ALAN WAKE by Urizon

 

 After about 3 weeks so far of being ill and extremely busy or exhausted, I am finally trying to get things accomplished that I have wanted to. Beating Hades was one of those, and now I am moving on to my next game. Despite having an ever growing back log of things I want to play, I just recently bought the remaster of Alan Wake and was excited to dive in. Plus, I think it is probably one of the shorter games I have to play, so easy to speed through. I will kick myself for that later.

   Developed by Remedy Entertainment, Alan Wake is a third person psychological thriller/action shooter that was originally released back in 2010 for the Xbox 360. It was incredibly popular back then, as were its sequels. Unfortunately, while I had watched some let’s plays of it back in those days, I have never gotten to play any of the games myself. So thankfully, I found a used copy of the remaster that has come out recently, because I have been ready to play.

   The story of this game deals with popular thriller author Alan Wake who is on vacation with his wife in the town of Bright Falls. While there, his wife mysteriously disappears, while events from a manuscript that he can’t fully remember writing start coming to life.

   Honestly, besides being a thriller, I would put this game a bit into the horror category. Going through these dark areas while trying to dodge attacks from the enemies while desperately searching for some light, it's really a bit creepy at times. Like certainly more adventure and shooter, but the game does a good job with its atmosphere.

   The gameplay for Alan Wake is honestly pretty interesting. You deal with these enemies called the Taken, humans that are possessed by this thing called the dark presence. To fight these shadowy creatures, you have to use your flashlight to expel the shadows before shooting them with a gun. Or you can clear out a large group by just using a flare gun, though that ammo is much harder to find.  It is a pretty unique concept I believe and one that I feel like hasn’t been done too often since.

   I will say, I am currently in the middle of the game, but the story is nothing new to me. So, this is a bit of a mix of a review and first impressions of the game I suppose. That all being said, man, while I am enjoying the gameplay, it very much has a survival horror feel to it for sure. You never know whether to run or fight. I haven’t died often, but when I have, it was because I was suddenly low on batteries and ammo with none in sight. You really have to be careful about your usage or you will be in trouble rather quickly.

   So far though, the game is a lot of fun. I enjoy the overall tone and story and the gameplay while difficult, is an enjoyable time. I am not a huge fan of survival horror and having to be careful with resources, but I haven’t minded it so far with this. I think that’s because the story is so engaging and it really helps up that feeling of desperation.

   I will say, while not necessarily a negative, this is just a remaster. At times you really do feel that this was an Xbox 360 game. The gameplay at times can feel a little awkward and the voice acting, while good, can be a little as well. The game does look much better though. Obviously still not quite at the level of new games, but certainly doesn’t look bad.

   So far, I think this is a really good remaster of a classic game. I’m glad they have decided to do this and bring Alan Wake back into the spotlight. It is one that I think fits in really well with what people like today. It gives very much SCP Containment Breach vibes and also fits into Remedy’s other game Control.

Really besides just being a good remaster, it is honestly just a great game. The story and atmosphere are just excellent and you can really get into it. On top of that, it has some very unique and fun gameplay that keeps you on your toes.

   If you are a fan of SCP and survival horror/thriller games, I highly recommend checking out the remaster of Remedy’s Alan Wake. It is such a fun game and has earned every bit of praise it has received over the years. With a fascinating story and unique gameplay, it is one that I feel like is definitely worth a shot. It is definitely a nightmare worth getting trapped in.