Alan Wake - NO SPOILERS

pigwalk

pigwalk

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So just got the CE that Amazon was selling for 40 bucks. KICKASS package for the price, looking forward to playing the game. Wondering if it's ok to read the book that came with beforep laying through, or if I should skip it and all the bonus material until afterward? Thanks!
 
I would probably play the game first. Great game though, it went right in to my Never-Parting-With-This-collection.
 
I'm almost done with it and for me, it's safe to say its one of the best games I've ever played
 
does it pick up after the beginning? I got it when it came out with Red Dead and only got through the first few chapters and it's been sitting on my shelf since then, it was already seeming a bit repetitive gameplay-wise. I'll probably finish it in the winter, maybe I'll appreciate it better when I actually get into the meat of things.
 
darkhorse said:
does it pick up after the beginning? I got it when it came out with Red Dead and only got through the first few chapters and it's been sitting on my shelf since then, it was already seeming a bit repetitive gameplay-wise. I'll probably finish it in the winter, maybe I'll appreciate it better when I actually get into the meat of things.
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I'd say so - it get busier later in game...mechanics stay the same, roughly...flashlight upgrades, environmental lighting...is it a little repetitive, sure...but I found it worth playing though. Likely not worth a second play mind you (unlike ME2, which I'm going through a second time now...)
 
I must've missed the boat with Alan Wake because I didn't really care for it. It felt like a pretty good idea trapped within a linear and highly repetitive shooter.
After the 2nd level you start to pick up on their plan of dumping Alan in the woods at night over and over.
 
Domingo said:
I must've missed the boat with Alan Wake because I didn't really care for it. It felt like a pretty good idea trapped within a linear and highly repetitive shooter.
After the 2nd level you start to pick up on their plan of dumping Alan in the woods at night over and over.
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I am about halfway through the game and feeling this too. if alan went to get a soda in manhattan at noon time, he would end up alone, in the woods, at night.
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Yeah, the whole alone in the woods at night bit got really friggin old but I liked the game because it wasn't frustratingly difficult and it wasn't very long either and was just a tad scary having to run from the darkness in the woods. Sometimes I just like easy-going games.

If it came with a book it's probably the book you find in the game so it likely has spoilers. You've probably figured this out already but throughout the game you find pieces of his book which basically tell you what is about to happen in the game.
 
One of the main things that irked me about Wake is that they seem to have put a lot of thought into the setting, but you're pretty much on rails the whole time and nothing is interactive. Based upon where they were early in development, I get the feeling that the game was supposed to be an adventure-style game with action sequences tossed in.
I bet they were told to hurry things up and that's when the game became what it is today.
It isn't horrible or anything, but I'd say it was definitely a renter and I found the gameplay got old (and never changed) after only about 2 hours in.
 
Domingo said:
One of the main things that irked me about Wake is that they seem to have put a lot of thought into the setting, but you're pretty much on rails the whole time and nothing is interactive. Based upon where they were early in development, I get the feeling that the game was supposed to be an adventure-style game with action sequences tossed in.
I bet they were told to hurry things up and that's when the game became what it is today.
It isn't horrible or anything, but I'd say it was definitely a renter and I found the gameplay got old (and never changed) after only about 2 hours in.
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It was meant to be a sandbox game though, right? And physics on the CPU. DX10. On the PC...that this isn't another Duke Nukem Forever is amazing. Story wise, it's solid IMO. Gameplay wise, it needs more...
 
Yeah, originally Alan Wake was shown as a sandbox game that covered the entire town and they showed lots of interaction with the environment.
You can get elements of that when you're in the initial cabin, Alan's apt., the trailer park, etc.
 
Domingo said:
Yeah, originally Alan Wake was shown as a sandbox game that covered the entire town and they showed lots of interaction with the environment.
You can get elements of that when you're in the initial cabin, Alan's apt., the trailer park, etc.
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Yeah, with all the delays I think it's pretty obvious they were too ambitious with the initial idea behind the game.

Anyway, I just picked up the game from Amazon.com, which was selling it for like $24.99, or something like that. I had a 20 dollar game credit from them, from ordering Halo Reach when it came out. So I ended up paying 5 bucks.
 
It's definitely worth that much...plus you get the first DLC for free. There's an additional few hours of gameplay in there, which is a nice bonus.
With Alan Wake, you can really tell that they had something that could have been really great. The setting, voice-overs, and idea really are top notch. Plus, you can look at those early shots and see that they intended for Bright Falls to be explored much like old PC adventure games.
My guess is that they were taking too long to polish everything up and the financing finally either ran out or just told them to finish it regardless of the current state.
Looking back, I remember the game fondly, but recall my gameplay experience at the time being pretty disappointed.
 
Awesome awesome game, the biggest downside was the hype built up over so many years, hard to meet that. It has its flaws but overall the atmosphere and gameplay is quite unique and it certainly feels like itself.

Its weird, playing Alan Wake gave me that same spooky sensation I haven't had since playing Myst/Riven and Phantasmagoria.
 
Alan wake has one of the best video game stories ive seen yet. Its pretty flawless. I loved the game
 
If you like Alan Wake play Deadly Premonition. I liked it much more. Looks like a PS2 game and controls aren't great. Yet it's just a fun game with a total Twin Peaks vibe. It was only $20 new.
 
Game is absolutely and utterly terrible. I've already listed reasons why it is absolutely terrible, but suffice as to say it has horrible gameplay, a poorly-told story and extreme levels of self-indulgence. I am very glad Max Payne is no longer in Remedy's hands, since the developer has forgotten about gameplay completely.
 
Plague_Injected said:
Game is absolutely and utterly terrible. I've already listed reasons why it is absolutely terrible, but suffice as to say it has horrible gameplay, a poorly-told story and extreme levels of self-indulgence. I am very glad Max Payne is no longer in Remedy's hands, since the developer has forgotten about gameplay completely.
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I would strongly disagree, the gameplay was solid, no different than any third-person shooter and I loved the storytelling, it was like listening to an audiobook, self-indulgence I don't know what part of the game you mean and I am terrified that Max Payne 3 won't be anything like the first two when Rockstar is developing it.

But I'm biased. :D
 
- repetitive, bland gameplay that does not evolve, develop or improve
- terrible combat system with an extremely picky and unreliable "dodge" mechanic, and provides challenge by forcing you into tiny boxes with invisible walls so dodging enemies becomes harder.
- game strips you of all your weapons and items at the end of every "chapter", giving no sense of progression or achievement, and no incentive to save ammo
- Alan Wake has the fitness level of a morbidly obese 50-year-old, and when you really need him to run (like during a chase from the police), he insists on doubling over with an attack of emphysema every three steps. Yes, I know he is a writer and not a marathon runner, but in the instances when adrenaline should be making him run faster and for longer than normal, his fitness level drops to zero and well below what he can do when strolling around looking for switches and keys when not in danger.
- haphazard story-telling with tedious narrative repetition and a weak resolution
- the only thing "psychological" about this "psychological action thriller" is having Wake tell you over and over again how he is going crazy, or another character saying Wake is crazy
- extreme levels of Twin Peaks and Stephen King wank, with constant King references/name drops, and cinematic sweeping shots of pine trees over and over again
- zero replay value
 
Plague_Injected said:
- repetitive, bland gameplay that does not evolve, develop or improve
- terrible combat system with an extremely picky and unreliable "dodge" mechanic, and provides challenge by forcing you into tiny boxes with invisible walls so dodging enemies becomes harder.
- game strips you of all your weapons and items at the end of every "chapter", giving no sense of progression or achievement, and no incentive to save ammo
- Alan Wake has the fitness level of a morbidly obese 50-year-old, and when you really need him to run (like during a chase from the police), he insists on doubling over with an attack of emphysema every three steps. Yes, I know he is a writer and not a marathon runner, but in the instances when adrenaline should be making him run faster and for longer than normal, his fitness level drops to zero and well below what he can do when strolling around looking for switches and keys when not in danger.
- haphazard story-telling with tedious narrative repetition and a weak resolution
- the only thing "psychological" about this "psychological action thriller" is having Wake tell you over and over again how he is going crazy, or another character saying Wake is crazy
- extreme levels of Twin Peaks and Stephen King wank, with constant King references/name drops, and cinematic sweeping shots of pine trees over and over again
- zero replay value
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Excellent assessment! Have you played the two DLCs? Because some of this stuff gets even worse. Though I will say there were a couple of fantastic level sections in the DLC... Then it was back to repetition.
 
You forgot the needless focus on random item collection, too :)
Still - I don't think the game was quite as bad as you feel it is. Not great, but not horrible.
 
I greatly enjoyed it. No it's not perfect but no game is. You could rip apart any game like that if you really want to.
 
i enjoyed the game and the first DLC. mainly for the story. the setting is pretty much the same throughout, and yes, some of the gameplay is repetitive, but it's not a deal breaker. beat it on normal, then nightmare. nightmare is actually a challenge.
 
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