Prepare to be blown away by Remedy's first triumph since the Max Payne series!
The Bad: Technically, the graphics at some points begin to show their age; the few puzzles that are sprinkled into the game are not very challenging
The Ugly: The action never really veers too much from the basics once they've been introduced
Ever wanted to be a writer? Yes? Ever wanted to be a writer who just wants to take a vacation with his wife, but when she is taken away from him, all knowledge of their lodge is erased from recent history, and you really don't know if you're crazy or not when you try to find her and things keep getting crazier? Didn't think so. That's the basic setup for Remedy's first title since Max Payne 2. Alan Wake has been in development for about five years (even though that could be slightly exaggerated when taking into account the development on the canceled PC release), and it's well worth the wait. With a fresh new look on storytelling in a great setting that sets up some unique set pieces. If you're in the mood for a horror game with a great story, a deeply eerie atmosphere, and some mind-blowing sound production, Alan Wake is the summer 2010 game for you.
Seeing how long it has been in development and also how it uses its own hand-crafted game engine, it is not surprising that, technically, Alan Wake might not be up to par with the graphical cutting edge of today's AAA titles such as God of War III. This can be mildly distracting after seeing such exemplary performances in the past, and I noticed a very small number of frame rate stutters (though suspiciously only at the very beginning and end) and even two game crashes. However, the art style greatly makes up for its slight technical shortcomings, with excellent depictions of life in a rural town and superb lighting to further contrast day and night settings. In fact, the game's lighting is truly noteworthy -- the daytime is bright and cheerful, filled with country-folk friendliness (most of the time) and panoramic views, whereas the nighttime is haunting and mystifying, filled with plenty of baddies and environmental hazards. One great effect in particular is the wind, which can make for some supremely disturbing and creepy lighting effects (trust me), can knock down trees, and can even attack you. The mood created by the stark distinction between the night and day scenes fulfills the gamer's desire to be haunted by the night -- the gamer relishes the sunlight during the daytime, thankful for the assuredly safe setting, but in the nighttime, guilty pleasure to be scared drives him to push through the malevolent forest surely filled with monsters to the next objective.
The gameplay is your run-of-the-mill over-the-shoulder shooter with a twist. To defeat the enemies you will face, you must weaken the darkness that surrounds them individually (think of it as a shield), and only then are they vulnerable to shots from the many clever weapons you'll encounter, such as the standard arsenal of revolvers and shotguns to some much more satisfying ones like flare guns and flashbang grenades. The clear struggle between light and dark in this game makes for some very interesting ideas and possibilities in the game, many of which are fulfilled. Instead of being forced into the typical genre-defining space of bullet-based kills, we are forced to think differently about our opponents. Of course, that option is still available once their darkness has been taken care of, but the game rewards you for thinking outside the box in the way you dispose of enemies as well (mainly through ammo conservation). To cite a specific example, in one area involving a power plant, the player can conserve ammo by shining his flashlight at his enemy to stun him and cause him to stagger backward into one of the live wires in the area, instantly killing him. Ammunition is not extremely rare, but don't abuse this leniency or you may find yourself being forced to charge ahead to the next lightpost through a horde of enemies which is not easily avoided. I wish little touches like this one were used more throughout the game (this particular option of disposal is available for less than thirty minutes), but it and others like it work to change up the pace in small ways, but sadly never in anything too grand. Other memorable but done-before shifts in gameplay are present though, from parts where you'll have support (ground and air based) to sections where you have no weapon but are forced to protect someone who does. It's little things like these that make the game feel fresh while at the same very polished and cohesive.
There is a slight learning curve to some more advanced mechanics such as dodging enemy attacks (which can be anything from thrown hatchets to large sledgehammers to even vehicles) and throwing flashbangs (there is not really an aiming reticle). However, overall this game is not difficult at all; in fact, do yourself a favor and ignore the "Normal" difficulty. The game is basically just trying to make you feel better by calling the easiest difficulty "Normal" and the next up "Hard." Play through on "Hard," and then if you want to on the unlockable "Nightmare" difficulty after beating the game. This is a horror game; how terrified are you going to be if you can survive ten enemy attacks in one sitting? I also applaud this game for never making you feel too powerful (as expected in a survival horror game); unlike the tendency of many mainstream games nowadays to implement other genres somewhat into their mechanics (namely, the RPG's use of increasing maximum health), Alan Wake gives you a set amount of health that recharges slowly over time but is never too much health that you feel comfortably safe in combat. This stagnant health is something I actually haven't seen in a while, and not only does it reinforce the realism that Alan isn't getting any stronger by shooting himself up with steroids but also that the main storyline doesn't take place over more than a couple weeks. Or does it??? :)
In addition to the regular action, there are also plenty of extras to discover in the game. Alan Wake does a great job of keeping you immersed in the experience while still encouraging you to find these. You can find things like ammo crates, manuscript pages that fill you in on the story and can even predict the future, and coffee thermoses (strictly Achievement based). And once you've unlocked it, you can view anything you have experienced in the game from the menu, from cutscenes to radio broadcasts and even the songs from the endings of each episode. Alan Wake is presented in episodes, like a horror miniseries; you'll progress through each episode, usually end at a cliffhanger, and move to the next installment.
The story is one of the highlights of the game, as Remedy has indicated to us before the game's release. And it does live up to expectations, despite some confusion toward the end (which will likely be alleviated with the arrival of a sequel). It is overall well-paced, and you never feel like you're running errands for everyone you meet; it all feels very believable in its own unbelievably supernatural way. The characters are well developed, with Alan and his wife Alice obviously being the strongest characters. However, even the supporting characters are unique and memorable, such as Barry, Alan's agent, and they will even make some jokes and corny quips together. The main and supporting villains are very mysterious and equally unlikeable as well. You can also definitely see the similarities between this and the Max Payne series, specifically the quick-paced and fleshed-out narrative style (I still get that comic book feeling sometimes, ha!). But this is without a doubt a unique game, and furthermore things like these recurrences only make me smile when I recognize them. But overall, the story and characters are very well thought-out, and I applaud of Remedy for delivering on a another solid title.
The sound production is another shining feature in Alan Wake. The music is great, with both the original soundtrack and the licensed music presented at the end of each episode vying for the star of the show. Both contribute in their own way simultaneously to the action and mood in the game. During intense fights, the music will be accordingly loud and driving, and at the end of a cliffhanger episode the music will be quite fitting as well. And as with any solid horror game, the music also knows when to be quiet and when to jump out at you with a bang. The sound effects are solid in addition; Alan Wake huffs and puffs when he's been sprinting for too long, the wind tearing through the leaves and grass creates mounting tension every time it picks up, and you can even avoid otherwise piss-your-pants scary sneak attacks from enemies if you hear their footsteps behind you first. However, it is very tempting to state that the voice acting steals the show (or in this case, the game), because if the rest of the sound design weren't so spectacular, it easily would. I cannot think of a bad actor in the entire game, and the only time I even thought about the quality of the acting in general (which I do think about often in other games and movies) was when reflecting on how impressive it was. Characters use emphasis at the pitch perfect times, while still sounding either frighteningly calm or just frightened. I am honestly convinced that the acting in Alan Wake rivals the AAA titles of this generation, like the Mass Effect series.
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Story: 8.5/10
Sound: 9.5/10
Presentation: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Tilt: 9/10
Overall Impression: 8.9/10
In conclusion, this game to me symbolizes what a thriller/horror game should be; in fact, it's the best one I've played since Dead Space, which you almost assuredly have played through if you are playing Alan Wake right now. Remedy's latest triumph features a haunting mood that sets up some awesome yet fleshed out combat, a typical light vs. dark setting depicted through an atypical story with some very memorable characters, and some of the most well-rounded sound production I've seen this generation. I highly recommend this title.