Alan Wake is a well written and action packed psychological thriller.
THE GOOD
-Thrilling and Suspenseful story
-Innovative combat system
-Well written dialog
-Creepy atmosphere (sound and graphics)
THE BAD
-Viewing can get obstructed
OVERVIEW
Alan Wake is an exciting psychological thriller that puts you in the shoes of famous writer, Alan Wake. The setting takes place in the rural town called Bright Falls. Alan and his wife Alice are vacationing here to escape from the busy urban life and hopefully cure Alan's writer's block which has been plaguing him for nearly two years. Wake's frustration has put quite a bit of strain on the relationship so an extended get-away like this was very much needed. Their travels lead them to a cozy cabin on an island surrounded by Lake Cauldron. As the couple enters the house, Alan wonders upstairs and notices a typewriter in one of the rooms. Not wanting to have to worry about writing just yet, Alan gets annoyed with Alice and storms out to get some fresh air. Moments later screams of terror fill the air and Alan rushes inside just as an unknown entity drags Alice to the bottom of the lake. Panic stricken, Alan quickly dives in after her and loses consciousness.
When Alan comes to, he realizes that he is still in Bright Falls but nowhere near the cabin on Lake Cauldron. Plus, the lovable town during the day has turned into an eerie and disturbing fright fest at night as many of the townsfolk have been possessed by a presence. These mindless drones known as the Taken try to kill Alan and anybody else that isn't filled with the same darkness. Alan quickly finds out that the only way to defeat these abominations is to use forms of light to rid the dark presence that engulfs them.
To make things even more confusing Alan discovers pieces of his own manuscript that he has no recollection of writing. The pages he reads either explain events that happened in the past or foretell future events. The entire story is one big mystery from start to finish that'll surely keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what is going to unfold next. As you progress through the story you'll understand what is actually terrorizing the innocent town of Bright Falls. The atmosphere presented in the game will give you the creeps and the dialog is well written. Alan is a great main character and his own personal flaws make him a believable hero that you'll enjoy. Another neat feature presented in the game is that it takes on a television series feel. Each chapter begins with a short introduction which starts with "Previously on Alan Wake…" and ends with a daunting cliff hanger.
GAMEPLAY
Fighting the Taken that threaten the lives of the innocent citizens of Bright Falls is pretty cool. Light is your only tool to defend yourself against the darkness. The sun, of course, is your best source for illumination but when it sets you'll have to use other man-made forms of light like flashlights, flares, and flashbangs. Items that create a strong beam of light, like the flashbang, will dispatch most enemies instantly. Weaker forms of light, like the flashlight, take time to erode the darkness away from your enemy and don't have enough power to defeat them. However, once the darkness is gone a good old pistol or shotgun will take them down nicely. Alan is always equipped with a flashlight which is not only used to fight the darkness but also helpful in lighting up your path, revealing secret item chests and uncovering hidden messages.
With light being such a vital aspect for the game, it creates some suspenseful moments like when you run out of flashlight batteries as a massive Taken is barreling down at you with a chainsaw. As you progress through each chapter, you'll end up having a new found respect for larger sources of light like a street lamp or a house which not only serve as checkpoints but also make your enemies back off and disappear. You'll come across these safe havens often so just in case you do fall to the darkness you won't have a large part of the game to redo.
The controls for the most part work well throughout the game. Your flashlight beam also acts as your crosshairs when you fire your weapons. Cycling through items in your inventory is done with ease via the D-pad and the emergency response equipment button, RB, is used to quickly unleash a flare or flashbang in dire situations. Maneuvering Mr. Wake around, for the most part, is done effortlessly but I did have some slight problems in tight spaces. The action mapped to the LB button is the cinematic dodge ability. If timed correctly before an attack, everything slows down and you'll successfully evade any harm coming your way in a cool "Matrix" style way. The camera works just fine in open areas but in heavy wooded areas your view is easily disrupted which can lead to suffering unnecessary damage from enemies and/or accidental death by falling off a cliff.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The developers did an excellent job in creating an eerie environment. Bright Falls may seem like a nice town during the day but at night it's something that you would find in horror films. The high quality visuals (cut scene and in-game) work well in creating an atmosphere that will literally have you looking in all directions because in anticipation for those are surprises because they happen often and sometimes when you least expect them.
The audio compliments the visual design well. From the blistering wind through the trees during intense situations to the loud cracks from your shotgun, the audio sounds great and is completely in sync with the theme. Like I mentioned before, the dialog is outstanding and I really enjoyed the creepy mutterings from the Taken before they attack. All of this is then topped off with an excellent musical score, which makes each event in the game even more exciting.
CONCLUSION
Alan Wake is a superb game with an entertaining story, well written dialog and plenty of intense action. The atmosphere created in this psychological thriller will definitely send a chill down your spine and keep you guessing what is going to happen next. There are only a handful of games in this genre that can pull off a frightening experience without being too cheesy and Alan Wake is one of those select few. I would recommend this game to anybody who enjoys a good mystery with plenty of suspense. Alan Wake, the famous writer, is on a quest to save his wife from an evil presence that surrounds Bright Falls but has this darkness always been there or is it something that he himself authored…