna, jest irytująca i żenująca.
    - często trzeba stawać i wysłuchiwać przydługawych monologów które nic nie wnoszą.    … Expand
  95. tufekciero
    Mar 12, 2021
    6
    BRONZ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  96. FunkyBoi
    Jul 25, 2022
    6
    Playing through the game start to finish, I still can't say what kind of experience Alan Wake wants to be. The opening sequence is strong, building tension gradually during the tutorial and expanding it through the first chapter. I felt genuinely unsettled in the opening hour of the game, and the mechanics lent themselves greatly to the tension. Alan Wake's main gameplay gimmick, whereinPlaying through the game start to finish, I still can't say what kind of experience Alan Wake wants to be. The opening sequence is strong, building tension gradually during the tutorial and expanding it through the first chapter. I felt genuinely unsettled in the opening hour of the game, and the mechanics lent themselves greatly to the tension. Alan Wake's main gameplay gimmick, wherein the player needs to train a spotlight on enemies for a long enough time before they become vulnerable, is likely the main reason why this game became such a cult classic title after release. It creates an interesting game flow, wherein the player constantly has to juggle their torchlight in addition to their ammunition, whilst often being swarmed by multiple enemies from different directions. I especially appreciated how each bullet would need to be reloaded individually, as this makes the player feel especially vulnerable when they're out of bullets in a firefight, and really aids in the tension.… Expand
  97. celebialimert
    Aug 16, 2021
    6
    maalesef çok övülmesinin ve bir çok arkadaşımın hala gideri var demesinin sonucunda aldım oynadım ve bazı şeyler senesinde daha iyiymiş onu öğrendim
  98. StarkAgentos
    May 19, 2022
    5
    В игре есть задатки крутого хоррора, которые не реализованы в полной мере. Очень крутая атмосфера, с этим не поспоришь. Геймплей нереально хреновый и однообразный. Есть всего несколько типов врагов и геймплей заключается тупо в пробежке по лесу и отстреливании их всех. Зачем-то разрабы выбрали вид от третьего лица, хоть от первого было бы намного страшнее. Присутствует излишняя киношность.В игре есть задатки крутого хоррора, которые не реализованы в полной мере. Очень крутая атмосфера, с этим не поспоришь. Геймплей нереально хреновый и однообразный. Есть всего несколько типов врагов и геймплей заключается тупо в пробежке по лесу и отстреливании их всех. Зачем-то разрабы выбрали вид от третьего лица, хоть от первого было бы намного страшнее. Присутствует излишняя киношность. Игра очень спорная, ведь с одной стороны у неё офигенная атмосфера, а с другой стороны это единственное, что хорошо реализовано.… Expand
  99. AgentLvi
    Dec 27, 2022
    7
    Decent game. The story is so --so, scoring is great, visual is decent, and the voice is also great
  100. danilyoer
    Jul 15, 2022
    7
    Геймплей-5
    Глубина механик-4
    Динамичность игры-5
    Сюжет-9
    Графика-7
    Атмосфера-9
    В среднем 6.5, округлю до 7
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Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PC Game of 2012
19
#19 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Gamer.nl
    May 5, 2012
    70
    Alan Wake is a decent port with a few console-characteristics that cause a few annoyances. But PC-gamers finally have the option to enjoy Alan Wake's unique and gripping story.
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  2. Computer Games Online RO
    Apr 13, 2012
    82
    Yet as a finished result and, finally, as a product with an interactive purpose, Alan Wake suffers enough from trying to mix so many influences, ending very close to the "you love it or hate it" model. Eventually, maybe these are just the "pains of childbirth" for something more complex or for something else as deserving as interactivity, a new „species" that needs to be judged less for its interactive aspects and more for the ones that regard its style.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    "A gripping rollercoaster ride." - Stephen King. [Apr 2012, p.52]
    Read full review
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