Pack your bags and get ready for a road trip, because Alan Wake makes you feel like you're actually in Bright Falls.
Bruised and woozy, Alan staggers around the woods and mountain paths outside Bright Falls, and he soon runs into townspeople who are possessed by darkness. The darkness makes them murderous and nothing but a shell of themselves, and Alan is forced to kill them. He does this by wielding light as a weapon, an inventive game mechanic that is at the center of the game. Wake also discovers pages of a manuscript he wrote that seem familiar, except that he doesn't remember writing them. The plot only gets creepy and darker, but it culminates in one of the most confusing endings for a game ever.
Aside from the disappointing ending, Alan Wake's plot is a solid entry. It weaves a complex thread, a story that actually makes you think. However, the great plot isn't the best feature.
No, the best feature is the gripping atmosphere. It makes you feel like you are in Bright Falls, and that it is you who could at any moment might succumb to the darkness. The woods, mountain passes, trailer parks and lodges all seem highly realistic, and Alan Wake honestly makes you feel like you are enduring the trials Alan is facing. The atmosphere puts you in the game and it's an incredible experience.
The atmosphere and plot are accompanied by strong gameplay and some tight controls. For example, by pressing LB and pushing in the left analog stick, Alan can perform an epic cinematic dodge that allows him to slip right under a swinging axe or purring chainsaw. And when playing, you feel a bond develop between you and Alan, who shows tremendous courage and love for his wife.
Combat isn't anything special, but it's still solid. There is a mild variety of weapons, everything from a flare gun to a hunting rifle to flashbang grenades. However, one aspect of combat does stick out: Alan has a flashlight that he must shine upon his foes to stun them, and these baddies cannot be disposed of until the flashlight has cast away all the darkness clinging to them. Light as a weapon is a rather original game mechanic, so kudos to Remedy Games.
Finally, it would be unfair to review Alan Wake and not talk about how beautifully-rendered the environments are. The way the woods at night look like woods at night should, and how long, winding roads during the day are lined with the exact kinds of things you would expect to find at the side of a road in a small town--scenic overlooks with picnic tables, Port-a-Potties, and billboards--are fantastic. It's enough to make you want to move to Bright Falls, even though a mysterious darkness is overtaking it.
Alan Wake is another spectacular entry by Remedy Games, and it is definitely one of the best games of 2010. Only a disappointing ending and an occasionally awkward camera prevent in from being perfect.