Review: Alan Wake

It took 5 years but Alan Wake has finally arrived and it was worth the wait. 

Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: Microsoft
Platforms: X360 

Remedy Entertainment has always been known for making games with style, take the original Max Payne which was an amazing take on traditional third person shooters. Max Payne brought to life a hard boiled crime story wrapped with classic pulp noir sensibilities and a fantastically brutal gun play. Max Payne and the follow up, Max Payne 2 were both blockbuster games that cemented Finnish developer Remedy as one of the best development houses in the world. 

It’s taken them 5 years but Remedy is back with a new title, and has once again set the bar for what an action thriller can be. 

Alan Wake revolves around novelist Alan Wake and his lovely wifes Alice’s escape to the beautiful town of Bright Falls for some rest and relaxation. What quickly follows is far from it, as Alice goes missing and sets into a motion a thrilling and tension filled adventure that will have you gasping for air. 

Remedy has created a carefully constructed mystery built like a prime time TV show that slowly unwinds and digs its claws into you, refusing to let go until the bitter end. Upon arriving at Bright Falls the first thing you’ll notice are the beautiful environments. Remedy has taken their time to get the Pacific Northwest right and it shows. Bright Falls is the picturesque ideal small town, complete with small diners, wacky citizens, wood built structures and a dark secret that’s bigger than anyone would have ever guessed. Bright Falls is a living, breathing place, surrounded by lush trees and snow capped mountains. 

On Wakes journey to find his wife you’ll come across many interesting characters in Bright Falls, which are all voiced exquisitely and filled with personality. Town citizens like Rose the diner waitress, Barry, Alan’s best friend and agent and the hilarious Odin and Tor some of the more stand out characters that inhabit Bright Falls. You’ll want to get to know these folks, and most amazingly come to actually care about their well being. Sure, they’re all just digital creations spinning on a disk but by the time I finished Alan Wake, I couldn’t wait to see them again.

Remedy has created a place that feels real, all in the pursuit of conveying its main star, and it’s not the titular Alan Wake. Alan Wakes visual splendor and dynamite sound design and soundtrack all serve to further along a blockbuster story. You’ll panic when the woods begin to shake violently signalling that everything is about to go to hell once again. You’ll feel your heart touched as Alan flashes back to better times with his beautiful wife Alice, and you’ll want to spend as much time in Bright Falls uncovering the darkness that drips through its history. Bright Falls may not be a place I’d like to stay very long due to it the darkness that’s slowly enveloping it, but damn if I wouldn’t like to stop by for a visit.

Remedy being known for great story telling as well as great combat haven’t cheated the game-play. Combat while thrilling and tense, can still though at times get down right repetitive but it never lost its intensity. Alan on his quest to find his wife has to fight creatures bathed in darkness and the only way to fight the dark is with light. Alan will have to weaken the darkness infused “Taken” with light to slowly burn away their protection and when weak enough, finish them off with traditional weapons like a revolver or shotgun.

To help Alan, you’ll find caches of light based weapons like flare guns, stronger torches and flash bombs which send the darkness inhabited “Taken” exploding into crispy particles. With light playing such a huge part in not only the gameplay but the story as well, Remedy has taken amazing effort in delivering some truly stunning lighting effects. To be honest, I have yet to see a game that displays shadows and lighting more naturally and eerily gorgeous like Alan Wake. Trees, bushes and furniture all cast realistic shadows. It’s this attention to light and dark which plays tricks on the player as he strolls through the forest. At times I would jump at nothing more than a shadow, thinking it was a Taken. 

Not only is Alan Wake beautiful but it wears it inspirations on its wool jacketed sleeve. Throughout Bright Falls you’ll come across TV’s with episodes of a Twilight Zone like show called Night Springs. These mini-shows all serve the purpose of not only entertaining but adding small glimpses to the bigger story of Bright Falls. 

Alan Wake isn’t perfect. I would have loved to explore Bright Falls more. The slightly lower resolution than the now standard 720p is noticeable during the day time portions and voice syncing with actors really could have been much better, but it’s the overall experience that blew me away. Alan Wake is a flawed masterpiece. A showcase of what heartfelt story telling married with intense combat and amazingly beautiful sound design can do. 

At times terrifying, hilarious and confusing all at once, Alan Wake managed to deliver an experience that has resonated with me long after the credits rolled.  In an industry which loves to spit out sequel after sequel filled with bald space marines and army men, Alan Wake is a shining bright light in the darkness and one that any gamer should give a chance. 

It’s a title that I hope is a financial success, simply because the industry needs more developers taking risks like Remedy has. I believe that with a little more TLC, some tweaks to combat and some engine work - Alan Wake 2 could easily find a place beside the Uncharted’s of the game industry.

 By: Michael Torres