![]() ![]() Eleven years on from Alan Wake’s original release, comparatively fewer people binge DVDs in favour of consuming television via digital streaming services, and as a result, a majority of people aren’t really provided with the means to listen to commentary tracks anymore. The episodic structure of Alan Wake was inspired by the popularity of binge-watching DVD box sets at the time of its development, and I know that for a fact since its writer and creative director Sam Lake mentions it in the brand-new commentary track included with this Remastered edition. Minor HUD changes such as these would have gone a long way towards mitigating the occasional frustration I felt this time around. While the dodge button is extremely effective anytime you see an axe spinning towards you, I found myself routinely copping a shovel to the back of the head with no time to anticipate and react to the blow. Similarly, you’re not really given much indication of incoming attacks from offscreen. An on-screen stamina indicator for Wake’s sprint ability would have been a plus, since judging how far you can run without him fatiguing feels like total guesswork. While I wouldn’t expect a huge shake up to the combat system in what is otherwise a purely superficial remaster, playing Alan Wake Remastered did make me wish for at least some light improvements to its interface. Unfortunately, the character animations seemingly haven’t received similar attention in the remastering process, making their stiff movements seem as wooden as the western pines that surround the small town. Still, the gloomy setting of Bright Falls has certainly never looked better, with jagged edges straightened out by anti-aliasing, textures more clearly defined right down to the woolen weave of Wake’s coat, and the neon signs in the local diner popping with a more realistically vibrant glow. ![]() Perhaps to best illustrate this, after my first 10 minutes with the PS5 version I had to pause it and double check that I hadn’t downloaded the PS4 version by accident. Even so, Alan Wake Remastered remains a fair way behind the big-budget visual standards that have become the norm in 2021. It looks pinsharp at 4K and runs at a fluid 60 frames per second on the PlayStation 5, and the slightly shoddy cutscenes from the 2010 original have been given a welcome new lick of paint. Make no mistake, this rerelease is very much a remaster as opposed to a full remake its graphics may have been overhauled to an appreciable extent but gameplay remains unchanged. Read the full Alan Wake (Xbox 360) Review Read the additional Alan Wake: The Writer DLC (Xbox 360) Review Read the additional Alan Wake: The Signal DLC (Xbox 360) Review Flashlight Flashback Remedy's done a great job of mixing elements of written work, television, and videogames to create an experience full of scares, laughs, and thrills that's just as fun to play as it is to watch. Though the camera can cause issues and the supernatural story that's more interested in asking questions than answering them, it's a tough game to put down once you've started. Outstanding environmental design and some brilliant visuals and sound make Bright Falls and its mountainous surroundings look and feel alive. It’s not too long, took me about 8 hours to finish the main campaign.Remedy has built a world that, despite being a fantastical realm of twisting shadows and realities, is solidly anchored in authenticity. If you like thrillers like classic Resident Evil games and The Medium I’d give it a try. If only there was a way to add some armor (like xmas lights…?). Like Control, the character can be really weak and go down with just a few hits. I started off on normal and switched to easy midway through and, though I still occasionally died, had a much more pleasant experience overall. I’d recommend starting off on easy on first play through. It is very easy to get flanked which can get frustrating. This is fine when you have a couple enemies but when you get a big crowd it’s best to either just run for the next checkpoint or use flares/flash grenades. Enemies are basically shielded by darkness and you must remove the barrier by shining light on them. The gameplay is ok once you get used to it but may seem clunky and disorienting at first. Some frame-rate jitters here and there also. Graphics are good in terms of the environments but the facial animations are quite dated which may be off putting for some. Very Stephen King style thriller and it even calls it out itself. Overall, despite some annoying gameplay at times, I really had fun seeing where the story was gonna go. Definitely worth playing for $10 or through PS+. With a sequel coming soon I found the Alan Wake Remastered on sale on PSN. I never heard of Alan Wake until I played Control.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |