Alan Wake

Game Description: An “Are-You-Afraid-Of-the-Dark” action/thriller following the struggles  of the protagonist, Alan Wake, as he searches for his lost wife, Alice, in the darkness.

Alan Wake starts off with a quote from Stephen King, stating that in a good horror story the author does not explain all the mysteries. “The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it’s what we’ll remember in the end.” So, right from the beginning, I knew that most of my questions probably wouldn’t have answers (Alan Wake – 1; Lost – 0), but I highly doubted that I would really care enough about the plot to be questioning the mysteries days later. As I got into my car today, still wondering what the hell certain things meant and how they fit into the plot, I realized, for once, I was wrong. If you really get into the plot, you’ll really love the ride Alan Wake takes you on.

After an introductory/tutorial segment, the story begins with Alan and his wife, Alice, heading to, Bright Falls, for what seems like a vacation. Alan is a famous writer who is currently struggling from writer’s block after killing off his central character, Alex Casey, in his last novel. His wife has planned this trip, not as a vacation, but as a means to get him past this hurdle, and to also setup Alan with a shrink, Dr. Hartman, who is known for helping struggling artists regain their inspiration. Of course, when Alan finds this bit of information out he gets upset and that leads you to the major action in the first episode. In the beginning you also get introduced to, Barbara Jagger, my favorite character, who provides Alan with the key to his cabin and a mess of future problems. The real story begins when Alice, who suffers from a severe fear of the dark, goes missing at night, and you, Alan, wake up in a crashed car. (Yes, I realize how cheesy the title of the game is.)

I think the best feature of this game is that it plays out in episodes. Each episode follows a similar plot structure as television shows like, “Lost” or “Fringe,” and each end with cliffhanger endings. It really gave me the freedom to pick-up and play, and then stop and think about what just happened. For six nights straight (since there are only six episodes so far) I played one episode a night and really involved myself with the mythology of the story. During the next day I pondered the plot’s questions, and wondered what would happen next. If this game had followed the typical video game approach with levels, or just a straight play through, I think some of this would have been lost. The “T.V. episode” approach, with a recap before the next episode, really added depth to the game.

Another great feature is the “missing manuscript” pages strewn throughout the levels. These collectibles are a nice touch at enhancing the plot. The pages come from parts of a story that you, Alan, supposedly wrote. The bad part is that now that story is coming true. As dumb as that sounds, these pages not only give you background information about other characters, it also tells of events that are about to happen and you can’t avoid. One page told of a chainsaw-wielding maniac that was going to be in my way. I then spent the next ten minutes waiting for him to appear out of the darkness. Knowing what is about to happen took nothing away from the surprise, and only added suspense. I was much more happy chasing down these collectibles than I was looking for the pointless thermoses strewn throughout the levels.
 

One thing that was promoted about the game was the use of darkness and light. The fact that light is a “weapon” in the game made me kind of worried going in, but it made sense with the story. Actually, the lack of visibility helped add some suspense since you never really knew where a guy might be attacking you from. I was constantly turning and listening for noise to help me locate a possible bad guy. Of course, not being able to see everything made me miss some collectibles, and I occasionally found myself facing a wall or the edge of a cliff. If you stick to the path, though, this really isn’t an issue, but if you’re like me and like to explore, you may find yourself frustrated and lost at times.

The game controls where probably one of my biggest issues, but mostly because of some odd camera angles. I found myself trying to readjust the camera and my character so that I could be back on track to continue on with the story. In buildings I found myself running into walls, tables and people  as I tried to regain my bearings.  When this happens in any game I find that it takes people out of the “realism” of the story. Also, targeting became an issue at times. I found myself screaming, “I’m shooting right at him,” as the minions kept moving forward. The issues weren’t unbearable or major, but it did take away a little from my enjoyment.

Beautiful scenery. Outstanding character design. Fluid motions. All these are part of Alan Wake’s presentation, but this game does have one major visual flaw. The dang speech animation. Maybe it is just me, but I hate when I’m watching a cut scene where a character is talking, but their mouth is not moving or moving completely out of synch. This happens throughout the game. It’s not a deal breaker, but it is about time game designers work on this problem.

I think what people who are thinking of picking up Alan Wake really need to consider is whether they are willing to buy in to the absurd. The visuals are great, the soundtrack is amazing, but the plot is the central part of this game. It is so important to the game that I am afraid to hint to any of it without spoiling something. Let’s just say it’s weird, odd, and sometimes just crazy. Yet, if you pay attention and collect the manuscript pages, those long walks in the dark forests become scarier. You begin to worry about other characters and their safety. You find yourself trying to piece together the puzzles. By the end of the game I found myself almost tired of the actual gameplay, and was anticipating the next cut scene so that I could get the answers to the mystery, which rarely happens in games. But, as the Stephen King quote implied, some answers never came…

Overall, this game is a great break from your stereotypical video game. It shows that video games are more than just killing and stealing cars, but can have actual plot and purpose. Alan Wake stumbles with minor problems, but shines with its story. I got a little anxious for the ending, but it was out suspense not boredom. This is a game I can see myself picking up again in the future just to reexamine what exactly happened. If you like mystery, suspense, and a great story, give Alan Wake a chance.