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Alan Wake

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Alan Wake
File:Alan-wake-0.jpg
Current cover for Alan Wake
Developer(s)Remedy Entertainment
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios
Designer(s)Petri Järvilehto (lead designer)
Writer(s)Sam Lake (lead writer)
Composer(s)Petri Alanko[3]
EngineAlan Wake-engine, Havok (physics)
Platform(s)Xbox 360
Genre(s)Psychological thriller, action
Mode(s)Single-player

Alan Wake is an action thriller video game developed by Remedy Entertainment, published by Microsoft Game Studios and released on Xbox 360 in May 2010.[5][6] The game itself is inspired by Twin Peaks, Lost, The X-Files and the works of Stephen King.[7]

Gameplay

The story will play out in an episodic format, with a television show-style presentation similar to Lost and 24 where each episode/chapter brings another piece to the puzzle of the main plot. Remedy has confirmed that Alan Wake is only the first season of a bigger story, opening the door for future sequels.[8]

Light plays a significant role in gameplay and strategy. The enemies, called "the Taken" in the game, are sensitive to light, encouraging the player to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing significant emphasis on the flashlight as a primary weapon. Players also have the ability to set traps that illuminate when triggered, either damaging or temporarily immobilizing an enemy. They are then destroyed and turned into batteries.

Remedy also promised a free-roam, sandbox-style city, similar to those seen in the Grand Theft Auto series. However, in an interview with Finnish magazine Pelaaja and British magazine Edge, this feature is stated to have been removed, with Remedy opting to focus on a compelling storyline over sandbox-style gameplay. "That being said, this path that the player is on is quite wide at times and all through the game there is a lot for the player to explore, but it's not a free-roaming sandbox," said Sam Lake of Remedy. [9][10]

Alan Wake features a day/night time cycle. During the day, players may interact with other NPCs to find out more about the town of Bright Falls, Washington.[11]

Plot

Alan Wake, a bestselling writer, hasn't managed to write anything in over two years. His wife, Alice, brings him to the idyllic small town of Bright Falls, Washington to recover his creative flow. When she vanishes without a trace, Wake finds himself trapped in a nightmare. Word by word, his latest work - a thriller he cannot even remember writing - is coming true before his eyes. At night a powerful dark entity takes over the town and its inhabitants, and Wake's only protection seems to be light. At day things return to normal and the townspeople are no longer possessed. But in the game Alan will have to outrun police, find his book's missing pages, fight and use the surrounding objects with light, and find his wife.

Soundtrack

The game's score is composed by Petri Alanko. The soundtrack features the song "War" by Poets of the Fall, from the band's fourth studio album Twilight Theater. Sam Lake said that the song "...is a prominent part of the Alan Wake soundtrack and the theme also links strongly to the game’s storyline." [12] The band also wrote the ending theme to Remedy's previous game Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne called "Late Goodbye", which is based on a poem written by Lake. "War" however was not written specifically for Alan Wake.

Development

Alan Wake was announced at E3 2005. Microsoft partnered with Remedy to release the game for the Xbox 360 and as a DirectX 10-only title for Windows Vista. Alan Wake is modelled after Finnish actor Ilkka Villi.[13]

On February 12, 2010, Microsoft announced the game would not be available on the Windows platform, stating that playing on the 360 would be "more compelling".[14]

Alan Wake will feature a limited collector's edition set, consisting of the game, a 144-page book named "The Alan Wake Files", the game soundtrack, exclusive content including a token for the first DLC (downloadable content), an Alan Wake avatar shirt, and an Alan Wake Theme.[15]

The release date for Europe was slated for a May 21 date, but on April 7, 2010, the release date was pushed forward to May 14 for Europe only. The game went gold on April 7, 2010.

Alan Wake's framebuffer runs 540p in 30 FPS. The game also uses 4xMSAA. Digital Foundry states that "a combination of high levels of anti-aliasing and high-quality scaling easily cloaks Alan Wake's 960x540 framebuffer."

Limited Edition

There will be two versions available on release - a standard edition and a limited edition that will include (to be confirmed) the standard edition game plus the following:

  • Exclusive in-game audio commentary and hints by Remedy
  • "The Alan Wake Files" - 144 page book that includes a short story written by Alan Wake and compiles the FBI dossiers investigating the events in Bright Falls, WA
  • Exclusive Audio Disc with soundtrack and score
  • Game Add-On Token redeemable on Xbox LIVE for the first Alan Wake add-on content pack
  • Exclusive Xbox Disc with special content: Alan Wake Xbox LIVE Theme and Alan Wake Avatar for Xbox LIVE

Reception

Michael Plant from The Independent gave the game a perfect score of 5/5. He praised Alan Wake for its "flawless pacing", which "ensures a compulsive experience". Editing and plot were also received very positively, making the game "the kind of experience the current console generation was made for."[27]

The Daily Telegraph rated the game 9/10 with editor Nick Cowen being impressed by the game's "stunning" look, stating the town of Bright Falls and its surrounding environment to be "authentic" in terms of architecture, vegetation, weather and lighting. He described the atmosphere as being able to "...turn on a dime from feeling safe and serene to one of choking menace and foreboding...". Combat mechanics and plot were also praised with the first making "the player feel constantly under threat." and the latter being "...one of its [the game's] strongest assets." Criticism included facial animation and shortness in length.[28]

Winda Benedetti lauded the maturity of Alan Wake as well as Quantic Dream's interactive drama Heavy Rain in an article for MSNBC.com. She described both games as "emotionally powerful" as well as having "... said goodbye to the tired alien invasions and over-the-top fantasy stories so often found in video games. Instead, they peer into the dark reaches of the very real human heart to deliver stories that are thrilling, chilling and utterly absorbing."[29]

William Vitka from The New York Post graded it B+, praising the game for its "scary atmosphere", music, graphics and "surprising level of complexity" in combat, but commented negatively on the game's animation and storyline.[30]

Brian Crecente, editor-in-chief of Kotaku.com praised the general use of light as a gameplay-mechanic. He commented on the episodic structure, saying it made the player feel satisfied even after short gameplay-sessions. He also praised the overall storyline, having played the final episode thrice in a row, saying:"For the first time in my life, I have experienced something that plays like a game but has the impact of a movie...Alan Wake is a powerful ride, an experience bound to leave you thinking about it and wanting more for days after its completion." He however criticized the game for not providing enough information about Wake and his wife, despite being "packed with memorable people". In conclusion he stated:"I am open to the potential of the year's games, but I still can't imagine that Alan Wake will be topped in 2010. It tells a story that is engaging, and yes, emotional. It makes you care, it delivers scares. But most importantly it redefines interactive storytelling. More aptly put, Alan Wake finally delivers on a phrase so overused that it has become a joke."[31]

Tom Mc Shea criticized the game for lacking "surprising, memorable gameplay moments" in his review for Gamespot.com, but hailed it for its "fresh" story-telling, great original as well as licensed music, "subtle" lighting effects which, along with the soundtrack, "create a disturbing atmosphere", "satisfying" combat system and clever inclusion of collectables, giving a final score of 8.5/10.[23]

IGN's Charles Onyett scored the game 9/10, providing it with the "Editors' Choice Award". He described it as "...hard to put down once you have started." and appreciated the game for its episodic structure, "interesting" story-telling mechanic, lighting effects, soundtrack and combat system which he described as "fast and responsive", but criticized the writing as "uneven".[25]

Tom Orry from VideoGamer.com also awarded a score of 9/10, praising the game for its "clever narrative", "incredible atmosphere" and great soundtrack which he described as "...being one of the best and most memorable I've ever heard in a video game.", concluding Alan Wake to be "...an escapade I'm going to remember for a very long time. It's a stunning action game, a superbly scripted adventure and a technical showcase for the now-ageing Xbox 360 hardware."[32]

Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson awarded a score of 7 / 10, stating, "All the same, there's a weekend's worth of fun here for action-adventure fans who aren't too bothered about innovative concepts and varied gameplay, and don't mind a lot of repetition. Alan Wake is an accessible, undemanding game with a neat combat mechanic and decent visuals. It's just not a very original game, it's certainly not an exceptional one, and it's a shame it wasn't ready a few years ago." [20]

References

  1. ^ Davey, Jamie (2010-02-12). "Microsoft releases Alan Wake early in Europe [[Strategy Informer]]". Retrieved 2010-04-07. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  2. ^ "Official Release Dates". IGN. 2010-02-20. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  3. ^ "Alan Wake FAQ". Alan Wake Community Forums. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  4. ^ http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-alanwake-tech-analysis
  5. ^ "Official site". Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  6. ^ "Release Dates". 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  7. ^ Alan Wake FINALLY Gets Release Date ... And They REALLY Mean It This Time!
  8. ^ Remedy: Alan Wake is only the first season
  9. ^ Alan Wake No Longer Open World
  10. ^ Alan Wake No Longer a Sandbox
  11. ^ Mitchell, Richard (2009-07-16). "Interview: Remedy's Oskari Hakkinen on Alan Wake". Joystiq. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  12. ^ "Official Website - Poets of the Fall in Alan Wake". Poets of the Fall. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
  13. ^ Davey, Jamie (2008-06-28). "Being Alan Wake Is Kinda Like Hollywood!". Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  14. ^ Davey, Jamie (2010-02-12). "Microsoft: Alan Wake will no longer be coming to the PC [[Strategy Informer]]". Retrieved 2010-02-12. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  15. ^ "Alan Wake Limited Collector's Edition spotted [[Joystiq]]". 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-03-07. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  16. ^ "Alan Wake for Xbox 360 - GameRankings". Gamerankings.com. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  17. ^ "Alan Wake xbox 360 reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  18. ^ Thierry Nguyen (2010-05-05). "Alan Wake Review for the Xbox 360 from 1UP.com". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  19. ^ Andy Robinson (2010-05-05). "Review Alan Wake Review - ComputerAndVideoGames.com". Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  20. ^ a b Ellie Gibson (2010-05-05). "Eurogamer : Alan Wake Review eurogamer.net". Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  21. ^ Andrew Reiner (2010-05-05). "Redefining Video Game Storytelling - Alan Wake - Xbox 360 - GameInformer.com". Game Informer. Retrieved 2010-05-07. {{cite web}}: Text "Game Informer" ignored (help)
  22. ^ Xav de Matos (2010-05-04). "Review Alan Wake Review - GamePro". Retrieved 2010-05-10.
  23. ^ a b Tom Mc Shea (2010-05-07). "Alan Wake Review for Xbox360 - Gamespot". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  24. ^ GameTrailers.com (2010-05-05). "Alan Wake Video Game Review HD". Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  25. ^ a b c Charles Onyett. "Alan Wake Review - Xbox 360 review at IGN". Retrieved 2010-05-05. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 29 (help)
  26. ^ Francesca Reyes (2010-05-05). "Alan Wake Review". oxmonline.com. Retrieved 2010-05-06. {{cite web}}: Text "OXM ONLINE" ignored (help)
  27. ^ Michael Plant (2010-05-07). "Games Reviews: Alan Wake - Gaming, Gadgets & Tech - The Independent". Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  28. ^ Nick Cowen (May 6, 2010). "Alan Wake video game review - Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  29. ^ Winda Benedetti (May 6, 2010). "Video games get real and grow up - Citizen Gamer - MSNBC.com". MSNBC.com. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  30. ^ William Vitka (May 6, 2010). "Alan Wake:Stephen King, The Game". NYpost.com. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  31. ^ Brian Crecente. "VAlan Wake Review - Transcending Its Medium - Alan Wake - Kotaku". MSNBC.com. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  32. ^ Tom Orry. "Alan Wake Review for Xbox 360". Retrieved 2010-05-04.

External links

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