Game Review – Alan Wake

I have been an avid gamer since well, forever. I have put in enough game-hours to make a good judgment about any game and thought I could jot down my views on some of the games I have played. That being said, I will try to make this concise since there are many detailed walkthroughs, tips and tricks available on the net. We begin with Alan Wake.

Premise –

A psychological horror first person shooter. Preternatural elements are involved and you play the titular character, who comes to a seemingly idyllic town.

The Best Bits –

• The story and narration mix – An above average story coupled with good narration makes a compelling reason to play. The ending also differed from what I expected.
• Fantastic music – The songs taken for the game make a fabulous collection, my favorite being ‘The Poet and the Muse’ and ‘Haunted’. I can listen to the former on a loop for hours.
• The fact that light is used as an actual weapon is a novel idea.
• The scene where you fight on an old rock concert stage. ‘Children of the Elder Gods’ blasting in the background and you whaling your opponents for a change.
• The TV show in a dream sequence utilized a video of the actual people on which the characters were modeled.

What could have been better –

• The DLCs were a comparative let down. After such a good story, it seems the effort put in them was low.
• The collectibles did not impact the gameplay in anyway, so going after them just to reach a game achievement didn’t seem worthwhile at times.

My takeaway –

A definite recommend. I loved playing it and was genuinely scared at times. 8.5/10.