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Logo by Max Layne Photography
| Microsoft Xbox 360 |
It has been over six years since the first game in the Max Payne series was successful, but the people at Remedy Entertainment haven’
t been sitting around, making gamers who loved the first game to waiting. Their latest game is given a feel of the Pacific Northwest,
rather than a gritty film noir feel. In “Alan Wake,” players take on the role of Alan Wake, a writer on vacation in the small town of Bright
Falls with his wife Alice. Everything is going great in Bright Falls until the night that Alice goes missing. While searching for his wife,
Alan encounters pages of a book that he doesn’t remember writing, each page telling a story of mystery and murder, a story that is
slowing coming true in Alan’s life.
This game is considered to be a psychological action thriller title and the game puts a lot of emphasis on the cinematography and
storytelling and also tries to maintain a balance of player participation and action in order to keep players involved in the game. Players
will quickly realize that this game seems to reach that balance perfectly and offers players a game with a feature film feel to it.
Everything in the game seems to be crafted perfectly to give the player a game that fully immerses them in the experience and Bright
Falls. While playing through the game it is impossible to think about anything other than what is going on in the game. Many players
may find themselves at times thinking about what would be going through their head if they were in the same situation as Mr. Wake.
Because so much of the game has been designed from a variety of real world environments and ideas that come from popular culture,
it is not surprising that that game feels authentic. Everything in the game feels very familiar for gamers, while at the same time it also
feels extremely foreign. Shrouding so much of the game in darkness creates a number of opportunities for so dramatic lighting, and
the developers did no miss a single chance to use this to their advantage.
While working through the game, players may notice that is progresses very similarly to a typical television series, with the entire game
being broken up into segments, complete with sections the game recapping what has previously happened, which adds to the overall
cinematic feel that the game offers. However, the game is much more than just an interactive television show, considering players will
find they will have to fight for the life, and the overall sanity, of Alan Wake.
Players will find themselves wandering through a dark shed, keeping their eyes open and alert, scanning the area with a trusty
flashlight. When it is determined that no one else in the in the shed, players will be able to breath a sign of relief. However, as players
continue to move through the remained of the shed, they will see many farming tools and implements that are typically used on a farm,
considering that this is a remote farming town. Players won’t think twice about what they are seeing, or even notice that Combine
Harvester in the background because it all seems to be in place. It isn’t until the unmistakable sound of the combine’s engine starting
sends a chill down the player’s spine and leaves them wondering why they didn’t pay more attention to the large machine. This is how
the majority of the game plays out.
Combat in “Alan Wake” is dealt with through the creative use of light. Most of the game’s inhabitants are very allergic to it, considering
they are creatures of darkness, and Alan must use a variety of ways to dish out light to destroy the evil. Some of evil beings only require
a light source to destroy them, while other require both light and fire power to take them down.
The game is very inventive when it comes to the sources of light that players are able to use to destroy the evil in the game. From
flashlights and flares to car beams and generators, there is a lot to about. There is nothing more unnerving than watching a creature
slowly approaching while trying to get a set of headlights turned on to take them out, only to have issues.
While a number of other games have done a lot to work in order to set the right tone, pitch and feel for a game, nothing comes quite as
close to an actual cinematic feel as “Alan Wake.” With the game’s episodic nature, the way lighting effects work and the tense
soundtrack, all make the game feel like players are a character in any one of the series the game seems to draw a lot of inspiration
from.
Interactivity in games with cinematic feel has often been a failed attempt, or it has resulted in very niche games that only a small number
of people enjoy. That doesn’t seem like it will be the case with “Alan Wake.” Everything about the game seems to be very polished
and refined, and overall the game feels very intuitive. There don’t seem to be any frustrating controls and no gimmicks that draw
attention away from the graphics and game play. It is nothing but an engaging thriller from beginning to end.
With the game’s extended development time, “Alan Wake” looks to have benefitted from the additional time spent on it. If players are
looking for a truly immersive story experience, and don't mind that occasional feeling of dread in the pit of their stomach, then this game
is simply a must buy.
t been sitting around, making gamers who loved the first game to waiting. Their latest game is given a feel of the Pacific Northwest,
rather than a gritty film noir feel. In “Alan Wake,” players take on the role of Alan Wake, a writer on vacation in the small town of Bright
Falls with his wife Alice. Everything is going great in Bright Falls until the night that Alice goes missing. While searching for his wife,
Alan encounters pages of a book that he doesn’t remember writing, each page telling a story of mystery and murder, a story that is
slowing coming true in Alan’s life.
This game is considered to be a psychological action thriller title and the game puts a lot of emphasis on the cinematography and
storytelling and also tries to maintain a balance of player participation and action in order to keep players involved in the game. Players
will quickly realize that this game seems to reach that balance perfectly and offers players a game with a feature film feel to it.
Everything in the game seems to be crafted perfectly to give the player a game that fully immerses them in the experience and Bright
Falls. While playing through the game it is impossible to think about anything other than what is going on in the game. Many players
may find themselves at times thinking about what would be going through their head if they were in the same situation as Mr. Wake.
Because so much of the game has been designed from a variety of real world environments and ideas that come from popular culture,
it is not surprising that that game feels authentic. Everything in the game feels very familiar for gamers, while at the same time it also
feels extremely foreign. Shrouding so much of the game in darkness creates a number of opportunities for so dramatic lighting, and
the developers did no miss a single chance to use this to their advantage.
While working through the game, players may notice that is progresses very similarly to a typical television series, with the entire game
being broken up into segments, complete with sections the game recapping what has previously happened, which adds to the overall
cinematic feel that the game offers. However, the game is much more than just an interactive television show, considering players will
find they will have to fight for the life, and the overall sanity, of Alan Wake.
Players will find themselves wandering through a dark shed, keeping their eyes open and alert, scanning the area with a trusty
flashlight. When it is determined that no one else in the in the shed, players will be able to breath a sign of relief. However, as players
continue to move through the remained of the shed, they will see many farming tools and implements that are typically used on a farm,
considering that this is a remote farming town. Players won’t think twice about what they are seeing, or even notice that Combine
Harvester in the background because it all seems to be in place. It isn’t until the unmistakable sound of the combine’s engine starting
sends a chill down the player’s spine and leaves them wondering why they didn’t pay more attention to the large machine. This is how
the majority of the game plays out.
Combat in “Alan Wake” is dealt with through the creative use of light. Most of the game’s inhabitants are very allergic to it, considering
they are creatures of darkness, and Alan must use a variety of ways to dish out light to destroy the evil. Some of evil beings only require
a light source to destroy them, while other require both light and fire power to take them down.
The game is very inventive when it comes to the sources of light that players are able to use to destroy the evil in the game. From
flashlights and flares to car beams and generators, there is a lot to about. There is nothing more unnerving than watching a creature
slowly approaching while trying to get a set of headlights turned on to take them out, only to have issues.
While a number of other games have done a lot to work in order to set the right tone, pitch and feel for a game, nothing comes quite as
close to an actual cinematic feel as “Alan Wake.” With the game’s episodic nature, the way lighting effects work and the tense
soundtrack, all make the game feel like players are a character in any one of the series the game seems to draw a lot of inspiration
from.
Interactivity in games with cinematic feel has often been a failed attempt, or it has resulted in very niche games that only a small number
of people enjoy. That doesn’t seem like it will be the case with “Alan Wake.” Everything about the game seems to be very polished
and refined, and overall the game feels very intuitive. There don’t seem to be any frustrating controls and no gimmicks that draw
attention away from the graphics and game play. It is nothing but an engaging thriller from beginning to end.
With the game’s extended development time, “Alan Wake” looks to have benefitted from the additional time spent on it. If players are
looking for a truly immersive story experience, and don't mind that occasional feeling of dread in the pit of their stomach, then this game
is simply a must buy.
| Genre: Action Developer: Remedy Publisher: Microsoft |
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| Downloadable Content The Signal The Writer |