Alan Wake, Is It Worth The Wait?
I am Ashley, and I write about the video games I play. It is therefore my responsibility to deliver you an unbiased verdict of whatever has been occupying my Xbox’ disc tray. Usually I can expect a few disagreements . After all, video games aren’t tailored to suit every individual, and personal taste undoubtedly comes into it. Never have I played a game, however, where I’ve been so certain that the answer to the question posed in the title of this very blog post will indeed be a resounding “Yes!”.
Back up… Wasn’t Alan Wake announced in 2005? Yuh-huh. I wrote a little about the effect of the many delays Alan Wake has seen, and how, having only played Alan Wake for one evening, my apprehension had quickly dissolved into confidence that it was in fact worth the 5 year wait. Now I’m on the penultimate chapter, and the game has only gotten better (and my screams louder).
What makes or breaks a survival horror game (or psychological thriller action-adventure as Alan Wake is described) is the atmosphere. If it doesn’t provoke even the tiniest pee leakage, then it’s not doing its job. Unfortunately, after the disappointing lack of scares in Resident Evil 5, I haven’t played anything since Condemned, the Xbox launch title, that has managed to terrorise me. Ask any of my friends who have spent an evening in an Xbox Live party with me as I hesitantly traipse through Bright Falls, and they’ll tell you this game makes me scream. A lot. With the lights off, surround sound on, I somehow feel that it’s entirely possible an axe-wielding dark entity will creep up behind me *shudders*.
The environment is what you’d expect, although not to an entirely predictable degree that it looses its scare factor; desolate woods, dense trees, abandoned log cabins. All of which you are forced to explore at night, more often than not alone.
But what about the story? Okay, as Wills mentioned over Twitter, it’s hard for it to be believable, and he’s right, but what was the last horror movie you watched where the events could possibly unfold in real life? The point is, Alan Wake is cinematic. The developers have done so well at creating an experience that plays like a game, yet feels like a movie. And even though the game is frightening, there’s still a lot of humour to be found in Barry, Wake’s amusing Agent.
As every chapter wraps up and the game morphs to the Alan Wake screen while the music fades in, I can’t help but say “Holy shit!”. Every. Time.
What about the niggles? I can’t think of any downsides that truly hinder the game. I know some people weren’t stoked on the manuscripts that are strewn throughout the level and are considered, alongside the coffee thermos, as collectibles. The manuscripts divulge a teeny bit of plot as you find them, but never enough to give away exactly what’s happening; just enough to make you anticipate the events and approach apprehensively.
The levels are linear, but is that even a bad thing? GTA has ruined us, and if something can’t be open ended and explored we’re quick to write it off, but in Alan Wake it works, because the focus isn’t on prancing around in the darkness where you can — and will — get killed; it’s on surviving, on getting from A to B quickly. And trust me when I say you’ll want to do that.
Weapons are stripped off you regularly, which means you’ll never become too attached to them. Usually in games, I find myself sparingly using ammo so I always have enough should a sticky situation arise. But because you’re often stripped bare of the only essentials you have, including your flashlight, it’s best to just use them when you can. And on the rare occasion you’ll find yourself without a damn gun, run towards the fucking light.
There is honestly so much more to Alan Wake than I feel the need to write. It’s pretty simple — your Xbox needs this in its life. Remedy, I forgive you for arsing us around with the release date, for having the game succumb to many delays. Alan Wake looks great, plays exactly like I had hoped, and the voice acting and dialogue are the icing on a very polished cake. A must buy.
I don’t have anything derogatory to say about Alan Wake. My advice to you? Spend a night in Bright Falls and soak up the eerie atmosphere. Alan Wake excels at thrilling you psychologically. Which is why it’s called a psychological thriller, I guess…
Ben Lilley