In Alan Wake, the titular protagonist is a bestselling writer plagued by nightmares since childhood. After writing several smash-hit titles, he finds himself stuck with a serious case of writers block. He and his wife Alice leave for the idyllic small town of Bright Falls where Alice finds herself stuck with a serious case of drowning in the idyllic lake. Alan dives after her, then wakes up behind the wheel of a crashed car.
As he makes his way through the dark forest to find help, he is attacked by shadowy figures known as Taken. He starts to find pages of a manuscript he wrote but can't remember writing or maybe didn't write at all that narrate things that happened, things that are happening or things that are yet to happen. We slowly learn that Alice didn't drown but instead resides in the 'Dark Place' at the bottom of the lake, where Darkness holds her hostage. Alan sets out to find the manuscript pages to figure out what has happened and how to solve it.
That's pretty much the premise of Alan Wake, which really earns it marks in terms of narrative and atmosphere. It is evident that Remedy Games put most of their development time in its environments and how believable the environments are. The town of Bright Falls would almost appear to be some town put in a gigantic 3D-scanner and the townfolks look, sound and behave as if their DNA and brains have been uploaded in some doomsday-machine that translated them straight to the game.
Story-wise, the game delivers a slightly supernatural psychological thriller, as promised. Presented in a highly well-executed episodic format, Alan Wake's story unfolds with red herrings, plot-twists and a constant feeling of 'I get it now' before the game laughs at your expectations and goes the other way. But the most brilliant part of Alan Wake is in the manuscript pages. Not only do they offer insight in Alan Wake's rich backstory, but they're also integral to the plot of Alan Wake. They're not some sort of tacked-on wallwritings or a forced cutscene, but an optional yet recommended insight. They offer different perspectives, foreshadowing, explanations and warnings.
The game offers some memorable characters and moments as well. Barry Wheeler, Alans' literary agent makes himself immortal by making a Lord of the Rings reference. The moment in which the events of the fateful night in which Alice disappears is explained is well-executed and a desperate fight on a Norse rock-stage, complete with firebreathing dragons and fireworks was one I played with a grin from ear to ear. There are many more, but this is a review, not an exhaustive list of Alan Wake moments.
Alan Wake really tries to position itself in the realm of contemporary popular media and in trying mixes in an astounding soundtrack consisting of both ambient and actual songs. The sound effects are well-executed and the voice acting is well-delivered. Especially the voices of the Taken are haunting and other-wordly.
Is there something negative to say about the game, one might wonder? Well, there are a few: first of all, the gameplay itself isn't varied. It consists out of aiming a flashlight at enemies to burn away their protective shield of darkness, then finishing them off with a weapon of choice. The usual suspects appear, a revolver, two types of shotguns, flashbangs act as grenades, a flaregun acts as rocketlauncher and the flares act as something to keep enemies at bay. The combat has an unique edge as enemies are solely melee and organize to attack you, but besides that there is little new to it. There are some simple puzzles scattered throughout the game, a few car-driving sessions and a few quick-time events. The gameplay isn't bad by any means, but for a game with such a revolutionary approach to narrative, one might expect something else.
Another minor problem lays in the lip-syncing. All animations in the game are well-executed and convincing - heck, a somewhat elder lady is typing in the police-station in the exact way you'd expect an old lady to type - with a finger per hand, looking up to the screen to check she has done everything correctly. But the lip-syncing is so off that Alice, Alan's wife, might be more terrifying to some than the Taken.
In the end, however, you remember Alan Wake for its attention to detail. There's so much to see, so much to miss that you'd almost want to play it again. Sadly, with the mystery solved there's little reason to replay the game for any reason besides the aformentioned sightseeing.
Maybe that's my main problem with the game. The fact that you can only play it for the first time once.
