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Microsoft is about to release one of the biggest games of 2010 and, arguably, one of the biggest Xbox 360 releases with the impending release of Alan Wake. Coming from Remedy, development team of Max Payne, Alan Wake is a psychological-thriller that will push gamers to their limits and have you guessing what's coming up next as you venture farther into the title and the depths of your mind and soul. With a mixture of action and exploration, Remedy has carefully crafted a game that will appeal to the mass-audience of Xbox 360 owners who love action and shooting, but also disguised in an open-world of exploration and searching to keep the game going for extended gaming hours, which allows for some impressive replayability. In this hands-on preview, we can only discuss certain aspects of the first episode of the game, so it'll be somewhat brief.
As all are aware, Alan Wake is a novelist that specializes in the thriller genre -- much like Stephen King. Since writing his last book, Alan is suffering from a case of mental constipation and hasn't been able to write another word since completing his last novel. To take a break from the world, Alan and his wife Alice decide to take a vacation to the town of Bright Falls to relax and focus on other aspects of life. The town is your typical town setting upon arriving and there is a dense layer of mist hovering around the coastal town.
Mixing shooting elements and exploration really opens new doors for Alan Wake over your typical third-person title. While it can feel akin to the Uncharted series to a minor degree, Alan Wake is far more vast in scope. The elements of light and darkness play vital roles throughout the entire game, but it's made very apparent in the opening minutes of the game. To combat dark entities, Alan is equipped with a flashlight and a handgun. Light is the ultimate source for Alan and provides him with the necessary power to vanquish the dark beings by weakening them enough and allowing the dark presence to be exorcised and then destroyed via a shot from your weapon. There are a variety of weapons to be found in the game, ranging from a handgun to a flare gun. Alan may only have a flashlight at his disposal while walking through dark, dense, and frightening forests, but there are other light sources to be found.
Light is also the main supply of health in the game. By finding safe havens and absorbing the light, Alan will regenerate his health and it'll keep any lurking predators at bay. Just in the opening environmental sections of the game, there are generators, flood lights, and several more sources of light that are used to help you battle enemies and to give you a quick recharge in health. In many cases, you'll only find some of these locations thanks to your flashlight by finding random graffiti images painted on rocks or trees. Following these paintings will lead you to safe havens and supply crates -- which will supply you with batteries, ammo, or even a new weapon at times.
While on the topic of light, the lighting of the game is phenomenal. Looking up at the moon and watching the light separate through the tree branches is something you have to see and take in. The outdoor environments are truly spectacular sites to behold and the sense of really being in a forest or the environment Alan is exploring is conveyed in a magical way. To better the look and feel of the environment though, is the sound. Hearing every little branch snap or leaf shuffle in the wind creates an uneasy and nervous setting. You never know when something may appear before you or jump from behind. Alan Wake doesn't convey the sense of fear that a horror movie would, it instead attacks your most primal fears and keeps you on edge like a kid afraid of the dark. You know something could jump out or move at any second, but because of this feeling, you start to think something is moving or watching you and the light reflecting off the tree or rock makes you go back for a second look to make sure nothing was actually there. You may not scream, but you won't feel comfortable at any point.
Alan Wake is going to release on May 18th exclusively for the Xbox 360. Turn the lights off, turn the music up, and have a few flashlights on hand because this title will be playing a game with your mind the entire time. Alan Wake is so good, it'll scare you.
source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-12218-Video-Game-Examiner~y2010m4d30-Handson-Alan-Wake-So-good-itll-scare-you
i liked the part when he said 'Looking up at the moon and watching the light separate through the tree branches is something you have to see and take in'
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