Alan Wake released for the PC

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I just logged into Steam and noticed this. Seems a pretty silent release - I heard that it was coming but I didn't know when and suddenly it's here.

The setting looks nice, but I remember being disappointed a few years ago to find out that the game isn't a more sandbox experience as it was previously suggested (IIRC) and is pretty linear instead. Has anyone played it (on whatever platform)?
 
I own the Collector's Edition on the 360.

The gameplay isn't exactly anything unique or special, but the game has a pretty decent story as can be expected from the people that brought us the likes of Max Payne 1 and 2.

An upcoming mini-sequel to the game is releasing later this month on X-Box Live Arcade.
 
It's just okay. It was worth a rental but I'm really glad I didn't purchase it.

The story is really poorly written. Their writing style worked in Max Payne 1, but it just feels ridiculous in this. The gameplay is fun for a while, but gets really old because it has that Doom 3 kind of gimmick where the Flashlight is the single thing that makes it any different from anything else.

I also pretty much expect this to be a lousy port.
 
Yorick said:
I also pretty much expect this to be a lousy port.
Click to expand...

The port is very good. They've added pretty much every graphical option and it runs beautifully. Played the first chapter so far and am really enjoying it.


First 30 mins of the PC version. It's not running at full fps in these though do due FR.A.P.S so bare in mind it runs much faster than what's on display here.
 
Better get your sofas ready!

Lost most of my interest after they cut the sandbox parts.
 
They can go **** themselves for cancelling the original PC version. I wouldn't buy it if it was £2.50.
 
StardogChampion said:
They can go **** themselves for cancelling the original PC version. I wouldn't buy it if it was £2.50.
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I'm sure that was primarily Microsoft's move. Remedy (the Developer) actually self published the PC port, taking a pretty big financial risk to give PC gamers the game. Maybe not the best outcome, but they're doing what they can to make up for Microsoft's shitty decision, and for that, I'll support them, especially since they're only charging $29 for it.
 
Yeah, what Krynn said. Remedy have a lot riding on this and will probably determine whether Microsoft will consider a PC release of American Nightmare viable. PC owners get so many bad ports that it's refreshing to see a company put care and effort into a PC version, no matter how late. Plus right now Greenmangaming.com are offering 33% off it with voucher codes.
 
it's not even worth pirating, remedy can **** off.
 
Don't understand all the Remedy hate. They're a privately owned relatively small developer and it's incredibly expensive to develop on the PC platform and optimize a game for so many machines. They weren't allocated enough resources by their publishers. re:re: front page article on devs not "owing" you shit. At least not in this case.

They're a small team of talented folks who've retained an independent identity despite multiple chances to sell out to a big name publisher. Good on them, I hope they keep on keepin' on.
 
Played it on the X-Bawks. Never finished it though. Might pick it up during a sale.
 
I thought it was decent, if short and pretty hammy, plot-wise. Wouldn't buy it at full price, though.
 
I just bought it. I was intending to pick it up during a sale but decided to buy it now for the 'full' price because I feel like the (Finnish!) developers deserve the support. Self-publishing is pretty risky for them. And it's obvious they put a lot of effort into the PC version to make sure it's not just a bad console port.

The atmosphere is just fantastic. Sometimes it feels like I'm playing a TV-show, but not in a bad way at all. I don't like horror games and Alan Wake has just the right amount of tension for me.
 
Bad^Hat said:
I thought it was decent, if short and pretty hammy, plot-wise. Wouldn't buy it at full price, though.
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I only paid £23 for the Collectors Edition through Steam and that seems a fair price to me. Better than the £30 they are charging for the shitty Darkness 2 port.
 
Bad^Hat said:
Any sources on this? Genuinely curious, this is news to me.
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He's either being sarcastic, or completely full of shit. If its the latter, then he probably made his ridiculous assumption based on how indie devs can publish on pc, and didn't realize that most indie devs dont makes games that utilize hardware like Alan Wake does, dont have as large of a potential customer base, and thus require a tiny fraction of the hardware testing Remedy had to go through.

And I can tell you from experience that recoding the controls for a mouse and keyboard to fluidly navigate an interface designed for buttons and analog sticks is a hell of a bitch to do as well.
 
Though I don't make games I make software for living and even then developing for PC is hellish. Hell it's even hellish when developing for a damn mobile phone. You have to buy a shit ton of hardware, test everything really well and still shit breaks down or performs sub-optimally. Just because of the fact you don't have a spec saying this is your only hardware. Usually the cases where the customers say you can dictate the hardware the task becomes a lot easier - so many factors drop out.

I'd say on PC's developing games might be easy in the sense that you have such wast resources available. So you can just make shitty implementations, optimize poorly and shit will still run just fine.
 
StardogChampion said:
Or maybe I write game code every day.
Click to expand...

So what magical code do you use that makes optimizing for thousands of different hardware configurations easier than programming for one or two configurations?

Anyways, I've gotta say, I'm surprised at how much I like the whole "TV Episode" approach. It gives a really satisfying feeling to completing each section, and provides good stopping points to take a break.
 
I'm enjoying the game a lot, and I also like the tv episode thing. I'm seriously considering doing the playthrough as if it was a real tv show, playing an "episode" each night.
 
Didn't Alan Wake start off as a PC game, then go to console? It's a bit weird that it's going back to PC again.
 
Started as PC game, went console when realizing that had become fiscal suicide, ported back when the dust settled and it became safe.
 
More like, it was turned into a console game because Microsoft wanted a highly anticipated game to be an X-box exclusive.
 
The developers simply wanted it on PC too. I guess whatever restricted them from porting it expired lately and they decided to self-publish it.
 
Edeslash said:
The developers simply wanted it on PC too. I guess whatever restricted them from porting it expired lately and they decided to self-publish it.
Click to expand...

Microsoft gave them the go ahead to release it on PC (Remedy still own the IP) but wouldn't make it a Microsoft game so Remedy went at it alone. Hope now that the sales have been good thus far Microsoft get a bit pissed.
 
The funny thing is, on the PC it was supposed to be a Vista-exclusive title (since it used DX10).
 
Yep, they were even using it to show off quad-core processors in Windows. Who remembers this?

 
I do, I just can't believe it's been almost three and a half year since that video.

Where does the time go?
 
A post on the Remedy forums states that they have made back their development and marketing costs in the first 48 hours. Not bad for a dying platform. ;)
 
Well, I am guessing the cost of releasing it on PC wasn't that big to begin with.

According to the devs it was a pretty small team working on the PC version, with the main team being occupied with American Nightmare.
 
Bad^Hat said:
Yep, they were even using it to show off quad-core processors in Windows. Who remembers this?
Click to expand...
Ha! I knew it would be the one with the tornado. That was so awesome back then.

My question to people who have bought it for the PC: does it live up to that video AT ALL?? Does the water look that good? The lighting? The weather effects? I know the story could never live up to Twin Peaks or even Stephen King at his best, but I love games with atmosphere and it looks like it has that in spades. Any input is welcome. :) Thanks!!
 
VictimOfScience said:
Ha! I knew it would be the one with the tornado. That was so awesome back then.

My question to people who have bought it for the PC: does it live up to that video AT ALL?? Does the water look that good? The lighting? The weather effects? I know the story could never live up to Twin Peaks or even Stephen King at his best, but I love games with atmosphere and it looks like it has that in spades. Any input is welcome. :) Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I honestly can't get a decent grasp on the visuals in that video due to it's poor quality, though the finishes version has no weather effects other than wind which makes all the trees and grass sway very nicely (though the effect is used as an indicator that the area is a dangerous Taken area rather than actual weather) the lighting effects in the PC version are very good and the game drips with atmosphere. Some have found the combat repetitive but I never really had an issue with it. Apart from some seriously stupid level design near the end of the second DLC "The Writer" I found the game to be fantastic. I've posted some shots in the screenshot thread if you want a decent representation of the visuals.
 
Got done with Alan Wake: American Nightmare earlier, was fun and definitely worth the 10 or so USD it cost. Took me around 5-6 hours to beat. Hopefully it'll get ported to PC too in the future.

Also, it has reminded me that I still haven't beaten any of the DLCs of the first game, need to do that.
 
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