@thiagofail: Alan wake has been in production much longer then heavy rain has so thats not true what you are saying.
Alan Wake Hands-On
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
We finally get a chance to explore the inside of Alan Wake's mind in this creepy and intriguing thriller.
Last week, we brought you our impressions of developer Remedy's excellent Alan Wake showing at Microsoft's X10 event. Not only did we see a demo of this psychological thriller in action, but we also got our hands on a completely different level, making this the first time we were able to play Alan Wake. We knew it was beautiful to look at and the story intrigues us the more we glimpse of it, so we're happy that the gameplay makes as good of a first impression as the game's presentation values. The controls were solid and the combat felt slick during our play time, which gives us great hope for this long-in-development story-driven experience. Luckily, that development time is almost over, for Remedy has announced that Alan Wake is coming to North America on May 18 and to Europe on May 21.
In the section we played, a visually slick cutscene and narration fills us in on the premise. Alan quotes horror writer Stephen King, which seems appropriate given the prolific author's obvious influence on the story. As the camera pans across a dark lake, Alan tells us how he has driven to visit a lighthouse, for reasons he can't explain--yet this drive is incredibly urgent. As he drives through the dead of night, he hits a pedestrian. Shocked, he gets out of his car to discover that the man he struck is dead. Dazed, Alan wonders what will happen next--and the body vanishes, as if it were never there. Obviously, Alan is even more shocked than before, though there isn't much time to dwell, for the scene--and the voice-over--then shifts tone.
The following scene offers us a quick rundown of what has been happening in Alan's life to lead him to where he is now. If you've read previous coverage, you probably know that Alan is a famous author, looking for peace and inspiration in the quiet hamlet of Bright Falls. The scene fills us in on even more information: His wife, Alice, is missing; he woke up behind the wheel of a crashed car to discover a week had gone by, the time all but lost; and most importantly, his imagination is coming to life before his eyes. Alan's idea for his upcoming novel is happening as he watches, and he even finds manuscript pages from this book on his travels--a book he has yet to write. In the demo, we discovered several such pages, but they are more than just a narrative device: they also provide clues of what you might next encounter. For example, one page talked about a flock of black birds that descend upon you almost like smoke. And as we saw in last week's demo, you do indeed encounter such a freaky phenomenon.
The demo began after Alan wakes from his stupor. As Alan, you see a gas station in the distance, across a deep ravine and the river that flows through it, and Alan surmises he'll probably find a telephone there, or someone who can help. We started off down the path and through the forest, but as you can imagine, this was not a stress-free trek. We glimpsed a shadowy figure on the path, who appeared and disappeared, spouting gibberish that didn't make a whole lot of sense. However, we did catch his name as he rambled: Carl Stuckey. As we mentioned in our prior preview, Carl is the man Alan was to meet in order to receive keys to a lakeside cabin. When he went to the diner to meet Carl, a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows and told Alan that Carl was indisposed. In this case, it seems "indisposed" is a major understatement.
Eventually we saw lights ahead at a logging camp, where a cabin rested amid a maze of stacked logs. However, Carl continued to flit across our path, and it became quickly clear that we'd need to defend ourselves. Eventually we made our way to a shed and found a telephone inside. We tried to make a call out and reached the sheriff's office, only for the call to give way to some far more insidious cries and scowls. A phone was not the only device to be found in the small cabin, however, and we picked up a flashlight and a pistol, knowing they'd come in handy. As soon as we did, however, we met with the realization that something wasn't right. Indeed, Carl was trying to push the shed into the ravine with some industrial equipment. We jumped out just in the nick of time, and the makeshift cabin plummeted into the river.
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.
47 comments
looks really good i hope that its not too short. when a game in not open then it has to be long because there is ofen not much replay value
I've already booked Red Dead Redemption and this I hope I will get as a birthday-present :) hopefully two very nice games! Looking forward to Metal Gear Solid Rising too
This is from the people who made the Max Payne games, which for anyone who has played those knows exactly the potential this game holds. Apart from that I love the whole premise and setting for this story, a writer in the northwest woods, great looking graphics, slo mo kills, monsters, what else could one ask for?
Looks really nice, but I need to see reviews before I buy this over Red Dead Redemption.
this is microsoft's response to heavy rain.... i hope this is as good or better than heavy rain!
Sounds a bit like "Stranger Than Fiction" meets Alone in The Dark. It sounds good however. Hope it is...
Thanks Remedy, for not feeling the need to litter the F-bomb throughout a good-looking, intense game!
hope this rocks it'll be refreshing to find a change of pace for a bit, maybe twin peaks will be shown again too!!
Maybe the game will be good but what is the point of this. I think its the story not so much about the gameplay tho .
@dylan545: Yeah I think it will be kinda like alone in the dark, but I'm pretty sure it will be better.
When was it said the game would showcase DX10? 2006? "the game's three stages of development--pre-production, production, and the extensive post-production Remedy is known for--ended up taking nearly twice as long as originally planned". If the game was touted to showcase DX10 as one of it's strong points, given DX11 is already out now, perhaps they (or Microsoft) decided to use DX11 for the game, obviously delaying it. I think this makes sense, don't you?
hmmmmm if it gets a good review i'll rent it I can't buy single player games anymore unless they're really SOMETHING you know? ME2 was the last one I bought and will buy until say TESV
Look, all you PC owners, (me too), deal with the fact that games are not always gonna be released on PC. Due to piracy, it is really not profitable. Considering the amount of money and time spent, the most profitable thing to do is to use the less pirateable format. Buy a 360, its only 150 bux.
At one point, I was really hyped for Alan Wake. Maybe because little was known about it at the time, and still is a mystery, sorta say. Most survival horror games do not do exceptionally well except for Resident Evil series, and a few exceptions. I really like the premise of AW, and it has a solid foundation to launch off as a successful game. Games that have been in development for an exceptionally long time usually dont do well and that's because there were problems to begin with, from beginning, middle, and even to the end. Here's to hoping it is an excellent game, and is received well through sales, and critic reviews.
This really sounds good (: I know of the game since a little bit than others, and i've seen progress, it'll be look good i know (:
Can't wait for this game..PC version would've been amazing. But I'll get it for the 360.
@ awesome I had that initial impression as well. But now I think it looks like a mix of the two (Silent Hill and Heavy Rain), and not just a bland 10,000th reincarnation of a survival/horror game. Of course, only time will tell.
ive got faith that max payne devs know how to make a great game! i like how it locks onto enemies w the flashlight. if it's not a 3rd person shooter, then im still unsure about the gameplay. might be RE w/o tank controls in a 3d environment & (hopefully) better story since they say its a thriller & not a survival horror genre. only time will tell. please dont delay it anymore. Alan wants to Wake up in my 360 :) .
Thought this game was suppose to be like 'Heavy Rain' (cant wait!), but instead it looks more like 'Silent Hill' (been there, done that) with controling the character, flash light, dark setting, scare factor..etc
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Review Scores
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Game Info
- Release Date: May 18, 2010 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
- Release Date: Feb 16, 2012 (US)
- ESRB: TTitles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older.
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