Xbox 360
As a Finnish developer, Remedy Entertainment know a great deal about darkness, and the primal fear sometimes associated with it. By living in a land where daylight lasts for less than six hours in the winter solstice, those long dark winter months can let imaginations run wild and this time their little grey cells have created Alan Wake.
In a world where light and dark can either be friend or foe, Alan Wake is based on a bestselling author who's suffering from severe writers block. His wife proceeds to take him on holiday to Bright Falls, a sleepy little town deep in the Elderwood National Park, Washington in order to restore his creative flow. Shortly after their arrival however, Wake's wife disappears and things discernibly take a turn for the worse. Pages of Wake's latest work start to crop up around town, work he can't even remember writing, then the words on the pages start to come to life as a dark presence is unleashed upon the town. This poltergeist takes over everything in its path; people, animals and even inanimate objects such as vehicles and machines.
The horror genre normally provides copious amounts of blood and gore but Alan Wake is meant to be far more than that. Remedy have crafted a psychological action thriller, one which is driven by a story intricately woven around a strong central character. Instead of seeking inspiration from cliché horror films, Remedy have taken their inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and Stephen King. By gleaning inspiration from Psycho and The Shining, Alan Wake is on way to being a true thriller experience.
Remedy are aiming to create a fully realised world based upon episodic gameplay, directly inspired by the format of TV shows such as Twin Peaks or Lost. This mechanic is conveyed through chapters starting with a "previously on Alan Wake" recap of past events highlighting plot points which are precursors to the upcoming episode. Aside from making sure the plot and narrative are kept at the forefront of player's minds this is also useful as an effective pacing tool.
In the footage we've seen so far, Wake provides us with some interesting monologues as he moves through the forest of Bright Falls. These believable and emotional insights are fortified with first-rate voice acting and provide you with a glimpse into his psychological state as the world unravels around him. The world's ambient sounds ebb and flow; the hum of electrical lights in the background, chirruping crickets and the wind whistling ominously through the trees around Wake.
Shadowy figures slowly emerge from the darkness, initially undeterred by Wake's bullets it's not until he puts his torchlight onto the aberrations that we see Remedy's impressive light effects come into play. Bursts of light rupture outward from their bodies as the beam illuminates their ethereal figures, it's only then that Wake's bullets truly hit home as the dark figures eventually explode into a shower of sparks. Any source of light can be used as a weapon against the forces of darkness, and flares produce exquisite effects as Wake holds them high in order to carve a path through his enemies.
There's also been the suggestion of resource management as Wake collects batteries for his high powered torch; implying that you might want to use light sparingly unless you want to find yourself alone in the dark, dark woods. Whilst racing towards a potential lead at the local lighthouse Wake turns on his car headlights and illuminates the road along with the dark figures in front, sparks shower around the vehicle as your enemies burst like miniature suns then fade to black as you drive on into the looming darkness. Its moment's like these which truly convey the fight between the forces of light and darkness.
The ominous feeling in Bright Falls is continually supplemented by the ever present feeling that dark forces are just one step behind you, growls permeate the forest as Wake struggles to evade his pursuers, the surrounding trees creak and snap as violent forces work around him and the end effect is truly unnerving. Whilst the night-time sections of the game are meant to be more action intensive Remedy have made great steps in order to promote exploration and interaction in the town and its inhabitants throughout the day. Whilst the game features an open world mechanic, the story still takes the front seat and the action is directed to supplement the story, not the other way around. Lead writer Sam Lake argues that the daytime scenes are directed towards character development and story progression rather than combat. The actions you carry out in the day-time are there in order to provide a contrast to the night scenes and provide you with a sense of foreboding as the plot unravels.
Alan Wake is due to release in Spring 2010 and in the words of Alfred Hitchcock, "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." and God are we anticipating this one.