Now Playing: Alan Wake

Alan Wake is a third person action game about a writer on vacation, which sounds like possibly the most boring thing ever. However, things get a little more exciting when his wife goes missing and shadowy men with axes begin popping out from behind every tree. It’s a game with horror elements, although I’d hesitate to call it a horror based game. There’s not much in the way of tension or fear, or even basic jump scares, but there is a lot of shooting things with guns.

The game is split into ‘episodes’ almost like a weekly TV show, beginning with a ‘previously on’ recap. The story is decent enough as are the various characters. I liked the fact that they didn’t try to make Wake completely likeable. In fact, like most writers, he’s a bit of a self-absorbed asshole. But that’s a part of who he is, and those flaws are what make him an interesting character, one you want to see overcome the challenges before him.

As for the supporting cast, there are some nice characters, but few that get particularly fleshed out. Wake’s agent, Barry, initially strikes you as an annoying twit, but by the end you come to appreciate what a good friend he’s been who’s willing to put it all on the line for Wake.

In terms of graphics Alan Wake looks okay, with a mixture of some nice forest and town environments. Plus nice lighting effects from flares and torches. It’s nothing special, but it’s fine for what it needs to do. As for gameplay...well, it’s also solid for what it needs to do, but I can’t say much more than that.

You fight enemies by weakening them with light (torches, flares) and then shooting them. That’s uh, about it, really. Although you do have some walk and talk non-combat moments, and some sections where you can drive a terribly handled vehicle. The combat, which makes up the bulk of the game, is, you know, fine, but nothing particularly exciting, and it does grow a little tiresome as you near the end. There’s a basic dodge mechanic and also a sprint button, but Alan gets tired whilst running even faster than I do.

A big part of the problem is that the game frequently puts you in dark forest areas where you have to move from A to B, fighting small groups of enemies who spawn at certain points. It’s a neat trick the game pulls early on, quite atmospheric and almost tense, but it’s also a trick Alan Wake pulls far too often, and these extended hikes get rather repetitive, losing that initial impact.

I guess it’s inevitable that when a game throws its bad guys at you so often, they lose their menace as you reach a point when you’ve shot down hundreds of the buggers. Thankfully, Alan Wake does mix things up, with levels set during the day to explore and recharge, as well as levels taking place in more urban environments.

This wasn’t my first play of Alan Wake, but my third, believe it or not, so you know despite my issues with the game, it’s still one I’ve enjoyed enough to play through more than once, although a part of that is due to my OCD kicking in to gather all of the bloody collectibles.

Overall, Alan Wake is a well crafted single player experience, capturing the vibe of a Stephen King novel crossed with an episode of The Twilight Zone. It has a few memorable, stand out moments in addition to a decent plot and characters, both of which rise Alan Wake a safe distance beyond its rather uninspired and frequent shooty bits. Worth playing if you like TPS but are tired of hugging chest high walls, or just want a SP focused game with a solid story.

7/10