Alan Wake
Producer: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: Teen
Genre: Psychological thriller, Action
Let There Be Light
Written by: Mike Lowther
When I discovered Remedy Studios was assembling a thriller title, I got a little antsy. When I saw some of the first preview screen shots, I got excited. Finally, a survival horror with a cinematic narrative. Alan Wake is the story of a writer who hasn’t conceived a book in nearly two years, and has ventured to a small, creepy town called Bright Falls to finish his novel. After Wake’s wife disappears, he notices strange appearances of characters and visions from his book that he has not yet written.
Think Silent Hill meets Max Payne with a high emphasis on story. The game almost feels like you’re reading a book, as Alan Wake reads pages of the book as you collect them throughout your journey. Darkness plays tricks on you while dealing with your wife’s disappearance. Primarily, you’ll use light to navigate through the mysterious town of Bright Falls, using flashlights and lampposts to kill mysterious creatures and regenerate health. The game is broken down into chapters, and each chapter begins with “Previously, on Alan Wake.” You know, something similar to those primetime television series. Pretty damn cool.
Graphics are nicely done and the landscape renders are magnificent. As mentioned earlier, light is the main visual detail in this game, and it looks remarkable when it’s there. Cut scenes are pleasant as the shots are well choreographed, but mouth movement is a total distraction. Sometimes, it looks like the characters are eating invisible chicken wings. Another standout is the abundant array of product placement. Everywhere I look, I see Energizer batteries in the wilderness, Lincoln had their SYNC product in the dash, and various mentions of Stephen King and The Shining were present. I’m not bothered by it, but I’m still left guessing if it adds to the real-world experience, or tarnishes a spooky moment as a television can turn on to a ridiculous Verizon commercial in the midst of a giant rock rolling through a possessed cabin. You actually get an Xbox Achievement for that one.
Though there’s a high emphasis on story, there’s a weakness in the combat department. Light is a great tool, and in theory, one of coolest things to use as a weapon. But the defensive motion to dodge attacks is horrendous. It’s difficult to defend yourself, even if you have a second to realize you’re about to get whacked with a flying dagger from a walking imaginative spirit. Unfortunately, Alan can’t run very fast for long periods of time, so you’re usually stranded to stay and fight. A stamina gauge may have helped.
Keep in mind that the normal gameplay difficulty tosses plenty of ammunition and flashlight batteries your way, oftentimes more than you need. Accessories don’t carry over to the next chapter, so use them if you need to. Though your item stash could be plentiful, you’ll have to adopt the third-person control system when walking on narrow sections of mountain passes or bridges in the dark. There are holes to fall through occasionally, and I’ve taken my plunder more times than one.
For a title that’s based on an imaginary book, the dialogue from Alan Wake is utterly boring. His one-liners are horrific and you can easily tell someone is reading a script as you fight black wads of darkness and walking poltergeists to survive the story. But strangely, mild voice acting flaws don’t prevent a wild scare. Nine times out of ten, I’ve been shaken out of my computer chair from a wandering ghoul, and audio stingers definitely prove worthy. With high expectations for this title, I’ve been swayed slightly by the not-so-impressive dialogue, but the sophisticated environments and small-town aura will capture just about anyone looking for a solid, spooky play through in this thriller title.