Collector's Editions

Alan Wake Limited Collector’s Edition

Alan Wake was released in 2010 as an Xbox 360 exclusive – but it would also come to PC two years later. Four editions were made available in total: a standard edition for both the Xbox 360 and the PC, as well as a collector’s edition for both systems, though they were different in terms of presentation and contents. The version shown here is the Xbox 360 collector’s edition.

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This collector’s edition is actually very nice. The box itself is made to look like a book, carrying over the central theme of the game. The cover is coated with black linen.

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Turning the cover will reveal the book’s title page, complete with Alan Wake’s signature.

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Three separate items fit neatly inside this compartment. There is also some digital stuff: a code giving free access to the first downloadable content that was released for the game.

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First of all, one of the main draws of this edition is a book titled The Alan Wake Files, by Clay Steward, a fictional character covering the events of the game. It includes the manuscript pages that are scattered around the world, fictional interviews and more.

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Alan-Wake-Collector's-Edition-Book-Manuscript

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What’s cool is the attention to detail: the book has a real dust jacket displaying the biography of the writer on the flap, and even the fake photo of his face is credited.

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On the back of the book are some accolades by news papers and other outlets that reviewed the book (also fake of course).

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The bonus discs come in a foldable wallet that from the outside resembles a book as well, because of the hard cover. Inside are two discs: the soundtrack cd (containing ten tracks) and one with bonus content. It contains developer commentary, as well as an Xbox 360 Theme and Avatar Awards.

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Behind the transparent disc holder is an image of Alan Wake in a forest.

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The game itself comes in a separate dvd case, that is all black, which is uncommon for Xbox 360 games. There is no Xbox 360 logo at the top either, giving the case a nice and clean look.

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This is a really good collector’s edition. The game’s story is all about different realities that mix and intertwine, making it unclear what’s real. and what’s part of the fantasy. This version of the game makes clever use of that theme, by presenting you with another layer of reality. But other than that, it just looks very nice, and it wasn’t too expensive either. Especially considering the amount of extras you get: a 144 page book, bonus material and a soundtrack (both are on an actual disc and inside a case) and a nice presentation. In short, a great collector’s edition in both concept and execution.

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