Watching the gameplay from Alan Wake felt like I was watching the trailer for the next blockbuster horror film – except this actually looks GOOD instead of the formulaic crap that Hollywood has been reusing again and again.
The idea of a novel coming to life is eerily similar to The Shining, and the setting seems to be inspired by it as well – the main character placed in an area that appears to be in the woods, disconnected from the general population. The lack of ready explanation of what was going on really enhanced my creeped-out factor rather than pissing me off – I’ve always enjoyed the movies and stories that make your stomach flip around in fear of the unknown lurking in the shadows.
I am also a sucker for epic landscapes in games, and from the looks of the town of Bright Falls I won’t be disappointed. The first pan in on a lighthouse immediately draws me in and, as a native Mainer, makes me feel even more immersed – if I were being attacked by zombie vampires and running for my life, chances are I would see a lighthouse along the way. The moonlight glittering off the water of the dam followed by the sun rising over a mountain scene only intrigues me more – I am particularly impressed with the graphics when the camera switches to a close-up of our main character, Alan.
Human faces have often been a bit jarring for me in video games because they are very hard to duplicate, but even then brief flashes of Alan’s face seem to be a bit more realistic – maybe it’s from the subtle wrinkle in his forehead, the small bags under his eyes or the hint of stubble.
I am a little wary of the “slow-down” effect that seems to occur when you are being attacked by enemies. A fast paced fight can be great, so forcing me to move in slow motion while a wrench flies into my head isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. I do, however, enjoy the burning power of the flashlight against what appears to be zombie/vampire hybrids; it reminds me a lot of the mirror shield from Zelda, so the game gets cookies for that.
So far Alan Wake has my interest – it’s slated for release in spring of 2010, so while we won’t get any Christmas zombie goodness I’m still excited to see some mind bending, thriller goodness for my 21st birthday.
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