Alan Wake Finally Arrives on the PC

[WMDogma]

Alan Wake Finally Arrives on the PC

If you missed out on exploring the mysterious darkness of Bright Falls the first time around, here's your second chance.

Remedy Entertainment's action-thriller Alan Wake is finally arriving on the PC this month, over a year and a half after it originally released for the Xbox 360 in May of 2010. The game will be available for purchase on February 16th on Steam, with a release on other digital distribution networks like EA's Origins shortly afterwards. A boxed retail version of the game has also been announced, but no ship date has been set.

The game will cost $30 USD on Steam in a package deal that'll include all of its DLC content, and a Limited Collector's Edition will be available for a few dollars more at $35 USD. There's no word on specifically what the Collector's Edition will include, but if it's anything like the Xbox version, it'll come with an official strategy guide and behind-the-scenes content.

The PC version of Alan Wake has received a full graphical overhaul with high-res textures, will support multiple screens, and users with a quad-core CPU will some extra visual punch with the game's new multi-threaded engine. Alan Wake will also supports both Nvidia's and AMD Eyefinity 3D's settings, along with customizable keyboard/mouse controls or if you prefer to keep things simple, a Microsoft Gamepad.

For those who don't quite recall, Alan Wake is a psychological thriller about best-selling author Alan Wake, and the dark secrets he encounters while vacationing with his wife in the town of Bright Falls. The game received high marks for its imposing atmosphere and complex combat, and has also been nominated for numerous awards for its story and and sound design. While a full sequel has yet to be announced, an XBLA spin-off titled Alan Wake's American Nightmare is also set to arrive later this month on February 22nd.


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[Yopaz]

Whoopie! I've been waiting for this even though I already got the Xbox version. I will still buy this and I will most likely get the special edition just to show my support for the company. I also haven't bought the last DLC chapter so now I get to check out that too.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I'm still kind of mad about them canceling the PC version in the first place only to change their mind and resurrect it when the console version didn't sell as well as they liked, but if it ends up being a good port without crappy DRM or anything I'll probably pick it up at some point. I've been interested in it since I first heard about it. Better late than never, I guess.

 

[lacktheknack]

It looks like they put a lot of work into it. I very well may buy it, especially at $30.

 

[Treblaine]

Lovely Jubbly.

But did this really have to take 18 months? Better late than never I guess, still this gives me hope for Red Dead Redemption on PC as that game would be bloody wonderful with mods as it's such an imperfect game. Wonderful marred by a few decisions that... why. You guys know the ending, and if you don't, well.

 

[Kapol]

I might pick this up. I liked it for 360. And if the collector's edition comes with the soundtrack like the console version, then it only makes it more likely I'll get it.

 

[Akisa]

Wait what? Something must be going on. Why are all these exclusives being turned into pc ports?

 

[Baresark]

Haha, and for all you PC enthusiasts out there, they are doing a fantastic job on this release. It has the one feature most companies won't put into a multiplatform game, an adjustable FOV. Crazy shit. I feel like I have to buy this since it's a proper port, despite it not being out anywhere near the same time as the console game.

Copied from RPS:

Here?s the full list of what?s new in the PC version:

- Experience Alan Wake?s Pacific Northwest in higher resolutions and higher fidelity than ever before
- Refined and fully configurable mouse and keyboard support (or if you prefer to play with the Microsoft gamepad connected to your PC, you can do that too!)
- A wide selection of customizable graphics settings and support for 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios
- Multithreaded engine that takes advantage of quad core CPUs
- Additional options our fans have sought after, such as field of view adjustment as well as ?hide HUD?.
- Works with AMD Eyefinity 3D 3-screen mode
- Works with NVIDIA NVISION2 Stereoscopic 3D

 

[Baresark]

Lovely Jubbly.

But did this really have to take 18 months? Better late than never I guess, still this gives me hope for Red Dead Redemption on PC as that game would be bloody wonderful with mods as it's such an imperfect game. Wonderful marred by a few decisions that... why. You guys know the ending, and if you don't, well.

It took 18 months because they originally took Microsoft's advice and decided that they were not going to release on the PC, though they had developed it with that in mind. Well, Microsoft kind of screwed the developer over in a few capacities and they decided that the game should get a PC release, against MS's wishes.

 

[Bobic]

Now to just wait 6 months for it to find its way into a decent steam sale.

Yay, cheapness.

 

[WaReloaded]

Well, the next time I have $30 to throw away I'll definitely consider buying Alan Wake on Steam. Here's to hoping it was well ported.

 

[Metalrocks]

30$??? wow, thats a good price. since i will not get my self ME3 due spyware origin, this sounds like a much better bargain to me. i just really hope the port will be good and that it will run smoothly on my old pc.
have a Q6600 and a ati 3850 card.

 

[Treblaine]

Lovely Jubbly.

But did this really have to take 18 months? Better late than never I guess, still this gives me hope for Red Dead Redemption on PC as that game would be bloody wonderful with mods as it's such an imperfect game. Wonderful marred by a few decisions that... why. You guys know the ending, and if you don't, well.

It took 18 months because they originally took Microsoft's advice and decided that they were not going to release on the PC, though they had developed it with that in mind. Well, Microsoft kind of screwed the developer over in a few capacities and they decided that the game should get a PC release, against MS's wishes.

Last I heard Microsoft was the Publisher/producer in which case they (usually) own the rights to the game and Remedy (the developers) can't do squat with their game without Microsoft's approval as it isn't "their" game. They made it, but they made it as like a commissioned artwork.
(the game launches showing the Microsoft Logo, just like Gears of War and Halo)

But contracts are complicated, Remedy may have had partial ownership of the final product, have a chance to renegotiate or buy the intellectual property back. Or maybe Microsoft only arranged for 18 months of Xbox exclusivity with a clause forbidding PS3 release. Who knows, that's all likely very secret.

Wikipedia suggests (without citation) that it is only Remedy bringing it to PC (evident by it using Steamworks rather than GfWL) as publisher without Microsoft. I'd just like to know where you heard that, you know, straight from the horses mouth as it's not worth much to say I heard it from some guy on an internet forum. Even though they don't know how reliable Baresark is.

 

[Sartan0]

I was one of the PC gamers that was less then pleased to see this game not have a PC release given the history of both the company involved and the game it's self.

That said, at $30 with both DLC's I may well take a look at this if it gets good buzz for the PC version.