After 5+ years in development, developer Remedy's scrapped its open-world aspirations and settled for something a lot less... ambitious. In fact, at first glance Alan Wake is essentially Resident Evil 4 with more clever words.
After a short introduction sequence to teach you the combat basics, Alan Wake's clever plot kicks off with a swooping camera, epic score and a familiar over-the-shoulder camera angle as Wake and missus ride a ferry into town.
Alan - in case you've forgotten the game's plot since it was revealed in 2005 - is a very famous novel writer who's recently found himself unable to put pen to paper. In order to beat his writer's block, our hero packs the motor for a trip and heads off in the direction of Bright Falls.
Alan feels weighty to control and is generally well-voiced, with plenty of banter to enjoy between the two characters on screen.
This sequence leads to a cut-scene showing Alan and Alice reaching dry land and driving off to a nearby diner. This is a similarly laid-back gameplay sequence, in which Alan's free to trot around the restaurant interior and listen to various locals' colourful tales.
One waitress almost falls off her feet at the site of the famous writer, while an old biker at a table asks our man to stick a tune on the nearby jukebox.
Alan's here to pick up the keys to his holiday home in Bright Falls - and this is where the happy, sunny section of the game draws to a close.
As he approaches a dim corridor at the rear of the diner, a visibly shaken old lady warns Wake not to go into the dark.
With a concerned facial expression, he naturally walk in anyway... and Alan's nightmare begins.
THRILL-ZONE
Remedy calls Alan Wake a "thriller", but in reality it's less LA Confidential and far more X-Files; loud, scary and a bit f***ed up.
After a very cinematic in-game event and plot twist, Alan wakes up in a car accident - and realises his wife Alice has been taken. With a torch and revolver in hand, Alan brushes himself off and heads through the forest in search of civilization...
The game's malevolent 'Dark Presence' - Alan's own creation - starts to possess certain inhabitants of Bright Falls, and everything takes a turn for the ghoulish.
In gameplay terms at least, Alan Wake feels like Resident Evil 4 (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). The difference here is the unique flashlight gameplay, which has you managing both your handheld light source and a gun at the same time.
Alan Wake's spectre aggressors are based on darkness, which naturally makes your torch a useful weapon. When they come at you with axes and knives (again, Resident Evil, anyone?) the only way to take them out is by focusing your flashlight with the left trigger until they're stunned, and then finishing them off with the revolver.
Comments
15 comments so far...
StonecoldMC on 18 Feb '10 said:
Nice preview CVG. I take it you went over to Finalnd the other week then (lucky bar stewards)?
I have every faith in Remedy (maybe blind faith) that they havent dealt all their cards and are bascally keeping a lot of the Game underwraps, remember they even considered sending out Review copies without the ending to avoid spoilers getting out there.
This preview and a few others have got my anticipation levels for the Game up to about 11!
Only a few months to go
mafiahobo on 18 Feb '10 said:
sounds good! and sounds like what RE 5 should of been and what alone in the drak should of been. Hopefully some inbreed hll have eyes momment possibly in there somewhere and we have a perfect "astospheric horror thriller" since sillent hill 2
RichardM5422 on 18 Feb '10 said:
Is it just me, or does the flashlight mechanics remind anyone of Luigi's Mansion on the Gamecube?
Game looks promising by the way.
Nick33 on 18 Feb '10 said:
Yes this is more along the lines of what RE5 should have been. It reminds me of Silent hill 2. And the way the enemies appear out of thin air with sickles is ripped straight out of the 1970's movie the fog. As is a lot of the town imo.
Little Moth on 18 Feb '10 said:
Sounds very good, I loved Resident Evil 4, hopefuly this will deliver in the same way Resi 4 did. Can't wait to see some review scores.
LordVonPS3 on 19 Feb '10 said:
@ Andy Robinson.
Does this game actually play like Resident Evil 4?
Are the controls limited to rotate L/R, aim U/D, walk fwd/back?
i.e. As this video implies?
This was a fairly certain purchase for my X360 but I'm not liking the vibe from CVG or Kotaku, nor the "bump into & slide around objects" game play. I hate the controls on Resident Evil 4 and this looks worryingly similar. I'd much rather have Max Payne style controls & hard core action.
It would be good if you could clarify Andy because even though Alan Wake's setting and plot may appeal to X Files / LOST fans, the game play may spoil the fun for some...
roughtext on 19 Feb '10 said:
Looks great but still have issues with a lead character called Alan. After defeating a nasty does he say things like 'Back of the net' or 'cashback'?
starsail on 19 Feb '10 said:
This game looks delicious and should at least compete with Uncharted 2 on a technical side but I think the developers are keeping the best bits under wraps. Will be interesting to see how it will play on release. Will maybe pick it up after Halo Reach (that's when Ill get another Xbox 360).
The_KFD_Case on 19 Feb '10 said:
Hm. Sounds like a solid enough game and yet I'm left with an initial sense of disappointment. I suspect the game will turn out to be good yet will fall short of the high expectations it has stirred up in its 5+ year development. I'm more certain now than ever that this will not be a first day purchase for me and that waiting for a cheaper second hand version is the more appropriate course of action for me.
The_KFD_Case on 19 Feb '10 said:
Agreed. And if the controls are anything like "RE5" then I refuse to buy this game at any price. If the controls are reminiscent of "Dead Space" controls then it should be fine after the initial adjustment period from keyboard and mouse to joypad.
TykerD3 on 19 Feb '10 said:
I hope it is not like Resi 4. I Really hope all the action does not take place at night, as i don't really like dark games. I hope some of the gameplay at least, takes place during the day. StoneCold can you shed any light (no pun intended) on this?
Black Mantis on 19 Feb '10 said:
There is a day and night cycle, so there will be gameplay taking part during the day.
altitude2k on 19 Feb '10 said:
Since when was Seth Green playing Alan Wake?
StonecoldMC on 19 Feb '10 said:
As Mantis said, there is a day and night cycle that the Game controls, they need this to push the story along (everyone is now talking about the graphics but Remedy have always stated that it is the story that makes Alan Wake a stand out Game).
Night time will mainly be action and running away
. During the day its all about exploration and interaction with the NPC's, although Remedy did say that even a dark room may contain surprises 
. There are also dream sequences and flashbacks to his time in New York!
And thats about it , the great thing about this Game though is that we are now just starting to get more info on the Game but Remedy are keeping a lot of it close to their chests.
Expect the unexpected basically.
grimlock047 on 22 Feb '10 said:
so it's really coming out? I though this one was going to be the next Duke Nukem Forever.