First of all, I'm not sure if there is a thread on this game or not and if there is I'm surprised it's not still on the first page. So, after going about six pages down to check for it...I see nothing.
So lets begin!
[IMG]http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/5278/alanwake0.jpg[/IMG]
[quote][B]Welcome to Bright Falls...[/B]
[I][B]A best-selling thriller writer, Alan Wake and his wife, Alice, have rented an isolated cabin outside of Bright Falls, a scenic town in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. It should be the perfect getaway, a chance for Wake and Alice to reconnect, and for Wake to overcome the writer's block that has sent his career and his marriage spiraling out of control. Bright Falls hides a dark secret, though, and the charming cabin on the lake is not what it seems. When Alice goes missing, Wake's desperate search for her will take him deep into the dark woods and to the very edge of madness[/B][/I][/quote]
[IMG]http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/1163/brightfalls.jpg[/IMG]
Alan Wake has been in the making for quite some time. I first took note of it back about mid-2006 or so. Back then, the game was just a popular rumor and very much under wraps from the public eye. It was originally slated for a PC release but recent design decisions diverted production of Alan Wake to an Xbox 360 exclusive title, much to the disappointment of the PC-dedicated fans which followed it from the get go (as well as myself). This delayed the game significantly, about a year more than expected. However, the game released on the following dates:
[B]EU: May 14, 2010[/B]
[B]NA: May 18, 2010[/B]
[B]AUS: May 20, 2010[/B]
[B]Gameplay[/B]
The gameplay is similiar to the style of Max Payne 2 but minus the bullet time and emphasis on shooting. In fact, the game is not shy to include some "cameos" of Max Payne (quotations are necessary and you will only understand why if you actually played through the game). The game is played through six "episodes", each concluding with the title of the game and a episode specific song playing at the end. It's similiar to that of a tv-series and even starts up each episode with a "Previously..." which summarizes the previous episode through cut scenes. It's an interesting style for a video game and made it appear quite cinematic and helped push the story on. I know it kept me wanting to know what happened next!
As you may have heard from a friend or from some previews of the game, Light is very important both gameplay and story wise. Many symbollic overtones to the useage of light and the "good vs evil/light vs dark" routine is emphasized significantly.
[IMG]http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/6923/alanwake201001130113027.jpg[/IMG]
Light can be utilized through a variety of means; A flashlight, car-lights, helicopter spot lights, emergency lights, flares, flash bangs etc. Combine this with a weapon and you can now dispatch your enemies with relative ease.
[IMG]http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/5059/alanwake201002180849467.jpg[/IMG]
Areas through out the game can provide you with a "safe haven" from enemies with a large, powerful light source. This usually requires activation through a generator and although it is not entirely necessary, it's an easy way to quickly replenish health as well as stamina when you are overwhelmed.
The game is not a "sandbox-styled" third person game although your path through the story is quite wide and has a variety of twists and turns as well as secrets for you to uncover through some exploration. Lets just say that it pays to explore in this game and the developers have done a decent enough job providing an experience that is not obviously linear.
[B]Enemies[/B]
[I][B]"The darkeness controls the Taken"[/B][/I]
[I]The Taken[/I]
[IMG]http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/2281/alanwake009.jpg[/IMG]
Your primary enemy. The Taken are humans who have become possessed by a dark presence. Nothing human remains once possessed. All that remains are empty, mindless puppets used to carry out the whims of the evil pursuing Wake. They are protected from a shroud of darkness that makes them impervious to conventional weapons. You must then use any light source available to destroy this shroud and then you can finish them off with conventional weapons. Taken come in a variety of sizes as well as carry a variety of deadly weapons. "Smaller" taken are usually dealt with rather easily and require less resources to take them down. They are armed with anything from axes to scythes to even throwing hammers or knives. "Larger" taken require a little more to take them down. They require more light break the shroud of darkness and require more bullets to put down. They are armed with much larger, deadlier weapons like sledgehammers, large branches and even chainsaws.
[I]Ravens[/I]
Also possessed by the darkness, think "Hitchcock" with these buggers. Their strength lies in numbers and timing. They can sweep in fast and hit hard and catch you with your pants down in "tight" moments, especially true when fighting the Taken or on mountain ledges and one-way bridges or trams. You can't really shoot them all so the best way to finish them off is to use light to watch them "burn" into nothing more than a cloud of feathers.
[I]Poltergeist objects[/I]
[IMG]http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9995/alanwake201001130113001.jpg[/IMG]
As the darkness grows in strength, so does it's means of taking you down. All objects, ranging from barrels to train cars, can be possessed and hurled at you with bone-crushing force. You do NOT want to get in the way of these objects. Heavy machinery, like tractors or cars, can also be "driven" by the darkness to run you down. The only way to dispose of these objects are to boost your light against them and pray you have enough batteries.
[B]Characters[/B]
You will encounter a variety of characters throughout the game. Most are residents of Bright Falls with a variety of others from outside Bright Falls, people other than Wake and Alice. Many of these characters have their own secrets to tell and it could mean the life or death for Alan Wake and his wife...
Some of the main characters:
[B]Alan Wake (Protagonist)[/B]
[IMG]http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3071/wakeday01.png[/IMG]
A best selling thriller writer, Wake has been suffering from writer's block for over two years. Unable to write, unable to sleep, Wake is a volatile man whose marriage is in jeopardy.
[B]Barry Wheeler[/B]
[IMG]http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/8881/barryday01.png[/IMG]
Wake's childhood friend and literary agent. Barry is a high-strung, high-powered New Yorker, bulldozing his way through life. Allergic to dust, grass, pollen and small towns, Barry is completely out of place in Bright Falls, but he travels there without hesitation when he sense that Wake needs him.
[B]Alice Wake[/B]
[IMG]http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9752/alicewake.png[/IMG]
An accomplished photographer and natural beauty, Alice is Wake's wife and confidant. Deeply troubled by Wake's self-destruction, she initiated a trip to Bright Falls. Alice has demons of her own: A profound fear of the dark.
[B]Doctor Emil Hartman[/B]
[IMG]http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9227/dremilhartman.png[/IMG]
A brilliant psychiatrist and author, Hartman specializes in the long-term treatment of troubled artists at his Cauldron Lake Lodge. Considered distant and arrogant by the townsfolk, Hartman's methods are unorthadox and his results uncertain.
[B]Weapons[/B]
Indeed, light is your primary weapon. It's an essential part of fighting the Taken. Throughout the game you have choice to utilize a variety of hand-held light sources as weapons; ranging from flashlights to flare guns. All hand-held light sources (other than flares, flashbangs and flare guns) require batteries to operate. Generally speaking, the more "heavy duty" the flashlight, the less quickly your batteries will burn out.
You have:
[I][B]The Flashlight and Heavy-Duty Flashlight[/B][/I]
Your flashlight will light the way through the dark forests and mills of Bright Falls as well as burn off the shroud of darkness around enemies to make them vulnerable to small arms fire.
[I][B]Lantern and Heavy-Duty Lanterns[/B][/I]
The lantern is much more powerful than the flashlight and has a wider light beam compared to the flashlight. The ownly downside is that it has a limited boosting capacity which drains the batteries down significantly faster than any flashlight.
[I][B]Flares and Flareguns[/B][/I]
Flares burn brightly, but only briefly. They are most effective when in a pinch and you need some breathing room or when you are surrounded by enemies. You can either toss or hold a flare to light your path.
The flaregun is a single shot weapon (which must be reloaded after each shot) which deal tremendous damage to the Taken. It's particularly effective against ravens since it 'explodes' upon impact and can take out bunched Taken in, usually, one shot.
[I][B]Flashbangs[/B][/I]
Found in abundance in any area with state troopers, Flashbangs are the perfect weapon to use when surrounded by multiple enemies. They explode in a flash of light, instantly killing any Taken foolishly caught in it. The own downside is that it takes a few seconds upon throwing to actually explode.
[B]Conventional Weapons [/B]
Alan Wake is not REALLY a shooting game, per say, but it's an action/adventure game none the less. Light is mainly effective only for destroying the shroud of darkness around enemies and objects. Unless the light source is particularly intense, shining your flashlight on an enemy will do nothing more than blind them for a few seconds. When the shroud of darkness is destroyed, break out the heavy duty weapons and prepare to become the Six Shooting Typist:
[I][B]Revolver[/B][/I]
Your basic six shooter. Weaker, smaller taken can be shot down in one shot with this but the bigger ones require more shots. You can speed up reloading by tapping your 'reload button' repeatedly.
[I][B]Shotguns[/B][/I]
The break action shotgun holds only two rounds and both barrels can be fired in quick succession but it needs to be constantly reloaded. You can hit several enemies at once with your shots.
The pump-action shotgun deals equal damage as the break-action shotgun but it has a higher capacity at eight rounds. Less reloading, more killing.
[I][B]Hunting Rifle[/B][/I]
The most powerful conventional weapon in the game. It's capable of taking out pretty much any enemy in one shot. It holds five rounds before it needs to reload.
[B]Assorted Gameplay shots[/B]
[B][IMG]http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/4435/alanwake011.jpg[/IMG][/B]
[IMG]http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/480/alanwake201001130112543.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/6172/alanwakedownedplane720p.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img813.imageshack.us/img813/6935/alanwake201003160958074.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1248/fansitekithiresbackgrou.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/1248/fansitekithiresbackgrou.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/9605/alan20wake20pic.jpg[/IMG]
Well, I think I have covered pretty much the most important basics of the game. Alan Wake was a game that I didn't really follow ritualistically like some games I anticipate (Red Dead Redemption for example) so I wasn't too sure what exactly I was getting into when purchasing it although I thought it looked amazing when I did follow it. It was a great game, well deserving of it's ratings and praise. It has a solid story that makes the player feel like you're playing through a movie or your favorite Stephen King book. Speaking of Stephen King, this game pays great homage to those classic horror story techniques and locales and so it becomes a fun adventure all around! I highly recommend getting this game. It has six chapters of gameplay that should take you more than 12 hours to beat if you were to do it in one sitting (which may sound tempting as you play!)
Here are some useful sites to follow up on any details for the game that I may have missed:
[URL="http://alanwake.wikia.com/wiki/Alan_Wake_Wiki"]Alan Wake Wiki[/URL]
[URL="http://http://alanwake.wikia.com/wiki/Bright_Falls_(mini-series)"]TV Mini-series "Bright Falls"[/URL]
[IMG]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/4930/alanwakehighrespromosho.jpg[/IMG]
This was my first "Mega thread". I hope you enjoy the read and game as much as I did!
i wish everyone made megathreads like this. Good job
I wish it was on PC. I'm not buying it because of that.
Good OP.
I will always treat this game as the reason Max Payne 3 will most likely be bad.
I absolutely loved this game. Such a fantastic atmosphere. :dance:
On the other hand, sometimes the narration got a little annoying. It tended to take the challenge away from certain areas.
"That boat was imposing, almost like a battering ram."
Thanks for pretty much telling me what to do.
Does anyone even care about this game anymore? It's been dropped from PC, and my opinion, not even as good as they promised.
Would have been a great pc game. Such a shame.
I think the more you knew about this game before it came out, the less you cared about it when it actually did.
A lot of people are who hate this game are butthurt PC gamers who never played the game. It's sad.
I really liked the story until it decided to end abrubtly. Oh well.
Anyone else catch the Max Payne reference?
I really really wanted this game to be good. :saddowns: I still haven't played it, but I really wanted to play it on PC.
[QUOTE=Whatsinaname;22549309]I really liked the story until it decided to end abrubtly. Oh well.
Anyone else catch the Max Payne reference?[/QUOTE]
There are two things of DLC coming out, which I think might be "sequels". If you buy the game, you get a code for one of them free when it comes out.
I hope this game gets a decent PC port.
absolutely loved the story personally, one of the better story-telling games i've played through so far
This and heavy rain were worth waiting for in my opinion
An awesome game with an awesome storyline and gameplay.
Poor PC only gamers, judging a game by it's Xbox360-exclusiveness.
[editline]08:44PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=OutOfExile;22549171]I think the more you knew about this game before it came out, the less you cared about it when it actually did.[/QUOTE]
More like the more you knew about it, the less of an engaging experience it is.
[QUOTE=Whatsinaname;22549309]I really liked the story until it decided to end abrubtly. Oh well.
Anyone else catch the Max Payne reference?[/QUOTE]
From what I understand, it's basically Stephen King - The Game.
Isn't this game supposed to be a sandbox style game? That's what I gathered from all the previous demos of the game back in 06.
No, not at all.
[QUOTE=Mr.Cookie;22550806]Isn't this game supposed to be a sandbox style game? That's what I gathered from all the previous demos of the game back in 06.[/QUOTE]
They had originally planned that but then they changed it as time went on so that they could focus on delivering the story the way they wanted. Still, the path you follow through the game is quite "wide" and I can faithfully say that although it is linear in the sense you always end up going the same way, there is still a lot of room to explore in the game.
Part of the story relies on exploration anyway since you can find manuscript pages which also serves as a means of uncovering the story from different points of view.
Great game.
i loved it
Yes, it is a great game. I don't get why anyone would condemn it for not coming to PC.
It looks great, plays out equally well and the story is pretty fascinating since it's clearly hanging onto the concept of a series. Although I will admit that some of the dialogue was pretty funny in a quirky kind of way :P.
I don't condemn it for not coming out on PC; I condemn it for being cliched trite compared to what it once was.
Funny how the maker of the game is Remedy and the only way to fight the taken is with the "remedy" light.
[QUOTE=Slasha00;22565478]I don't condemn it for not coming out on PC; I condemn it for being cliched trite compared to what it once was.[/QUOTE]
What was it at one time? I can honestly say that after hearing about it for a few months back in 2006, I lost all contact/information about the game shortly afterward.
Just started episode 6 and honestly im getting bored of it
i just want to know how it ends
[QUOTE=MasterQuief;22566233]Just started episode 6 and honestly im getting bored of it
i just want to know how it ends[/QUOTE]
Christ, that's the last episode. You can finish it. You have about 30-45 minutes of gameplay left.
The atmosphere is awesome in this game.
The bad thing about it is that you're always walking through a forest. Always.
It was a good game, though i don't believe it was as good as it should have been.
[QUOTE=Jim_Riley;22566336]Christ, that's the last episode. You can finish it. You have about 30-45 minutes of gameplay left.[/QUOTE]
oh yea i know im gonna finish it, but toward the end it got kinda meh
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