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.

Remedy has built a world that, despite being a fantastical realm of twisting shadows and realities, is solidly anchored in authenticity.

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