Alan Wake Remastered review \u2013 Shining new light on a cult classic Remedy EntertainmentIt\u2019s been more than a decade since Alan Wake\u2019s nightmares first came to life in Bright Falls, but with a modern graphical overhaul and improved performance across the board, Remedy Entertainment\u2019s cult classic now shines brighter than ever before. With a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, Alan Wake launched in 2010 as one of the more original third-person titles on the market. Its innovative game design and unique episodic structure left a memorable impression on those who played it, serving as one of the best horror experiences of the Xbox 360 era. 11 years on and Alan Wake Remastered breathes new life into the expertly crafted mystery, and what an exceptional thriller back then becomes a must-play now. At a low price point to boot, there\u2019s never been a better opportunity for Alan Wake\u2019s living nightmare to captivate a new audience. Alan Wake Remastered \u2013 Key details Price: $30.95 (AUD) | $29.99 (USD) | \u00a324.99 (GBP) – Developer: Remedy Entertainment | d3t Ltd – Release date: October 5, 2021 – Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, & PC – Alan Wake Remastered trailer Like a damn fine cup of coffee From the opening cutscene to the first steps in Mr. Wake\u2019s newly polished shoes, the visual upgrade becomes abundantly clear. Bright Falls and its many eccentric inhabitants have never looked better. Not only does the remaster improve textures across the board and provide a 4K at 60FPS facelift (on the latest hardware), but perhaps most notably, character models have also been reworked to match contemporary standards. From Alan Wake himself to each obscure figure he encounters, richly detailed character design helps a great deal in modernizing the title. While the original release had its fair share of janky lip-sync issues and awkward facial expressions, the remaster cleans everything up. Cutscenes have received a massive overhaul in particular, with sharper details conveying each frightening revelation that much better than before. The technical leap helps the title feel like one that was developed and released this generation, not one from more than a decade ago. Although ray tracing technology hasn\u2019t been employed here, and justifiably so, lighting has still seen a noticeable improvement nonetheless. With the use of light a core pillar supporting Alan Wake\u2019s gameplay systems, these upgrades are extremely welcome and their impact is felt throughout every combat sequence. Whether you\u2019re lining up a simple headshot on a staggered foe or launching a devastating flare through a crowd of haunting figures, watching light scatter across a dark forest never gets old. With that said, visuals throughout the remaster won\u2019t blow you away by any means. This is a remaster and not a remake, after all. Don\u2019t go in expecting a Demon Souls level overhaul, but compared to Alan Wake\u2019s original form, the difference truly is night and day, making this the absolute best way to experience the classic story. Read more: Death Stranding Director\u2019s Cut review – It\u2019s a considerable step forward in every regard, as Remedy\u2019s enthralling horror game looks and plays significantly better than it ever has before. Shine on While better visuals and smoother performance are both certainly welcome, it would all be for naught if the game itself didn\u2019t hold up this far removed from its initial release. Fortunately, Alan Wake\u2019s gameplay is still just as intense as ever. Rather than blitzing through the woods as a cliche action hero, Alan Wake offers a much more tactical experience. Shrouded in darkness, enemies can only be taken out once light pierces through their protective layer. With scarce supplies in each area, this makes every bullet just as valuable as every battery you find for your trusty flashlight. Read More: Deathloop review – There are no drastic gameplay tweaks to be found in the remaster and that\u2019s a great thing. The original combat cycle is still more than enough to give you sweaty palms and that intensity reaches a new level in the franchise\u2019s PlayStation debut, thanks to the Dualsense. Thanks to the controller\u2019s adaptive triggers, not only does each round pack more of a punch, but the flashlight also has some added depth to it. Lightly holding down the trigger sees Alan Wake point his flashlight at nearby targets. Pushing the trigger down more intently, however, sees the flashlight cast its beam at full force, rapidly draining the battery but wiping away any darkness in an instant. It\u2019s an excellent addition that keeps you in the moment and far more cognizant of your remaining supplies. Structured in an episodic fashion, every chapter has near-perfect pacing, providing a great blend of high-intensity combat with moments of solitude. All of which builds towards a series of climactic endings that have you spamming the \u2018X\u2019 button to continue the story and see what happens next, no different from your favorite Netflix binge. Each episode flows together seamlessly just as it did before, letting you soak in the shocking moments all while an incredible soundtrack punctuates every twist and turn. The Remaster is well worth your time if you\u2019re yet to shine a light in the darkness, but even if you\u2019ve played the original a handful of times, there\u2019s still good reason to revisit Bright Falls once again. Remedy has cleverly scattered a few new secrets in the classic experience that any diehard fan won\u2019t want to miss. Alan Wake was a brilliant horror game back in 2010. 11 years on and the remaster only underscores why so many were enraptured by its creative game design and masterful storytelling. The cult classic has confidently shambled back into the spotlight once more to shine brighter than ever at an affordable price. Put simply, Alan Wake Remastered is an essential purchase. Rating: 9\/10 If it\u2019s your first time visiting Bright Falls or you just want to take in the scenery again before the next chapter in Remedy\u2019s overarching franchise rears its head, there\u2019s no better way to experience Alan Wake\u2019s original nightmare. Reviewed on PS5<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alan Wake Remastered review \u2013 Shining new light on a cult classic Remedy EntertainmentIt\u2019s been more than a decade since Alan Wake\u2019s nightmares first came to life in Bright Falls, but with a modern graphical overhaul and improved performance across the board, Remedy Entertainment\u2019s cult classic now shines brighter than ever before. With a gun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78396\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}