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[feel]

Well, just finished it, one of my favorite sp experiences this gen.

People on the fence after the so-so reviews, don't sleep on this game, you'll be missing out.

Loved the episodic format, with awesome soundtrack, not sure if I get the ending yet, but I really enjoyed it very much, engaging game all the way.

Fights were great, and never got old for me, I liked the mechanics, specially when there where tons of enemies coming at you and you had to do some defensive positioning/light-shining maneuvers.

The atmosphere was perfect, playing on Hard even if not particularly difficult, felt tense and unnerving all the way, with 5.1 my heart was pounding most of the time, I was shining my light all over the place at any minor thing, and often just hauling ass to the next safe place.

My favorite visuals so far this gen too. Haven't been this impressed by visuals in years. These woods, holy crap, looked so real. Every few minutes I would just stop to just soak them in, and then position my camera angle in some awesome way to capture the beauty of some area. I wish it had a screen capture mode, I would have a million new wallpapers. The way they render the whole surrounding area, and you can just look at the distance and see your destination, the places you've been to, or just the surrounding zones, is amazing and most of the time breathtakingly beautiful.

Sure, there's some stuff I'm not a fan of, like vehicle controls, forced HUD, facial animations, cutscenes having dramatically different lens filter color, etc, but really, minor and unimportant stuff compared to the pleasure I got out of the experience overall.

GOTG contender, can't wait to replay it after I forget most of it.

9.8/10

 

[derFeef]

Bright Falls soundtrack (streaming) now online
http://blackiris.tv/bright-falls-sndtrk/

 

[itsinmyveins]

i'm not sure if they're in optional off-the-path areas, but i've had enemies jump out at me. there's one specific place that comes to mind in episode 2.

Spoiler

if you walk into the men's bathrooms before getting into the truck, an enemy will jump out of the stall as you try to leave.

.

i've also had plenty of times where enemies appear behind you and you have no idea they're there until you get an axe in your back. this has happened several times when the enemies come in groups. on hard mode at least, the AI is pretty good at getting the enemies to run around objects and come at you from all sides if you're not careful with the flashlight. sometimes, depending upon the location, they'll run behind rocks and trees where you can't hit them and come up really quick on your side.

Regarding your spoiler there: Yeah, I had that happen too. But it didn't freak me out because I was looking mostly in another direction at that point :lol

As far as the last paragraph of you post goes, that's pretty much what I was talking about in my last post.

 

[boredJonathan]

Soooo tired today, but it was worth it. Picked up the game yesterday, but I didn't get back home till almost 11PM, and while I should have just gone to sleep then - I thought, well I'll just pop in Alan Wake and see how it starts up. Maybe run through the tutorial bit so I can just jump in feet first tomorrow. 2 hours later, I'm finishing up the first Episode and contemplating playing just a little into Episode 2.

I was honestly worried about the so-so reviews, and was thinking about maybe passing this up and just getting RDR. So glad I picked this up though! (Well, I splurged and picked up both. Although RDR is still 'wrapped in plastic'. Probably break that out when I get off work while I wait for the sun to go down so I can play AW in the approriate darkness.)

Also, definintely glad I read some suggestions on here to start on Hard. Not sure what Normal even plays like but Hard feels just about perfect. The Taken are a threat, leaving me banged up post fight - they even killed me off in one fight when I got bum rushed.

Really enjoying the game so far, and I can't wait to start EP2 tonight. Really wish I had gotten the Collectors Edition. They didn't have it where I picked it up, and thought about hunting around for it - but still wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy the game. Now I regret it!

Couple of quick questions though:

- I managed to snag all the manuscript pages (well short of the Nightmare ones) for Episode 1, but I imagine I missed several thermoses. After I beat the game, is it possible to go back and collect the ones I missed? (And would that work for the bajillion other collectibles in this game. I'm enjoying looking for them, but it seems like it tracks 8 different things you can find/collect.)

- Are there re-spawning areas? I came upon one area where I was searching around to make sure there was a manuscript page - and it seemed like more Taken would pop up after I cleared the last group.

- I was trying to aim for the head when busting up the Taken's shadows - but never really noticed if it helped. Could be because my aim was slipping around a lot when aiming for the smaller target... I ended up just doing body shots with the flashlight and then going for headshots with the gun. But even with the gun it didn't really seem to matter if I went for headshots over just plugging the body. Anyone know if it actually matters?

 

[derFeef]

Remedy is now live on kotaku
http://kotaku.com/5542713/talk-live-to-alan-wakes-creators-right-now

can not listen to it though, as ustream is horrible, breaks every few seconds

- I managed to snag all the manuscript pages (well short of the Nightmare ones) for Episode 1, but I imagine I missed several thermoses. After I beat the game, is it possible to go back and collect the ones I missed? (And would that work for the bajillion other collectibles in this game. I'm enjoying looking for them, but it seems like it tracks 8 different things you can find/collect.)

- Are there re-spawning areas? I came upon one area where I was searching around to make sure there was a manuscript page - and it seemed like more Taken would pop up after I cleared the last group.

- I was trying to aim for the head when busting up the Taken's shadows - but never really noticed if it helped. Could be because my aim was slipping around a lot when aiming for the smaller target... I ended up just doing body shots with the flashlight and then going for headshots with the gun. But even with the gun it didn't really seem to matter if I went for headshots over just plugging the body. Anyone know if it actually matters?

- Yes you can go back/start over and hunt the missing ones. The coffee thermoses are even removed if you picked them up already.

- There are a areas where Taken respawn, especially if you go off-path - they keep coming so be prepared.

- Headshots do not matter.

 

[op_ivy]

Well and that makes sense if something jumping out at you is the one of the sole things that scares you. For me scares come from sudden moments, tension, and atmosphere. Which the game has in spades. I get freaked out just when the forest starts getting dark and the wind starts roaring! *shudders*

me too! also, i love the aspect of foreshadowing, even if its blatant and in your face, of the manuscript pages. something about wandering through the forest knowing, from a recently obtained manuscript, that before leaving you'll hear a

Spoiler

chainsaw of an approaching taken

really upped the tension in that area and brought about more terror when you do hear it then it would have otherwise.

absolutely stellar game so far, my only complaints would be that the lip-syncing and cut-scene animations need to be worked on for the inevitable sequels.

 

[Windom Earle]

Ah fuck it, I guess I will pick it up tomorrow together with RDR. I've watched the first 30 minutes and it looks interesting enough. Even though the enemies seem kinda generic and the way AW narrates everything could get annoying. Soundtrack, characters (besides Alice) and story seem cool!

 

[sdornan]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

 

[aristotle]

I haven't started this game yet despite picking up the CE version yesterday. I'm hoping to find a decent USB drive for the game install. Which of the 16gb usb sticks is recommended?

 

[Shake Appeal]

Playing this a second time on Nightmare... the detail and intricacy of plot and game design is really, really impressive.

 

[Coverly]

Finished the first episode last night. I thought I would be the most impressed with the lighting and atmosphere but I was surprised at how good and fluid the game play is. I'm so used to silent hill type of clunky controls in suspense games that I wasn't expecting this game to perform any better.

 

[derFeef]

Playing this a second time on Nightmare... the detail and intricacy of plot and game design is really, really impressive.

Yep. On my second playthrough I am having several "a-ha!" experiences, as some things getting a bit clearer. This is truly my favourite story in a game since, uhm.. ever.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Yep. On my second playthrough I am having several "a-ha!" experiences, as some things getting a bit clearer. This is truly my favourite story in a game since, uhm.. ever.

I mean, there's the big things, like seeing

Spoiler

pictures and posters of Tom in the opening dream, or the calendar in the cabin being from July 1970

, but there's just so much minor but clever foreshadowing, like

Spoiler

Rusty having rescued the dog, 'Max', from one of the bear traps you'll find lying on the forest floor later on

. Or

Spoiler

Walter being so wackily drunk in the police station cells because of the Andersons' moonshine he's been stealing

.

 

[RBH]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

Good lord. :lol

 

[Netrunner2k2]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

He needs to ask if Alan Wake will be made into an MMO.

 

[Danielsan]

Just got the game.
I only just started it but my god. Those facial animations are beyond garbage.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

That is absolutely horrible, what a rotten bunch of questions. So bad.

 

[Hixx]

The stupid fucking

Spoiler

tunnel jammed with cars and enemies and SHITTY AUTO AIM

in episode 6 is really trying to sour the impressive second half of the game. Lets put exploding canisters there to 'aid' the players but make it really fucking ridiculously hard to aim at them because squeezing left trigger aims at enemies miles away! I'm getting sick of dropping a flare/flashbang and running to the next light, I want to kill those bastards It's the only section of the game I've had to retry more than once on Hard.

Another thing that has bothered me is how they're incredibly generous with weapons etc when you come to set pieces, but because of that they're much, much easier than random sections of the game when you're stuck with a pistol and a shitty torch.

Chapter 1 was good, chapter 2 was poor imo while 3,4,5 were brilliant. 4 and 5 in particular one of my highlights of this year in games so far. 6, at the moment, is edging ever closer to chapter 2 levels of boredom/frustration.

When the combat isn't hindered by the shitty CoD-style auto aim its excellent though.

 

[Cant0na]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

well Gametrailers docked the game points for not having multiplayer (lol)

so i guess its fair of him to ask as well.

 

[Interfectum]

Listening to Kotaku Talk Radio...

Ugh, Totilo is not a good interviewer. "Why doesn't Alan Wake have multiplayer?" "Would you want to lend the Alan Wake character out as a multiplayer character?" When you're speaking to the developers of a game, why would you waste your time asking stupid, unnecessary questions like these.

:lol

seriously, stfu about multiplayer. not every fucking game needs it.

 

[Karram]

I'm half the way through episode 2 and I'm totally loving this game. The combat is surprisingly good much better than I expected. The atmosphere and graphics are one of the best in a game.

 

[Cant0na]

I'm half the way through episode 2 and I'm totally loving this game. The combat is surprisingly good much better than I expected. The atmosphere and graphics are one of the best in a game.

imagine how much better it would be with real people

ONLINE

 

[Karram]

"do you think it would be better if say the enemies you were fighting were.....REAL people online?"

*gives you mic

HELL YEAH
This is what the game needs. 16 players competitve online with a ranking system and gun unlocks. I hope Remedy is reading.

 

[kodt]

I don't think I ran out of ammo once. I'm not even sure how you would go about doing that, unless you sat in one of the respawning areas for a while.

Hmm well I did once venture out into the woods and it got quite dark and several waves (3 at least) of enemies spawned and attacked, ran me dry. That has been the only instance, since then I have had enough ammo.

 

[NG28]

I didn't think much of it while watching videos, but the combat in this game is much more intense while playing. Between reloading, balancing battery consumption, and actually having to shine the darkness away the game can get quite nerve racking.

 

[Cant0na]

HELL YEAH
This is what the game needs. 16 players competitve online with a ranking system and gun unlocks. I hope Remedy is reading.

and perks!!

Titty Flasher - longer flash light beams
Sam lake - water doesnt kill you and you can swim
minimum Payne - you get more health like juggernaut
5 kills in a row - you can call in the birds like a air strike

you better be reading this remedy

 

[RBH]

eBay Daily Deal - Alan Wake for $44.99 with free shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400122381909

 

[Solid warrior]

man this game has been very generous to me with the achievements.

 

[Backfoggen]

How hard is "nightmare" exactly?

 

[Phenomic]

Quick question since I don't own an Xbox but I want to pick up this title. My brother has a japanese console since he's SHUMP crazy. Will the American version of the game work in his console or is this one of the region locked titles?

 

[Backfoggen]

Quick question since I don't own an Xbox but I want to pick up this title. My brother has a japanese console since he's SHUMP crazy. Will the American version of the game work in his console or is this one of the region locked titles?

According to this, the US version is region free.

 

[soco]

How hard is "nightmare" exactly?

i haven't played it, but earlier, someone was saying it's difficult enough that it really changes the strategy. as in, it basically becomes running from safe haven to safe haven and taking out only what you need. or something to that effect.

 

[boredJonathan]

- Yes you can go back/start over and hunt the missing ones. The coffee thermoses are even removed if you picked them up already.

- There are a areas where Taken respawn, especially if you go off-path - they keep coming so be prepared.

- Headshots do not matter.

Awesome! Thanks for the info! Should make some of the more stressfull fights a little easier knowing I can just got for the body. (and this also explains the wave after wave of Taken I faced while looking for manuscript pages.)

Also - the manuscript! I'm really digging finding those pages. It could seem like a cheap way to build the tension, by basically telling you what will be happening down the road, but it works really well in practice. I think it also helps to establish the character of Alan Wake. Hearing his short, almost noir like, delivery of lines via the manuscript - it felt like I was getting a better feel for the character.

The same goes for the, somewhat, needless narration. It frames the whole story, and again keeps you in touch more with the characters thoughts.

Although - yes... the lipsynching in this game is ATROCIOUS. It looks like poorly manipulated puppets.

 

[derFeef]

I made two avatars if someone wants. Not that hot if I look at them, but ok rehost pls if you take em.

 

[Prine]

Darkness has almost fallen upon my house. I sitting here, finishing my meal thinking about visiting Brightfalls. Must be strong, its not time. Not yet. 30 more minutes.

Are there any spoilers in the book that comes with the Special Edition?? I might read through that as I wait for the night to visit me.

 

[RBH]

Darkness has almost fallen upon my house. I sitting here, finishing my meal thinking about visiting Brightfalls. Must be strong, its not time. Not yet. 30 more minutes.

Are there any spoilers in the book that comes with the Special Edition?? I might read through that as I wait for the night to visit me.

Wait until you finish the game before you start reading the book.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Darkness has almost fallen upon my house. I sitting here, finishing my meal thinking about visiting Brightfalls. Must be strong, its not time. Not yet. 30 more minutes.

Are there any spoilers in the book that comes with the Special Edition?? I might read through that as I wait for the night to visit me.

I'm told there are some things that indeed are spoiler-ish, so might be best to wait man.

 

[Prine]

Ok thanks guys. Back to work i guess for another few minutes.

 

[bob_arctor]

Picked it up today and finished Episode 1. I think it's fantastic so far. Playing on Hard is defintely the way to go--some tense moments already as a result. And whoa @ the lighting and fog and forest. So far the story reminds me of the Twilight Zone with a little bit of In The Mouth Of Madness. "This is not reality!!"

 

[Cant0na]

Darkness has almost fallen upon my house. I sitting here, finishing my meal thinking about visiting Brightfalls. Must be strong, its not time. Not yet. 30 more minutes.

goddamn alan wake voice get out of my head

 

[SlasherJPC]

a little bit of In The Mouth Of Madness. "This is not reality!!"

"NOT reality... NOT REALITY", "Do you read Sutter Kane?", Great movie! Just watched it again this week.

 

[witness]

Well got this in today from gamefly and I'm already deep into episode 3. I am really really enjoying this game, the graphics are beauituful (playing in 1080p), the story is cool and interesting so far. I like the characters, but the lip syncing and facial animations are dog shit though :lol For me the game isn't scary at all (for reference RE games don't scare me but Dead Space scared the shit out of me and I couldn't finish it), and I love combat. Very very good game.

 

[dyergram]

Been playing for about a week now (night time headphone only real man style) have loved the game so far im up to chapter 4. Absolutely loving the game wish the combat had a bit more depth but other than that my favourite game since bioshock.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

Just started yesterday. This is so meta. Can anyone tell me how many episodes there are in the main game?

 

[eXistor]

Just started yesterday. This is so meta. Can anyone tell me how many episodes there are in the main game?

Spoiler

6

Amazing game, I just finished it. I missed 4 thermoses, 1 hidden chest and 2 signs...it's gonna be a bitch to track those down I think. I'll see if I still want to do that.

 

[Pooya]

Just started yesterday. This is so meta. Can anyone tell me how many episodes there are in the main game?

Spoiler

6

 

[Reckoner]

Just started yesterday. This is so meta. Can anyone tell me how many episodes there are in the main game?

You will regret when you reach episode

Spoiler

5

. Told you. Or maybe was just me.

 

[Compton's Most Wanted]

Honestly, I look at Alan Wake as the spiritual successor to Resi 4. I sat in front of my TV for 6 hours straight (day off from work) playing this game non-stop, and I haven't done that since I was a kid playing Resi 4 till my eyes bled. Wake evokes almost the exact same emotions Resi did, from the tension to the pacing...it's amazing how similar the experience has been. Even from a visual standpoint....like Resi, Wake is beautiful from an artistic perspective and the lighting is outstanding. But, as in Resi the textures can be horrifyingly bad...frankly Wake has some of the poorest textures I've seen this gen. Overall though, I've had more enjoyment from this game than any I've played this gen. Just a wonderful game.

 

[mYm|17|]

episode 1 was really awesome

 

[Conflict NZ]

It may have already been answered but when you put the code in for the DLC coming out late june, what is the 500mb file that it downloads?