Alan Wake

Alan Wake is a brilliant survival horror game, which has been in production for several years. This game was definitely worth the wait because it really draws you into the projected world, and you feel as if the events unfolding in front of you are actually based on something which really happened. The game feels like both a novel and film wrapped into one because while you are playing, Alan will narrate what is happening and it doesn't really seem like he is thinking these words but rather telling you a story, as and when it happens. At various points of the game, you will see some short sequences which add to the overall feel of the story. These sequences really make the game feel more like an interactive film, and most of them just add to the sheer terror of the insane events which are mysteriously happening.

The odd thing about this game is that you are in a constant wash of a twisted story because Alan will find pages of a novel, which seem to be documenting what has happened or what is about to happen. This strange practice really gets you thinking, as you play through segments which have already been revealed to you. Later in the game you find that some sequences don't quite go according to plan and it is as if you are changing the outcome before it happens, so in a way this game is kind of like reading a novel because you'll find your imagination wandering a lot. Another feature which adds to the novel-like play is that when you find these pages, you can read them and Alan will also narrate them, which adds to the general mood.

Each chapter of the game begins by refreshing you on what happened in the last chapter, this is useful because you may choose to play each chapter on different occasions. After the refresher, a short introduction to the new chapter will play and these give you an idea of what needs to be done. When the chapter is over, there is another short video to view. This video concludes the chapter and each one has it's own signature song, which relates to the past events. I actually sat and listened to the songs after each chapter because it really added to the gaming experience, it made me think about what I'd just seen. All of the songs in Alan Wake are brilliant, and though I typically listen to Dance music, I had no urge to skip any.

My name is Alan Wake and this is my twisted fantasy.


Following the typical horror genre, the story begins with Alan and his wife going on a peaceful vacation because Alan, the renown writer has a writer's block and is not inspired enough to write his next novel. The two decide to get away from the big city life and seek the serenity of a remote country setting, but when they arrive, they find everything is not quite as it seems. The game wastes no time and throws you into a spiralling tale of terror and darkness because darkness is the general theme of this game, only light can show Alan Wake the way home!

Gameplay is very simple but massively effective, the location is shrouded by a dark presence and the only way to defeat this darkness is to bring light to the situation. Alan uses a flash light to shine light into dark souls, which allows him to eradicate the evil. Enemies cannot be harmed while consumed by this darkness and because there is little ammunition available to him, he must be strategic and try not to be overcome by the many groups of enemies he faces. There are several tools which can be used to aid Alan on his quest, such as spot lights and flares and he must be quick and precise in order to get out of this very strange place alive.

Don't mess with me, or I'll burn you with my flash light!


Being a survival horror game, the point of the game is to survive! If you're expecting constant action and blowing stuff up then this game might not be for you, however if you like a challenge and don't mind retreating once in a while then you will probably love this game. The fact that light is your saviour means that it plays a much bigger part than simply defeating enemies, the light is what gives you strength and if you find yourself dying then you can run into the light to regain your health. The light also scares any enemies away, that is until you step out of the light. Once you step out of the light, any enemies that were pursuing you reappear and attack you once again. This is great because it means you can try out different strategies and not worry about being ganged by a mob, perfect if the game is making you jump out of your seat !

One nice thing about this game is that humans are not the only enemy, the darkness can also occupy inanimate objects such as barrels, boxes and even machinery, so there is a certain scare factor the first time you play this game. I don't think many people would expect a large object to suddenly come to life and attack them, which is nice because the player has to be on their toes through most of the game and the further it progresses, the stranger it will become.

You don't scare me! I have a loaded shotgun! haha!


I like the way this game is presented because even though the graphics are amazing, the image which it implants into your mind is even more amazing and I found myself guessing what I might see within the next 10 minutes. There are a lot of ups and downs through-out the story, which is good because you never quite know what to expect, but this is also bad because some parts feel a little cliché. Of course with this being a horror game, there is not supposed to be a happy ending and so yes, some cliché moments are bound to be in there.

Overall there are a lot of original concepts, that work very well with the story line and leave you satisfied with the outcome. The only kicker is how the story ends, it leaves questions about the future and if I didn't know better, I would say there may be a sequel to this game. The game is quite short though and I completed it in around 10 hours, but I will definitely play through it a few more times because the harder difficulty level (nightmare) gives access to pages of the novel which are not available during lesser difficulty levels. There is also the item count to weigh in because there are a lot of collectables in this game, so there is definitely some replay value to those that are brave enough to tackle the slightly harder difficulty level afterwards.

What I wouldn't give for a Chinese takeaway right now!


This game had me addicted right till the very end of the story and I recommend it to survival horror fans. You will not be disappointed by the degree of horror in this game and while some parts seem a little cheesy, other parts feel really scary and I actually jumped out of my seat a few times because I was unprepared for what was on it's way. I should also mention that I only played this game at night because I felt that the horror theme and general darkness of the storyline, warranted a night time play through. Watch this YouTube video to see what I mean!



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