Alan Wake Remastered

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of Alan Wake Remastered are overwhelmingly positive. Many critics praise the narrative as compelling, suspenseful, and gripping. They highlight the game's ability to create a creepy and atmospheric world, populated with interesting characters. Critics such as Gaming Age, Game Informer, and PlayStation LifeStyle commend the intense and open-to-interpretation storytelling, drawing inspiration from Stephen King and Twin Peaks. The story is described as a psychological thriller that keeps players engaged and motivated to unravel its mysteries. IGN Portugal also notes that the story successfully captures the player's attention throughout the game. The inclusion of episodic storytelling, resembling a television drama, is appreciated by CGMagazine and PlayStation LifeStyle. The mind-bending script and compelling performances are praised by COGconnected, while Dexerto and DualShockers emphasize that the narrative is the game's strongest point. The story is often compared to a novel or TV show, with cliffhangers at the end of each episode, as mentioned by God is a Geek and Comicbook.com. Although the majority of critics have positive opinions about the story of Alan Wake Remastered, there are a few criticisms worth mentioning. Guardian points out that the storytelling can be a mixed bag, with stilted dialogue and heavy-handedness. Video Chums notes that while the story has interesting concepts, they feel that it never reaches its full potential. However, these negative aspects are outweighed by the positive sentiments expressed by the majority of the critics. In conclusion, the overall consensus among the critics is that the story of Alan Wake Remastered is highly commendable. The narrative is praised for its compelling, suspenseful, and gripping nature. The game successfully creates a creepy and atmospheric world, with interesting characters that keep players engaged. The episodic approach to storytelling, reminiscent of a TV series, is appreciated by many critics. Despite a few criticisms regarding dialogue and potential unfulfilled concepts, the positive opinions of the critics far outweigh the negatives. Overall, the story of Alan Wake Remastered is considered a standout aspect of the game and highly recommended by the majority of the critics.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of Alan Wake Remastered are generally positive. Several critics, including NintendoWorldReport and CGMagazine, highlight the satisfaction of the combat mechanics, which involve using a flashlight to stun enemies and guns to finish them off. The use of light and darkness as a central gameplay mechanic is praised for adding depth and introducing new weapons, mechanics, and enemies throughout the game. The ability to dodge enemy attacks and the inclusion of little tricks in the combat system are also mentioned as positives. Critics such as Dexerto and PlayStation LifeStyle appreciate the intense and tactical nature of the gameplay, with enemies that can only be defeated with light. The innovative use of light-based weaponry and the availability of different weapons and tools are also mentioned as positives by critics like Noisy Pixel and PlayStation LifeStyle. However, there are some negative aspects of the gameplay that critics point out. GameGrin and COGconnected express frustration with the stamina system and fighting possessed objects. The limited stamina of the protagonist and enemies spawning off-screen and behind the player are criticized by COGconnected. DualShockers and IGN mention that the gameplay feels dated compared to more modern games, with cumbersome controls and repetitive gameplay. IGN Portugal acknowledges that the gameplay is not exceptional but praises the original concept and the constant tension created through the use of darkness and light. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the gameplay of Alan Wake Remastered offers a unique and satisfying experience. The combination of using light and darkness as a central mechanic, along with the flashlight and gun combat, is praised for its intensity and tactical nature. The introduction of new weapons, mechanics, and enemies throughout the game adds depth to the combat system. However, there are some criticisms regarding the dated controls, repetitive gameplay, and frustration with certain gameplay elements such as the stamina system and enemy spawning. Despite these negatives, the majority of critics appreciate the gameplay mechanics and the overall experience provided by Alan Wake Remastered.

In analyzing the opinions of multiple reviewers regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Alan Wake Remastered, it is evident that there are both positive and negative aspects highlighted. Several critics, such as GameGrin and Dexerto, appreciate the improvements made to character models, expressions, animations, and cutscenes, which enhance the cinematic experience and make the game more visually appealing. CGMagazine and Comicbook.com also acknowledge the overall visual upgrades, praising the stunning environments and textures that give the game a modern look. Press Start Australia specifically mentions the excellent lighting, picturesque day scenes, and terrifying night scenes, further emphasizing the positive aspects of the game's visual design. These positive opinions collectively suggest that the remastered version successfully enhances the overall visual experience of Alan Wake. However, there are also negative criticisms regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of Alan Wake Remastered. Gaming Age expresses disappointment, describing the game as "hideous, blurry, and unfocused," with characters resembling those from the original Xbox era and flat, unfinished scenery. NintendoWorldReport and COGconnected highlight the aged qualities of the character models, stiff animations, and awkward facial expressions, comparing it to playing an Xbox 360 game. IGN and Screen Rant mention issues with character animations, with IGN Portugal specifically noting the limitations in visuals, character movement, and facial expressions. These negative opinions indicate that despite the improvements, certain aspects of the game's visual design, particularly character models and animations, have not aged well and may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Alan Wake Remastered has seen improvements in its Graphics and Visual Design, but there are still some areas that fall short. The positive feedback regarding the enhanced character models, animations, cutscenes, and environments suggests that the remastered version successfully updates the game's visuals, making it more visually appealing and immersive. Critics such as Pure Xbox and Guardian appreciate the improvements in lighting effects and atmospheric design. However, the negative criticisms regarding the aged character models, stiff animations, and occasional issues with cutscene animations indicate that there are still noticeable flaws. While the remastered version of Alan Wake is generally praised for its visual upgrades, it is important to note that it may not fully meet the expectations of those looking for a completely modernized visual experience.

The opinions of the critics regarding the sound design and music of Alan Wake Remastered are overwhelmingly positive. CGMagazine praises the game's unsettling atmosphere and quality audio design, stating that it enhances the horror experience. IGN Portugal also commends the game for masterfully using music, camera angles, and level design to create tension and unease, with the sound design enhancing the overall experience. DualShockers and Noisy Pixel both highlight the positive impact of the music and sound design on the spooky atmosphere of the game. WellPlayed compliments the wonderful musical score and the inclusion of licensed tracks that reflect the protagonist's troubled mind and situation. While the majority of critics have positive opinions, there are a few minor negatives mentioned. GameByte criticizes the audio mixing, stating that it has some problems that make dialogue hard to hear. This suggests that there might be some issues with the overall balance of the sound elements in the game. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the sound design and music of Alan Wake Remastered are very good. The positive comments from multiple critics, such as COGconnected praising the excellent sound design delivering both a cerebral and visceral experience, and GameSkinny mentioning the licensed soundtrack enhancing the atmospheric experience, further support this consensus. The game's ability to create an unsettling atmosphere, enhance the horror experience, and effectively use music and sound design to create tension and immersion are consistently praised. Despite the minor issue with audio mixing mentioned by GameByte, the overall sentiment is highly positive.

The opinions of the critics regarding the voice acting in Alan Wake Remastered are varied, but overall, there is a positive sentiment towards the performances. NintendoWorldReport praises the crisp voice acting and the updated face models that closely reflect the appearances of the voice actors. GameByte also highlights the improved character models, which come with better animations and more expressive faces, enhancing the voice acting performances. These positive comments suggest that the voice acting in the game successfully brings the characters to life and contributes to the overall quality of the storytelling. However, there are some negative aspects mentioned by a few critics. Video Chums mentions odd voice sync issues with some character models, which could potentially detract from the immersion and impact of the voice acting. PlayStation LifeStyle briefly mentions the protagonist's voice acting as somewhat stiff, without providing further details or opinions about the overall voice acting in the game. While these negative comments are present, they are not as prevalent as the positive ones. Taking into account the opinions of the various critics, the overall consensus leans towards the positive side. Gaming Age describes the voice acting as "very good," while God is a Geek praises the voice cast for enhancing the storytelling. GameSkinny also states that the voice acting in Alan Wake Remastered is good or better, contributing to the overall quality of the storytelling and bringing the characters to life. The positive comments from these critics, along with the praise for the improved character models and nuanced facial performances in cutscenes mentioned by Screen Rant, suggest that the voice acting in the game is generally well-received by the reviewers. While there are some minor criticisms mentioned, the overall sentiment is positive, indicating that the voice acting in Alan Wake Remastered is a strong aspect of the game.

In terms of the technical performance on the Nintendo Switch, Gaming Age criticizes the game, stating that the performance is abysmal with hideous visuals and difficulty seeing due to darkness. However, NintendoWorldReport has a contrasting opinion, mentioning that the game runs great on the Switch with easy-to-manage controls and steady performance. This indicates a difference in experience among reviewers on the same platform. Moving on to the PlayStation 5, the majority of critics have positive feedback regarding the technical performance of Alan Wake Remastered. COGconnected praises the buttery smooth framerate, while Dexerto mentions improved performance and smoother gameplay compared to the original release. IGN simply states that the game runs at a fluid 60 frames per second, without providing further details. PlayStation LifeStyle, on the other hand, highlights a major issue encountered later in the game where assets were missing, rendering the game unplayable. This negative experience suggests the need for a patch to address the problem. Gfinity mentions that cutscenes noticeably stutter, which can be considered a significant problem for a story-driven game. For the Xbox Series X, GameByte praises the higher framerate and resolution, making it the best version of the game to date. GameSkinny also appreciates the improvement in running at 60fps, although they mention issues with the jump and vaulting system leading to occasional missed jumps and deaths. Pure Xbox mentions a smooth 60fps during gameplay, but cutscenes remain at 30fps. They also highlight issues with a cumbersome camera, frustrating enemy encounters, and floaty controls. Screen Rant mentions technical issues such as stutter in cutscenes and a progression-blocking bug in Episode 5, which the developer plans to address. Xbox Achievements, however, states that the game plays exactly as it did 11 years ago, implying no significant improvements or issues. Overall, the critics' opinions on the technical performance of Alan Wake Remastered are mixed across different gaming platforms. The PlayStation 5 receives mostly positive feedback, with smooth framerates and improved performance mentioned by multiple critics. However, issues with cutscenes and occasional technical problems are also highlighted. The Nintendo Switch experiences a divide in opinions, with one critic finding the performance abysmal and another praising its smoothness. The Xbox Series X version receives positive remarks regarding framerate and resolution improvements, but also faces criticism for issues with controls, camera, and occasional technical problems. It is evident that while the game generally performs well on the PlayStation 5, the experience on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X varies among reviewers.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of Alan Wake Remastered are varied. Some critics, such as CGMagazine and GameByte, highlight the inclusion of additional content, such as DLC episodes and QR codes leading to intriguing videos, as a positive aspect that adds replay value for fans of the game. Game Informer also mentions the potential for a sequel, which can further enhance the replay value. Additionally, Xbox Achievements emphasizes that the game is worth experiencing multiple times. On the other hand, there are critics who express concerns about the replay value. NintendoWorldReport mentions that while the gameplay and visual treatment of the remastered version are comparable to the original game, players may not want to revisit it too often. Video Chums also suggests that the game may not have much replay value, especially for those who already own the original version. ZTGD points out that the overwhelming number of collectibles may deter some players from revisiting the game. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that Alan Wake Remastered offers some replay value, particularly for fans of the Remedy Connected Universe and those interested in uncovering new secrets and connections to other games, such as Control. The inclusion of additional content, such as DLC episodes and collectibles, is seen as a positive aspect that can enhance the replayability for completionists and fans of the franchise. However, there are concerns raised about the game's age and the potential lack of incentives for veterans of the franchise to revisit it. Despite these concerns, the general sentiment is that Alan Wake Remastered is a game worth experiencing multiple times, either for its story, gameplay mechanics, or connections to other games in the Remedy universe.