The idea of a Remedy Connected Universe had been around for some time. Both Alan Wake and Quantum Break featuring many nods to both Max Payne and Alan Wake respectively. They even included some nods to the future title Control. While Quantum Break doesn’t have many nods to it in Control, the same can’t be said for Alan Wake.
The fact that Alan Wake and Control are so heavily connected also begs the question of which one is the superior title. While both games are great, they are different enough that it would be hard to compare the two if not for the fact that they are in the same universe.
10 Combat: Control
Control wins this section in a landslide victory. While Alan Wake is a good horror game, its combat is fairly limited in order to make the danger more apparent to both the player and Alan himself.
Control, on the other hand, is much more of an action game with horror elements splashed throughout as Jesse is capable of tearing through enemies quickly and more efficiently with the assistance of the Objects of Power. Alan is limited in terms of combat power with naught but his trusty flashlight and sidearm.
9 Environment: Control
While the Oldest House and FBC can look a little samey in some places, it is a lot more fun to explore than the closed-in levels of Bright Falls in Alan Wake. There are many hidden rooms, items, and even powers that Jesse can find in Control.
Whether as a narrative choice or due to hardware limitation of the time, Alan Wake’s environment is not as detailed. Bright Falls is a lot emptier compared to the Oldest House, but this emptiness does enhance something that Alan Wake does do better than Control.
8 Atmosphere: Alan Wake
The world of Bright Falls may not be as exciting as the Oldest House, but it’s impossible to say that it doesn’t project the appropriate mood for the story better than Control’s setting. While the FBC deals more in weird vibes than creepy ones, it does try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to get this view across to the player.
The dark world of Bright Falls, on the other hand, conveys a sense of danger that isn’t felt in Control. This applies especially toward the end of the game when Jesse can just be a total Jedi powerhouse. The crawling fear in Alan Wake is something that fits very well into the horror mystery of the game’s story.
7 Protagonist: Control
Both Jesse Faden and Alan Wake are portrayed as something of a fish-out-of-water protagonist. They each have to deal with a mysterious and malevolent force that they have no prior knowledge of and spend the majority of their games fighting against.
While Alan does this alone, for the most part, Jesse has the help of the entire FBC. They not only help Jesse become a better Director but also give her a chance to grow in more ways through her interactions. While Alan does grow and become a good protagonist, it is hindered by the fact that he is alone in his own story.
6 Antagonist: Alan Wake
While Jesse is a better protagonist, the main villains that she has to defend the world from aren’t are well defined as Alan Wake’s. Dylan and the Hiss have the potential to be interesting – especially considering Dylan’s unique abilities that contrast perfectly with Jesse and Polaris.
However, this potential is squandered by an open ending that amounts to nothing more than “there is still work to be done”. Alan Wake’s antagonist, while being as equally mysterious, allows for the story to actually have a satisfying conclusion despite its open-ended nature.
5 Secondary Characters: Control
While there are some memorable characters in Alan Wake, none of them reach the heights of the cast of Control. The characters here vary between being the most serious person in the room or so quirky that it’s hard to take them seriously. Among all of the staff of the FBC, few stand out as much as Dr. Darling, the overly enthusiastic head of research who slowly spirals out of control.
Ahti, the mysterious janitor who is, apparently, more than meets the eye is another stand-out. His entire history is classified beyond what the majority of FBC staff are able to learn. While more straight-faced characters like Marshall don’t come into their own until the DLC expansions, they are still memorable in their own right.
4 Story: Tie
It’s clear that the overarching stories of Alan Wake and Control are both interconnected and not yet over. Alan Wake is still trapped inside the Dark Place in the conclusion of the AWE expansion. It is clear that the Hiss isn’t going anywhere anytime soon by the end of Control.
Both stories on their own also have a similar not-quite-over feel about them. For Control, Dylan is under containment but the Hiss is still active in Control. Alan found a way to defeat the Dark Presence but remained trapped in the Dark Place as a result. Until fans get the conclusion to this story in the future, both games are tied when it comes to their stories.
3 Scare Factor: Alan Wake
Control, for the most part, tried to be a creepy, somewhat horrifying game. Players can hear the Hiss incantation just about everywhere in the Oldest House and it’s a good indication that Jesse is about to be attacked by the Hiss.
But the FBC itself is far too bright to allow their presence to make a significant impact. Alan Wake, on the other hand, takes place almost entirely at night. As a result, those touched by the Dark Presence are significantly more frightening as players have to fight them while they are obstructed by darkness.
2 Easter Eggs: Control
This is a bit of an unfair win for Control since it was released so many years later. But there are far more easter eggs to find in Control than in Alan Wake. While Alan Wake does have a neat reference to Max Payne in the opening hours of the game, that’s where the easter eggs end in terms of past Remedy titles.
Control, on the other hand, has many references to past games including both Alan Wake and Quantum Break. However, it does have comparatively fewer Max Payne references.
1 Winner: Control
While Control does have its flaws (particularly in its ending), the gameplay, characters, world, and lore that it presents put it on a higher level than Alan Wake could manage. But there are many factors that set the two games apart.
Should Alan Wake get its long-awaited sequel before Control gets the same chance? As it stands, Control is the better overall experience, but this could change with subsequent franchise entries.
