The best Remedy games, from Alan Wake 2 to the Fall of Max Payne

If you're looking to explore the best Remedy games, then our ranking is here for you.

Remedy has delivered lots of memorable games over the years, with many being identifiable through the studio's love of combining live action sequences with animated settings and worlds. Known for creating wonderfully weird stories that stay with you, the games in this list really shine a light on Remedy's creative experimentation when it comes to game design.

From time-bending narratives, to moving into the direction of some of the best survival horror games, we've also seen a fresh addition join the Remedy line-up with the arrival of the latest new game, Control Resonant. So whether you're looking to explore the studio's catalog, or you're curious to see what made our ranking, read on to discover the top 10 best Remedy games.

10. Agents of Storm 

After failing to get Alan Wake 2 off the ground in 2011, Remedy began diversifying its portfolio. A remake of Death Rally was commissioned for mobile devices, and after its commercial success, the studio opted to continue experimenting in this space – the result was Agents of Storm. It's a tower defense game for Apple devices which is entirely inoffensive.

It might have been considered among the best iPhone games at one time, but it was ultimately let down by its repetitive action and lack of visual diversity. A fun distraction during a commute, but not an experiment Remedy has repeated since.

9. Death Rally

The game that started it all for Remedy Entertainment. The studio emerged from the Finnish demo scene in the '90s, and Death Rally was the game it needed to make before attention could be properly turned to something as ambitious as Max Payne.

It's an often-forgotten part of Remedy's history, but Death Rally is a really fun little top-down, vehicular combat racing game. The original 1996 release held a surprising amount of depth beneath its simplistic presentation, and as proven out by the 2011 remake, the core experience is still immensely enjoyable to this day.

8. Alan Wake's American Nightmare

Alan Wake's American Nightmare operates in this weird sort of space. It's not a full sequel to Alan Wake (we'd have to wait 13 years for that), nor is it DLC to the original experience.

I've always thought of it as an intermission of sorts, a spin-off that furthers some of the lore surrounding antagonist Mr. Scratch and outlines further details for the Wake-heads out there who were desperate to see a little more of how the Dark Place operates. As a result, American Nightmare is a fun, albeit inessential, extension of the Alan Wake universe that's good for a few hours of play.

7. Max Payne

Max Payne is the archetypal Remedy game. Despite being over two decades old, it's a foundational work that this studio is still building on to this day. There's the dazzling, cinematic action underscored by a combat system that plays with the idea of a fraying reality.

An unwavering focus on character-driven storytelling, with a narrative that draws heavily from filmic and folklore influences. And the physical appearance of creative director Sam Lake, who provides the face model for the original Max Payne. The adventure is a little dusty these days, but it's still no less of a revelation. Remedy is currently working on a full remake in partnership with Rockstar Games.

6. Control Resonant

Control Resonant landed in 2026 to deliver more supernatural action. Only this time, it's way more melee focused, and instead of playing as Jesse Faden, you assume the role of her brother, Dylan. Set in a weirdly warped Manhattan, you join Dylan after he's spent years being held by the Federal Bureau of Control.

With a new paranatural crisis on the cards to investigate, Control Resonance may not quite measure up to the game that came before it, but it is home to some impressive sequences and gorgeous visuals. As we explore in our Control Resonant review, it's mostly let down by its repetitive combat, but it still has its share of memorable moments.

5. Quantum Break

Quantum Break has proven to be divisive, with the integration of a live-action television show into its structure drawing particular scrutiny. But as a package, Quantum Break is undoubtedly one of the best narrative-driven adventure games around. Set in a world where time is fracturing, you embark on a journey to repair an unraveling reality.

Combat is cinematic and empowering, with Jack Joyce able to wield a variety of time-warping powers, and the storytelling is sublime, with Remedy drafting in Hollywood talent to help drive its narrative into pretty weird territories. Quantum Break is one of the best games on Xbox Game Pass right now, so go give it a try. Read our Quantum Break review for more.

4. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne remains one of the best action games of its era. In this ambitious sequel, Remedy ramped up the carnage – 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 a truly astounding physics system, ensuring that bounding between rooms under a hail of slow-motion gunfire never loses its luster. A polished and powerfully evocative shooter, it's shocking just how well The Fall of Max Payne holds up over two decades on from its release.

3. Alan Wake Remastered

Alan Wake tells the story of a struggling writer caught up in a paranatural Altered World Event. Sequestered away in the small town of Bright Falls, Wake soon discovers that his writing is able to affect reality.

What follows is a David Lynch and Stephen King-inspired horror story, one in which Wake must utilize light against shadow in an effort to stop a spreading Dark Presence. Alan Wake was one of the best Xbox 360 games when it debuted in 2010, and its 2021 Remaster is undoubtedly the best way to experience this narrative-driven gem today.

2. Control

Control establishes the Remedy Connected Universe as it pulls us into mysterious occurrences at The Oldest House, the headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Control – a secret government agency that investigates paranatural phenomena.

You take on the role of Jesse Faden, the FBC's new director, and set about cleansing the facility of the invading Hiss – utilizing powerful supernatural abilities and the strange rituals that govern the shape of the looping space. Control is a weird and truly wonderful action game that implements smart metroidvania elements to keep you guessing, with the end result being one of Remedy's best games to date. Read our Control review for more.

1. Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 is a triumph. This narrative-driven horror game is a confident confluence of hyper-kinetic action and cinematic spectacle, with Remedy Entertainment pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the current generation of consoles.

Alan Wake 2 unravels across two realities, with Saga Anderson working to investigate a series of ritualistic murders in Bright Falls and Alan Wake fighting to write his way out of the looping labyrinth conjured by the Dark Place. Trust me when I tell you that you've never played anything quite like Alan Wake 2, an absurdly ambitious adventure with near-flawless execution. Read my Alan Wake 2 review to learn more.