Alan Wake

The major problem that exists with nearly all video games is the implementation of  narrative. Whether it be the crappy writing, poor voice acting or general lack of any story whatsoever, I will be the first to say that narrative’s in video games generally suck with very few exceptions.

“Alan Wake” on the other hand, is a brilliant example of a well constructed and engaging story which is implemented into a game effectively. The protagonist Alan Wake is a famous novelist who has been suffering from writers block for two years, his caring wife Alice, decided to take Alan to the small quaint town of Bright Falls on a holiday, to escape the chaotic urban lifestyle of New York.

The couple only just had enough time to unpack their belongings before Alice disappears into the depths of Cauldron Lake. Alan ‘wakes up’ in a car crash, and as he makes his way through the forest infested with shadow monsters, he discovers various pages of a manuscript that was supposedly written by himself. Alan doesn’t remember writing this manuscript and it turns out the manuscript is actually a retelling of the events which Alan is about to encounter in the future. When Alan scrambles to a nearby gas station, he realizes that a week has passed between Alice’s disappearance and his awakening in the car crash. At this point, Alan is in a tough spot. His wife is missing, mysterious shadows which malicious intent are in constant pursuit of him and Alan is alone in his struggle. Alan Wake is self described as a ‘psychological action thriller’ for a reason; this game is able to create incredible tension and I found myself shuddering in shock, after seeing the psychotic montages that filled the screen while playing the game. Alan Wake isn’t a game that will make you jump due to the surprise but, it will create a strong sense of anxiety through the heavy use of foreshadowing and dramatic tension.

Darkness looms in the forest town...

The shadow people (referred to as the ‘Taken’ in the game) are disturbing creatures. Unlike the common zombie folk that you would find in games such as ‘Left 4 Dead’ or the ‘Resident Evil’ series, the ‘Taken’ do not spurt babbles of nonsense. Instead you will find the Taken saying things like “”I once caught a fish this big” or “There are 65 billion cows and pigs in the world!”, although this may sound comical it is exceedingly intimidating to hear your enemies saying such odd things in a distorted tone.

The combat in this game fundamentally revolves around the use of light to weaken your enemies and then finish them off with your revolver or other firearm of choice. Alan’s primary light source is his flashlight but, he is not limited to this device Alan can use flares, flash bang grenades, safety lights and flare guns (which basically serve as your ‘1-hit-kill’ rocket launcher-esque weapon). The combat basically involves Alan using one of the many light sources to burn the shadows off the Taken and the proceeding to shoot them with your chosen firearm. The combat is also supplemented with a dodge move, when executed at the right time; you will be rewarded with a slow motion movement. I played the game on normal difficulty and only started dying towards the end of the game due the huge number of Taken that you will encounter. The combat didn’t feel repetitive until the last episode. This was due to its innovative combat mechanics that are employed and the use of environmental puzzles and driving sequences to mix up the gameplay. I think that the game could have benefited from having about half an hour less of action with the taken, as I was far more interested in the progression of the storyline and would have skipped the combat in the sixth episode if given the choice.

One of the minor issues I have with this game is that your inventory is not persistent between each episode. At the end of one episode you may have a shotgun, a couple of flares, a high powered lantern and a full bag of revolver ammo but, at the launch of the following episode, you will be stripped of all of your previous belongings. Remedy’s reasoning for this process (where your inventory is reset) may be to restore the balance between Alan and the Taken, the game tries to establish the feeling desperation, the feeling of only just surviving your last encounter with the Taken. Small things like tapping the ‘x’ button to reload quicker, really do add to the tension when in combat without destroying the immersion in the game. Some may argue that the collection of the coffee thermoses detracts from the immersion in the game but, they are not located along the critical path, and are simple enough to avoid on your first playthrough if you favor immersion over achievements.

The flare gun is the practical "rocket launcher" against the Taken.

For a game which has been in development for over 5 years, you would expect the game to look fantastic and it does in most areas. Sure, the character models aren’t quite up to scratch and lip-syncing in the cut scenes is not stellar. But, the lighting in this game is absolutely spectacular; I have never seen a game present such brilliant light effects. It is amazing to look at Alan’s flashlight cut through the thick inky black fog in the forest or to see how a car’s brake lights illuminate the surrounding environment. The trees in this game are also very lifelike and move and sway in the way that you would expect from a creepy forest. So for the most part, the game looks pretty good and maintains a strong frame rate but one of Alan Wake’s major flaws is its HUD. It is absolutely atrocious for a game that places such a large amount of focus on its visuals and immersion within the world. At all times, there is a fairly large mini-map which displays the directions to your next objective, apart from the small puzzle sections, you are never left to your own devices when traversing the landscapes of Bright Falls. Your objectives and weapon and flashlight status are also constantly displayed on screen, which is a real downer for a game which can look so good at points, to go ahead and ruin it with a HUD which never disappears and spoils the visual splendor which this game is capable of showcasing.

The sound effects and licensed music is used intelligently and either convey strong messages or help create the fantastic tension in the game. The occasional rustle in the bushes which made me spin Alan around, take a few steps backwards from the noise and search through the dark flora, a natural reaction which I have not performed before playing this game. The voice acting and script (which is excellent) is sadly spoiled by some dodgy cut scenes where the lips of the characters are not even close to the shape of the words that are projected. But this issue is easily forgiven as the voice acting and the story surrounding it are so good that you subconsciously ignore the apparent issue.

The Taken of Bright Falls have the homefield advantage, allowing them the ability to control the enviroment.

Alan Wake employs the use of episodes effectively. There are six episodes and every one concludes on a cliff-hanger and starts with a ‘Previously on Alan Wake’ in which the events up to now are summarized. Although this may sound corny, Remedy has executed this concept in an extremely effective and professional manner. This results in extended playing sessions because you want to see what happens next. The summary at the start of each episode is a brilliant feature which ensures that you understand the storyline of the game so far, this eliminates the confusion factor that many games with complex storylines suffer from.

The story for the most part is excellent, it was so well written that I would have read a book start to finish, which used the exact storyline and script that was presented in the game. Alan Wake does suffer from some slight pacing issues, where the game seems to lose some of its traction in the middle of the game but this issue is easily overshadowed as the rest of the game was so engaging and entertaining.

Alan Wake does suffer from a few minor issues but everything from the intriguing storyline which is good enough to be made into a book to the innovative combat and the brilliant visuals is fantastic. This game will present a story which unravels at a rate of perfection, forcing you deeper and deeper into the shadows and the finale will have you pondering for days after you finish. This is a game that you cannot simply miss, it is a story that everyone should experience.