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. Dethstar
    Feb 20, 2012
    8
    When I saw this was a microsoft game. I honestly reset my expectations to expect something a very linear and probably quite corny. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by AW. The game has some enhancement for the PC. Things like the crippling FOV you see on many console ports are not a problem here. The game is enjoyable and atmospheric. It is very linear but then due to the nature ofWhen I saw this was a microsoft game. I honestly reset my expectations to expect something a very linear and probably quite corny. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by AW. The game has some enhancement for the PC. Things like the crippling FOV you see on many console ports are not a problem here. The game is enjoyable and atmospheric. It is very linear but then due to the nature of the game this is to be expected, the linear nature of the game is not to the point where you dont feel in control and it plays very well. The location are is good although the game could bear some better textures it is generally very pretty. I have seen many complaints here and on steam about poor performance but I play using a quadfire so have not experienced this problem. However, I have encountered a stonking great bug in the final episodes of the game which prevent me from completing the game. Basically the script seems to have broken down. Required taken dont spawn and an event which is required for progression will not start. A very disappointing end to a game I was enjoying immensely. (Playtime approx 20-25 hours.) Overall, I would say a bit short but due to the atmosphere, story and environment in general I would say this would have been a very good buy for the 20 Euro I paid on steam if it didnt have this cataclysmic bug in my save game.… Expand
  2. despot
    Feb 16, 2012
    9
    Console port well done.

    Suspenseful, unique, well thought game with an interesting story and satisfying combat that makes you come back session after session, or more like episode after episode. Since the gameplay hasn't changed from the original Xbox 360 version I'll just give my opinion of the port quality. The porting from Xbox 360 to PC has gone pretty much perfectly and you do get    Console port well done.

    Suspenseful, unique, well thought game with an interesting story and satisfying combat that makes you come back session after session, or more like episode after episode. Since the gameplay hasn't changed from the original Xbox 360 version I'll just give my opinion of the port quality.

    The porting from Xbox 360 to PC has gone pretty much perfectly and you do get the 2 DLC's and spiced up graphics among other PC only stuff. It runs butter smooth on my 1½ year old $800 PC and mouse and keyboard controlling has been well implemented - actually forgot even to try it with my gamepad as I felt right at home with the mouse controlling the aiming and quickly switching between weaponry on my keyboard. The thumb buttons of my gaming mouse couldn't be keybound but I think it will be patched in no time. No biggie for me since there isn't that many keybindings needed anyways.

    Only obvious giveaway that it is in fact a console port are the lower quality cut-scenes which I suppose are the very same from the Xbox 360 version - a bit weird having a much better looking actual gameplay than the cut-scenes.

    So if I wouldn't know any better and apart from the cut-scenes I couldn't tell that it's a console port nor that it's a 2 year old game for that matter - very well job done indeed.

    As for the game in general - if you like story-driven games and have the mindset for a rather scary survival-action gameplay than this is definitely the game for you. AAA-class game and the price for the new PC version really is a bargain.

    9/10 in comparison to other this gen. games. Apart from the cut-scenes and some few very minor flaws like the awkward car handling in the non-essential driving parts - my high expectations were fulfilled.    … Expand
  3. 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
  4. Dheu
    Jun 23, 2012
    3
    I am certain Alan Wake will garner many positive reviews that focused on the story and its "unusual" style and presentation. I admit, it is interesting and would make an excellent book or movie. The problem is that even the best novel can be turned into a bad computer game and that is essentially what has happened here.

    The story unfolds over the coarse of 20 hours as you run from one    I am certain Alan Wake will garner many positive reviews that focused on the story and its "unusual" style and presentation. I admit, it is interesting and would make an excellent book or movie. The problem is that even the best novel can be turned into a bad computer game and that is essentially what has happened here.

    The story unfolds over the coarse of 20 hours as you run from one well lit area to the next, fighting waves of the exact same 4 monsters, using the exact same 4 weapons and the exact same strategy all the way to the end. The Enemy AI is rudimentary. The soundtrack is non-existent. Alan Wake will occasionally narrate and explain a new revelation, or what he is feeling or what you need to do next.

    The game lacks tradition incentives to keep you playing. There are no choices, no dialogue trees, no weapon upgrades, no level-ups. Even Alan Wakes own survival is tied to the plot and thus never seems to be in question. The game thrusts you into the action without spending sufficient time on character development and then tells you that you need to do X, Y and Z if you wish to save various people you don't care about. This might work in a book or movie were we are simply spectators along for the ride, but it is asking a lot in a game where players must invest 20 hours of their own time to progress the story. I constantly found myself asking the question, "Do I really care about these people? Do I even care what happens to Alan Wake? Why do I need a key to open this door when I have a shotgun in my hand?" As a result, it is easy to lose interest. This is one of the few games I have played in my life that I have had to force myself to finish. Somewhere along the way, Remedy lost that balance between making a game with a good story and a game that is still fun to play. People invest in computers and pay top dollar for games because they want more than books or movies can offer. My advice: Buy BioShock or replay Indigo Prophecy. You can skip this one.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. Crescendo
    Jun 9, 2012
    4
    While at first glance this looked like a great game - I was looking forward to it for some time - it soon disappointed me horribly. The beginning was promising, only to become a tedious, boring variation of 16-second-cutscenes and 10 minutes of run-through-the-woods-while-taken-chase-you bit. Unnerving indeed. The story is nothing new, but fitting, the problem is that finding theWhile at first glance this looked like a great game - I was looking forward to it for some time - it soon disappointed me horribly. The beginning was promising, only to become a tedious, boring variation of 16-second-cutscenes and 10 minutes of run-through-the-woods-while-taken-chase-you bit. Unnerving indeed. The story is nothing new, but fitting, the problem is that finding the manuscript pages is pretty much an ingame-spoiler that tells you exactly what is going to happen in the next cutscene. I was really hoping forward to an intelligently written, atmospheric horror game - that is probably why I didn't enjoy it much. You can say that this is my personal problem, but I don't think there's many people out there that are searching for something like this when there are better action- and horrorgames out there, while Alan Wake is a mediocre fusion of both. I'm not even going to start on how terribly clunky console-ported controls feel at times because this seems to be standard in the industry as of now.… Expand
  7. Lockie
    Feb 17, 2012
    10
    I have only one question: why console exclusives are so much better than multiplatform games? The best videogame story i've ever seen in my life. Moreover, 2 years after release, but the game still looks simply awesome. Thank you, Remedy, for porting this masterpiece to PC. Great story, great graphics, atmosphere, sound, gameplay. I'm very impressed.
  8. WolverineGoBlue
    Mar 11, 2012
    3
    Linear, repetitive, predictable. Was looking forward to this. Waste of time. The story is fun and engaging, but action scenes are so boring, I had to give up.

    Not sure why this scores so highly ... maybe it was a good game 18 months ago.
  9. YuRown92
    Feb 17, 2012
    10
    This game I waited for a long time. I was very angry, when PC version was stopped. At last, now, when this game come on PC, I playing this game with pleasure.
  10. malau
    Mar 9, 2012
    4
    Shine a torch, shoot, run out of ammo, sprint, die, repeat ad nauseum. A complete lack of variety where narrative storytelling takes precedence over gameplay - if I wanted a movie, I would rent a DVD ! Silent Hill style puzzles you can forget ! There's just what I said in the opening line.
    That's a pity because the engine has rendered a beautiful re-creation of a picture postcard    Shine a torch, shoot, run out of ammo, sprint, die, repeat ad nauseum. A complete lack of variety where narrative storytelling takes precedence over gameplay - if I wanted a movie, I would rent a DVD ! Silent Hill style puzzles you can forget ! There's just what I said in the opening line.
    That's a pity because the engine has rendered a beautiful re-creation of a picture postcard Washington State small town - in day time at least, but alas it is an empty experience and a complete waste as you cannot explore due to all areas but the one you need to take being blocked off.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. The_Ommadawn
    May 13, 2012
    8
    Awful on so many levels PERFORMANCE wise!!! Game itself is fantastic (finished it on Xbox when first released). Bought it for PC for the upgrade in graphics and FPS. Sadly, this is far from the truth. My rig is just 6 months old with (at the time) some of the best hardware available. It POWERS through every game I play at rock solid 60 fps on max settings. Now the problem ... Alan WakeAwful on so many levels PERFORMANCE wise!!! Game itself is fantastic (finished it on Xbox when first released). Bought it for PC for the upgrade in graphics and FPS. Sadly, this is far from the truth. My rig is just 6 months old with (at the time) some of the best hardware available. It POWERS through every game I play at rock solid 60 fps on max settings. Now the problem ... Alan Wake even at medium sends my CPU/GPU into overdrive with choppy fps???. Why??? I have read the forums, made adjustments yadda yadda yadda with no improvement. Some people haven't had these issues with AW and good luck to them. Myself and 'mydixienormus' (see his comments) do, so it's not an isolated problem my end. Such a shame cos like others I was really looking forward to this title. Maybe with future patches it will be addressed as I'm sure I'm not alone here. I'm giving it a 5 out of 10 because as a game it's amazing, but with it's current performance I feel cheated and may as well have stuck with my Xbox edition. ----------------------------------------------------> UPDATE 13/05/2012 ... Since the recent patches I went back to AW and admit it runs much, much better now. I still haven't completed it but wanted to change my score to justify its current state. It's a good game full of drama. Not really a 'horror' game, but a heart stopper all the same. Score upped from a 5 to an 8.… Expand
  13. mydixienormus
    Feb 16, 2012
    4
    poor pc performance even on top end rigs
    no crosshair, must aim with flash light
    off-center camera angle is awful there is a delay to initiate shooting and no focused/zoom mode specifically for shooting probably works better on xbox (because it has auto aim, and probably runs smoother.) no reason for a nearly 2 old xbox game to not run 60fps on top end rigs. the camera also sucks, if    poor pc performance even on top end rigs
    no crosshair, must aim with flash light
    off-center camera angle is awful
    there is a delay to initiate shooting and no focused/zoom mode specifically for shooting

    probably works better on xbox (because it has auto aim, and probably runs smoother.) no reason for a nearly 2 old xbox game to not run 60fps on top end rigs.

    the camera also sucks, if you try to have a centered camera view - you run crooked; you have to have a crooked camera view to run straight.


    probably will automatically get good reviews from fan boys and people that were paid to review the game. maybe it was good on xbox, but playing it on pc is like paying $30 to willingly handicap yourself.    … Expand
  14. JaydenPickens
    Feb 20, 2019
    9
    The core of this game is the story! It's a masterpiece and it makes you want more and more. The same thing cannot be said about the gameplay though... repetitive and sometimes annoying as hell, but in the end it doesn't outgrow the good parts of this game which are: story, atmosphere, music and the references to other games, movies, tv-shows etc. This game is a gold mine of good stuff andThe core of this game is the story! It's a masterpiece and it makes you want more and more. The same thing cannot be said about the gameplay though... repetitive and sometimes annoying as hell, but in the end it doesn't outgrow the good parts of this game which are: story, atmosphere, music and the references to other games, movies, tv-shows etc. This game is a gold mine of good stuff and the fact that there's still NO Alan Wake 2 is beyond me. Also we get the 2 dlcs on pc already in the game as opposed to the xbox version. Remember that weird things happen in Night Springs! Pickens approves.… Expand
  15. 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
  16. Jay_Pickens
    Jul 24, 2018
    9
    The core of this game is the story! It's a masterpiece and it makes you want more and more. The same thing cannot be said about the gameplay though... repetitive and sometimes annoying as hell, but in the end it doesn't outgrow the good parts of this game which are: story, atmosphere, music and the references to other games, movies, tv-shows etc. This game is a gold mine of good stuff andThe core of this game is the story! It's a masterpiece and it makes you want more and more. The same thing cannot be said about the gameplay though... repetitive and sometimes annoying as hell, but in the end it doesn't outgrow the good parts of this game which are: story, atmosphere, music and the references to other games, movies, tv-shows etc. This game is a gold mine of good stuff and the fact that there's still NO Alan Wake 2 is beyond me. Also we get the 2 dlcs on pc already in the game as opposed to the xbox version. Remember that weird things happen in Night Springs! Pickens approves.… Expand
  17. nomorefate
    Nov 3, 2020
    10
    This is my ranking:
    Graphics: 9 / 10 (for 2012)
    Story: 8 / 10
    World design: 7.5 / 10
    PC Performance: 10 / 10
    Side notes: Where's Alan Wake 2?
  18. Fastpoose
    Sep 22, 2012
    8
    Good atmosphere, good story, many people say the story is 'unoriginal', can they name me 5 or more games with better story lines...? Well done Remedy Entertainment keep up the good work.
  19. AlienSpaceBats
    Jan 13, 2013
    8
    Alan Wake, the Stephen King made-for-TV series that never was, or; Dead Space in the woods... kind of. I really enjoyed this game, it certainly kept me hooked for the 9 hours it took to complete (DLC and expansion notwithstanding). The game is set out and presented as if it was a TV series, with many nods to well-known horror tropes. The majority of gameplay sees the player fighting offAlan Wake, the Stephen King made-for-TV series that never was, or; Dead Space in the woods... kind of. I really enjoyed this game, it certainly kept me hooked for the 9 hours it took to complete (DLC and expansion notwithstanding). The game is set out and presented as if it was a TV series, with many nods to well-known horror tropes. The majority of gameplay sees the player fighting off the Taken (shadow men) with a torch ...er, flashlight ... and pistol, collecting manuscript pages (which foreshadow later events), Thermos flasks (why?). and solving rudimentary puzzles. Overall this stuff is fairly casual and easy, which is fine, because in my head all it was there to do was to advance the plot. Good stuff all around then, but the ending left me kind of unsatisfied but with lots of room for a sequel (addressed in the episodic DLCs). Before I forget, extra points for this PC port, which frankly, I think we were lucky to have. Oh, and good writing!… Expand
  20. frast
    Oct 6, 2012
    8
    Great story, the climate that can pull like a book. For the graphics made ​​it interesting? Gels in terms of forest or the city itself, and of the most important, interesting idea for a survival-horror. The game can not draw a single player, but not scare him more. It is a game with the climate, but the climate is not great horror. After a long time, it gets monotonous andGreat story, the climate that can pull like a book. For the graphics made ​​it interesting? Gels in terms of forest or the city itself, and of the most important, interesting idea for a survival-horror. The game can not draw a single player, but not scare him more. It is a game with the climate, but the climate is not great horror. After a long time, it gets monotonous and boring, which does not change the fact that many players may like it, because it is really very good. My Rating - 8/10… Expand
  21. Escherichia
    Jun 17, 2012
    8
    Good port, and worth the wait.
    The story was not spectacular, but it was still one of the best i've seen in videogames in a long time.
    Combat is original, and, while it may feel repetitive after a while, I felt it was handled the right way considering the nature of the game. Graphics are very nice, the main character is likable (something very difficult to achieve for most games    Good port, and worth the wait.
    The story was not spectacular, but it was still one of the best i've seen in videogames in a long time.
    Combat is original, and, while it may feel repetitive after a while, I felt it was handled the right way considering the nature of the game.
    Graphics are very nice, the main character is likable (something very difficult to achieve for most games nowadays) and it was a good, solid experience overall. I like to see games that try and actually make an effort into creating something different instead of settling with making a generic game that would guarantee them a good sales number.    … Expand
  22. Taishay
    Sep 1, 2012
    9
    I get motion sickness from a lot of FPS games, sadly, but eventually I get used to it and it doesn't bother me. Initially I wasn't fond of the camera view with Alan off to the right due to motion sickness. I played for about 5 minutes and had to stop. Now I can complete a whole "episode" and not get sick. The graphics are great and the whole flash light to weaken the darkness I reallyI get motion sickness from a lot of FPS games, sadly, but eventually I get used to it and it doesn't bother me. Initially I wasn't fond of the camera view with Alan off to the right due to motion sickness. I played for about 5 minutes and had to stop. Now I can complete a whole "episode" and not get sick. The graphics are great and the whole flash light to weaken the darkness I really like. I enjoy the fact that it is like watching a mini-tv series and yet you get to play it at the same time. I haven't played a game that is like that, so it is a nice change of pace.… Expand
  23. Viacota
    Oct 7, 2012
    9
    Me encanta; la presentación, la música, la historia,etc. Es básicamente protagonizar un cuento de Stephen King. Al avanzar mucho en el juego me di cuenta que me interesaba más en la historia que en la acción propiamente tal, lo único que deseaba era terminar rápido y continuar sabiendo que pasaba con la historia.
    La historia genial!
    La    Me encanta; la presentación, la música, la historia,etc. Es básicamente protagonizar un cuento de Stephen King. Al avanzar mucho en el juego me di cuenta que me interesaba más en la historia que en la acción propiamente tal, lo único que deseaba era terminar rápido y continuar sabiendo que pasaba con la historia.
    La historia genial!
    La jugabilidad se pude volver un tanto tediosa.
    La lucha en la granja de los anderson simplemente notable y épica.
    La música genial.    … Expand
  24. Botanace
    Jan 31, 2013
    9
    This game is awesome, it is story driven and linear which I really like, this is my first single player game that I bought with my own money, so it will always have sentimental value. The graphics are good, and I really like the unique stories, and the fact that you can dig deeper with the manuscripts. It has replay value for the collectibles, and I highly recommend it.
  25. spectralknight
    Nov 8, 2013
    9
    A great game not only from the narrative perspective but also from technical one...Just a perfect combination of a thriller with an amazing storyline and an exciting gameplay.One of the best single player games I've ever played.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. RagingPoet
    Nov 8, 2017
    8
    Alan Wake might not be a good shooter but it is a good game. The story is interesting and always keeps you motivated to push though game levels. Gameplay is a bit boring, but the atmosphere makes up for it.
  29. 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
  30. wolfram812
    Oct 1, 2020
    9
    I played this game in 2020. It's an absolute masterpiece! The game is absolutely not outdated! This is absolutely a case when and where the game development ascends to high peaks of real ART. An action-packed very deep intriguing story gonna catch you from the first second to the last. And leave a deep impact in your heart and memory. Thank you, Remedy!!! Wanna more games like this from you!
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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.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    80
    "A gripping rollercoaster ride." - Stephen King. [Apr 2012, p.52]
    Read full review
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