Alan Wake

Pretty fun game overall, at times the combat felt a bit repetitive but it had some awesome moments, a great soundtrack and an interesting story.

I really enjoyed the story of this game! Some points felt more annoying than difficult but it was all worth it for the stage defence portion of the game, loved the parts revolving Odin and Tor, 7/10

An action/horror shooter from the makers of Max Payne. I have played through it half a dozen times since it first came out, and still sometimes find myself playing through it again and again! Everything from the shooting mechanics to the story and characterization. It's clear Remedy put everything they had into this game. Not to mention the myriad references and Easter-eggs to their earlier Max Payne games, which I also love! It's good on console too, but the earlier Xbox 360 version tends to sometimes have texture popping and very slight frame-rate troubles. PC is way better though. Easily one of my favorite video games of all time!

Alan Wake is a game I’ve owned for years but kept putting off. Now that I’ve finally played it, I can say it absolutely met my expectations.

The game leans heavily on its narrative, which is by far its strongest aspect. The story is complex but generally well-written, and it does a genuinely good job of keeping you engaged throughout. It’s consistently compelling and easily the game's main selling point. That said, Wake’s narration is delivered in a strangely detached way—I found it distracting at times. It’s the most Patrick Bateman-esque voiceover I’ve ever heard -> Let’s see Paul Allen’s narration.

Unfortunately, the combat doesn’t hold up as well. It’s fine at first, but it becomes repetitive quickly. By the midpoint of the game, you’ve pretty much encountered every enemy type, and the solution for all of them is identical: shine your flashlight (and boost it - batteries are everywhere), then unload whatever weapon you’re carrying. It's still engaging enough and I never found myself bored with it, it's just a little uninspired.

Movement is another weak spot. Wake feels sluggish, and even when sprinting, he barely moves faster than a light jog. This gets especially frustrating during chase sequences, where you’d expect more urgency. Jumping is awkward too, and the few jumps I needed to make in the campaign are clumsy at best. Oh yeah and the camera is horrendous, really took a while to get used to and it often feels like the most dangerous enemy in the game.

One major highlight for me was the visuals. Everything is crisp and clean, and I really miss when games had this kind of look. Sure, the textures are basic and the character models are dated, but the art direction and environmental design still manage to shine.

Overall, I had a good time with Alan Wake. I’m glad I played it and look forward to moving on to American Nightmare next. I probably won’t revisit it, but it was a solid, worthwhile experience for a single playthrough.

Great story and inovative gameplay mechanics, for it's time.

Perhaps it's that it shows its age, or maybe I didn't get to the point where the story actually gets interesting (beginning of Ep 2.), but this game did not click for me. The pace so far seemed a bit of a drag gameplay-wise, and the story, which by the looks of other reviews must have some turn I did not get to, seemed kind of boring/generic, following a stephen-king-esque style. It may well be other people's kind of story so I guess it should be a thumb sideways kind of review, but for me, it's a shrug.

don't get me wrong, for a game focused on storyline, it has way too much unnecessary and clunky combat

Planning to play Alan Wake 2, I finally finished the game after 10 years of dropping on the first chapters. The narrative is great and I really like the Stephen King vibe of the game, the soundtrack is awesome and keep listening to it outside the game. However, the gameplay is quite repetitive and in the end I was just "please, just end", probably I will think better on the game when I stop being sick with it.

Alan Wake, released back in 2010, is still one of the most unique games I’ve ever played. I just replayed it recently after last touching it in 2011, and honestly, it still holds up. The atmosphere, the light vs. dark mechanic, and the whole episodic story thing are pretty solid. It doesn’t feel like a typical horror game; it’s more like a thriller with a hefty dose of mystery. As a big Remedy fan who’s played all their games, I can say Alan Wake 2 (released in 2023) is easily one of the best games I’ve played in a long time. They really knocked it out of the park.

The one downside to the first game? Combat can get repetitive. I mean, how many times can you shine a flashlight at someone before it gets old? But honestly, the world, story, and overall vibe more than make up for it. Also, RIP James McCaffrey. He voiced Thomas Zane in Alan Wake and really brought something special to the role. His legacy with Remedy, especially as Max Payne, will never be forgotten. And seriously, I just wish Alan Wake 2 would get released on Steam at some point. It really deserves to be there too.

If you're thinking of getting Alan Wake so you have the context to play Alan Wake 2 just watch a plot synopsis on youtube the actual gameplay parts of this game are the weakest parts. However if you're here for Remedy's multi media presentation and world building then i think playing this one is worth it.

One of the best Psychological Horror games out there.

This was not only my first psychological horror game, but also my first horror game overall - and i absolutely loved it. Even the game was originally released around 2010, the graphics, gameplay and atmosphere still feel top notch even today.

The writing and story were absolutely mind bending.

I would highly recommend it to everyone.

ONE OF THE BEST GAMES, HANDS DOWN.

I usually do not like this genre but Alan Wake held my attention the whole way through. I am severely disappointed with Remedys choice of making the newer Alan Wake Epic exclusive and then pretending it's confusing why it flopped.

This Game is an object of Power, It Entices your mind with the ever rising stakes of a man pursuit again an impossibility and to mend his mistake for his one true love. The environment re-enforces the fact that reality is in layers with its small town community and mystic of the nature.
The story the pace, although stretched engrosses one if you immerse yourself in the setting, at least that is how I like to play.
One of the personal favourite games to date.
Rating : 9.5/10

Very astonishing storyline, the gameplay is decent. If you are bored and want to experience something new and dark this is the game for you.

The gameplay isn’t anything special, combat is notably generic, I got quite bored quite quickly. The story seems kinda interesting but the gameplay is so boring to get to it that the time investment doesn’t seem worth it. I played for about an hour and a half but was offline for some of it

Absolute awesome atmosphere and great story. Not to forget the shared world with Control. Oh and Heavy Metal.

The story really was something else! The way the mystery unfolded kept me completely invested. Definitely the highlight of the game for me.

After all these years finally finished the game. It was just as good as reviews made it to be back in the day!

Stephen King novel as a game?

Yeah, the best way to describe Alan Wake is to be sucked into a weird, thrilling and a bit scary world, full of meta-references to the whole genre. And this was cool story-wise!

Foreshadowing – oh my god, this is the best part of the game. Finding a note that contains a vague spoiler does not feel “spoiling” at all, even more - this is why I wanted to proceed further every time!

The plot becomes more and more intriguing and a bit weirder with the whole play-through, and it’s the story that made me complete the game. But…well, the Stephen-King-ish style strikes back with the ending. He likes to create absurd endings and explanations, that give a weird after-taste. And Remedy did the same. The Magic Clicker ending is not bad, it totally makes sense in this kind of universe, but it does not feel, you know, as satisfying as the rest of the plot?

But this game is old enough for the gameplay to be weak. Collect batteries, collect bullets, now point the flashlight and shoot. That’s it. It was fun for the first chapter, but then I started hating it. Higher difficulty = more challenging. But I wanted to skip it, so lowered the difficulty to the easiest one just to get to the story instead. So instead of challenging, it became just boring, but fast.

But I would definitely recommend this! Yes, this feels a bit outdated, but even in 2025 enjoying A. Wake journey totally worth the time spent.

This game has an incredible. If you like Black Mirror, Twin Peeks, or the Twilight Zone then you gotta play this game! I cannot say more because I don't want to spoil but anyone who is a fan of those shows can probably already try to imagine why I'd mention them.

Alan Wake review

This is a fun horror-shooter with a deep story for a player to unravel. Graphics are good if a bit dated, sound design is perfectly fine as well. Gameplay however can get repetitive and boring. Despite that I would definitely recommend the game as the story is good and worth experiencing. I'm eager to play Alan Wake 2 if it ever comes to Steam.

I knew this game is good when I did not pause it while making food in kitchen -- I never heard NPCs repeating a phrase.

It's good, but not great in the story department. The gameplay is, at its best, okay -- but usually frustrating. However, its sequel (Alan Wake 2, not American Nightmare) is excellent and this is more or less required reading for it.

Its cool, Good story and mechanics and plus it will run on most potato's.

Great story line, amazing slow mo scenes of when the evil taken come out as a warning to the player.

For a game about plot, it has way too much combat.
And most of combat, is against the camera and the flashlight.

The story writing is so goooooooooood~ Just the story alone makes me want to recommend the game.
The combat? Fine, but kinda annoying. The "shoot enemy with gun" part is alright, but the "only AFTER you shine your light upon the enemy" part gets frustrating real quick, especially at higher difficulties. But well, it does add to the fun with all the resource management and strategy to tackle some stages. (for reference I played normal on main, then nightmare on SPs)

Personally would recommend play it at easy mode if you just want to see the story, normal for some extra challenges in combat, and nightmare (which you unlock after first normal clear) if you want more challenges in combat OR some extra notes for the lore. Good luck waking Alan :3

it's not... good?
It's... it has it's moments is the best I can say about the game. It's the only reason I'd recommend this game, that and the actual gameplay is serviceable enough to work as a nice brain turn off game as background noise which I feel there are too many of.

Mainly the most obvious issues is just how repetitive the actual gameplay is, it's a simple but pretty novel system of using a flashlight with a stamina bar to take out enemy shields that then allow you to take them out. Outside of that it's pretty arcadey and honestly overall feels like a worse version of resident evil revelations 2 which also had a similar flashlight system, except while that game had an even better combat system, alan wake shakes it up by throwing in not necessarily interesting or good enemies. Instead it's that you have two enemy types, inanimate objects and the "taken" which are basically zombies, while the zombies are self explanatory, the objects will hover and then go flying at you to clonk you on the head making you ragdoll. Shining a light on them makes them dissipate making them mainly more annoying than anything to fight.

This is all alleviated by the situations and ways they utilize these enemies. While a majority of the time it's just filler and gets repetitive very quickly, it manages to shake it up occasionally by having floodlight management points to make it about navigating the area while fending them off, or getting playful by having situations where getting ragdolled at the right moment is just genuinely hilarious. At a few points they have "taken" vehicles which will awkwardly shuffle forward and in reverse that just sent me laughing from just how funny it looks. You're fighting for your life from basically shadow zombies and then this stupid fucking forklift or whatever will just slowly ram into you and make you and everyone else collapse on the ground as it can barely pull back out. Genuinely some great moments there. Still it's overall not really a great system but not really "bad", just lacking.

Obviously though most people bring up the story and that's...
uhhhhhh
Like it's just bad which might make some people upset, but honestly the choice to make the main conflict be you against the darkness and you need to use the light is just so fucking direct and on the nose that they might as well have just said there's giant floating shadow blocks covered in blood that spells out the word "evil" you need to fight. It's not even humorous with it's use of "the darkness" like kingdom hearts or stranger of paradise. Maybe it's not for me, but I tried to think about if maybe there was a greater purpose to the use of darkness and light to see if maybe it needed to be a simple concept in order to deliver a broader message which...

Look when you try to sideline that as an element, you're left with the struggle between an artist and his creation and the consumption of the work and how this reflects to the real world of the artist, but in a direct way through the means of the game as a really really weird meta-commentary. Maybe that would be a really interesting direction for the game, except it doesn't ever come across as actually wanting to delve into that as a meta commentary and seems more like they just wanted to make the most incredibly mediocre horror plot I've ever encountered. They do so little with the actual story that it feels like filler for the gameplay, but I know that's not what remedy entertainment is about and there are actual twists and turns and occasional moments of dialogue that are a good time. Mainly just the interactions with barry since Alan seems to only be nice about his wife when she's gone and everyone else is a plot device. Except this gets weird when you think about it all as a meta-commentary since the main point of the story is that Alan has wrote all of this to happen before and on purpose. Except you... get the pages? You get pages of what will happen in the game as parts of his manuscript which, come on, he kinda sucks as an author, how in gods name is he world famous. So because of this you know that the point of the manuscript is that alan has written all of this to happen in order to allow himself to defeat the darkness by his own design due to the nature of the location. THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING. However while that would explain why the game is extremely linear and doesn't feel like anything other than room, enemies, room, enemies, chapter over, next chapters exposition. It's because of this though that it ends up being the equivalent of you know nothing in the plot will stop you unless it's to pad out gameplay time because we know Alans already written this to happen and it's meant to go somewhere.

So we end up with the story not saying anything, there being no stakes, and knowing pre-emptively by the game itself that it's going to be a linear path of nothing. It tries to make up for this by building intrigue with what exactly the darkness is, the odd implications of what the night spring videos could mean and the vague nature of the ending. Except because of this intrigue it feels like maybe the game could have been maybe even a quarter as long and have just been a telltale game, jesus it would have been better as a short movie to whatever real game experience they'd want to make later. It's just so weird. I want to see where this goes, but also I feel like this game itself isn't good it's just... It feels more like playing the game is a necessary evil in order to get into the remedy-verse, except so little actually happens that's important to remember that I could legitimately summarize all the important points with as much impact as it was delivered in the game within maybe a quarter of this actual review.

So bottom line, if you're up for just having an alright time and just have a video on in the background until the cutscenes happen you'll probably have an alright time and it's good for that.

edit: also I just realized that I think I'm just extra down on this game specifically because (ignoring the story because alans just isn't for me) I already have played most of control, evil within, evil within 2, resident evil revelations 1 and 2 and all of those games have elements that are all fundamentally better as a game than alan wake. Except for maybe evil within 1 but that game is just generally complete shit until you understand how that game wants you to play, and takes a while before it actually does some amazing stuff at the end.

The lore I am still confused about... But the gameplay is fun! I love the concept of the fighting mechanic, but it gets boring real fast, even with new things (like the "heavies" and the objects) coming into play. The lore is as I said, confusing but still very fun nontheless; which just means I can't put the pieces together, but I can imagine a lot of different ways to connect them, making it more enjoyable. The graphics are good for it's age, and so is the ost.
The difficulty feels nice, the hardest difficulty is just the right amount challenging. The extra modes are welcome, but they had annoying parts.
The most outrageous thing in this game is the collectibles. HOLY shit the amount of collectibles there are in the game. You are telling me I gotta collect 100 thermos, while collecting a crap ton of pages of the script, which you can't even complete unless you are playing on the hardest difficulty, all the while looking out for can pyramids and radios and TVs???? And then there are collectibles in the extras too... Great......
Overall a nice game to pick up and play, not so difficult to finish, but beware if you want to 100% it and you hate collectibles, because there are a lot of them.

This is one of the greats. Remedy really went for something that at the time was very unique. There hadn't been a ton of games exploring the steven king or twin peaks vibe, and they really nailed it w this one. Very special experience when this came out originally. worth giving a shot if you never have.

Although I typically do not play shooters, I picked this game up because I heard the narrative was really great. I played on easy, and that was a good setting for me - died here and there, and only occasionally had to do a section more than twice. The story was definitely worth it. In terms of genre, I'd say it's more of a psychological thriller than a horror game. Looking forward to checking out the sequel soon.

Alan Wake is a classic example of supernatural horror done well, with a gripping narrative and eerie atmosphere that keeps players on edge. If you're a fan of the genre, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss.

Such a great game, I hope we get a sequel soon and it comes to steam and its not funded by epic games

The funniest part of this game by far is when the cop derogatorily refers to Alan Wake by calling him five different authors in the span of three minutes.

As someone who has completed the game on Playstation and near 100%'ed the sequel on PC, I find this a weird game to come back to. It's obvious, by the nature of Remedy's history, that this was a huge swing for them. Max Payne was sold to Rockstar for development money and Quantum Break/Control were mere twinkles in their eye, Alan Wake was the definitive next step for their plans. This was truly a make or break for them and thankfully it succeeded... for the most part.

The biggest, categorical flaw I can provide is that the combat of the original Alan Wake is wholly pathetic. As a team who'd defined bullet time and tight action scenes, it's a shock that this game feels the way it does. The shooting is powered by strong sound effects and explosive visual effects but feels dull in a structural mind. It lacks an impact that it desperately needs but I think it truly comes down to repetition. The gunplay is hardly challenging and the light mechanic is well-utilized but most combat encounters begin and end with the same scenes. The game tries to vary these engagements through varied environmental interactions, but it does little to quell the overarching sensation that you're doing the exact same thing every fight.

That is where my qualms with the game end, though. Outside of a few pacing issues and the obvious restraints that a $20 indie game from 2010 would have, the rest of the game is extremely solid. Bright Falls is a very charming environment and Wake's "fish out of water" attitude towards its odd citizenry is entertaining if not slightly overdone. Bright Falls does fall into repetitiveness too, given that most of the environments it provides is rural wooded areas that are usually doused in darkness but it never feels as notable as the combat due to the fun setpieces it provides. Cutting through log farms or across trapped farm lands almost never gets old.

While Bright Falls is great (and gets much, much more love in the sequel) the characters of Bright Falls are perhaps its strongest asset. The tight triangle of Wake, Barry Allen (Wake's Manager,) and Sheriff Breaker keeps the plot moving and provides a lot of space for the background characters to excel. The Andersons are amazing, Cynthia Weaver provides an excellent deuteragonist and Nightingale/ Hartman share an equal role as antagonists in their own right along with the Dark Presence. If there's any aspect of the game that should compel you to play this game, it's seeing Remedy have as much fun with these characters as possible and truly pushing their budget to the limit in creating setpieces with them.

I would be remiss, as I often am, to not mention Alan and Alice's relationship in a review. Alan is a very troubled character and absolutely deserves to be criticized as he is. He's an alcoholic, workaholic writer who's taken his burnout and put it onto his wife. The later developments in the story (Control's AWE DLC and AW2) do ease him into a likable character who's overwhelmed and dealing with his issues through his writing, but it should be noted that Alan is very unlikable in this game and that is intentional. I personally think it adds to his monologues through the game as he narrates his development into the titular hero, the little moments like the moonshine scene give him a good dynamic with Barry and show a fairer side of his character. Seeing as Remedy has slowly reformed his character over the decade since this game released, I don't find it as egregious as others do, but I can understand some long-term fans' reservations towards him.

Overall, as dated as it is, it's hard not to recommend this game as a fan. I can hardly think of any series, even my favorites, which I could write more about and I think it's truly admirable to see how Remedy as a team has refined themselves since this first game. Their writing is among the best in the entire industry and it's hard to not see them as a wellspring of refreshing stories if you can get through the beginning of their sophomore franchise (not including Death Race). The density of their thematic storytelling is truly unmatched.

If you can't finish this game but love the story, which I entirely understand, watch a recap and hop over to Quantum Break (tangentially related until Alan Wake 2) or Control (basically the world-building sequel before Alan Wake 2.) They are all small corners of a much larger map and I couldn't be happier that Remedy has worked so dutifully to create a large universe.

The game has an interesting story but frustrating combat mechanics. Enemies will appear behind you with little to no warning and dodging is not always effective. I struggled a bit multiple times on normal difficulty but other than that it's cool

The game can be a little repetitive, but it has some cool innovations, a good story and is pretty scary at times for a Teen rated game. I can see why it has a cult following.

❤ Audience ❤

☐ Beginner
☑ Casual Gamer
☑ Normal Gamer
☐ Expert

☼ Graphics ☼

☐ Bad
☐ Alright
☑ Good
☐ Beautiful
☐ Fantastic

♬ Music ♬

☐ Bad
☐ Alright
☑ Good
☐ Beautiful
☐ Fantastic

☠ Difficulty ☠

☐ Easy
☑ Average
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Hard
☐ Unfair

§ Bugs §

☐ Bugs destroy the game
☐ Lots of bugs
☐ Few Bugs
☐ You can use them for speedrun
☑ Nothing encountered

☯ Story ☯

☐ There is none
☐ Bad
☐ Alright
☑ Good
☐ Fantastic

⚔ Gameplay ⚔

☐ Frustrating
☐ Sleepy
☑ Boring
☐ Fun
☐ Challenging

۞ Game time / Length ۞

☐ Really short (0 - 3 hours)
☐ Short (4 - 7 hours)
☑ Few hours (8 - 20 hours)
☐ Long (21-50 hours)
☐ Very Long (51-100 hours)
☐ Extremely Long (101+ hours)

$ Price / Quality $

☐ Full price
☑ Wait for Sale
☐ Don't buy
☐ Refund it if you can

bit rough around the edges, but there's such a beautiful heart and some astonishing writing here that only gets more impressive as it grows into the sequel. hard to think about this game without talking about the second one, which is one of the greatest games ever imo and that fact boosts this up so so much. a must-play for anyone serious about video games and/or writing. if you love (or despise!) twin peaks and stephen king this game is for you

the thing about this game is that I didn't really have true fun until a certain event happens 3/4 of the way through the game. the intrigue carries this experience heavily and I daresay the game doesn't truly have game play to rival the story until the dlc.

A surprisingly good game, that I ended up liking a lot more than I initially thought I would. Has a bit of that Xbox360 jank, but it's well worth it.

Great game. Runs very well on GTX 1650 high settings. It's better experienced with controller.

I hate Horror games......But alan wake is not thats much scary... I just complete 2 seasons and i like it very much. I gave it 8/10.

1. Story & Atmosphere – 9/10

Alan Wake throws you into the eerie shoes of its titular character, a bestselling writer grappling with creative block and a missing wife. Set in the foggy, oppressive town of Bright Falls, Washington, this psychological thriller unfolds like a Stephen King novel crossed with a Twin Peaks episode. The story follows Alan as he searches for his wife, Alice, only to find himself hunted by shadowy, possessed townsfolk and unraveling a supernatural mystery tied to his own writing. The narrative is delivered through a clever episodic structure, complete with cliffhangers that keep you on edge.

The atmosphere is the real star here—dark forests, flickering streetlights, and a constant sense of dread make every moment feel alive with tension. The writing is sharp and self-aware, blending pulp horror with introspective depth. While the plot can get a bit convoluted by the end, the ride is gripping, and the mood is unforgettable.

Pros:

✅ Taut, suspenseful storytelling with a unique premise.

✅ Haunting atmosphere that nails the horror-thriller vibe.

✅ Memorable characters, especially Alan and his snarky narration.

Cons:

❌ Ending feels a tad rushed and ambiguous for some.

2. Gameplay: Combat & Exploration – 7/10

Alan Wake mixes third-person action with light survival horror elements. You’ll fend off “Taken”—shadow-possessed enemies—using a flashlight to burn away their darkness before finishing them with a revolver or shotgun. The light-and-shoot mechanic is fresh and satisfying at first, tying cleverly into the story’s themes, but it can grow repetitive over time. Dodging is clunky, and combat encounters occasionally feel padded.

Exploration is linear but rewarding, with manuscript pages scattered around that flesh out the lore and foreshadow events. The pacing balances quiet, creepy treks through the woods with intense action beats, though it’s not as open-ended as modern titles. It’s solid but not revolutionary.

Pros:

✅ Light-based combat feels thematic and fun.

✅ Manuscript pages add depth and incentive to explore.

✅ Decent variety of weapons and enemy types.

Cons:

❌ Repetitive combat loop wears thin by the end.

❌ Controls can feel dated and stiff.

3. Open World & Exploration – 6/10

Bright Falls isn’t a true open world—it’s a series of large, linear levels—but it’s dripping with personality. The misty forests, rustic cabins, and desolate roads create a cohesive, immersive setting. Exploration is limited to finding collectibles like coffee thermoses and hidden caches, which add charm but not much depth. The game’s strength lies in its directed experience rather than freedom, and while the environments are gorgeous, they’re more of a moody backdrop than a playground. Fans of sprawling exploration might find it restrictive.

Pros:

✅ Beautifully crafted, atmospheric locations.

✅ Collectibles enhance the world’s quirky vibe.

✅ Nighttime visuals are stunningly eerie.

Cons:

❌ Linear design limits true exploration.

4. Technical Performance & Graphics – 8/10

For a 2010 game, Alan Wake still holds up visually in 2025, thanks to its moody lighting and atmospheric effects. The interplay of light and shadow is masterful, with flashlights cutting through fog and darkness in a way that feels ahead of its time. The remastered version (2021) polishes things further—smoother textures, better framerates, and enhanced details make it shine on modern systems. The soundtrack, featuring haunting tracks by Petri Alanko and licensed songs like “Space Oddity,” elevates the mood perfectly. Voice acting is strong, with Matthew Porretta bringing Alan to life. That said, the original PC port had optimization issues, and even the remaster can stutter on lower-end rigs.

Pros:

✅ Striking use of light and shadow.

✅ Fantastic soundtrack and voice work.

✅ Remaster keeps it relevant and smooth.

Cons:

❌ Occasional performance hiccups on weaker hardware.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?

Alan Wake is a roughly 10-12 hour plunge into a dark, cinematic nightmare that blends action, horror, and storytelling with flair. It’s not perfect—combat can drag, and the linearity might disappoint some—but its gripping narrative and oppressive atmosphere make it a standout. If you love a good yarn with a side of spooky thrills, this is a must-play. It’s a cult classic for a reason, and a perfect lead-in to its sequel or Remedy’s broader universe.

Final Ratings:

Story & Atmosphere: (9/10)

Gameplay (Combat & Exploration): (7/10)

Open World & Exploration: (6/10)

Technical Performance & Graphics: (8/10)

Final Score: 7.5/10 – A chilling, stylish thriller that shines brightest in the dark.

I mean I only played this game because I'll play the second game on my ps5. I didn't enjoy the repetitive gameplay and the story overall, ending was ok tho. You can pass this game before playing the second one I guess.

Graphics and Visuals: 6

Gameplay Mechanics: 7

Story and Narrative: 7

Sound and Music: 10

Performance and Optimization: 10

Longevity: 7

Innovation and Creativity: 8

User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX): 9

Characters: 7

Value for Money: 9

I'll give 8,0/10

9 / 10

+ Very well written story
+ Mechanic and setting
+ Music

- Too short
- Very difficult at times when resources are scare (gun, flashlight)
- Remastered version not in steam (not to blamed but it be nice)

Story rich, i don't play games that often but this one got me invested so i finished pretty fast. The fighting is repetitive and so becomes boring quickly, but overall rly gooood, good good good

Excellent atmosphere and story. Gameplay is solid but I would of liked more enemy variety and get rid of the possessed object enemy entirely.

Alan Wake can be an abolute fever dream of a game, feeling downright Lynchian at times in addition to the Stephen King influences it wears on its sleeve. That's enticing, but it's not enough to carry the game through some of the clunkiest TPS gameplay I've ever had the displeasure to slog through, with sluggish controls, half-baked light mechanics and tedious vehicle sections. On what I thought was normal but seemed to be hard mode, encounters devolved all too often into swarms of bullet sponge enemies coming at you from offscreen. Even if you get this for free or next to free, there's no reason to play this for action horror over one of the Resident Evil remakes. Not even worth watching a playthrough either, when you can find a far better Pacific Northwest-set mindbending mystery out there in Twin Peaks. There's a reason it took me around a decade to finally play this, and now that the licensed music is gone too Alan Wake is truly less than the sum of its parts.

Honestly I was annoyed by the writing at the start of the game, but as the game went on I started to love the camp. Definitely a game that grew on me that I would have otherwise not have recommended only 2 hours in.

Biggest complaint is that snippets of lore are hidden behind the hardest difficulty that must be unlocked through a first playthrough, even though the game doesn't really have the juice for more than one playthrough in the first place. Still, there's a lot to love (Barry).