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. kanpot2002
    Sep 13, 2013
    8
    The GOOD
    - hooked story. I can't put a stop to it. I don't know why too.
    - new kind of evil 'Darkness' thing aside from zombies, ghost, zombies, devil, zombies, did I mention the old evil like zombies?
    - get me scared without scary things at all.

    The BAD
    - game play is ultimately repetitive. Just walk to there, fight yourself through, and activate it, the repeat again
  2. Klewer
    Jun 22, 2013
    8
    A very enjoyable game with a great story and interesting game play. Only thing that holds it back from a top score is that it does tend to get a bit repetitive in combat.
  3. Eddard
    Nov 28, 2012
    8
    I buyed this game during the Summer-Sale at Steam. I expected not much, but i was suprised. The Atmosphere is great and the gameplay makes fun. There are some Moments you are wishing a checkpoint-light. The Story is a little bit confused, but it fits to the game.
  4. ausgebombt85
    May 20, 2014
    8
    Alan Wake is definitely a weird game, but a weird game that is worth to be played. The story and the writing makes the game reach for gold, but it also holds it back. The story is not very clear, and it ends up not being very clear after you finish the game, it poses a lot more questions than it cares to answer - maybe shooting for a yet unannounced sequel or maybe an extended universe (IAlan Wake is definitely a weird game, but a weird game that is worth to be played. The story and the writing makes the game reach for gold, but it also holds it back. The story is not very clear, and it ends up not being very clear after you finish the game, it poses a lot more questions than it cares to answer - maybe shooting for a yet unannounced sequel or maybe an extended universe (I can see some potential in it). There are also some annoyances with the camera angles and I found that, even if the game is 6 chapters long (extending about 2 hours each), the gameplay became a bit repetitive/boring at the end - at least for my liking. Also, I played on normal difficulty but it seemed by the end of the game I found myself overstocked with ammo and flares, which made it very simple to progress through the combat scenarios (which were definately predictable by the later half of the game), even if the game emptied it all out from me following certain cutscenes.

    But as I said ,this is a game worth checking out, the music is fantastic, the acting is top notch (mostly), and the graphics are amazing (those lighting and volumetric effects are unreal). The story is a bit of everything, there are some Lovecraftian elements here and there, but its mostly Stephen King that comes to mind (the protagonist being a would be colleague of his). There is some humor to lighten the mood between episodes as well.

    The few detractors should not prevent you from giving this game a try; definitely a welcome guest on every gamer's collection.    … Expand
  5. joemama57
    Nov 1, 2013
    8
    Superb storytelling, memorable characters, and a dark but yet gorgeous atmosphere that will stick with you long after you are finished Alan Wake. I need to address one thing first...

    This is not a scary game...it's not meant to be. It's a psychological action thriller (check the box art if you don't believe me...) Unfortunately people have rated this game based on "scare factor" and    Superb storytelling, memorable characters, and a dark but yet gorgeous atmosphere that will stick with you long after you are finished Alan Wake. I need to address one thing first...

    This is not a scary game...it's not meant to be. It's a psychological action thriller (check the box art if you don't believe me...) Unfortunately people have rated this game based on "scare factor" and that's not fair. Although this game has the makings of "horror" game, it's not. That's like trying to call the movie "Se7en" a horror movie. It has the atmosphere and aesthetics of one but its a psychological thriller all the way through.

    Alan Wake puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you coming back for more. The game plays out like a thriller/mystery TV show with "Chapters" and "Previously On..." segments. You play as a best selling author who is having difficulties writing his next book. He decides to take a vacation with his girlfriend up to a town called Bright Falls. Located in the pacific northwest, Bright Falls shares many similarities with the fictional town of Twin Peaks (the TV show from the 90's). It's a small, cozy, honest working mans town where everybody know everybody. When your just about settled into the cabin, your girlfriend goes missing. You must then try and track her down while avoiding the darkness that plagues the town and the evil that lurks within.

    The game has several key features. The atmosphere by far steals the show. You can tell a lot of attention to detail went into crafting this beautiful northwestern landscape. The lighting and particle effects are excellent as well. The sound design is well done and the narration from the main character adds to the tension and mystery.

    I do have a few gripes though... One being the character models and stiff animations. The character models look a little dated. I guess from a distance they don't look to bad but once you see them up close you can really notice the lack of detail. The characters seem to move around in the most simplistic ways possible. Also, the lip syncing is some of the worst I have seen in years. It's like watching a poorly dubbed kung fu movie. The driving mechanics, although short, are poorly done. You never feel like you have full control over the vehicle. Too far to the left or right and you swerve out of control and into a ditch.

    My last complaint would be the lack of replay-ability. Once you complete the game...that's it. Your not awarded any bonus missions or free roam. Sure you can go back and collect some coffee thermoses (no seriously there's like 100 to collect) but what is that going to get you? Seeing as how the game was first designed as an open world game (and still feels much like one at times) they could have left that in tact and let you roam around freely after you beat the game.

    All that set aside, the games pacing, characters and location are more than enough to draw you in. Like a good book, you wont want to put this one down once you've started.    … Expand
  6. Buhadog
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    I've played this game when it came on PC and have decided to try it out again a couple of days ago. I must say this game is very enjoyable to play, while it's known as a horror adventure it's not scary (most of the time). The story is enjoyable, but the combat can be a pain in the ass untill you get used to it (and even then it can be frustrating). Despite this, it's a great game and youI've played this game when it came on PC and have decided to try it out again a couple of days ago. I must say this game is very enjoyable to play, while it's known as a horror adventure it's not scary (most of the time). The story is enjoyable, but the combat can be a pain in the ass untill you get used to it (and even then it can be frustrating). Despite this, it's a great game and you should try it if you haven't already.… Expand
  7. Spiralyguy
    Jan 3, 2013
    8
    All in all a pretty fun game. The plot is intriguing, the atmosphere, sound and visuals are great. The gameplay for the most part is solid. I think the controls could have used a bit of tightening up, the dodge mechanic felt a bit wonky at times. Also..... it ruins it's own atmosphere in the intro with the stupid tutorial popups "Push shift to run!" way to completely take me out of theAll in all a pretty fun game. The plot is intriguing, the atmosphere, sound and visuals are great. The gameplay for the most part is solid. I think the controls could have used a bit of tightening up, the dodge mechanic felt a bit wonky at times. Also..... it ruins it's own atmosphere in the intro with the stupid tutorial popups "Push shift to run!" way to completely take me out of the game.... I also felt the collectibles were stupid and should have been left out. This guys wife is missing, he's being chased by evil shadow zombies with axes and he's worried about looting coffee thermoses? Stupid..... Otherwise, I have no complaints. There are 2 additional missions in the PC version which are really damn cool, Remedy is great at doing dream sequences as we say in Max Payne 1&2 and Alan Wake is no exception.… Expand
  8. Ravenblood
    Jan 28, 2013
    8
    Alan Wake is a very good TPS,although I don't like TPSs .The story is awesome!As for the gameplay it's nice.It is known as a horror game but I don't think it's scary.The voice acting is almost perfect and the characters look awesome!The only negative is the bad but playable FPS of the PC version of the game.
  9. sayedstafa
    Feb 19, 2013
    8
    If you liked the weird and crazy story telling of the first two Max Payne games, Alan Wake is worth checking out. While Max Payne 1 and 2 had a Noire comic-book style story, Alan Wake does the same thing but with a Steven King mystery-horror style. The game has a lot of good atmosphere too, a solid feeling of the weirdness this world is trying to present to you. The gameplay is also veryIf you liked the weird and crazy story telling of the first two Max Payne games, Alan Wake is worth checking out. While Max Payne 1 and 2 had a Noire comic-book style story, Alan Wake does the same thing but with a Steven King mystery-horror style. The game has a lot of good atmosphere too, a solid feeling of the weirdness this world is trying to present to you. The gameplay is also very solid. This game is more survival horror than Max Payne, but by the end of the game, you have so much ammo that it feels like an action game. Not a bad thing though. Check it out if this sounds interesting.… Expand
  10. SergeantSoz
    Apr 24, 2014
    8
    Pros
    - Good main character, great narration, level design, graphics (PC),
    Cons - Repetitive enemy attacks, poltergeists are really annoying, character animation is bad but good in a creepy way. Conclusion - This is a unique game with great level design even though there are constantly moments involving stuff blocking your path and making you find another way around. I liked the small    Pros
    - Good main character, great narration, level design, graphics (PC),
    Cons
    - Repetitive enemy attacks, poltergeists are really annoying, character animation is bad but good in a creepy way.
    Conclusion
    - This is a unique game with great level design even though there are constantly moments involving stuff blocking your path and making you find another way around. I liked the small town Steven King feel. The game is 6 hours, but I wouldn't want it to be any longer. This is a story driven game. And its an interesting one with a good ending.    … Expand
  11. braeden
    Jun 25, 2013
    8
    Alan Wake is a solid game featuring some innovative gaming elements and gorgeous graphics. It's very atmospheric even scary at times and there are some good moments in it. Character design is also superb.

    The main issue I have with this game is the plot which is too far "out there" for me. Thus the experience wasn't as immersive it could have been with a plot that can be taken    Alan Wake is a solid game featuring some innovative gaming elements and gorgeous graphics. It's very atmospheric even scary at times and there are some good moments in it. Character design is also superb.

    The main issue I have with this game is the plot which is too far "out there" for me. Thus the experience wasn't as immersive it could have been with a plot that can be taken seriously. The story has obvious similarities with Stephen King books so if you like King (I don't), you probably don't have this problem.

    Alan Wake features around 15 hours of playtime. Since it's very story driven game, it has little replay value. Thus I wouldn't pay too much for this game.    … Expand
  12. elendiel7
    Jul 5, 2013
    8
    Alan wake is a survival horror game, where story and setting take precedence to jump scares and gore. Although there are jump scares, thankfully they are few and far between. Alan wake by far has one of the most interesting stories in a video game, and often times I felt as though I was reading a really good book. I just couldn’t put alan wake down, even when I was fairly scared by priorAlan wake is a survival horror game, where story and setting take precedence to jump scares and gore. Although there are jump scares, thankfully they are few and far between. Alan wake by far has one of the most interesting stories in a video game, and often times I felt as though I was reading a really good book. I just couldn’t put alan wake down, even when I was fairly scared by prior experiences.

    The setting fits entirely with the story, the graphics are crisp, and the art style fits with the setting. By far one of the most immersive games I’ve played. The characters within the story are also very fitting. The world of Bright falls really comes together in coherent manner.

    Not new to the genre, but certainly interesting is the twist to the concept of light vs darkness. In fact, darkness is the omnipresent force against you throughout the entire game, and it only becomes more deadly as the game progresses. To combat the darkness, you’ll have several variations of hand held flashlights, stationary flood lights and overhead lamps. Light is your biggest friend, even so much as being objectively better than a gun by far.

    Some nice touches from the game are the many references to pop culture, lord of the rings being the most noticeable to me. There is also a live action television series you can watch within Alan wake titled Night springs, which seems to be a fairly humorous take on the Twilight zone.

    Alan wake does break down half way through the game. The game becomes incredibly repetitive, and the only reason to keep going is to find out the next portion of the story. Often times you’ll be defending waves upon waves of enemies, and this just feels boring. I ended up deciding to just run away from my enemies and not use my weapons. This was by far more heart pumping as I would stop the darkness momentarily as I shine my light at them, then try to run a few metres through the thick foliage and forest. I wish there was less ammo in the later portions of the game.

    Another annoying aspect of the game, is you’ll often lose all your gear that you accumulated. This is something remedy software could taken advantage of to increase the tension of the game.They instead opt out to do it 5 or more times through the entire experience. While this doesn’t seem like a large amount, it happens often enough to really notice it. What’s even more confusing is sometimes I would just find all my gear within a minute of looking through the environment. What was the point of me losing my gear in the first place?

    Overall, the gameplay is fun for the first half of the game, but really becomes repetitive later on. The story is the number one thing that will keep you playing to the very end. The world and the characters help make this game one my favourite horror games to date. There also doesn’t seem to be much replayability, unless you want to experience this amazing story again. Maybe I will, but it won’t be soon.    … Expand
  13. lavalampjoe
    Aug 31, 2013
    8
    Really well done survival horror game. Top notch production values, including level design, writing and voice acting. The action isn't to quite the same standard, but it's still solid and provides some good challenge, variety and tension.
  14. TheAtomicTofu
    Sep 10, 2013
    8
    This game is a must-have for people that love mystery-supernatural kind of stories, but for those that aren't a fan of such things,this game could do either 2 things to you. Either it will make you looove the genre or you would just hate it and just force your way through to get the end.But overall it is a fantastically made game,graphics is state-of-the art ,especially the motion of Alan Wake.
  15. Mahdiar
    Dec 17, 2015
    8
    Gameplay : 8
    Graphics : 8
    Story : 8
    Sound : 8
    **********************************************************************************
    Overall : 8
  16. DeusXCom
    Oct 7, 2014
    8
    Very interesting and memorable piece. I love the setting, Bright Falls is truly one of the most beautiful locations I have visited in a video game, seriously, I want to live there! I enjoyed the mystery, the overall book/writer concept, finding manuscript pages and reading your own story, music was fantastic, not just the instrumentals, but also used songs in radio broadcasts as they addedVery interesting and memorable piece. I love the setting, Bright Falls is truly one of the most beautiful locations I have visited in a video game, seriously, I want to live there! I enjoyed the mystery, the overall book/writer concept, finding manuscript pages and reading your own story, music was fantastic, not just the instrumentals, but also used songs in radio broadcasts as they added additional flavour and ended each episode perfectly. I can feel the Twin Peaks influence and that's always a good thing as that is by far my favourite series of all time. Overall I can say I loved this game in it's concept, but unfortunately, I had one huge problem with it. The core mechanic of the gameplay is basically a regular third person shooter. Yes, it's at least interesting that it's not normal shooting, but rather illuminating darkness with light, but it's still basically shooting all over, and as there is no save/load you often repeat sections shooting and shooting and shooting all those enemies again and again, it's so boring, so repetitive, so annoying. It's a pity that all the beauty this game has to offer is being held back by all this tedious shooting. I still loved it, because I simply focused on the story and the atmosphere and overlooked the boring combat, but it was annoying nevertheless, I hope that if there is ever a sequel, or whatever Remedy creates as their next game, that they will use their indisputable talent in better ways, less shooting and more of the good stuff, atmosphere, exploration, writing, adventure. I know Remedy comes from Max Payne and that was the alpha & omega of shooting, but that was cool 15 years ago, shooting is boring, it's time to move on, Remedy. 8/10… Expand
  17. Jamson
    Jan 4, 2014
    8
    I highly enjoyed this remedy game. Making notably only Max Payne, Alan wake is a highly refreshing game. I enjoyed the story, the characters and overall the game is polished and a blast to play.
  18. krustbox
    Mar 3, 2014
    8
    This game just a great change of pace. Those complaining about how "linear" it is need to understand that the point of the game is the story, not the game play. I must say that for an old game, having purchased this game on sale for $3 on steam, this game is incredible graphics. The atmosphere in the game is very realistic and spooky at night times. The sound is fantastic as well. ReallyThis game just a great change of pace. Those complaining about how "linear" it is need to understand that the point of the game is the story, not the game play. I must say that for an old game, having purchased this game on sale for $3 on steam, this game is incredible graphics. The atmosphere in the game is very realistic and spooky at night times. The sound is fantastic as well. Really makes you feel like you're in the game. I have to agree, that it really is like playing through a movie in a sense, but this is why i liked it. It was a nice change of pace and something unique so far in my gaming experience.… Expand
  19. davskal
    Mar 26, 2014
    8
    Once you finish this game your life splits into two parts. You feel like you've missed something so much outstanding and you really want to replay the game again, but than appears the problem. The game itself is above the average on the very first look. The graphics, the atmosphere, the story. Everything works flawlessly. But there is one thing which makes the game a game and that is theOnce you finish this game your life splits into two parts. You feel like you've missed something so much outstanding and you really want to replay the game again, but than appears the problem. The game itself is above the average on the very first look. The graphics, the atmosphere, the story. Everything works flawlessly. But there is one thing which makes the game a game and that is the overall gameplay. The concept itself isn't the worst ideas of all, it actually is pretty interesting. But the repeating of the same mechanics with no apparent change from the very start to the grand finale really wasn't the brightest idea. But luckily for Alan Wake, the game never gets boring thanks to the intense atmosphere. For players who like to look around them, admire the beauty of their surroundings is this a great game. People who prefer faster progress through the game might a be a bit disappointed, because they are missing a huge part of the game. Story & Atmosphere would be an easy 10/10, but the not as perfect gameplay mechanics decrease the rating by a few points. But still, this is an outstanding game, which really deserves your attention, if you haven't played it yet.… Expand
  20. Tomle1202
    Nov 28, 2022
    8
    Alan Wake knew when to tell its captivating narrative for maximum suspense.
  21. ThePCGamer101
    Jun 24, 2015
    8
    A FANTASTIC STORYTELLING THRILLER/HORROR GAME!

    It is truly a fantastic game, kinda reminds me of Stephen King's books about Thriller genre. But I was put of to the end of the game!

    But on the whole it is a good game, fantastic music, and very good environmental quality!
  22. SuperkenGaming
    May 15, 2021
    8
    Alan Wake
    The wort advertisement for energizer of all time
    Alan wake is a 3d person action horror game where you play as Alan wake, an author who goe on a little vacation with his wife, only for the pages of his manuscrips to start becoming reality in this cabin town.. The story here is the absolute best part of this grown up version of luigis mansion.. told cross 7 hours and 6    Alan Wake
    The wort advertisement for energizer of all time
    Alan wake is a 3d person action horror game where you play as Alan wake, an author who goe on a little vacation with his wife, only for the pages of his manuscrips to start becoming reality in this cabin town..
    The story here is the absolute best part of this grown up version of luigis mansion.. told cross 7 hours and 6 episodes.. eveyr character in this wold has you intrigued, wanting to solve their mysteries… alan wake does suffer from pacing problems, but only slightly.. for the most part the pacing is great as youll get a nice calm beginning at the beginning of each new episode, until eventually its night time.. youll be taking on these dark ghost like ratures that like in luigis mansion, you have to shine your flash light on them to make them vulnerable, but instead of sucking them up, you blast them away.. going from lamp post to lmap post, healing yourself and getting to a checkpoint.. and levels here are super linear, but in a great way.. the game gets to the point in delivering you its experience, youre not running around not knowing what to do.. you know what to do.. where it is you have to go to do it.. and I love it.. especially with how games are now, obsessed with wasting your time just to say their game is 100 hours long.. its nice to play through a game with no filler… most of the game does take place in the foret, which brings me to the pacing problems… I do love that despit taking place in the same setting for most of the game, they manage to make the forest feel different enough each time youre in it… but I felt like youre thrown into combat way too frequentloy, and the combat is just so unfun how how often it happens.. again you have to flash enemies with yur flashlight before you can shoot them.. so youll be running around collectin nergizer batteries to try and blast their faces, but the batteries last like 3 seconds before they need recharged.. why would energizer want their named attachd to rechargeable batteries that die in 3 sconds… combat is just annoying and frustrating.. I also would run into issues after id collect the shotgun where the game would stop shooting, but I did play on pc.. cant confirm if this is a known issue on xbox.. but another annoyance I have with this game is how often alan loses all of your guns and ammo you spend time collecting… im the type of person to save my good stuff when when I need it.. in alan wake, if you have it, use it because for all you know youre about to get in a car crash for the 27th time and lose verything you have… youre constantly having to recollect your gear as the story plays out.. its annoying for again how ffrequent combat is..
    Ovrall though Alan Wake is a really special game with an amazing story.. it isn’t necessarily scary, but its erie and creepy, and definitely worth going back and playing.
    I give Alan Wake
    an 8.5/10    … Expand
  23. leSange
    Jan 1, 2019
    8
    Если отбросить в сторону однообзразную боевку, нас ждет отличный сюжет где не понятно, что будет дальше и жутко интересно
  24. Corvus_Mellori
    Nov 25, 2015
    8
    I’ve got to respect Remedy’s willingness to break the mold with Alan Wake, an original and compelling action-thriller. Everything about the game is fresh and innovative, from the gameplay, which revolves around using light to fight off the creatures of the dark that stalk the creepy town of Bright Falls, to the episodic presentation that pays homage to classic TV shows. The story andI’ve got to respect Remedy’s willingness to break the mold with Alan Wake, an original and compelling action-thriller. Everything about the game is fresh and innovative, from the gameplay, which revolves around using light to fight off the creatures of the dark that stalk the creepy town of Bright Falls, to the episodic presentation that pays homage to classic TV shows. The story and writing really shine here, and the mystery and intrigue of the plot is mirrored in the spooky environments and enemies. You are quickly introduced to the concept of using light to soften up enemies before taking them out with firearms, and the gameplay gets progressively deeper as these mechanics are explored more fully. The light-based gameplay is complemented by some great lighting effects which add to an already richly detailed environment. The game does drag somewhat at times, and there are driving segments toward the end which I never cared for much, but Alan Wake remains an original game with a great atmosphere.… Expand
  25. agurczuk
    Jan 1, 2016
    8
    Overall I really did enjoy the game and honestly I believe it is worth picking up.

    The story of the game is something you would expect from King or Coontz. You are a writer. A writer with a writers block - sounds familiar? You go on holiday with your wife and something starts happening. Strange darkness attacks you and you start living out a story written by you that you don't remember    Overall I really did enjoy the game and honestly I believe it is worth picking up.

    The story of the game is something you would expect from King or Coontz. You are a writer. A writer with a writers block - sounds familiar? You go on holiday with your wife and something starts happening. Strange darkness attacks you and you start living out a story written by you that you don't remember writing. Oh - and there is some lake that the native americans living in the area called gate to hell or something like that. At this point I really thought I'm going to despise the story. But oddly enough after a rough start I really did like it and felt it wasn't all that bad.

    The strong part for the game are the visuals which are very nicely done. The scenery is pretty nice, and the lighting effects which are pretty important part of the story are very well made as well. Locations at the beginning tend to be bland - forest, forest and nothing interesting. But later on they do change and are quite nicely designed.

    The main part of the game is trying to find your wife and beat the darkness. You do this by following the story and fighting people possessed by the darkness. You kill them by shining your flash light on them long enough so they become vulnerable at which point you can safely unload your gun and finally kill them. And you pretty much do that all through the game with just a couple of guns - revolver, shotgun, hunting rifle and assorted helpers like flares or flash grenades. It does get repetitive after a while but not to a point that you hate the whole fighting. And I must admit that I did got scared once or twice - though mostly the game is not really that scary. But has a very consistent atmosphere and you generally feel quite nice when the sun rises.

    There are also a couple of elements involving driving a car - but these could have been surely skipped as they're pretty dreadful.

    Voice acting and animation is of very nice quality so watching cut scenes is quite pleasant.

    Overall after a week beginning the game provides good fun up till the very last part which seems a bit dull and you have to push through it. Luckily it's not long enough too leave a bad impression on the game. I had fun. I really enjoyed it. If you like story driven action games along the lines of resident evil or alone in the dark there is little fear you will not like this game.    … Expand
  26. renogza
    Dec 27, 2015
    8
    I do have a few gripes though... One being the character models and stiff animations. The character models look a little dated. I guess from a distance they don't look to bad but once you see them up close you can really notice the lack of detail. The characters seem to move around in the most simplistic ways possible. Also, the lip syncing is some of the worst I have seen in years. It'sI do have a few gripes though... One being the character models and stiff animations. The character models look a little dated. I guess from a distance they don't look to bad but once you see them up close you can really notice the lack of detail. The characters seem to move around in the most simplistic ways possible. Also, the lip syncing is some of the worst I have seen in years. It's like watching a poorly dubbed kung fu movie. The driving mechanics, although short, are poorly done. You never feel like you have full control over the vehicle. Too far to the left or right and you swerve out of control and into a ditch.… Expand
  27. Captain_Chaos
    May 20, 2017
    8
    It's a shame Alan Wake is longer available for retail or online purchase, due to "expiring music licenses" (Thanks capitalism!) It's easily in the same class as any other Remedy title, and honestly, it's probably in a class above. What would be an inferior third-person shooter to their previous series, the Max Payne games, is instead a thrilling tale of cinematic suspense and characterIt's a shame Alan Wake is longer available for retail or online purchase, due to "expiring music licenses" (Thanks capitalism!) It's easily in the same class as any other Remedy title, and honestly, it's probably in a class above. What would be an inferior third-person shooter to their previous series, the Max Payne games, is instead a thrilling tale of cinematic suspense and character development. I am sorry I never looked into the series before now. It features great pacing, quality voice acting, passably good driving sections, and if nothing else, really satisfyingly loud gun sounds.The facial animations haven't aged well these past years, but that's hardly a major shortcoming.

    You take the role of the titular character, a crime fiction writer from NYC with possibly the worst case of writer's block on record. Wake has come to Bright Falls, Washington with his photographer wife Alice on vacation, in an attempt to clear his head, but within hours finds his wife missing, his car wrecked, the cabin he was to stay in vanished without a trace and a week's time gone by with no memory of such to speak of. What's worse, a malign force now stalks him through the night, wielding the shadows themselves as its weapon.

    The light is your friend in Alan Wake, and there is precious little of it to go around. As in Left 4 Dead and many other games, light sources often mark your path, and many of them not only function as checkpoints but quickly replenish your otherwise painfully slow to regenerate health. Your enemies are shielded by darkness itself, and only your trusty flashlight can strip their defense before you go for the kill, using the sorts of guns you'd find lying around a rural community: police revolvers, hunting shotguns and rifles. Also at your disposal are two kinds of flares and flashbangs, with one kind of flare being fired from a flare gun and acting in essence as a grenade launcher.

    Mechanically, the game is fairly formulaic: You move from checkpoint to checkpoint, blasting bad guys and pushing the occasional switch or button to open a door or something that might as well be a door. But your enemies are dangerous enough, and the characters believable enough, that you forget you are going through the motions of an oughts-era console shooter- and yes, I know it orignally released in 2010. The episodic format of the game greatly helps with the pacing, and it has some really great twists, especially in the bonus episodes: however you think the plot might turn out when you begin, it will likely defy your expectations. It also ends up being a lot harder then it initially feels, even on the easiest difficulty you will have a lot of near misses and scrapes, and this I recommend for a first play through- Alan Wake actually suffers from some balancing problems and it's a little to easy to get completely overwhelmed in the blink of an eye and ruthlessly beat to death. The dodge move is essentially broken, largely working only when it wants to, and your sprint duration is extremely limited, ensuring that you will rarely have the opportunity to avoid a fight. On the other hand, you are often given more supplies then you think you need- this is because you actually need all of it, so don't be afraid to use a flashbang or flare whenever you are cornered, as you are likely to find more.

    If you did not have the good fortune to get this game before it was pulled from the Steam store, I highly encourage you to dig up a used Xbox 360 copy or secondhand key if you can find one, as it is definitely worth your time.    … Expand
  28. dandalis
    Oct 29, 2016
    8
    Pretty great psychological thriller with suprbly done atmosphere. Runs decently on PC aswell, but not without problems. Like you cant disable AA from in game, if you force it off then grass starts looking weird and overall for me it was pretty hard getting even over 40 fps on not the highest settings. Visualy game can look stunning, which is being helped by impressive lighting and fogPretty great psychological thriller with suprbly done atmosphere. Runs decently on PC aswell, but not without problems. Like you cant disable AA from in game, if you force it off then grass starts looking weird and overall for me it was pretty hard getting even over 40 fps on not the highest settings. Visualy game can look stunning, which is being helped by impressive lighting and fog effects, still havent seen a game that does it better to create an eerie atmoshpere. Textures tho look pretty weak, like out from a game that was a Xbox 360 launch title not a 2010 game, which goes to say Remedy nor the porting developer didnt do their best when it comes to PC version. Character models however look nice and much better in game than in the cut scenes which also lack lip syncing finesse. Alan's animations are very wonky and floaty which i didnt like. Gameplay where you must use a flashlight in combo with a gun works really well and feels precise.

    Story wise game does great screwing around with your and Alan's mind trying to understand what the hell is going and whats what. Where it got disappointing was the ending and the DLC's that were released to fix it didnt do that great of a job.

    If youre looking for a horror agme Alan Wake will disappoint you. I say that becuz i mostly see people calling it a horror game. ITS NOT ! This game is all about the atmosphere and psychological aspects of the story. If you like that sorta stuff youll enjoy it, I certainly did.    … Expand
  29. eva3si0n
    Jul 7, 2019
    8
    Alan Wake a great unfinished construction from Remedy. Though a game also came out in 2010, it already seems outdated. What Remedy conceived in 2005-2008 by 2010 already was in other games. It is the main problem of a game. Concerning a plot, as well as usually here everything is good. The only thing but, a plot without 2 subject DLC seems steep and not complete. I recommend, one of notAlan Wake a great unfinished construction from Remedy. Though a game also came out in 2010, it already seems outdated. What Remedy conceived in 2005-2008 by 2010 already was in other games. It is the main problem of a game. Concerning a plot, as well as usually here everything is good. The only thing but, a plot without 2 subject DLC seems steep and not complete. I recommend, one of not many exclusives of Xbox 360 which was ported on PC.… Expand
  30. ReezeTheVampire
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    Alan Wake is one of those games that I would consider a flawed masterpiece ie: it could have been a masterpiece, but it had a few too many flaws. The concept here is great, the gameplay unique, and the story is absolutely gripping with great characters, mystery, and a great sense of urgency. I really did love this one. For the most part it played very well and did a good job of keepingAlan Wake is one of those games that I would consider a flawed masterpiece ie: it could have been a masterpiece, but it had a few too many flaws. The concept here is great, the gameplay unique, and the story is absolutely gripping with great characters, mystery, and a great sense of urgency. I really did love this one. For the most part it played very well and did a good job of keeping things relatively simple so that it felt polished and solid: the gun play feels great, the levels are linear and mostly well-designed, and you always feel the need to conserve, but you never run out of anything for so long that it's frustrating.

    With that said, I certainly have my issues. For one, the story ends on a satisfying note, but with so many loose ends it's really hard to understand exactly what happened; this is expected for such an odd story, but I can't help feeling a bit short changed. While I'm on the story, the world seems so steeped in Murphy's Law that it's almost comical, except its frustrating because you're the one playing; just about any time you feel you're making good progress, or there is going to be a big reveal, the 'plot' steps in to mess it all up and that gets really annoying. The gameplay is cool and unique, but gets pretty old about half way in; having groups of enemies suddenly appear and force the player to deal with it over and over gets to a pretty aggravating point, I personally would have liked to see some more puzzle elements and cool down. The game really loses the horror atmosphere because in just about every room there is a handful of samey dudes to shoot at. There are also some areas, as I hinted at before, in the levels where it's just a bit too cramped or a bit too crowded with enemies and I would find myself dying over and over in the same tiny spot, while most of the game remained pretty damn easy. The game tries to change it up here and there with driving sections, but those are short and the cars handle like garbage so they aren't too much fun to play. To end, about 90% of the game involves wandering in dark forest, which gets old. fast.

    Overall I think it's a great game, but not without its problems. I really don't think these problems detract too much from the game itself, and I still look at it positively.    … Expand
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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

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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.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    "A gripping rollercoaster ride." - Stephen King. [Apr 2012, p.52]
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