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[Rad-]

Finally finished it. Great game but there are few flaws that drop it from the truly amazing category (some might disagree but this is what I think):

Combat is too fast paced for an atmospheric game like this. Something slower would've fit this a lot better. It kind of takes me away from the experience when every enemy is rushing at me full speed. Doesn't give me time to enjoy the combat. Also headshots need to do more extra. One headshot should kill to reward me.

Also I'd like to aim without wasting the flashlight battery. Or is there a way? I didn't find it. Such a small problem but really annoying to me.

Low resolution is very easy to notice and sometimes takes you away from the experience. AW is still a good looking game but the resolution change alone could turn it into amazing looking game.

Those are my only problems with the game. Otherwise it's really great. The story is probably my favorite story this gen. Two small plus's I'd also like to give, which aren't mentioned often: loading times are nonexistant and the way the game spoils you with pages is really well done. I also liked how the game wasn't totally linear like I feared but there were small creepy sidepaths around every corner.

 

[Larsen B]

Second time through on Nightmare and I missed the same damn TV show in chapter 5!

How remiss of me.

Looking forward to finally playing the game on Normal with the video commentary. It will be nice not having to run away from everything.

 

[Larsen B]

Also I'd like to aim without wasting the flashlight battery. Or is there a way? I didn't find it. Such a small problem but really annoying to me.

Hold the left trigger down lightly.

The wonders of analogue controls.

 

[Rad-]

Hold the left trigger down lightly.

The wonders of analogue controls.

Makes sense, yes. :lol Thanks.

 

[The Librarian]

I wish the game would tell you how many of each item you're missing in each chapter, like it does for the manuscripts.

 

[Larsen B]

I wish the game would tell you how many of each item you're missing in each chapter, like it does for the manuscripts.

I found that watching a collectables guide on YouTube, I remembered the majority of the thermoses/chests/signs that I'd found in the game.

Has been easy to reduce down the number of possible collectables to a more manageable amount that shouldn't take long to get.

 

[Feindflug]

I've been staying clear of this thread until now. I just cleared chapter 4 last night and while I do think the review scores are indeed fair, I'm personally loving it.

It does have repetitive game design... but if you play it an episode at a time it's really not an issue.

It does run at a terribly low resolution... but it feels like they sacrificed resolution to give the game some of the best lighting and weather effects ever.

There are parts of it that give away it's laboured dev time. The animation feels a bit dated (and not just the faces)... you can tell that Bright Falls is on the disk as one giant map and that they've just kind of fenced off the individual levels.

while that means that the engine isn't really allowed to shine the way it should and that it's doing lifting that it really doesn't need to, I don't think I'd prefer it if the world felt like a series of seperate levels. every time you find yourself looking back onto cauldron lake or every time you spot a landmark from an earlier episode you feel like you're in a single location.

the combat is good (as expected from a Remedy title)... the writing is above par (again as expected)... the atmosphere is I think unparralled.

i'd been playing it on my 50 inch tv, but switched over to my 24 inch monitor last night. my TV's colours are all screwed up (it's a rear projection Sony) and everything is way to yellow and green and it can't be fixed for less than a $1000 (and I can't afford a replacement right now either). on the TV you really didn't notice the bad texture filtering outside of day time, or the low resolution.

on my monitor it's incredibly blatant, most likely cause i'm sat nearer to it and used to play PC games at 1920 x 1200 on that screen.

i'm hoping for a PC release (though that will get slammed too for other reasons) still so that the game can visually be all it should be.

i am glad that they chose to put the lighting, scale and weather effects over resolution... but i'd love to run it at a higher resolution without tearing on something with a bit more lifting power.

Well my only complaint visual-wise right now after playing almost 3 episodes is the very distracting tearing...I somewhat got used to the IQ (360's upscaling is amazing) but the constant in many places tearing has no excuse - it's pretty clear that the game lacks polish, I can't believe that the 360 can't run this especially at such a low resolution at a steady 30fps...hopefully the AW engine will be massively improved for the sequel.

The game on the other side is very good - atmosphere, story, characters, gameplay are all awesome and yeah it's a shame that AW wasn't in the top 20 of Xbox Live - I definitely wasn't expected that to be honest, maybe the reviews turned away potential customers and "stopped" a more aggressive marketing by MS? the Bright Falls episodes was a great move IMO.

 

[eshwaaz]

I don't think I'd prefer it if the world felt like a series of seperate levels. every time you find yourself looking back onto cauldron lake or every time you spot a landmark from an earlier episode you feel like you're in a single location.

That's actually one of the things I love about Alan Wake. Being able to see familiar landmarks in the distance from different perspectives throughout the entire game creates such a convincing sense of place. Bright Falls as a whole feels like a cohesive, believable location; something so many other games fail to communicate.

For my tastes, having totally separated, independent levels would have made the game a significantly less immersive experience.

 

[Solo]

Ive loved how each of the Episodes (Im done up through 4, still have 5 and 6 to go) so far has gotten progressively longer and more involved, too.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

I hope the fact that Alan Wake is now £30 does not indicate how poorly it has sold.

 

[Shake Appeal]

That's actually one of the things I love about Alan Wake. Being able to see familiar landmarks in the distance from different perspectives throughout the entire game creates such a convincing sense of place. Bright Falls as a whole feels like a cohesive, believable location; something so many other games fail to communicate.

For my tastes, having totally separated, independent levels would have made the game a significantly less immersive experience.

Yep.

In Episode 3, when you're

Spoiler

approaching Mirror Peak, after the cable car you can glance back and see the ghost town, the cliffs leading to the mine, the exit to the mine, the mountaintop platform you were standing on not a few minutes ago... it's stunning. You get the sense of having travelled in an open-world game, with all the focused design of a much more linear game.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Yep.

In Episode 3, when you're

Spoiler

approaching Mirror Peak, after the cable car you can glance back and see the ghost town, the cliffs leading to the mine, the exit to the mine, the mountaintop platform you were standing on not a few minutes ago... it's stunning. You get the sense of having travelled in an open-world game, with all the focused design of a much more linear game.

Just completed this episode last night and 100% my thoughts exactly!

 

[skyfinch]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the loading time in this game is sick. Considering how much is loaded into each level, it's so damn quick compared to a lot of games. Even when you skip a cut scene (which they use to load parts of the game), it's still very quick.

*thumbs up for being able to skip nearly all the cut scenes. This is a reason why I have no desire to play Splinter Cell Conviction; long ass cut scenes that can't be skipped.

 

[The Librarian]

Alright. Got all the TVs.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Shame such a beautiful game runs at a noticeably lower resolution. I'm not one to complain about graphics, ever, but I could just be stubborn that this isn't out on PC.

Loving the game so far otherwise. The Max Payne references(?) are nice too. The sound of locked doors, the New York blizzard flashback, and Wake's previous book manuscripts with Max's voice. So good.

I loved that it was a almost word for word dialogue from MP2. Made me miss that game.

I just got to chapter 4(Yeah I am milking this thing) and if this game didn't sell enough to warrant more episodes/sequels I will cry.

 

[Max]

I just got to chapter 4(Yeah I am milking this thing) and if this game didn't sell enough to warrant more episodes/sequels I will cry.

Looking at the downloadable content option on the menu apparently they're releasing two "specials" which I guess could be additional episodes or something.

 

[Shake Appeal]

They've said they consider 'The Signal'/'The Writer' to be like the equivalent of 'websidodes' or 'specials' between two seasons of television. Alan Wake 2 (Alice Wake??) would be Season 2 proper.

 

[plagiarize]

Don't think it was meant to be a horror game anyway. Heck, they used thriller on the boxart.

it is a horror game though.

Wake himself says that the story has changed from a thriller into horror.

i was going to play episode 5 last night, but my PC was broken and I ended up trying to fix that instead.

i'd just moved the 360 over to my desk on tuesday and the only way I can hook the sound up over there is by running it through my PC.

probably won't get back to it until tomorrow at the earliest now. then... yeah i'm hoping on buying the guide and getting everything. probably after i finish another couple of games first.

 

[The Interrobanger]

it is a horror game though.

Wake himself says that the story has changed from a thriller into horror.

i was going to play episode 5 last night, but my PC was broken and I ended up trying to fix that instead.

i'd just moved the 360 over to my desk on tuesday and the only way I can hook the sound up over there is by running it through my PC.

probably won't get back to it until tomorrow at the earliest now. then... yeah i'm hoping on buying the guide and getting everything. probably after i finish another couple of games first.

It's certainly not a horror game. It's a thriller/mystery with a character who's living in world where his thriller-turned-horror novel has come to life.

 

[Mayyhem]

How hard is this game to get 1000GS?

 

[Squall ASF]

How hard is this game to get 1000GS?

Piece of cake, but you may need to use the collectable guide if you finish the game and have no idea what items you missed.

 

[The Librarian]

Piece of cake, but you may need to use the collectable guide if you finish the game and have no idea what items you missed.

It's not a piece of cake. You definitely have to work for it, but it's not difficult.

 

[Numpt3]

The mrs got me this for my birthday last week, still haven't started it. trying to finish rdr and lost planet 2 first. looking forward to it though, glad to hear it references max payne.. does it have any music by poets of the fall by any chance?

 

[Solo]

Yes.

 

[Numpt3]

ooh great, thanks

 

[The Librarian]

One more coffee thermos to go!

 

[Squall ASF]

One more coffee thermos to go!

Ruh-roh, same exact thing happened to me (assuming that's the only thing you're missing). You have any idea what episode it might be in? That'd be too funny if it was the same one I missed.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Ruh-roh, same exact thing happened to me (assuming that's the only thing you're missing). You have any idea what episode it might be in? That'd be too funny if it was the same one I missed.

The one

Spoiler

sitting on the chair overlooking the mountain in the second daylight part of episode 3 was pretty clever I thought. I found it on accident for sure.

:lol

 

[The Librarian]

Ruh-roh, same exact thing happened to me (assuming that's the only thing you're missing). You have any idea what episode it might be in? That'd be too funny if it was the same one I missed.

Which one was your last?

 

[derFeef]

Really a shame there is no way to tell in which episode you miss it. I am in Episode 5 right now on nightmare (my favourite) - and I am still missing a lot of stuff but I found 5 thermoses and 3 chests already I missed.

Still not tired of this game. So good. Playing a thrid time for sure (with guide) and a fourth time before the DLC hits then

 

[Alcander]

Just wanted to Chime in with some comments now that I am getting close to completing the game (Ch. 5)

The game reminds me a lot of a Valve game, and I mean that as a huge compliment. Mainly in the atmosphere, the attention to detail with even the smallest environmental entities, the variety of structures and elements (I've yet to see a duplicate house, for instance, or at least its hidden very well), and the cohesion the world oozes. Its honestly crafted to near perfection - its clearly hand-made and is closer in resemblance to a real town than nearly any game I've yet played.

The lighting effects are simply inspiring; I would time and time again spend long periods of time shining my flashlight on objects just to see how the light reacts. Its pretty amazing stuff.

The story is extremely well told - I love the way it is presented in a fractured, jumbled way through the use of the manuscripts. Excellent stuff.

The resolution doesn't bother me too much, though it is apparent during the day, especially when focusing on character models. This probably has a lot to do with the low texture res, but as long as you don't run up extremely close to something and focus in its not noticeable enough to be detracting.

I will say that so far I really am longing for more daytime segments. One, for instance, where you travel by foot and by car to get to the mine/museum type thing was SO GOOD. I loved traversing the environment and taking in the sites, especially being able to see the structures in the distance and knowing "I am going to explore that whole area". I really wish remedy expanded upon the daylight segments of the game. I wouldn't even mind some shooting elements in these; obviously nothing which would take the game into a TPS, but maybe some heavy exploration with a few shootouts.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Can't wait to get back into it tonight!

 

[Rahxephon91]

Best game credit song ever thats for sure.

 

[Squall ASF]

Which one was your last?

Spoiler

In episode two, while heading over to meet the 'kidnapper', there's a part in the woods with a phone booth. I think it's actually the second phone booth you see in the woods. Anyway, you'll see it almost directly ahead when you first enter the area. You have to hug the right side of the screen (along the cliff edge) and follow it around a curve that leads to a dead end with the thermos on a rock (I think it's roughly one o'clock behind the phone but I don't think you can just run straight up to it, you have to follow the cliff edge)It's pretty easy to miss because I believe you get ambushed around there. If you reach the screen with the swinging wood palate, you've gone too far. I think it was shortly before that area. Sorry for being so vague, it's been just about a week and i'm going off of memory.

If you look at a collect guide, you should be able to figure out which one I'm talking about.

 

[The Librarian]

Spoiler

In episode two, while heading over to meet the 'kidnapper', there's a part in the woods with a phone booth. I think it's actually the second phone booth you see in the woods. Anyway, you'll see it almost directly ahead when you first enter the area. You have to hug the right side of the screen (along the cliff edge) and follow it around a curve that leads to a dead end with the thermos on a rock (I think it's roughly one o'clock behind the phone but I don't think you can just run straight up to it, you have to follow the cliff edge)It's pretty easy to miss because I believe you get ambushed around there. If you reach the screen with the swinging wood palate, you've gone too far. I think it was shortly before that area. Sorry for being so vague, it's been just about a week and i'm going off of memory.

If you look at a collect guide, you should be able to figure out which one I'm talking about.

Can you point me to a collect guide that has it? Cause I'm looking at one right now and I don't see the one you're talking about.

 

[Squall ASF]

Can you point me to a collect guide that has it? Cause I'm looking at one right now and I don't see the one you're talking about.

Alas, I'm blocked from most of these sites here at work. I'll try to get on here at home and send it to you worst case scenario but try this site out: http://www.gamerfuzion.com/blogs/alan-wake-walkthrough-all-coffee-thermoses-locations-xbox-360/

I 'think' that was it. Let me know if it shows pictures for the thermos. I think it at least has a video guide of the different thermos on that page.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Best game credit song ever thats for sure.

It's up there, definitely.

When it kicked in it was like the perfect balm for the mindfuck I had just received.

 

[Squall ASF]

It's up there, definitely.

When it kicked in it was like the perfect balm for the mindfuck I had just received.

DLC will be my balm, July can't arrive fast enough. Too bad it will only be half the puzzle, The Writer clearly will cover most of it if the description is any indication.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

I've yet to play Alan Wake so I'd like a vague answer to the following:

Do we know if the DLC follows directly after the game, and if yes does this mean the game ends in a cliffhanger?

 

[Brother Sport]

Spoiler

I was quite satisfied with the ending. Mysterious and not giving too much away, yet it felt perfect with Space Oddity. So fitting.

So what's the description for the first DLC?

 

[The Librarian]

Ugh. Why is finding this last thermos so hard?

 

[Metalic Sand]

Just beat this on nightmare i somehow missed 1 nightmare manuscript 1 regular and 2 coffee thermoses

 

[FateBreaker]

I've yet to play Alan Wake so I'd like a vague answer to the following:

Do we know if the DLC follows directly after the game, and if yes does this mean the game ends in a cliffhanger?

Yeah, there is a cliffhanger, but I think the bigger issue for people is the ambiguity of the ending. It IS a satisfying ending and a lot of questions are answered, but there are still some mysteries. It really is like a tv series in this vein.

 

[skyfinch]

Ugh. Why is finding this last thermos so hard?

I'm missing 1 sign. I'm using IGN's guide to help find the last one, but judging from their guide, I got them all (I think I got them all). Now the only thing left to do is go back through the entire game and look for them one by one. This will be the case for missed thermos, chests and can pyramids.

Good thing is that normal mode is fairly easy after you've played the game on Nightmare, so most of the time, I can just dodge all attacked and be on my way.

 

[derFeef]

Best game credit song ever thats for sure.

When it kicked in I was like "Uh, yeah, exactly" and had goosebumps all over me. Perfect closure.

 

[Alcander]

Oh, I should also add how much I love that they obviously put a lot of attention towards Wake's animations. Specifically the climbing up/down stairs/ladders animations - they are very fluid and realistic. I HATE it when games get these animations wrong.

Even subtle things like Wake answering his cell are well done.

 

[Squall ASF]

I've yet to play Alan Wake so I'd like a vague answer to the following:

Do we know if the DLC follows directly after the game, and if yes does this mean the game ends in a cliffhanger?

It has a satisfying ending for this game's story but leaves an opening that has you craving more. The DLC does continue directly after the game, at least from how the description makes it sound.

Brother Sport, you can read the description for the two DLC's under downloadable content from the main menu on the game.

Ugh. Why is finding this last thermos so hard?

Did you ever figure out which one I was talking about?

 

[The Librarian]

I'm missing 1 sign. I'm using IGN's guide to help find the last one, but judging from their guide, I got them all (I think I got them all). Now the only thing left to do is go back through the entire game and look for them one by one. This will be the case for missed thermos, chests and can pyramids.

Good thing is that normal mode is fairly easy after you've played the game on Nightmare, so most of the time, I can just dodge all attacked and be on my way.

This game is nearly a chore to play when you are trying to get to specific parts in a level to get a certain collectible. It doesn't help that Wake is fatigued after like eight seconds of jogging.

 

[Snuggles]

Will get tomorrow, I'm definitely looking forward to giving Alan a spin.
I'm still not sure of what to expect, but I've been anticipating this for a long time so I'm willing to take the plunge.

 

[Squall ASF]

This game is nearly a chore to play when you are trying to get to specific parts in a level to get a certain collectible. It doesn't help that Wake is fatigued after like eight seconds of jogging.

Not sure if you figured out the thermos I already mentioned but did you find the final one in the game?

Spoiler

In the very final area where you shine light on words to bring them into reality, there's a "thermos" word right when you start

 

[The Librarian]

Not sure if you figured out the thermos I already mentioned but did you find the final one in the game?

Spoiler

In the very final area where you shine light on words to bring them into reality, there's a "thermos" word right when you start

Already got that one.

Still haven't found the last one yet.

*rages*