The Buzz

Remedy Entertainment announced Alan Wake all the way back in 2005 during the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. Since then it’s popped on and off of people’s radars at sparing intervals, and now that it’s finally been released, it seems as if Duke Nukem Forever should be only just around the corner. It can then only be described as fortunate that with such a long development period, Alan Wake has turned out to be a compelling and rewarding title to experience.

Having written multiple bestselling novels, Alan Wake has spent the last two years suffering through a severe case of writer’s block. With his mind stumped for ideas, he and his wife Alice head to the small logging town of Bright Falls. After setting up their cabin, things take a turn for the worse as Wake finds himself waking up after a car crash, with no recollection of how he got there. He’s missing a week of his life, Alice has mysteriously gone missing and members of the town have turned into shadow axe wielding maniacs, controlled by malevolent darkness intent on stopping Wake and his efforts to find Alice.

Alan Wake is not an open world game. What you do have though is a linear game that for the most part, gives you quite a bit of breathing room to explore. The game is structured like a TV show/novel in episodic fashion with recaps at the beginning of each episode. This serves as a great formula as the game become more story driven and allowing gamers to play through an episode take a break, pick it up again and still have an idea of what’s going on in the story.

Alan’s primary enemy is the darkness which embodies all of his enemies. Generally, if it’s daytime, you’re safe as safe can be. At night however, the ghouls come out. In order to properly combat these foes, you’ll need to first melt away that darkness through various means of light, then blast away at them with your standard firearms. The primary tool to do this is a flashlight that you’re rarely without, but you’ll also get to use spotlights, shop lights, and street lights as a method to deter your enemies. Flashbangs, flares, and flare guns are also present and provide some nice crowd control for those sticky situations. While it doesn’t really evolve much, the combination of darkness melting and gunplay is entertaining enough that it holds up fairly well throughout the game. The driving seems pretty solid when the game calls for it or when you have the option to, resulting in you mowing down those same pain inflicting enemies with glee. One problem with the driving system was the way the camera would somewhat whiplash back to the center.

Interspersed between Alan’s nights hikes are daylight sequences in Bright Falls. Daytime in Bright Falls reveals a rustic Pacific Northwestern town that has been exquisitely detailed and constructed.  It’s in these sequences that you feel the greatest weight of Remedy’s development period. Every towns-person and character is distinct and feels alive, their personalities all painted with a careful brush. It’s extremely immersive, unlike like say Oblivion’s town’s people with the same 5 faces and the same 4 voice actors. Rose, the Tor brothers, Barry. All of them have their own heart and soul in the story

In-game, the graphics are beautiful and solid. A brilliant soundtrack gives an ambient feel throughout every level within Alan Wake. The voice acting is also nice. The developers make the best use of motion blur and focus. The use of dark and light is almost perfect and the atmosphere is even enhanced by swirling, mist-like darkness that envelopes the world throughout the game. However the quality of the cinematic movies is erratic from start to finish. Lips fail to sync with dialogue and characters fall in and out of low resolution textures. It’s almost as if Remedy forgot to go back and touch up older cut scenes to ensure proper continuity. The lighting is so mesmerizing in Alan Wake it practically becomes a character in itself. The way it represents not only the spark of inspiration but also as a safe zone against “the taken” creates a profound sense of comfort in the gamer whenever they encounter pools of light.

The game should take most players about ten to twelve hours to complete their first playthrough, not exactly a long time but at the same time it doesn’t overstay its welcome. As far as replayability goes, Alan Wake has collectibles like Coffee Thermos, Manuscript, TVs & radio and hidden supply chest scattered throughout the level. An unlockable Nightmare difficulty upon completing the game which contains a small portion of exclusive manuscript collectibles to be discovered. There is no multiplayer, which is understandable as trying to incorporate the unique combat into a competitive setting would probably not work

Remedy said they spent so long developing Alan Wake because they wanted it to be as perfect as possible. While it may not reach the realms of perfection, it’s still a stunning title that’s almost worth the long wait. The Finnish developers have built a believable universe surrounded by a strong narrative, impressive storytelling techniques and enjoyable combat with a unique twist. It has its flaws with repetition, linearity and some poor presentational issues, but this is a world ripe for a sequel to improve upon every single aspect. It might take another five years, but you can guarantee it will probably be worth it.