Looking out into a pitch black sky.
When you think of a survival horror game what do you think of? A wonderfully diabolical scheme by some disturbing memorable villains hell bent on taking over whatever they can by any means necessary. And of course your sad sack of a character gets dropped into this mess and has to deal with all this shit going down as well as, most of the time anyway, some deep dark secrets from their past waiting to jump up and bite you in the ass at every turn. There are of course exceptions to these rules, such as Resident Evil but of course those characters have been around for going on fifteen years, and let's face it they have also been more like action games in the past 2 installments.
Now after the previously stated "sad sack" is introduced, you are swept up into a world of terror and deranged creatures looking for your skin. Add in some well places plot twists and of course some highs and lows in the game, known as the "Cinderella" effect in writing terms. Couple all that with some decent voice acting, a dash of some action dynamics and an ominous soundtrack and you got the cocktail for a survival horror game in a nutshell.
Now I bring up the subtle plot points and pitfalls that plague the general population of survival horror games because Alan Wake is full of these same elements that make up 95% of all horror games. Why you may ask? Because it's proven to work, and when done correctly it can make for one hell of an experience. But the major deference here? Alan Wake is classified, just as the cover shows as "A Psychological Action Thriller" and you may think, as I did, that that was just their way to try to change it away from, just another Horror game, but I was damn wrong about this one.
From this point on there will be spoilers, they will be marked accordingly so read on and be happy, I'm here for you people.
The game begins mundanely. Introducing you into the game mechanics, the combat system revolves around a very intricate use of lighting as a weapon, not only as a form of safety and it is done perfectly. You have your choice of a few types of weapons as you progress through the story, varying from "Episode" to "Episode".
Now here is where it actually gets a much different turn from normal gaming. When you finish each episode in the game, it goes to an ending song, varying after each episode and the game's finale is capturing in melody by David Bowies' Space Oddity. After you skip the title and begin the next "Episode" it actually says "Previously on Alan Wake." and my brain said, "What the hell?" the first time I heard it. This game is meant to memorable like a movie. The best example to give is like the mini series from Stephen King, like Rose Red or It.
As far as Graphics go, the game is pretty well done, animation can be lacking at times but it is forgivable when encompassing the gaming experience as a whole. Combat and movement are tight and very well conceived. The soundtrack is top notch, and really leads you from section to section, going right along with the theme of the actually game. As far as length goes unless you're going after all of the achievements for collecting the various items it is a pretty short game, and that is both a positive and negative. It is depressing that Alan Wake can be toppled on a lonely afternoon venture into Bright Falls, but it also leaves you longing for more.
Now the final item to consider when thinking about this game over all is the story. This story is riveting, emotional, and down right disturbingly twisted at times. Now Alan Wake is fueled by twists and turns just like any other game remotely like it's story setup, the major difference within this game is that for the most part you actually read what will happen to you before it does, through pages you collect. As far as I know as of now they are making at least 2 more episodes this year for DLC content that will continue the story, because when you finish this game, or if you have then you know the actual story is very open for interpretation. They have also pretty much said there will indeed be a sequel to this one of a kind gem, as long as sales go well...and they did. And of course reviews don't lie, and this game averaged about a 8.5-9/10 score. Something worth taking a nod towards.
All in all Alan Wake is a one of a kind adventure that will leave you guessing and thinking long after the final clips of events trail out into the darkness from where they came. Bright Falls will leave you feeling unnerved but oddly calm, maybe a side effect of such a realistic tale. And for some it will definitely leave you looking out into the pitch black sky and wondering what if?
InKtOiD
