"It takes crazy to know crazy."
Removing all my biases and knowledge from 2019's Control aside (which was my first Remedy game and I really enjoyed), I think Alan Wake is yet another confirmation for me that this team is pretty remarkable.
Firstly, I wasn't expecting this one to be episodic, although it kinda makes sense for a product of its era. Naturally with this, I enjoyed playing through Alan Wake one episode per day, as its overarching narrative really was intriguing enough to keep me anticipating more. And secondly, some of the designs in gameplay here are pretty ingenious, and it works especially well for a story-heavy horror experience. Not just the focus on enemies being harmed by pure light sources, with objects like street lights acting as your safe haven, but even the manuscript collectibles that both recap what's happened and foretell what's to come; a great little detail that fits narratively. There are some mechanics later on that also put a cool refresh on the combat and puzzles, although they're unfortunately put at the forefront in the two special DLC episodes. (I won't spoil it for anyone.)
My only real gripe with Alan Wake, however, is in its voice acting. This is probably just a personal complaint though, as I'm certain the laughably bad acting from Matthew Porretta is a direction choice to pay homage to Stephen King and The Twilight Zone; clear influences seen throughout the game. It all did grow on me a bit overtime though, as the story itself became less straight-forward and more psychological and metaphorical. Barry Wheeler is a funny comic relief character, nonetheless.
I was pleasantly surprised by my time with this one! In a somewhat cheeky comparison, Alan Wake feels like what would be if we had an action game in the Life Is Strange universe (which is obviously also inspired by the likes of Twin Peaks), and even more so with the team's focus on an inevitable sequel and a seemingly-connected universe of events. Remedy has their pieces set for the future, and I am absolutely excited to see what's next.
Removing all my biases and knowledge from 2019's Control aside (which was my first Remedy game and I really enjoyed), I think Alan Wake is yet another confirmation for me that this team is pretty remarkable.
Firstly, I wasn't expecting this one to be episodic, although it kinda makes sense for a product of its era. Naturally with this, I enjoyed playing through Alan Wake one episode per day, as its overarching narrative really was intriguing enough to keep me anticipating more. And secondly, some of the designs in gameplay here are pretty ingenious, and it works especially well for a story-heavy horror experience. Not just the focus on enemies being harmed by pure light sources, with objects like street lights acting as your safe haven, but even the manuscript collectibles that both recap what's happened and foretell what's to come; a great little detail that fits narratively. There are some mechanics later on that also put a cool refresh on the combat and puzzles, although they're unfortunately put at the forefront in the two special DLC episodes. (I won't spoil it for anyone.)
My only real gripe with Alan Wake, however, is in its voice acting. This is probably just a personal complaint though, as I'm certain the laughably bad acting from Matthew Porretta is a direction choice to pay homage to Stephen King and The Twilight Zone; clear influences seen throughout the game. It all did grow on me a bit overtime though, as the story itself became less straight-forward and more psychological and metaphorical. Barry Wheeler is a funny comic relief character, nonetheless.
I was pleasantly surprised by my time with this one! In a somewhat cheeky comparison, Alan Wake feels like what would be if we had an action game in the Life Is Strange universe (which is obviously also inspired by the likes of Twin Peaks), and even more so with the team's focus on an inevitable sequel and a seemingly-connected universe of events. Remedy has their pieces set for the future, and I am absolutely excited to see what's next.
OhItsPep
7 months ago