A Geekcentric Review: Alan Wake Edition
Just so we're on the same page here, this isn't IGN or Ko-freakin-taku here. I have my own gaming preferences and this review will reflect that. I also have to include some frame of reference to the tabletop horror rpg I'm working on, because I did play it with that in mind. Please note, that I'll keep any spoilers at the end of the review, appropriately labeled, and won't betray any major plot points.
The Story: Alan Wake is the story of a writer who is suffering from debilitating (for a writer anyway) writer's block. He and his wife take a trip to the seemingly idyllic small town of Bright Falls, WA for a relaxing vacation. While in Bright Falls, Alan starts to live through the events of a novel he wrote, but doesn't remember writing. Things in Bright Falls get much more sinister at night and Alan's only feeble protection from the evils besetting the town is light. This light can come from anything from tiny flashlights to giant spotlights. It is up to Alan to save himself, the town, and those he holds dear from the evil that hangs over (and under) the town.
I really like the story in this game. It kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. The manipulation of light and shadow added an interesting dimension to the game. There are also some great plot twists along the way. The biggest weaknesses in this area are the novel excerpts you find along the way, which are poorly written, leading me to believe that Alan isn't that great of a writer to begin with; and the times when story is sacrificed for gameplay. The latter was particularly evident during the farm scene when the game briefly leaves its strong narrative roots and ventures into arcade shooting gallery territory.
The game is structured into episodes, like a television series, and plays like a tv adaptation of a novel. Alan spends much of the game running his internal monologue or narration so that you know what he's thinking and how he feels. I like the structure of the game very much, and I found that the narrative monologue helped cut down on some of what in most games becomes artificial and forced expositional dialogue. There are a few flashbacks in the game, but they are not too jarring and are handled fairly well.
The Graphics: The visuals in this game fall into a few different categories, some of which are handled better than others. The wide vistas of Bright Falls and surrounding area are beautiful. I found myself occasionally stopping to admire some of the more breathtaking views in the game. The character modeling is uneven and goes from adequate and occasionally good to distractingly bad. Alan must use some strong hair gel to keep it shellacked to his head even during strenuous physical activity. I didn't find the facial animations to be particularly distracting. I also didn't see too much extraneous and inappropriate hand gesturing (see Premonition, Deadly for an example). The vehicles and other props are handled pretty well, as are the enemies that Alan encounters along the way.
I love the way the cinematics are incorporated into the game. I often found my attention pulled in by a cinematic without even realizing it until I saw the graphics shift back into gameplay mode. Throughout the game are radios and televisions that Alan can turn on to watch the live action Night Springs tv show (a la The Twilight Zone) or listen to the friendly local radio personality.
The Controls: The controls are the biggest weakness of Alan Wake. Thankfully, the game is structured in such a fashion that it never becomes a game-breaking concern. The left analog/left bumper combination to get Alan to dodge attacks is unwieldy at best, and at worst doesn't work at all. I did have this cost me Alan's life a few times when a dodge didn't register and I was pummeled by an enemy. The other side effect of the dodge mechanic is that most of the time, when Alan runs, he starts with a strange looking stumble step, as the interface thinks you are trying to dodge before it realizes you are just running. Shooting at enemies is also tricky and takes getting used to the games reticule being attached to Alan's flashlight beam. I often found myself hitting the left trigger to unnecessarily boost the flashlight beam before pulling the right trigger to fire. This cost me battery life on the flashlight, but I imagine it was reflexive due to the controls of games like Call of Duty that use that left trigger, right trigger combo. The flashlight boosting mechanic was cool, if a bit metagame, but was difficult to pull off with vehicle headlights. I often found myself changing direction unintentionally when I needed to boost the car headlights to take out an enemy. As far as the driving controls go, I think this game nailed them. I thought they were better even than Grand Theft Auto IV, with a more stable camera.
EDIT: I realized that I forgot to mention contextual prompts... I hate them. I despise contextual prompts. They kill my suspension of disbelief and remind me that I'm playing a game. Resident Evil 5 did this constantly, prompting me to "press B, press B, press B, PRESS A, now hold down the left analog stick and swizzle it from side to side" and then making me repeat the scene if I didn't get the sequence and timing correct. Terrible. Alan Wake has some contextual prompt (such as starting generators, etc.), but they follow my cardinal rule of contextual prompts: If you're going to use them, make them do the same thing every time. Remedy follows this, so they don't drive me crazy or kill suspension of disbelief. The contextual prompts here are done pretty well.
Soundtrack: This game has one of the best video game soundtracks I've ever experienced. The music is well selected and utilized to optimal dramatic effect. I love the music between episodes and always listened to the entire song.
Spoilery Stuff: This paragraph (and only this one) contains some moderate spoilers. If you don't want that, just skip it! I noticed two fairly serious plot holes in this game. The first is with Emil, who we never really meet. We are warned about him, being told that he was Thomas Zane's apprentice and told to beware betrayal by Emil or a supposed ally like him. Only it is never developed. Also, there is a scene in the Sheriff's Office when Alan's agent, Barry Wheeler (who starts the game as a pretty annoying character, but is stealing scenes by the end), is on the telephone alerting a network of people that is dubbed "Night Springs" (like the in-game television series) to help combat the evil, but who never show up to help out. I like the ambiguous ending and have been pondering the significance of the game's last line since I finished it. Also, where does the cardboard Alan Wake standee disappear to? Barry spends so much time carrying it around that I expected it to have some significance. I also expected the radio host to have a more prominent role in the story.
Overall: I think this is an excellent game overall. It handled some of the themes that I plan on tackling with my tabletop rpg pretty well, such as the division of the action in to manageable bits and the shift from the "normal" world into a world where the paranormal is ordinary and back again. I've read a lot of discussions about how this game isn't scary at all, but I think it is scary and atmospheric and well done.
There you have it, folks. My take on Alan Wake. I loved this game, even if it does have a few weaknesses. I definitely recommend it for all of you survival horror and suspense fans out there. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.
Have you played Alan Wake? If so, let me know what you thought!
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