Alan Wake was on the radar long before it even had a release date. Developer Remedy Games, riding the success of Max Payne 2, announced the title at E3 in 2005. The setup, a story-driven thriller about a writer who’s latest novel comes to life around him, while his missing wife is held for the ransom of this new novel, which he doesn’t even remember writing, is just about as high concept as they come. Details were fairly few and far between, though it was known that the game would be third-person (similar to Max Payne), and would feature a sandbox-style approach: the town of Bright Falls would be yours to explore. Later, the sandbox idea was scrapped in favour of a more linear approach, since, as a thriller, the pacing had to be as tight as possible. E3 2009 brought with it plenty of new information and the first look at the gameplay. We learned more about the mystery, and, most importantly, we were dazzled by the footage of Alan fighting for his life against the Taken, using nothing but a revolver, a shotgun and a torch.
With one of the most interesting story hooks around, and some great looking action from the team who brought us Max Payne, Alan Wake was all set to be as good as it gets. What went wrong?
Arguably, Alan Wake’s biggest problem was its action sequences. The overall storyline, with its excellent pacing, its twists and turns, and its occasionally corny dialogue, was top quality. The action sequences were a little less so. Initially, these night-time encounters were truly terrifying. The way the mist swirls just before an ambush, and the change in music reinforced the horror. Before you have access to all the extra equipment, when it’s just you, your torch, and your revolver, these sequences truly work. You really have to work for your survival, and the combat stands up with Dead Space as a visceral adrenaline rush.
Later on, however, you’ll find yourself in a much better position, armed to the teeth with a shotgun, flares and flashbangs. That doesn’t mean it’s easy going: you’ll frequently be outnumbered. But these kinds of fights just don’t hold the same tension as those initial encounters. Part of the problem is that there’s a very limited variety of enemies. You literally have your basic Taken, slightly tougher Taken, and Hunters, which can sprint ultra-fast to flank you. Occasionally you’ll meet a chainsaw wielding Taken, who takes a few hits to take down, but ultimately your strategy will nearly always be the same. Keep moving, and keep using the light. If you’re getting overwhelmed, drop a flare or flashbang. You’ll also occasionally get attacked by possessed objects or flocks of birds. These incidents break up the standard action scenes, and demand a slightly different approach, though all it really boils down to is pointing the torch at them.
Not aiding the variety is a distinct lack of decent setpieces. If you think of Halo 2, for example, you’ll probably think of that moment you have to jump onto the Scarab. If you think of Mass Effect, you may well think of the standoff, where you have to decide the fate of Wrex. Or take Half-life 2 and the fight against the tripods. Each of these great games have incredibly memorable gameplay moments. You could argue Alan Wake has the defence of the Old Gods of Asgard stage, or the ascent up the mountain with trains and other debris falling on you, but, really, while most of the gameplay in Alan Wake is decent, there are few, if any, truly memorable moments. This is unfortunate, as the fairly repetitive action scenes let down the storyline. That’s definitely not to say that Alan Wake is completely forgettable: there are plenty of moments in cutscenes that are stunning. The problem is that this is a game, not a film, TV show or novel. We should be most involved with what we’re playing, not what we’re seeing.
It’s fair to say that in terms of presentation and story, Alan Wake was a success. Few games are as literate as Alan Wake, combining dozens of influences and ideas, and weaving them together to create something not only original, but thrilling and compulsive. Arguably the only point of contention with the story is the final chapter and the ending. Unfortunately, having set up an impressively complex mystery and story-driven narrative, the final chapter involves little more than a running gunfight. The player is tasked with getting from point A to point B, killing any Taken along the way. Considering so much effort had gone into previous chapters to keep the story twisting and turning, this final chapter was a major letdown, especially as the gun-play is undoubtedly one of the game’s weak spots. After that, and a mediocre boss fight, we get treated to an ending that’s divisive at best. A few loose ends are tied, poetic conclusion, but it’s also all a bit abstract for those after a neat ending to their thriller experience.
Overall, Alan Wake still represents one of the best storylines you can play on the Xbox 360, which makes the repetitive nature of the gameplay even more disappointing. The story might get a little too fantastical towards the end, and the action elements are definitely lacking – the game would have been far better if the skirmishes were fewer and farther between, as well as more imaginative. We expected Alan Wake to be far better than it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a unique, fascinating game, and well worth a try.
