There's a third level as well which is told via the television and radio stations that are scattered around the game. These tend to flesh out not only the plot but the history of the town and provides some information about how Alan Wake is impacting the town.
The fantastic writing in the game is blended perfectly with the game's presentation. Sure, there are a few odd character models in the game (the model for Alan's wife Alice is a bit off in some parts) but for the most part the game is a shining example of what the current generation of technology can do. The graphics in the game are spectacular and help create a believable and creepy atmosphere. It's amazing that a Finnish developer can do such a great job in creating such a quintessential American town.
There are plenty of nice graphical touches in the game, but my favorite was the use of the lens flare in the game. When you shine a light on one of the Taken they wince and the game uses the lens flare to show how much of the darkness you have left to burn off. It took me a while to figure out that's what they were doing but it's such a small, innovative thing that adds a game element to the game without adding a boring health bar.
Also setting the game apart is that the narrative is broken up into six TV like episodes, each with it's own intro and outro. These help break up the game a bit and Remedy uses these breaks to incorporate flashbacks and re-cap what just happened in case you weren't paying attention or missed something in one of the cut-scenes.
Alan Wake does stutter a bit when it comes to the gameplay. The core concept of the game is that the dark presence is using the inhabitants of Bright Falls to do its work and in order to defeat them you must first burn off the dark protective coating the Taken before dispatching them with a revolver/shotgun/rifle/grenade. The mechanism is cool at first but the game doesn't evolve much past that in the later stages of the game and it gets a bit repetitive towards the end as the game just varies the type and number of the enemies it throws at you. The game does a few creative things in the later stages of the game by having the dark presence pick up and throw items at you (which you also have to use light to defeat) but again it's something that gets old after a while.
The mechanic does work well, as you have a wide variety of light sources and weapons at your disposal and you have to learn when it's best to use them in the game. For example
, when you are getting mobbed by a gang of Taken you can use a flare to push them back so you can reload your gun or pop a new
set of Energizer batteries into your flashlight. There are a couple of other special cases where you're given some highly unreliable work lights and a flood light to use but a little more variety in the game might have made the later stages of the game a bit more interesting.
It's also hard to review the game without mentioning the product placements. It's a bit over the top in some areas (why is there an achievement for finding a hidden ad?) but in other parts it's a bit more subtle (Alan Wake loves his Lincoln MKT despite the fact it looks a grinning shark from the front). We've seen ads in games before but I'm not sure I've ever seen product placement that was this blatant. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of it and in time our brains will learn to filter it out like banner ads and commercials on TV.
If you're looking for something to replace Lost in your life or if you're looking for a well written game with a high level of polish, then Alan Wake is a must have for your library. It's not perfect but the game does move the industry ahead a bit by introducing new ways to tell a story, and by telling a compelling story that's open for a bit of interpretation. It could use a little more diversity but it's still well worth your time.
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Remedy * The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company for review.
B+ | A solid and fun experience that's could use a little more gameplay diversity. |
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