The war of light versus darkness is a rehashed and reused conflict that permeates throughout literature and art. Never have I seen it done before as uniquely as Alan Wake.
The game starts you off in the middle of a bizarre series of events – a vacation to a remote idyllic town to cure a writer’s block; a wife’s fear of the darkness; an omnipotent orb of light; a car crash; and axe-wielding shadows. If that seems deranged, it only evolves through the six narrative episodes of Alan Wake.
The decision to break up the plot into six episodes is a brilliant way to set the pacing and cinematic quality of the game. It allows for a cohesive level of dialogue that never feels cumbersome; and enough exposition and narrative that allows gameplay to be framed.
More importantly, it allows for some deadly and quality cliffhangers.
The gameplay is straightforward. It operates as a third-person action game. One of the more interesting qualities of the game is its emphasis on light as a mechanic. Using light – whether as a hand-held flashlight or through the environment – brings some much-needed depth. The six episodes grow in terms of gameplay as one would expect. It gets bigger, bolder, with more sophisticated enemies, a few driving sequences, until the final episode, where things become more minimalist, isolated and helpless as when you began.
The series of flashbacks, the radio shows, the TV episodes of “Bright Falls”, the cell phone chatter – there are many strong qualities to the narrative display of Alan Wake. The psychological penetration of the thriller-slash-horror-slash-adventure game is astounding and memorable. With the game running anywhere from 7 to 10 hours, and excellent voice acting, aesthetic graphics and beautiful ambient sounds, it’s a must-have game for anyone.
And remember, it’s not just a lake.