Alan Wake

[Jaesun]

 

[Metro]

Dunno if this is even worth $1.

 

[evdk]

Dunno if this is even worth $1.

Meh, it's the price of one beer, I can risk it.

 

[Fat Dragon]

Never cared much for Alan Wake myself, but it was a decent action thriller worth a playthrough at least, really nice atmosphere throughout the game. Wish the best for Remedy, always sucks seeing yet another developer having to resort to making casual crap for the shitbox to get by instead of getting to make the games they're genuinely passionate about.

 

[Gragt]

The great thing about the story is not the story itself but how it's told. Since standards keep declining it's no surprise to see the game being incorrectly labelled. If you just take it at face value like most people do, then you just get a mediocre tale with overused horror clichés. If you dig in, then you get some great characterisation and a clever bottleneck of pop-culture. It's such a shame the gameplay is only decent for the most part, though the two episodes improved on that front, but despite that the game is worth playing as an achievement in storytelling in video games. It fails in some part but still manages to be unique.

 

[Metro]

an achievement in storytelling in video games

 

[Gragt]

 

[MapMan]

The game was supposed to be open world horror adventure. Now it's boring, linear action... something. Meh.

 

[Metro]

MHC's review:

Boy I sure hope I don't have to shoot the same ghost men for 20 hours. What? What's that? Oh.

Oh...

 

[Haba]

American Nightmare is actually fun combat wise*, which shows that some minor adjustments would've made a big difference.

*) the first time through the levels

 

[Cowboy Moment]

I consider myself somewhat of a horror connoisseur, so I decided to throw a few potato into the humble bundle and check it out, if only for reference's sake. Impressions after tutorial and opening segment:

- Way too literal and straightforward. Look, bros at Remedy, I get that you're making a shooter for idiots and need to have a tutorial, but seriously, this is such a waste of a good idea. You didn't even need enemies in there, would have been much more suspenseful and atmospheric without them. And if you do need to have enemies, don't make them spout cheesy lines like "How does it feel to be killed by a characters from your own novel?!"; I mean, come on. Why not just have the one dude silently pursue you throughout the level? But whatever, the worst part is the fucking voice from heaven telling you how to kill the shadow dudes. It's like someone decided "Ok, that's enough horror for the dudebros, time for some awesome action instead.". Urgh.

- I understand that they want to model their narrative after King, who isn't exactly the master of subtlety. But even King understands that you need proper buildup before shit starts going down. That's why the Shining is actually a good novel. Similarly, he gets that good horror cannot be literal about everything, a measure of mystery and ambiguity are required to keep the reader/watcher/player in the right mindset. Alan Wake has failed at both thus far. You're not Hitchcock Remedy, you can't just start with an earthquake.

- Graphics are really pretty and atmospheric, performance is very good as well. Sound design seems good thus far, although I don't especially like Alan's voice actor, feels kind of wooden to me.

- The opening scenes on the ferry, diner and island are a lot better than the dream/tutorial. Still, some fucking subtlety please? If I need to go down a slightly ominous looking corridor in the diner, don't put a character there just to say "OOH LOOK HOW OMINOUS IT IS WATCH OUT". FFS. And the insanely, insanely bad jumpscare in the island house. Come on.

Will see what happens next. Thus far it seems like a huge waste of potential. Kind of reminds of the first Dead Space in that regard.

 

[Multidirectional]

If you're gonna judge this as a horror game you're not gonna have much fun with it man. Just let it be what it is - an atmospheric action game. And it's decent one at that.
My initial impressions were fairly negative too though, somehow this game grew on me later.

 

[circ]

When the cheque cleared?

 

[Western]

Got it for a $1, the action and linear forest hikes get old very quickly.

The story had potential but by the end of the first few chapters you get the feeling it's not going anywhere especially interesting, and personally I think it fell over by dragging out the ending. It probably would have been a more interesting game if the protagonist was in a loony bin.

On the plus side, good graphics, sound and environments, earlier chapters are probably the most enjoyable parts of the game. Don't regret paying $1, but I won't bother with the DLC chapters or expansion.

Overall it's a mediocre game, lacking in game play, it needed more adventure game puzzles and less combat (the fact there are so many taken adds incoherency to the plot and kills suspense), it had a few good ideas mixed in, (could've been better if they didn't dumb down so many of the interactions/writing ) so that puts it ahead of plenty of AAA console releases, which are even less than that.

 

[Jools]

Started playing it yesterday. I think I will make a proper sort-of-lenghty review about it. Mixed feelings, so far.

 

[Curious_Tongue]

Wish people would stop bashing it.

 

[Metro]

I'll help you out: it sucks. Just play Sniper Elite 2 or 3 -- same great Rebellion shooting physics without the retarded story and walking around collecting thermoses.

Wish people would stop bashing it.

Bad games deserve to be bashed.

 

[Konjad]

Metro just says it because Sniper Elite 2 was free, while Alan Wake cost a whole dollar.

 

[Metro]

I'd have happily paid $1 for Sniper Elite.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

If you just take it at face value like most people do, then you just get a mediocre tale with overused horror clichés.

This is pretty much describes why there's so much butthurt around this game. Remedy have way too much tongue-in-cheek shit going on in their games (i mean... this and max payne?) that people don't get/don't like.
Max Payne isn't any different from Alan Wake in terms of story/character design.
Max Payne wins because shootin' the same 3 junkies in slo-mo over and over is so much more fun than frying then shooting 3 shady dudes in the forest over and over.
Max Payne also wins because the cliche story of a New York cop is so much cooler than the cliche story of a pussy-ass writerboi.

Alan Wake is definitely one of the few games where I can forget about being annoyed at shit repetitive gameplay just because Remedy did a really good job with everything else. Just like Max Payne, this game can evoke some serious feels without taking itself seriously.

 

[garren]

Max was a badass and the shootan felt varied and good, with that game I wanted more, with Alan Wake I was waiting for the end to come. Plus the camera sucked in Alan Wake.

 

[St. Toxic]

If you just take it at face value like most people do, then you just get a mediocre tale with overused horror clichés.

This is pretty much describes why there's so much butthurt around this game. Remedy have way too much tongue-in-cheek shit going on in their games (i mean... this and max payne?) that people don't get/don't like.
Max Payne isn't any different from Alan Wake in terms of story/character design.
Max Payne wins because shootin' the same 3 junkies in slo-mo over and over is so much more fun than frying then shooting 3 shady dudes in the forest over and over.
Max Payne also wins because the cliche story of a New York cop is so much cooler than the cliche story of a pussy-ass writerboi.

Alan Wake is definitely one of the few games where I can forget about being annoyed at shit repetitive gameplay just because Remedy did a really good job with everything else. Just like Max Payne, this game can evoke some serious feels without taking itself seriously.

It was certainly less of a struggle to finish Alan Wake than many other games trying to sell a similar experience, but it clearly compares somewhat unfavorably to Max Payne as you've said. So far, the Remedy approach is generally one of style over substance, but there's always plenty of style involved to keep it interesting. I was particularly satisfied in the work they put in to mask the linearity of the environment, for instance, the sound direction and I remember being impressed by a number of choice scenes. The ending credits left me satisfied with the overall experience and a kick-ass soundtrack, but there were plenty of grievances along the way which admittedly would have made me put down other games much sooner. I certainly won't be replaying it, something I actually did with Max Payne 1/2 a couple of times, but Wake still added to my overall appreciation of Remedy's creative abilities and I look forward to their next endeavor.

 

[UndetectedButthurt]

I guess light internet sarcasm is a bad idea... I just don't find Max Payne/Alan Wake that different? I never really played them for the gameplay. They seem more like mood pieces. You want some cheese mystery shit? Go Alan Wake. You want your cliche noir New York cop story? Go Max Payne. It's not like halfway through some new york basement you don't get tired of shooting another junkie yelling "PAYYYYNE! WHACK 'IM!".

 

[Multidirectional]

It's not like halfway through some new york basement you don't get tired of shooting another junkie yelling "PAYYYYNE! WHACK 'IM!".

Actually, I don't. Gunplay in Max Payne games never stopped entertaining me. Alan Wake combat is just a lot less fun. I guess I can see how you'd find them similar though if you don't care that much for actual gameplay.

 

[Tehdagah]

I replayed a bit of Max Payne 1 and hated it. Fucking cheap "hit-scan" enemies everywhere.

 

[Cadmus]

I replayed a bit of Max Payne 1 and hated it. Fucking cheap "hit-scan" enemies everywhere.

They are not hit-scan, you're a fucktard. The bullets travel so slowly that you can avoid tons of damage by simply moving. If they were hit-scan, the slow-mo wouldn't even work.