I'm only a third through the game on hard but most enemies I just drain down by pointing and quick-battery-bursting the flashlight to stun them if needed. The big guys who shield themselves from light I either battery-burst with the flashlight or flare. If they start blocking I'll also try to take down other enemies until the big guy stops blocking.Jimmy Stav said:
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My name is Alan Wake. I'm a writer. |OT|
- Thread starter BruceLeeRoy
- Start date
thetechkid
Member
wowzors said:
I thought the Writer was much better than the Signal, and they about 2-ish hours each if you don't rush it.
Shame that I already went through the game twice, because the video commentary the LE offers is pretty interesting (talking heads at the start of most checkpoints). The front view of the bird leg cabin actually resembling a bird's beak/face blew my mind.
They mention in the documentaries how they had big problems with casting Alice and making her someone you actually cared about with there being much screen time for her, and that may still be one aspect they never really nailed... I didn't much cared for her, even if they obviously did their best to make her a rounded character.
Their self-proclaimed 3 strenghts are world creation, gunplay/action and story. To me, Alan Wake is primarily incredible for the 2 former reasons, not so much the latter. The story had some interesting hooks with the manuscript pages and all, but it wasn't as gripping as I thought it'd be. The 2 other pillars are polished to an insane degree though.
I really liked how the game handled inventory. Not a lot of weapons, but you have to learn to use them all. At some points you only get flares and as the game progresses, you quickly learn how useful they can be. Remedy will probably have gotten a lot of cries for more weapons and the sequel will most likely offer that, but I was just fine with the limited arsenal here. Seemed to fit the nature of the game.
They mention in the documentaries how they had big problems with casting Alice and making her someone you actually cared about with there being much screen time for her, and that may still be one aspect they never really nailed... I didn't much cared for her, even if they obviously did their best to make her a rounded character.
Their self-proclaimed 3 strenghts are world creation, gunplay/action and story. To me, Alan Wake is primarily incredible for the 2 former reasons, not so much the latter. The story had some interesting hooks with the manuscript pages and all, but it wasn't as gripping as I thought it'd be. The 2 other pillars are polished to an insane degree though.
I really liked how the game handled inventory. Not a lot of weapons, but you have to learn to use them all. At some points you only get flares and as the game progresses, you quickly learn how useful they can be. Remedy will probably have gotten a lot of cries for more weapons and the sequel will most likely offer that, but I was just fine with the limited arsenal here. Seemed to fit the nature of the game.
Shake Appeal
Member
I may write a review of it some day, but honestly the number one reason this game is amazing to me is the flashlight. They made waving a flashlight in the dark as good about as it could possibly be given the technical limitations. The way it jerks about with your view is just so convincing and natural-feeling. The contrast of light and dark, the way it often obscures your vision even as it illuminates, the vulnerability of view it lends... exploration in the dark feels perfect because of it, and it's just a shame the environments aren't just that little bit more open for exploration (though it would seem Remedy are as good as Valve at creating spaces that feel bigger and more connected than they actually are).
But really, I could rhapsodize about the flashlight all day.
I'd really love a sequel to go far more in the survival horror direction, making encounters more intense and scary instead of just piling on the enemy numbers the way some sections of the game and DLC do. It would be nice even to have a survival horror mode/option that tweaks the amount of resources you get, because I never felt pressed for ammo or batteries at any point, and that made it much more of an action game than a horror one.
But really, I could rhapsodize about the flashlight all day.
Yeah, I like that the weapons are natural. Having an M16 would feel bizarre in that game world, and it's right that a hunting rifle is about the upper limit. If they wanted to add more weapons to bullet point the back of the box, they should be melee weapons, especially makeshift ones, à la Left 4 Dead 2.Creamium said:
I'd really love a sequel to go far more in the survival horror direction, making encounters more intense and scary instead of just piling on the enemy numbers the way some sections of the game and DLC do. It would be nice even to have a survival horror mode/option that tweaks the amount of resources you get, because I never felt pressed for ammo or batteries at any point, and that made it much more of an action game than a horror one.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
I've played through both DLCs and in both missed at least one collectible item. If I play through the DLCs again, will I only have to get the remaining collectibles or will I have to start from 0?
Shake Appeal
Member
Yeah, and you can see how many you have at all times in the extras menu. Basically you never have to worry about getting everything in one run, or a save file overwriting progress, or anything. It's refreshing.
Splash Wave
Member
EDIT: nvm
Shake Appeal
Member
The Writer was really good. If I don't get to play more in this world, it will be one of gaming's great travesties.Shake Appeal said:
theignoramus
Member
Game is pretty awesome so far. I didnt pay much attention to what Remedy said the game would be like a half decade ago, so I didnt go into the game with a fucking fundamentalist attitute about what it should or should not have been. Perhaps I'm enjoying myself more as a result of that.
The game looks above average in the daytime and outstanding at night. Best lighting of the year? I'd say so.
The game looks above average in the daytime and outstanding at night. Best lighting of the year? I'd say so.
It´s incredible lighting. They make the night really frightening without making it pitch black. I also love the effects of the flash- and spotlights. Really well done and a pleasure to use.theignoramus said:
Glad you enjoy it and you did well going into the game with this attitude.
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
Haunted said:
Not because they had a song called Haunted in there as well? Don't lie!
Okay finally got around to putting this in...
Uhm....wow?
I've played through episode 1 and then played through the Sheriff's office in episode 2.
This is fucking brilliant. I love basically everything about it. Seriously, my biggest complaint is the shitty lip-syncing. The music, the dialogue, the setting, it's perfect.
It's basically Twin Peaks the videogame with a supernatural (well...MORE supernatural) twist.
I love, LOVE the way it sets up. It feels like Silent Hill, but IMO Silent Hill has never gotten its shit together this much.
Uhm....wow?
I've played through episode 1 and then played through the Sheriff's office in episode 2.
This is fucking brilliant. I love basically everything about it. Seriously, my biggest complaint is the shitty lip-syncing. The music, the dialogue, the setting, it's perfect.
It's basically Twin Peaks the videogame with a supernatural (well...MORE supernatural) twist.
I love, LOVE the way it sets up. It feels like Silent Hill, but IMO Silent Hill has never gotten its shit together this much.
Played through episode 2 and up to (slow motion running from the FBI's bullets).
Damnit, this game has such amazing fucking atmosphere. The sound mix is insane, the graphics are top notch. Production values are ridiculous.
I love the inner monologue as you go through, I loved the similar 'talking to self' stuff in Uncharted as well.
I wish the day portions were longer, the night stuff feels kind of 'samey', but the day stuff is ridiculous.
And sheesh, that driving portion pissed me off. There is a 'secret' path to the right, and I would go there, get out of the car and be SWARMMMED by the taken. Then I would try and get in my car and it wouldn't let me...so I died. I treid driving around that area and getting all the taken, but no matter what, when I got out of the car, I got swarmed and died.
Ughhhh, after like 4 times I decided to just move on without it.
Playing on Hard by the way.
Loving this game.
Damnit, this game has such amazing fucking atmosphere. The sound mix is insane, the graphics are top notch. Production values are ridiculous.
I love the inner monologue as you go through, I loved the similar 'talking to self' stuff in Uncharted as well.
I wish the day portions were longer, the night stuff feels kind of 'samey', but the day stuff is ridiculous.
And sheesh, that driving portion pissed me off. There is a 'secret' path to the right, and I would go there, get out of the car and be SWARMMMED by the taken. Then I would try and get in my car and it wouldn't let me...so I died. I treid driving around that area and getting all the taken, but no matter what, when I got out of the car, I got swarmed and died.
Ughhhh, after like 4 times I decided to just move on without it.
Playing on Hard by the way.
Loving this game.
Beat it tonight...
FUCK I loved it. I loved it so much. Definitely a feeling of sadness when it ended because it was such a blast. :lol
I must say that I'd prefer the game's story to be made into a movie than a game. The combat is pretty blah and gets repetitive at points. It's still an incredibly engaging experience, though...
Damn, the ending was so great. It's an ocean...I don't really know what the fuck he's talking about, but it's still cool
Probably the best story in a game I've ever had the pleasure of playing through.
9.7/10 - Brought down only because of some combat annoyances (and it's not even that bad).
I don't think I have the balls to try it on Nightmare, though.
NEED THE DLC NOWWWWW
FUCK I loved it. I loved it so much. Definitely a feeling of sadness when it ended because it was such a blast. :lol
I must say that I'd prefer the game's story to be made into a movie than a game. The combat is pretty blah and gets repetitive at points. It's still an incredibly engaging experience, though...
Damn, the ending was so great. It's an ocean...I don't really know what the fuck he's talking about, but it's still cool
Probably the best story in a game I've ever had the pleasure of playing through.
9.7/10 - Brought down only because of some combat annoyances (and it's not even that bad).
I don't think I have the balls to try it on Nightmare, though.
NEED THE DLC NOWWWWW
HurricaneJesus
Member
I like this game, and I don't want to bash it, but I was playing through Amnesia last night, and it shits all over Alan Wakes use of 'stay in the light'. Different games, but I found myself making the comparison while playing.
Alan Wake is probably still tied with Mario Galaxy 2 for my GOTY. I've replayed the main game twice now and both DLC's were excellent as well.
The legendary Lucasarts game designer Noah Falstein fairly recently wrote about Remedy on his site at http://theinspiracy.weebly.com/1/post/2010/10/remedy-entertainment.html
This bit has me intrigued:
Please be Alan Wake 2.
The legendary Lucasarts game designer Noah Falstein fairly recently wrote about Remedy on his site at http://theinspiracy.weebly.com/1/post/2010/10/remedy-entertainment.html
This bit has me intrigued:
Please be Alan Wake 2.
oatmeal: Nightmare really isn't all that bad. Enemies just take twice as long to kill, basically. And a lot of fights can be skipped with running and flares, if you have to. It's actually more fun since you may actually have to think about item management since you're more likely to run out of batteries etc for once.
Eh, we'll see.
Beat both DLC's, didn't like The Signal that much (too much combat), but I really liked The Writer.
I love that they came up with new ways to tackle the Taken. That was great!
I'd love a sequel, but I'm concerned that all of it would take place in the darkness, and I enjoyed the daylight stuff the most. The combat system isn't strong enough to carry an entire game IMO. I don't hate it, but I would definitely miss the 'light' parts of the game.
I got a recommendation for the game DEADLY PREMONITION...I am thinking of picking it up. Seems like a game I'd really enjoy...I love the idea of a sandbox game in a Twin Peaks-esque town.
Beat both DLC's, didn't like The Signal that much (too much combat), but I really liked The Writer.
I love that they came up with new ways to tackle the Taken. That was great!
I'd love a sequel, but I'm concerned that all of it would take place in the darkness, and I enjoyed the daylight stuff the most. The combat system isn't strong enough to carry an entire game IMO. I don't hate it, but I would definitely miss the 'light' parts of the game.
I got a recommendation for the game DEADLY PREMONITION...I am thinking of picking it up. Seems like a game I'd really enjoy...I love the idea of a sandbox game in a Twin Peaks-esque town.
WickedLaharl
Member
grap3fruitman
Banned
I got the regular edition for $50 months ago and I'm considering double-dipping on the LE. I would definitely recommend this game. It's probably the most enjoyable and unique game I've played this year.Nekobo said:
$30 is a steal for the LE, wow.Nekobo said:
I better not comment on the game because everyone knows I love it, but there are people who did not like it as well, so...
Watch the Giantbomb quicklock maybe, it´s not too spoilery (except the last minute, skip that) to get a better idea.SlasherJPC
Banned
Nekobo said:
For $30 its a steal!!!!
eternaLightness
Member
I just got the LE for $10 even though I don't have a 360 yet. Been interested in it for awhile. I'll just play it on my bro's Xbox.
catapult37
Member
This game is a great example of how you should NOT lock away difficulty modes. Normal was too easy, and Nightmare was just about right. I played it twice to get the nightmare-only pages and achievements, but honestly, if I had not also been doing the video commentary with that second run, I would not have finished it a second time. However, getting the "Children of the Elder God" achievement on Nightmare was AWESOME.
Also, I STILL missed two thermoses. GRR
Also, I STILL missed two thermoses. GRR
skyfinch
Member
Nekobo said:
No guarantees that you'll like it, but in a generation full of first person shooters and bald army dudes blowing up things, Alan Wake is a welcome change of pace. Seems like game play is a hit or miss with a lot of people, but again, it's $30.
Don't forget to DL the free Signal DLC.
Rocky_Balboa
Member
Bought it and beat it. Got all 1000/1000 from the main game and burned out. Now I'm having a hard time playing The Signal, because I powered through the main thing.
Really liked the story and presentation, but the gameplay started to get boring way too soon.
Really liked the story and presentation, but the gameplay started to get boring way too soon.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
I finally got around to playing The Writer today and overall I feel that Alan Wake 2 needs to make some serious changes to keep me interested.
I loved the main game because it had such a great atmosphere and sense of mystery. Roaming the woods and trying to piece together exactly what was going on was great fun. So many memorable environments and moments that makes it one of the best games of the year.
Nearly all of that has been lost in this DLC, though. I hate how the story has gone so deep in to the
because it just doesn't interest me. It's a concept that's been done numerous times before and they're not doing anything new with it. Although the mind fuckery of all the bizarre shit happening, such as floating words that impacted the envrionment etc was novel and fun at first, now it seems cheap and an excuse to not have good level design. 80% of The Writer was walking along a path, shooting a word and have a piece of geometry fall in to place. I know that it's not meant to be a coherent world any longer but it just didn't click with me. I liked it when the game was based in reality with elements of the supernatural, not based in the supernatural with elements of reality. I also think the whole story is far too convoluted for its own good now. Half of what Zane said to me had my eyes rolling. It reminded me of the "yo dawg" meme if you know what I mean :lol
The combat, too, is absolutely unsatisfying. I was bored of it by the end of the main game, it got even worse in The Signal and in The Writer the only good combat section was
and that was mainly because it was a cool spectacle and gave me a way of not having to fight them! :lol They're no longer menacing or challenging - merely a chore.
I basically think the DLC was a bad idea because it made the story too convoluted and stretched the gameplay mechanics to the point of breaking. Alan Wake 2 needs to go back to its roots and really change the gameplay up, otherwise I can't see myself liking it at all.
I loved the main game because it had such a great atmosphere and sense of mystery. Roaming the woods and trying to piece together exactly what was going on was great fun. So many memorable environments and moments that makes it one of the best games of the year.
Nearly all of that has been lost in this DLC, though. I hate how the story has gone so deep in to the
you are trapped writing your own fate blah blah blah
The combat, too, is absolutely unsatisfying. I was bored of it by the end of the main game, it got even worse in The Signal and in The Writer the only good combat section was
on the bridge and using the lighthouse to kill them
I basically think the DLC was a bad idea because it made the story too convoluted and stretched the gameplay mechanics to the point of breaking. Alan Wake 2 needs to go back to its roots and really change the gameplay up, otherwise I can't see myself liking it at all.
AndresON777
shooting blanks
there's a poe song in alan wake r u kidding me?
SlasherJPC
Banned
Foliorum Viridum said:
I don't really see how it made the story too convoluted. I mean honestly, the story itself is contained within the DLC really. Players who never touch the DLC and only completed the main game I'm sure would be fine playing the (hopefully inevitable) sequel without missing much.
OmniAvenger
Member
slasher_thrasher21 said:
Wait, wait, wait... so you can explain the story. Fill me in.
I played through the main game and both bits of DLC. I have a few theories about what happens in the story but I didn't think there was a definitive "explanation."
Rocky_Balboa said:Bought it and beat it. Got all 1000/1000 from the main game and burned out. Now I'm having a hard time playing The Signal, because I powered through the main thing.
Really liked the story and presentation, but the gameplay started to get boring way too soon.
Late to this post but stick with it. The DLCs are imo, leagues above the main game.
Dark Octave
Banned
I saw this at Walmart for $15 yeaterday. So tempted.
Did this game bomba or something?
Did this game bomba or something?
SlasherJPC
Banned
derFeef said:Wow and you did not buy it? You are part of the problem, then
Yeah at $15 its a steal. I just started replaying this again. On to Chapter 2. Honestly, the atmosphere Alan Wake creates with Bright Falls and the enviroments...is amazing to me still even a half year later. Its a place I just love stopping and looking at the details.
Please let Alan Wake 2 come out!!! Remedy don't let me down.
I watched it being played a few weeks back at a friends house with a huge plasma and a nice audio setup. It was beautiful and intense. He normally does not play such kind of games but he really got sucked into it and we almost talk every day about it. My game of the year for sure. So happy that Remedy seems to do something with the franchise...slasher_thrasher21 said: