Ranking the best Remedy Entertainment games to play right now
The best Remedy games are a celebration of creativity and experimentation. Remedy Entertainment has spent nearly three decades pushing the boundaries of narrative-driven action adventures, typically with a keen focus on cinematic combat and strange storytelling sensibilities. The best Remedy games are a true delight, beloved for their use of bullet-time, remembered for their impactful use of blended live-action, and beloved for the worlds and characters they have created.
After the release of Alan Wake 2, I thought there would be no better time to honor the best Remedy games of all time. This ranking will likely remain stable for the foreseeable future, as its upcoming projects include Control 2, a remake package of Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, as well as Project Vanguard and Project Condor – the former a new co-op game developed in collaboration with Tencent, and the latter a multiplayer spin-off of Control. While we wait for more information on these titles, why not revisit one of the best Remedy games?
Remedy began diversifying its portfolio after failing to get Alan Wake 2 off the ground in 2011. A remake of Death Rally for mobile devices was commissioned, and after its commercial success, the studio decided to continue experimenting in this space, resulting in Agents of Storm. It’s a tower defense game for Apple devices that’s completely harmless. It was once considered one of the best iPhone games, but it was ultimately let down by its repetitive action and lack of visual variety. Remedy has not repeated this experiment since it was a fun distraction during a commute.
8. Death Rally:
Released: 2011
Platform(s): Android, iOS, PC
The game that got Remedy Entertainment started. The studio arose from the Finnish demoscene in the 1990s, and Death Rally was the game it needed to complete before focusing on something as ambitious as Max Payne. Death Rally is a fun little top-down vehicular combat racing game that is often overlooked in Remedy’s history. The original 1996 release had a surprising amount of depth beneath its simplistic presentation, and the core experience is still immensely enjoyable to this day, as demonstrated by the 2011 remake.
7. Alan Wake’s American Nightmare:
Released: 2012
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360
Alan Wake‘s American Nightmare exists in this strange realm. It’s not a full sequel to Alan Wake (that would take another 13 years), nor is it DLC for the original experience. I’ve always thought of it as a sort of intermission, a spin-off that expands on some of the lore surrounding antagonist Mr. Scratch and outlines additional details for the Wake-heads out there who were eager to learn more about how the Dark Place works. As a result, American Nightmare is a fun, if ancillary, extension of the Alan Wake universe worth a few hours of play.
6. Max Payne:
Released: 2001
Platform(s): PC, PS2, Xbox
The classic Remedy game is Max Payne. Despite being over two decades old, it is a foundational work on which this studio is still expanding today. There’s the dazzling, cinematic action, which is complemented by a combat system that plays with the concept of a slipping reality. An unwavering focus on character-driven storytelling, with a story heavily influenced by film and folklore. And the physical appearance of creative director Sam Lake, who serves as the original Max Payne’s face model. The adventure has become a little dusty in recent years, but it is still a revelation. In collaboration with Rockstar Games, Remedy is currently working on a full remake.
5. Quantum Break:
Released: 2016
Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Quantum Break has proven to be divisive, with the incorporation of a live-action television show into its structure drawing special attention. However, as a whole, Quantum Break is undeniably one of the best narrative-driven adventure games available. You embark on a journey to repair an unraveling reality in a world where time is fracturing. Combat is cinematic and empowering, with Jack Joyce wielding a variety of time-warping abilities, and the storytelling is sublime, with Remedy enlisting Hollywood talent to help drive its narrative into some strange territory. Quantum Break is currently one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass, so give it a shot.
4. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne:
Released: 2003
Platform(s): PC, PS2, Xbox
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is still regarded as one of the best action games of its time. Remedy upped the carnage in this ambitious sequel, improving the cinematic sweep of bullet-time combat and deepening the film noir-inspired narrative flow. Max Payne 2 is a dark and gritty crime thriller with an incredible physics system that ensures bounding between rooms under a hail of slow-motion gunfire never loses its luster. It’s amazing how well The Fall of Max Payne holds up over two decades after its release. It’s a polished and powerfully evocative shooter.
3. Alan Wake Remastered:
Released: 2021
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Switch Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Alan Wake tells the story of a struggling writer who becomes involved in a supernatural Altered World Event. Wake, who is isolated in the small town of Bright Falls, soon discovers that his writing has the power to alter reality. What follows is a horror story inspired by David Lynch and Stephen King, in which Wake must use light against shadow in order to stop a spreading Dark Presence. Alan Wake was one of the best Xbox 360 games when it first came out in 2010, and the 2021 Remaster is without a doubt the best way to experience this narrative-driven gem today.
2. Control:
Released: 2019
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Control establishes the Remedy Connected Universe by drawing us into mysterious events at The Oldest House, the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control – a secret government agency that investigates paranormal phenomena. You assume the role of Jesse Faden, the FBC’s new director, and set about ridding the facility of the invading Hiss, using powerful supernatural abilities and strange rituals that govern the shape of the looping space. Control is a strange and wonderful action game that uses smart metroidvania elements to keep you guessing, resulting in one of Remedy’s best games to date.
1. Alan Wake 2:
Released: 2023
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Alan Wake 2 is a masterpiece. Remedy Entertainment’s narrative-driven horror game is a confident confluence of hyper-kinetic action and cinematic spectacle, pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the current generation of consoles. Alan Wake 2 unfolds across two realities, with Saga Anderson investigating a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls and Alan Wake attempting to write his way out of the Dark Place’s looping labyrinth. Believe me when I say you’ve never experienced anything like Alan Wake 2, an absurdly ambitious adventure with near-flawless execution.