Alan Wake PC
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 716 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 590 out of 716
  2. Mixed: 59 out of 716
  3. Negative: 67 out of 716

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  1. 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 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
  2. 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 w    ell 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
  3. 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 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
  4. 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 Washingto    n 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
  5. 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.
  6. seuche
    Feb 17, 2012
    1
    who invented these terrible controles? its like swiming. a very annoying camera angle in combination with the swiming movement and no aiming feedback are ruining the whole gameexperience. its made for masochists rathers than pc gamers. im used to direct, complete and precice control in games. this thing is the complete opposite.

    because of that, its unplayable for me.
  7. blubsterer
    Feb 28, 2012
    3
    v00d00m4n's post says it all. Game with great potential gets a lousy console port with crappy gameplay and control. I'm (maybe was?) a huge Remedy fan. Played all their games from Death Rally to this piece of crap. It's looks like a disgusting trial to rip off more money from gamers.

    Remedy, i've read, you are PC gamers at heart and really wanted to make this port. If that's true, than do     us all a favor: next time do not listen to your heart if you don't consider to do it right ....… Expand
  8. kailip
    Jul 13, 2012
    0
    Alan wake. How **** a game can be. The game is all about running around in a **** forest (at least for the most part of this **** game), you get bored easily, the combat mechanics is completely retarded and the controls feel wonky, like if Alan is drunk. There's not much to do at the game, only runnin around, combat(which sucks) and collecting **** There's no variety at all. The story is good but its so confusing and has so many gaps, as if they were tired of thinking about a story and just left it unfinished. The game has a good setting and is very immersive until you get bored on the first couple of hours of gameplay. Don't even try this ridiculous game.… Expand
  9. offspring3003
    Feb 22, 2012
    3
    Very bad porting to the PC a good console game, horrible optimization, horrible management (management of the keyboard and mousetrap). Main gripe with the game is that the game is released 2 years later and still the difference from the console version is no (graph and control). Control on the controller very well. mousetrap on your keyboard and all the fun of the game becomes a torment!
  10. ebo974
    Apr 25, 2012
    3
    No fun at all, no freedom, no exploration and always the same creatures to kill. Sorry but it's not enough to make a good game.
    Graficaly it's nice, but very frustating cause we can't use that engine for exploration etc.
    Too much forest, too dark...

    That's sad cause the story could be good support.
  11. kelticpete
    May 10, 2012
    4
    They should have made a book, or a GAME. This seems like neither. I thought with the insanely high reviews this was a no brainer when it went on sale for 15 bucks. Dear horror game coders: Clunky controls that make you feel OUT OF CONTROL do get the adrenaline pumping, but that is not fear. after playing Rage and Skyrim (first person is ALWAYS better) the controls on Alan Wake feel like I am gaming drunk off my butt. Again, crappy control of the character makes you feel out of control but that is just ANNOYING in an actual game. I just looked that the universal stats on Steam. 12% of people did not even finish the first acheivement. I did. Now I am in a town (that is not a big spoiler) I have no desire to watch a ton of cut scenes, I want to either play a game called alan wake or read a book called alan wake. Color me annoyed. I don't suck at horror games. Resident evil 1 was an all time fave. this is no RE 1. After dying like 10 times playing RE 1 I finally got to a safe area and I was so pumped for the game. I have the opposite reaction with this game. I like to explore in a gameworld, so it is annoying to start a game were you are running your a@@ off just to survive. Stop to see the graphics? nope, I can't I am too busy running. I quickly realized it was better to get hit by the bad guys while running than try and take a stand. I am sure there are upgrades and better weapons but I only give it a 50% shot that go any further. It actually made me want to go read a horror book instead of playing a "game". Off to amazon to find something to read. peace out.… Expand
  12. UnbiasedOne
    May 9, 2012
    4
    When purchasing the over shoulder third-person camera angle, you'd expect to be looking over the character's right shoulder, not the character's left leg. With Alan running at your far right eye's end it draws your focus away from what you need to be paying attention to, such as that pit in front of you that you're not going to see because you are too busy looking at Alan and trying to focus around him and not the screen in front of you. When purchasing a horror game, you'd expect horror and not one and a half second cut-scenes of mashed up garbage with blaring "dark" music, because if companies have learned anything by now, which they haven't, it's that suddenly blaring the player with loud sounds or music does not create scares, just pain in the ears. To say that Alan Wake is linear is a dramatic understatement, to say it's passable is a dramatic overstatement. In the begging, Alan mentions he has lost interest in writing, it has become clear to me that companies have lost interest in their customers.… Expand
  13. Widden
    Aug 3, 2012
    1
    Extremely repetitive, moderately boring, and very disturbing to control (consolitis). If you want to just kill zombies, try Left for dead. If you're after a good story, try a good book. If you buy this, be ready for an extremely shallow, simple game.
  14. Coeco
    Jul 23, 2012
    3
    I can't help but feel that they missed to land the stone in the bucket with this one. As moody the maps are, getting spoilers from writing before every exciting combat-situation just ruins the games already lacking ability of horror because the player is far from defenseless and adrenaline does not go well with fear. The story is intriguing leaving you wanting for more but alas the publisher Microsoft decided to pull another DLC stunt (with a "manual calling them through a phone for any chance of refunds if the content is found lacking" requirement) out of their arses, covering this gem in even more dirt which is ironic considering 98% of the environments you are in contains trees and dirt. LOTS of trees and dirt as you are forced into the supposedly 21 century mandatory cut-scenes over and over again. I would be on the verge of overlooking all these flaws if it wasn't for the fact that It's a console port as well. Extremely poor performance at certain points and the aiming can be horrible when you need it the most. Remedy, come on man. You're better than this.… Expand
  15. HarryWebbinger
    Jul 23, 2012
    0
    bought Waky for 8 box on Steam, and must write, that this game is somehow a big fake after playing 1 and a half chapter ! the storyline is extremely boring and full of uninteresting stuff , and compared to games like Metro 2033 or Stalker f.a. a big bad joke. I wouldn't even allow my kids above 12 to play such a poor game.Ten years ago such a storyline would be worth 5 box maximum, but nowadays this is a big fake from the whole game distribution system !! Don´t buy it and be happy about it , is my recommendation. A price about 20 to 30 Box for this is just unbelievable bad joke… Expand
  16. Rossjudas
    Jul 21, 2012
    3
    Nice storyline, you're immersed in a show (reminds me kind of x files) but, excepting the narration this game simply sucks.
    Is divided in 6 episodes but if if you want to see the real "season finale" you must BUY episode 7 & 8 DLC!!!
    Game-play is ridiculous: go from point A to point B, location 90% of the time you're in the woods, you'll find in you way (inside the woods) everywhere b    atteries (with a famous brand/advertising) weapons and stocks of ammo everywhere?!? while you're walking with your annoying character that cannot run for more than 5/6 seconds, you'll find black men (made all the same) that want to kill you, kill them, go to point B, watch cut-scene and there you go repeat for all the other annoying levels.… Expand
  17. Digital_Kitchen
    May 14, 2012
    0
    God, this game is so aweful, if I facepalm any harder I'll be smearing brain into the back of my chair. Yeeaaarrrsssss ago, it got tauted is a "next gen" DX10 love child, and I was all.... ooooh ...if only the gfx were the worst part..... It suffers terribly from the "Mega Man!! Mega MAN!!! MEGA **** MAN!!!!!!!" issue so many games have. And it does that not with just gameplay, but plot, and other **** too.


    For instance:
    You hear "beep beep beep" and he NARRATES that he got a text message and describes what it could have said, instead of **** showing you an eerie text message.

    And for some reason, there is a Big Daddy in the game, like 60% through, you find out that the light in the sky doing all the "Mega Man!!!" stuff is a guy in a retro dive suit.


    Yeah, at first I thought the gfx were bad
    ...then I thought the tutorial-mega-man **** was bad
    ...then I thought the action was bad
    ...then I thought the intrusive narration was bad

    But no
    THEN they added new "enemies" : Flying ovens and refrigerators that you have to kill with your flashlight. God, I kept playing it to get my $15 worth. Now I think I'd pay someone $15 never to have to touch it again.    … Collapse
  18. cbkiller
    Jun 28, 2012
    2
    Alan Wake had an incredible chance to be a great action game, however there are several fundamental flaws including the flashlight-based weapon system. Beautiful scenery in and locations in this game are largely ruined by the game being predicated on darkness. NOT FUN.
  19. vlado_work
    Jul 27, 2012
    4
    I was really looking forward to play this game. The story is great, but unfortunately I had to give up... the camera was driving me crazy and difficulty is just above my level -- attacked from all sides without enough ammo, that's a combination I couldn't manage. Pity, I'd love to know the rest of the story, but I'll just probably google it.
  20. Pier
    Nov 25, 2012
    4
    I really wanted to like this game. The graphics are amazing, the idea is original, and the atmosphere is very well achieved... but the gameplay is simply horrendous, full of glitches and awkward mechanics. The third person camera is a total fail. It seems the game is oriented to a mature audience, and not to hardcore gamers, but even in this aspect it fails as the writing is quite superficial, mundane, and full of clichés. The dialogues couldn't be more obvious... I bought it very cheap in a Steam sale, and I regret it completely.… Expand
  21. facbarros
    Mar 15, 2013
    4
    BORING. This game is really boring. It has a background story, yes, but you just can't influence it. It is one of those games that gives you a false impression of free will, but, in the end you must do whatever the game designers wanted you to do.
    And the fightings with the monsters? Not fun at all.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics

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]
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