A title that has been one of the
most anticipated games for the Xbox 360, Alan Wake comes from a strong pedigree,
being developed by Remedy Entertainment, the folks behind the hugely popular Max
Payne franchise. However, until recently, information on the game had slowed to
a crawl, with many wondering if the title had somehow slipped into development
hell.
However, at this year’s E3, Alan
Wake was on hand, with Microsoft and Remedy showcasing the game’s fantastic and
dark atmosphere, great environments, and some snippets of its engaging story
elements.
Alan Wake is a best-selling author
whose wife has gone missing. Wake embarks on a quest to find her, as well as
find the pieces of a manuscript that he can’t remember writing. However, as he
discovers pieces of the manuscript, the events that occur in the story begin to
occur in real life. Townspeople turn evil and start stalking you and objects in
the environment will come to life and begin to attack you poltergeist-style.
Light and darkness will play a
central part of the gameplay mechanic in Alan Wake. The enemies that you face
will be empowered by the darkness, so you’ll have to use various light sources,
including flashlights, flares, and floodlights to weaken your enemies before
hitting them with a bullet.
You’ll also be able to drive
vehicles at times to get around the environment, and meet up with people who
aren’t turned over to the darkness, who will help you in the cause of
discovering what happened to your wife as well as why your manuscript seems to
be coming to life.
The environment is very impressive,
as the game gives a great representation of the Pacific Northwest. Gloomy wooded
areas and sparse homes dot the landscape, and shifts from night to day will set
the pace for the game’s action.
Much like the developer’s Max Payne
franchise, Alan Wake is setting up to be a strongly narrated single player
action-adventure with a great story and some terrifying gameplay. Look for more
info before next spring.