-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
My name is Alan Wake. I'm a writer. |OT|
- Thread starter BruceLeeRoy
- Start date
The design is kinda repetitive.
Peacefull place > go through the woods > shoot some Takens > activate a box > shoot some Takens - it's honestly just from point to point with the same kind of basic things going on. I got to say the fights are great.
The great atmosphere, level design and effects help the immersion though. The music is getting better; Barry is the best character of the game so far I think.
Barry, waving trees and the lighting are the best features.
Peacefull place > go through the woods > shoot some Takens > activate a box > shoot some Takens - it's honestly just from point to point with the same kind of basic things going on. I got to say the fights are great.
The great atmosphere, level design and effects help the immersion though. The music is getting better; Barry is the best character of the game so far I think.
Barry, waving trees and the lighting are the best features.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Anastacio said:
I keep seeing this... and thats fine. Its obviously the design Remedy went for BUT... whats is the difference between say this and ohhh Uncharted 2, or Gears of War. I feel they all have similar and repetative designs. Least imo. For example, Uncharted Run, shoot, cover, jump, swing, minor puzzle, and rinsh/wash/repeat. Gears has even less variation. Still fun games imo though.
I don't like Gears of War but I love Uncharted.slasher_thrasher21 said:
The core difference to me must be, that Uncharted 2 got more set-pieces, more memorable scenes, better pace and most of all more variety in its action sequences. Stealth, all out gunning, third-person shooting, melee attacks and a ton of weapons.
Alan Wake doesn't have any of these elements. It's all about pointing your flashlight at a Taken, wait for the darkness to be gone then place some shots with your revolver. There's not a bunch of weapons which is fine, though there's not much variety either - only in terms of damage. There's a rifle, revolver, flaregun and some flairs and flashbangs.
Here the gameplay design is much more apparent, than in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
There's some minor problems as well - Alan falling off cliffs (couldn't do anything to not make it happen) and what not, getting a bit stuck in smaller objects on the grounds, the animations making for a little bit of delay in response and few but arcadish driving sequences. Remember though, Alan Wake is a good game, which primarly relies on story-telling and atmosphere. I simply love Bright Falls.
Mind you, I'm not done with the game - just started at chapter 5 and its story got more interesting. =)
SlasherJPC
Banned
Anastacio said:
Well and with that said, it could perhaps really be user preference. Considering there isn't a ton of set pieces as in say Uncharted 2, Alan Wake probably relies on the person being extremely drawn into the world of Bright Falls and the story. Without that pull perhaps alot of other will have this similar stance. I've been really hyped for the game since the first announcement and it seems there is no definite way to tell if the game will truly click with you without playing it. For example, another friend of mine who was waiting for it like me hardcore LOVED it. Says I'll love it as well. Another not so close friend played it and he too had waited forever for it and he simple things it was good but not up to his expectations. I really wonder where I will fall once I play through it.
Dries
Member
I see that Alan Wake gets compared a lot to Deadly Preminition. I looked up that game and it looked terrible. So then I looked up the GAF thread and everybody LOVED it :lol What's the story behind that game? Does it have some kind of cult status? And what is the link between that game and Alan Wake? Only thing I see is the setting.
Even though I haven't followed it since the announcement, I still am capable of getting myself sucked into the world of Bright Falls and Alan Wake. Mind you, I already told I love Bright Falls - thus having immersed myself deeply into both the atmosphere and story.
Which brings me to another thing, that Alan Wake himself mentions throughout the game, that he is the absolute protagonist - the game is all about him. And a character can never stand on his own, he needs other characters to reflect and adding to the character development; there's not much screen-time for many characters, thus a lack of development. Now that the story is about Alan Wake and his missing wife, it creates a stable core for it to unfold. But I won't put a verdict on the story, I'm just at the bit were things could get interesting.
And I need to say this again, Bright Falls is stunning.
Which brings me to another thing, that Alan Wake himself mentions throughout the game, that he is the absolute protagonist - the game is all about him. And a character can never stand on his own, he needs other characters to reflect and adding to the character development; there's not much screen-time for many characters, thus a lack of development. Now that the story is about Alan Wake and his missing wife, it creates a stable core for it to unfold. But I won't put a verdict on the story, I'm just at the bit were things could get interesting.
And I need to say this again, Bright Falls is stunning.
Dries said:
the link is the basic story and setting. they're both influenced by Twin Peaks.
Deadly Premonition, while the graphics are shit (it was supposedly meant to release on the PS2), it's got a lot of cool things in it. all the townspeople have schedules and you can follow them around town and look in their windows and see what they're doing. for all it's flaws, there's a lot of really cool stuff in it, especially for being such a low-budget game. i think DP is more about exploring the large town, but then you do have these fight sequences that are like RE4 where it's more restricted. i guess they're probably also kinda like AW, but without the light mechanics. i also think a lot of people were hoping AW would be done in a way similar to DP, such that you could explore the vast open world and do little quests and things like that. it can fuck with the pacing, though, as you just venture off and do some random things for as long as you want.
fortified_concept
Banned
Got the game yesterday. The game looks a little "muddy" on my plasma and the enemies coming from behind me are fucking annoying but I really like everything else.
In terms of style, there's not much in common with Twin Peaks. It's mostly just the setting and a few overt references likeHero of Canton said:
the lamp lady = the log lady
It owes much, much more of its style, story, and feeling to Stephen King.
APZonerunner
Member
:lol
The TV show with
What a game.
The TV show with
Sam lake doing the Max Payne face.
What a game.
Eaten By A Grue
Member
schennmu said:
I think the original Condemned that came out this gen is one of the top scariest games period. I still get the willies thinking of the apple orchard level. Alan Wake in terms of scariness does not even hold a candle to it IMO.
Eaten By A Grue
Member
Aklamarth said:
Condemned:
"... First person psychological thriller..."
http://marketplace.xbox.com:80/en-U...07d2?of=7&cid=majornelson&partner=majornelson
This is nonsense. How are you folks that keep saying this defining a "horror game"?Aklamarth said:
Its plot is structured around the conventions of the horror genre. It's got tons of supernatural elements. Most of the action takes place in darkness. It's got a rural setting. It's got ghosts and possessed objects. It's eerie, moody, and nightmarish. And so on.
What exactly is it that you all expect a "horror game" to be? If you're hoping for things to just jump out at you and startle you, then you misunderstand the nature of horror fiction.
SlasherJPC
Banned
derFeef said:I think... I am ready.
So HOT!!!! Make sure you post your impressions derFeef!
APZonerunner
Member
Wow, what a mindfuck that ending was.
Sequel intentions clear, but what the fuck is going on? So freaky. Wondered what the deal was with the FBI dude not showing up again, and then there he was!
Look back on the previous page for my quotations from famous horror writers Stephen King and Ann Radcliffe. Both describe the elements of "terrror" and "horror" in horror fiction. "Terror" is all about feeling unsettled and feeling your imagination getting the better of you. "Horror" is a simple physical response (like being startled). Both aim for the feeling of "terror" rather than "horror" in what they still call "horror fiction."soco said:
In contrast, a "thriller" is something else entirely. The Bourne novels/movies, Tom Clancy novels/movies, and various sexual predator movies/novels (like Sleeping with the Enemy) are all "thrillers." A thriller is based in reality (being scared of a political enemy, a stalker, etc), while horror is based in the supernatural or imaginative realm (being scared of what you can't see or what you don't know or something that can't exist).
Without a doubt, Alan Wake is horror fiction. Now, whether you think it's successful at it or not is a totally different issue.
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
Okay so I got Twin Peaks yesterday and watched it with me wife and... It seems kind of cheesy. The acting is pretty bad and the synthesizer background music just kind of tears me out of what's going on. Is a lot of the love just nostalgia or should I stick with it?
Windom Earle
Member
Eaten By A Grue said:
I really need to pick up Condemned 1. And Deadly Premonition in case it ever comes out in EU. Or give me a region free PS3 version!
DKehoe
Member
It's kind of intentionally that way. It's sort of a spoof of a bad soap operas in some aspects. It has a weird sense of humour I really like but I can totally understand other people "not getting it". And I don't mean that in a snobby way. It's just that it's quite weird.BruceLeeRoy said:
EDIT: Also I'm not saying any of this out of any sort of nostalgia. I just finished watching it for the first time about a month ago.
betweenthewheels
Member
BruceLeeRoy said:
I just watched the series for the first time last month. It's very dated imo. Television has evolved quite a bit since Twin Peaks aired.
I love the Twin Peaks premise, not so much the execution.
popsicle_sundays
Member
derFeef said:I think... I am ready.
Very nice, impressions asap!TheLegendary
Member
BruceLeeRoy said:
There's clearly something wrong with you.
OK, maybe not. But I had never even heard of the series until a few months ago and I just got them through Netflix and LOVE the early episodes. So it's not nostalgia. I just finished episode 4 and its starting to get more serious. I hope it goes back to the crazyness of the first episodes. I was cracking up.
conman said:
there's no clear cut thing. just because something has "horror" elements doesn't throw it in that genre. this game isn't trying to scare the shit out of you, that was obvious since it was announced. i've always seen it as being more of a Silence of the Lambs / Twin Peaks kind of creepy but not really scary things. SotL being a thriller as well. Terror could easily be applied to any of those movies, and tons of thriller movies. that's why they "thrill".
I watched TP for the first time around 2005, I think. Yeah, it's dated, but its brilliance also gets more apparent in time, because the way it mocked soap operas of the time.
I also think the mood in TP is unrivalled. It's scary as hell at times, and the music, setting and weird humor just add to that. Best drama show on TV, by far, even if it's lacking a bit technically.
I also think the mood in TP is unrivalled. It's scary as hell at times, and the music, setting and weird humor just add to that. Best drama show on TV, by far, even if it's lacking a bit technically.
i am not feef but i can also give you some impressions (spoilerfree, i am at chapter 4):FuttBuck said:
-graphics are fantastic, thanks to the lighting. during daytime, the visuals take a slight hit but it still looks very good.
-facial animations dont look good. however: at the beginning of chapter 4 the facial animations are much better, like a different team was working on it.
-the low resolution is not noticable at night. in the daylight scenes, the game looks a little soft. the resolution is no problem at all, the game still looks fantastic and is on of the best looking videogames i have ever played. yes, you sometimes notice the lower resolution because of the softness. but there are plenty of 720p games out there that looked much worse on my tv (42" lcd), like the halo reach beta and bad company 1+2.
-tearing is noticable. gets very bad in chapter 4.
-atmosphere is killer! brightfalls feels real and alive, same goes for the people.
-controls are perfect. i dodge every attack and kill the taken without any problems. the controls feels great.
if you have any questions, ask.
snoopeasystreet
Member
Did anyone preorder the game from zaavi? If so, did they ship it for you yet?
I'm worried I'm not gonna get it on friday.
I'm worried I'm not gonna get it on friday.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
derFeef said:I think... I am ready.
All that picture needs is a flashlight and you're done lol
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
I've only watched the first two episodes so I definitely haven't given it a fair shake. I trust you guys so I'll stick with it
Windom Earle
Member
I think I will hold off my purchase for a while. RdR just seems to be more fun for the buck to me right now.
a Master Ninja
Member
...?chandoog said:
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Corky said:
Obviously.
Hero of Canton
Member
Dries said:
When Alan Wake was first revealed, I was hoping it would turn out a bit like Deadly Premonition eventually has. Sure, AW's much more polished and has vastly better graphics, but it's a shame you don't really get chance to explore Bright Falls a little more. I was hoping it'd have a mystery/detective element, but it's straightforward survival horror with just a couple of daytime interludes to progress the story.
Without giving anything away, the ending's going to be really divisive, I think.
eXistor
Member
Good man, I've only seen the show for the first time about 5 years ago and I loved it. The show has a creepiness that gets under your skin, but at the same time it's a very comforting show. It does get cheesy at times, but that's totally intentional. As DKehoe said, it's sort of spoofing soap operas. I don't think it's dated at all personally, it's just different is all, but in a good way. Even though it's only 2 seasons long and there are even quite a few bad episodes (season 2 I'm looking at you) it's one of the most memorable shows of all time for me. TP might even have the best final episode in any tv show ever.BruceLeeRoy said:
/edit: btw, the movie is amazing as well, but it's very very different from the show, it's pure weird, effed up David Lynch goodness.
Windom Earle
Member
S1kkZ said:
The impressions here are mixed. Also the story is not very Lynch like (which was the reason for me to get it if you read a few pages back).
I'll pick it up sooner or later, get over it.