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My name is Alan Wake. I'm a writer. |OT|

C

conman

Member
Naeblish said:
And that is fun for you? I hate it when i have to run for enemies, they are way faster, and if they don't catch up with you, you get 15 axes in your back.
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I haven't gotten very far yet in Nightmare, but so far it seems like you have to rely more on things other than shooting to succeed. As long as there are creative solutions available and as long as the game's design is built for it, I'm all about finding unconventional ways to progress in a game! :D

Considering that the weakest Taken takes 4-5 hits to kill on Nightmare, and assuming there's no more ammo than in Normal, and knowing that there's no melee attack, and knowing that you always run slower than Taken, and knowing that you run out of breath after a short sprint, I don't see how they can expect you to do anything but find creative ways to get away.

But, like I said, I haven't gotten that far yet on my Nightmare playthrough, so I don't know if it'll hold my interest or not. All depends on how varied the evasion and shooting strategies continue to be.
 
V

Vinterbird

Member
state_vector_collapse said:
Can I ask those with the LE edition, is it letterbox friendly? I am hoping mine arrives today, but not sure if it will arrive with the postie or via courier (I'm in U.K for what it's worth)
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There's no way it would fit into a normal letterbox opening.
 
A

adelante

Member
Cant0na said:
http://tiong.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Alan+Wake+Release+Event/IMG_0303.JPG/_small.jpg[//IMG]



:0

alan wake and max payne sitting next to each other. COME TO AMERICA

i wanna get my shit signed by Max Payne too[/QUOTE]

That actor's probably thinking "this is the most awesome gig EVAR!!!"
Click to expand...
 
H

Hammer24

Banned
conman said:
But, like I said, I haven't gotten that far yet on my Nightmare playthrough, so I don't know if it'll hold my interest or not. All depends on how varied the evasion and shooting strategies continue to be.
Click to expand...

Tried the following yesterday on hard:

- activate a safe heaven (you know, this generators with attached lamp)
- go forward until the first Taken spawn
- immediately run back into the light of the safe heaven
- the Taken disappear
now:
+ as soon as you move away from the light, the Taken reappear at a certain point, which is always the same! Find that spot and memorize it.
+ Now its timing based, and might take a couple of tries:
# move towards the spot the Taken reappear
# wait until they start to attack you
# turn around and run into the light of the safe heaven
# you have to time it, so they are exactly ONE STEP BEHIND you as you reach the light - they jump after you, and the light instakills them
# this even counts as a indirect kill for the achievement
 
D

Deacan

9/10 NeoGAFfers don't understand statistics. The other 3/10 don't care.
Got my copy, I noticed the voucher inside for the Alan Wake Add on content, do I register it now or when the content is released?
 
Z

Zeouterlimits

Member
Got my copy (C.E. is amazing) and played through the first episode.
Loving it, leapt into combat quicker than I expected. So many "oh crudbuckets" shouts from me when the Taken get close un-expectidely.
Not gotten the dodge during combat with multiple enemies down yet.
 
S

S1kkZ

Member
started the game again today: this is one of the games that you should play again after you finished it the first time. i noticed a lot more stuff this time (in the first chapter) that really helped me to understand the story better.

so many details you can only understand if you finished the game already, i love it.

oh and one thing for the owners of the limited edition: after you finished the game, play the tutorial again. after that, go read the book (the alan wake file). thats all i say... :)
dont read the book before you finished the game!
 
T

tiong_fi

Member
Official Microsoft PR pics from the Launch Event: http://kohulive.kuvat.fi/kuvat/alanwake/

_small.jpg
 
M

modeps

Neo Member
Trickster said:
Is this game open world in the same manner as deadly premonition is, or is it a linear game like max payne games?
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If you read the current Amazon.com description, you'd certainly think it was an open world title, but it's not open at all. It is very, very linear. There is the ability to stray from the path, but not very far most of the time.

amazon.com said:
Explore an Entire Town
The town of Bright Falls is 100 square kilometers, and players will be able to roam through this incredibly detailed area any way they like, roaming the town or wandering out to the lakes, forest, satellite towns, and more. The game gives the player goals, but how he chooses to go about completing them is up to him. Clues are scattered throughout the town, and solving mysteries will require players to pay close attention to the little details.
Click to expand...
 
R

Reckoner

Member
Frencherman said:
Hey thats Max Payne ^^ :D
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I would say it's Alan Wake.

Well, bought it today and I've been playing through the episode one. Now, time for the second episode. So far, I can say that it is the most intense experience I've ever had in a game for years and, probably, if this feeling maintains through the whole game, I'll consider it the best game I've ever played. It's fenomenal.

Congrats for Remedy Games for doing some of the best games I've ever played. Max Payne was great, Alan Wake is being INSANELY GOOD!
 
F

Foliorum Viridum

Banned
I've done the first two episodes this morning. I desperately, desperately want to play more, but I'm forcing myself to take a break.

I'm absolutely loving the narrative structure and atmosphere. The lighting is fantastic and whenever I hear a creepy voice of a Taken it feels so good to swing around with my torch trying to find the source. The woods feel really dense too, so I'm constantly on edge that something is a few feet away just waiting to attack. End of episode 2 spoilers ahead:
That fucking guy who jumped out of the toilet after you get your car keys nearly made me shit myself. I fumbled for the flare button then put as many bullets into him as I could.
:lol

The only issue I have with the game (other than the horrible facial animations, which I was prepared for) is the dodge move. I very rarely get it to work, and when I do I usually get hit by an axe from behind or something. I haven't died too many times, but it's a bit frustrating that I can't dodge as easily as I would have liked it. Minor niggle at most.
 
F

FrankT

Member
S1kkZ said:
started the game again today: this is one of the games that you should play again after you finished it the first time. i noticed a lot more stuff this time (in the first chapter) that really helped me to understand the story better.

so many details you can only understand if you finished the game already, i love it.

oh and one thing for the owners of the limited edition: after you finished the game, play the tutorial again. after that, go read the book (the alan wake file). thats all i say... :)
dont read the book before you finished the game!
Click to expand...

Good to hear (and as I figured). Some great impressions in here. Keep em coming.
 
A

Aspiring

Member
Oh man playasia have the asian version in stock and shipping but not the US version! I just want to play the game. I watch the videos and think "man that looks awesome, and the setting and story are my kind of thing" but than i read some peoples impressions talking about slowdown, tearing and the resolution being really poor, as well as gameplay being repetitive and it scares me. But really i LOVED Heavy Rain and LOVED haunting ground and that had no real combat so, yeah, i am sure most people would of found that boring. I just want to try for myself.
 
M

modeps

Neo Member
snoopeasystreet said:
Does the game rely on gore for most of it's scares or is it the creepy setting?
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It's rated T, there's zero gore and only a little bit of blood. It's just atmospheric and creates a tense mood. I didn't find it scary at all actually, just intense.
 
G

GCX

Member
Frencherman said:
http://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20010519/e3_max11.jpg[img]
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aMZVBS7BR9w/SHYC6CxJTkI/AAAAAAAAAAM/wT8hPypXSko/s400/Max+Payne.PNG[img]

No Sir :)[/QUOTE]
You're both right. There's Ilkka Villi (Alan Wake) and Sam Lake (Max Payne).
Click to expand...
 
M

modeps

Neo Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
I'm absolutely loving the narrative structure and atmosphere. The lighting is fantastic and whenever I hear a creepy voice of a Taken it feels so good to swing around with my torch trying to find the source. The woods feel really dense too, so I'm constantly on edge that something is a few feet away just waiting to attack. End of episode 2 spoilers ahead:
That fucking guy who jumped out of the toilet after you get your car keys nearly made me shit myself. I fumbled for the flare button then put as many bullets into him as I could.
:lol
Click to expand...

Really? Sorry but that was sooooo expected. I was just waiting for it to happen.
 
S

snoopeasystreet

Member
modeps said:
It's rated T, there's zero gore and only a little bit of blood. It's just atmospheric and creates a tense mood. I didn't find it scary at all actually, just intense.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Can't wait to get this exam over to go home and play it.
 
M

modeps

Neo Member
conman said:
Not the best game I've played, but definitely the best of 2010 (so far). But the ending is the weakest part of the game for me. For a game that is driven by its story and was paced so well throughout, the ending was too much too fast. And for a game that relied so much on subtlety and on the power of suggestion, the ending was too self-indulgent and over-the-top.

They really should have gone for a much simpler, more understated ending sequence.
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Well stated and I agree about the ending point (not about the best game of 2010 so far one :D ) OMGHERESABUNCHASTUFFITSOVAR! then at the end of the credits a to be continued message.

I was a bit disappointed that there was never a BioShock story moment; no one defining main reveal. Additionally, I wish
the didn't show off the antagonist at the beginning of the game. I'm more of a fan of implied enemies in my psychological thrillers. From the moment you meet her, it's basically "HEY THIS IS THE BAD PERSON!!!" This may have been a direct cribbing from Twin Peaks, but I've yet to see that despite growing up when I should have been watching it.
 
E

El_Victor

Member
Well, I loved the ending, I still wonder what on earth happened. Can't wait to the inevitable GAF thread where someone can explain it for me. :lol

Ending spoilers:
Who the fuck is Mr. Scratch? Is Alan stuck in the darkness while a clone will take his place? So the lake was an ocean, so what? Was it metaphorical? As in, Alan Wake thought the darkness was deep as a lake, when it was in fact an entire ocean. Why was Rose so weird, who was behind Rose? And goddamn the Bowie song was so perfect:
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much, she knows
--
Here am I sitting in my tin can far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do
So I guess Alan Wake is stuck in the darkness for the time being? Forever? Did he write that the Lake was an Ocean, so he got a loophole to somehow exit? Did he have to sacrifice himself to save his wife, which was the error Tom Zane did when he tried to save both his wife and himself? Oh man, so many questions. Maybe I'm just stupid (I have not read all nightmare manuscripts, which maybe makes it more clear).
 
P

Puddles

Banned
I know IGN gave this a 9.0, but the press average is quite a bit lower. Is this a classic, or just an above-average game? Thinking of going out and picking it up soon.
 
E

EagleEyes

Member
Puddles said:
I know IGN gave this a 9.0, but the press average is quite a bit lower. Is this a classic, or just an above-average game? Thinking of going out and picking it up soon.
Click to expand...
I think the average is 85%. I don't see how that is quite a bit lower than 9.0.
 
F

Foliorum Viridum

Banned
modeps said:
Really? Sorry but that was sooooo expected. I was just waiting for it to happen.
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If you're out of the moment and viewing it conceptually, then yeah, I agree. But I was so sucked in that I wasn't analysing anything around me.

Which is always a really good sign for a game like this. :)
 
M

modeps

Neo Member
Puddles said:
I know IGN gave this a 9.0, but the press average is quite a bit lower. Is this a classic, or just an above-average game? Thinking of going out and picking it up soon.
Click to expand...

We gave it a 4 out of 5, but I can see where IGN would give it a 9. It's a really good game, but has it's issues. It just depends on how willing you are to overlook some of the weird stuff.
 
P

Puddles

Banned
Are the problems gameplay related, or atmosphere/story related?

I'm a big sucker for games that nail the latter, even if the former is a bit off.
 
S

S1kkZ

Member
Puddles said:
Are the problems gameplay related, or atmosphere/story related?

I'm a big sucker for games that nail the latter, even if the former is a bit off.
Click to expand...
some graphic issues (tearing, facial animations), control issues (sometimes the evade doesnt work right) and there could be a little more enemy types. no problems in the atmo/story area.
but: get the limited edition. the book really adds to the story when you read it after finishing the game.
 
D

derFeef

Member
slasher_thrasher21 said:
I can't watch these till later tonight but tell me they wrapped the show up great!:D
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No I can´t tell you this ;)

Jtyettis said:
These online?
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Yes, on machinima.com - but it may be a mistake that these are online. However, good for us europeans who have the game already. Now I can not wait to continue AW tonight.
 
S

SlasherJPC

Banned
derFeef said:
No I can´t tell you this ;)


Yes, on machinima.com - but it may be a mistake that these are online. However, good for us europeans who have the game. Now I can not wait to continue to play AW tonight.
Click to expand...

Ohhh man, can't wait to watch!

BTW actually heading up to a cabin this weekend to film a short movie based on Alan Wake and inspired by it! :D
 
S

S1kkZ

Member
cjelly said:
I've only played Episode 1 so far... but someone explain the manuscripts.

Don't they just spoil the story?
Click to expand...
they hint at upcoming events, but you should read them. they give a lot of story information. without them, its impossible to understand the story.
 
P

Prine

Banned
snoopeasystreet said:
Does the game rely on gore for most of it's scares or is it the creepy setting?
Click to expand...

You have this constant feeling of terror. But you need to play with a quality sound system, the 5.1 is fantastic. For example, you might be exploring a cabin and hear foot steps of someone on the floor above. But the cabin is supposed to be empty.

Little moments like this add to its creepiness.
 
P

Peff

Member
So did
Jake actually dream everything from the crash in the other chapter or do they just find the car?
 
C

conman

Member
El_Victor said:
Well, I loved the ending, I still wonder what on earth happened. Can't wait to the inevitable GAF thread where someone can explain it for me. :lol

Ending spoilers:
Who the fuck is Mr. Scratch? Is Alan stuck in the darkness while a clone will take his place? So the lake was an ocean, so what? Was it metaphorical? As in, Alan Wake thought the darkness was deep as a lake, when it was in fact an entire ocean. Why was Rose so weird, who was behind Rose?
Click to expand...
I actually didn't think there was that much left unresolved in the ending. They just crammed a bunch of WTF moments together all at once so it was hard to parse. But here are some of my thoughts on your questions:

There's no "clone" to speak of. Notice that Alan is continually called "Tom" as in Tom Zane the other writer. Alan Wake/Tom Zane is writing the events as you experience them. There's the strong suggestion that Alan Wake is the character and Tom Zane is the writer. Or even more dizzyingly, that Alan Wake wrote about Tom Zane who is writing about Alan Wake. I think this is the sense of the "ocean" that is referenced in the end.

His goal is to bring his wife back, but what is less clear is whether or not she's actually dead. There's a lot of plot elements taken from Memento, and there's the suggestion that this might be one of them. Wake's wife may have simply left him, not died. The later sequence in the apartment in New York suggests a completely different picture of Alan Wake than what we've come to know. He's an alcoholic, he's the one who's afraid of the dark (not his wife), and he is not a good husband (and there's the strong suggestion that she either has left him or is threatening to leave him).

I've got a bunch more thoughts on how this game's story works and fits together, but I'll wait until more people have finished the game so we can get some real theories going.
 
T

tomedo

Member
Bright Falls was entertaining. I think I will need to check it again after the game.

Picked up CE this morning, looking forward to finally playing the game!
 
W

whatevermort

Member
Played the first ten minutes on my 37" Samsung HD TV, and it looked amazing (aside from the slight tearing). If you can actually tell by looking at this that it's sub-HD I'm a monkey's uncle.
 
P

Prine

Banned
Am i right in thinking the Brightfalls shorts references areas we visit in the game? I think the diner in the shorts is a place i've already visited in the game.

If so, everyone owes it to themselves to watch these shorts, adds depth to the AW universe. This cross medium convergence is something i LOVE.
 
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