Remedy's cinematic action-thriller Alan Wake was announced before the Xbox 360 even landed on retail shelves. And after a long wait and little reassurance from anyone involved in the project, many feared the promising project went the way of Namco's Frame City Killer (remember that early announced no-show?) Well, at this month's E3, faithful Wake followers finally got what they've been waiting for, as Remedy shined plenty of light on their long-in-development project. And, shining a light is also what the game's titular protagonist did in the demo, as Remedy revealed the title's primary gameplay mechanic to be Alan's reliance on fighting off evil with a variety of glow-emitting gear.
You see, Alan Wake isn't quite the adventure game many expected; instead, it's much more a traditional survival horror entry. This, however, is by no means a bad thing, because the action-driven light-shining gameplay, coupled with rich storytelling and a great setting, could make fans of the creeps-inducing genre finally forget how underwhelming the Silent Hill series has become.
Before we get into the gameplay, let's take a peek at that promising narrative and engaging backdrop. Alan Wake finds a horror novelist vacationing with his wife in a small, wooded town on the Northwest coast. Upon his arrival, his spouse vanishes and the creepy town begins to take cues from Wake's in-progress manuscript. The citizens, animals, and even machinery become possessed after dark, and only finding the missing pages of his in-progress novel will unravel the mystery that's cursed the once-serene Bright Falls. Additionally, the story is complemented by a cool serialized narrative tool where each “episode” is bookended by a “previously on” and “next on” segment; Eden Studios did something similar with last year's Alone in the Dark, and it was one of the few things in the title that actually worked. Alan Wake's developers seem to be putting a great deal more polish into these re-caps and previews, making them a potentially strong story-pushing device rather than just a gimmick.
While effective writing will no doubt drive Wake's frightening tale, the inspired setting is also lending its weight to the production. The town of Bright Falls has the look and feel of a secluded, yet touristy national park-like setting. During the day it's calm and beautiful, but when the sun sets, the serenity gives way to the scares. Watching Alan traverse the dark forest at night totally brought back memories of camping as a kid. You know, when every snap of a twig sounded like the footsteps of a serial killer, and just the hum of the wind blowing conjured visions of snarling wolves? Or, how a tree is nothing but a tree during the day, but at night, with the moonlight casting a shadow on it, it becomes a child-devouring monster? Yeah, Alan Wake's Bright Falls is really good at tapping into those irrational fears.
Thankfully, being equipped with the aforementioned light sources will ensure you (and Alan) don't soil your shorts. Alan has a flashlight, and simply shining it on his attackers makes them vulnerable. Once weakened, he can utilize a variety of more traditional death-dealers—guns, melee weapons—to finish the job. The inventiveness, though, comes from the “light” weapons more than the shotguns and fire axes; not everything has unlimited power, so you'll have to conserve energy and get creative when unleashing light on Alan's attackers. Flares are highly effective but don't last long. Generators connected to floodlights are also powerful, but must be cranked before they can bathe baddies in their blinding glow. There's also a variety of more traditional light sources, from lanterns to vehicles' headlights, that'll aid you in ridding Bright Falls of its nighttime menaces. The challenge is in finding these sources, conserving their limited power, and knowing when to switch from a light-based weapon to a traditional killer. You'll have plenty of targets to experiment on, though, as my short demo saw everything from crazed townsfolk to bulldozers come at Alan with every thing they had.
Based on what I knew of Alan Wake and Remedy's reputation, I was already excited for this title, but after seeing its survival horror-style presentation firsthand, I'm now anticipating it as a game that could revive this increasingly stale genre. The gameplay seems equal parts strategic and action-driven, and the setting—supported by some fantastic outdoor environmental visuals—could have fright-seeking gamers forgoing Silent Hill for a trip to Bright Falls instead. If the story can maintain the fright factor while still remaining grounded in the real world, Alan Wake could achieve the rare feat of delivering a survival horror experience that satisfies both the imagination and the thumbs.
