Review - Alan Wake

IT seems only fitting that a game that deals with such dark subject matter as Alan Wake was stuck in development hell for the past five or so years. In 2005 it was going to come out on the PC and “next-generation consoles”, then in 2007 it was going only to PC and Xbox 360 as an open-world game. Now, in 2010, Alan Wake is a linear (albeit with a wide path to follow) third-person action game and is available only on the Xbox 360. Thankfully all of that extra time and effort has not been wasted and Alan Wake has emerged from the depths, which has claimed Duke Nukem Forever and StarCraft: Ghost, and is, thankfully, a compelling and highly polished game.

The story of Alan Wake is possibly the game’s biggest draw card, and I’m pleased to say that it doesn’t disappoint. You play as the titular hero of the game, Alan Wake, as he takes a vacation in Bright Falls with his loving wife. Things soon take a turn for the worst as she is kidnapped by evil forces and Alan emerges from a car crash with no memory of how he got there. But before he can ask too many questions Alan must defend himself from hordes of possessed townspeople, controlled by the same evil that took his beloved. I could go on about the plot of the game, and I know that I really haven’t done it justice with such a brief summary, but I’m holding back on giving away too much as finding out all you can about Alan Wake and the mysterious town of Bright Falls is very rewarding.

Moving on to the actual game part of the game there are a lot of labels assigned to Alan Wake, and even its own packaging describes it as a psychological action thriller. This would understandably cause gamers to lump it into the survival horror category, but make no mistake, Alan Wake is a third-person shooter. Comparisons with other horror games, such as Silent Hill, are justified in terms of tone, but the core of the game is more about fighting for your life with a small variety of weapons than solving puzzles or managing your inventory.

Speaking of weapons, Alan Wake’s main source of defence is actually the humble torch (or flashlight if you will). Possessed vehicles, including rampaging bulldozers and four-wheel drives, as well as various other objects and killer birds can be taken down using only light which can come from your torch, flares or mounted spotlights. Darkness infected humans however must first be worn down with light then finished off with a few rounds from one of your rifles or handgun. Thankfully Alan is capable of dodging a few attacks if you time your button presses right and the ‘defending with light then attacking with firearms’ mechanic works well, so combat is never a chore. That’s not to say that it’s easy though, and it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed at times, but it’s also satisfying to rip the top off a flare and watch a horde of infected nutcases recoil in pain and then finish them off with a couple of well placed rounds.

But as solid as the combat is Alan Wake lacks big gameplay moments that stay with you after the end credits. Towards the end there are some truly memorable sections that play right into the story, and there is a great shoot-out that takes place on a large rock concert stage, but there is a distinct lack of big encounters and epic battles beyond taking down large groups of enemies. The other major gripe is the facial animations. As amazing as this game looks, and trust me there attention to detail in every section of this game is truly impressive, it’s bizarre how badly animated the characters of Alan Wake look when they’re talking. It’s a real shame as the voice-acting is great, but everyone looks so wooden when they’re trying to emote. It’s by no means a deal breaker, but it’s very noticeable. Still, for what little Alan Wake lacks it more than makes up for in narrative and pacing and not since Bioshock’s now infamous “would you kindly?” moment has a game surprised me the way Alan Wake did with a number of its twists and turns.

So if you’re after a different kind of video game than most you really should pick up Alan Wake. Much like a good television drama this game draws you in with its engaging story, complete with episode breaks and story recaps, and keeps you playing by teasing you with answers to your questions in every new section. It may have a couple of flaws, but rarely does a video game feature a story so strong coupled with such solid gameplay as is on offer in Alan Wake.

GRADE: B

Alan Wake is out now on the Xbox 360. Review written after the entire story was complete. Review guidelines