**Alan Wake Review*****

[Abooie]

Picked up my copy today, thought it may help tide me over until Friday and RDR

Got high hopes for this, it looks good, just hope it’s as good as Heavy Rain…

It's totally different to Heavy Rain from what I've played.

I really enjoyed HR while I was playing it but it did leave a bitter taste in my mouth long term with a plethora of massive plot inconsistencies.

AW is what it is, a heavily linear story driven psychological thriller (not horror) game and so far I'm loving it.

 

[Mull3t]

Just finished it, amazing game...amazing story.

Defo think needs another play through!

 

[Scort]

I’ve now played through two and a half episodes, so I thought I would give some feedback:

It’s a good game; but like it or not, one of its main aims was to be a Heavy Rain beater, or at least that’s what the messes of 360 fan’s posts have been about over numerous forums and review sites, but I think it falls short of that.

The graphics aren’t all that great, they’re no way bad, but they look a little blurred and blocky, and the character models look a little too simplistic - but I have been spoilt by the characters in HR I guess! They just don’t look very detailed and the facial expressions don’t seem to match the feelings they are supposed to be experiencing.

The sound is good enough, but I think the story is where this game excels, it’s not really anything new, but it draws you in and helps to immerse you into the game, so the small blights the game does have become harder to notice.

The gameplay is a little too rinse and repeat for my liking, but the more I think about that point, the more all games can come across like this now – I think we as gamers have been spoilt over the years, that it’s too hard for developers to bring new innovations.

Much as I am enjoying this, I don’t think it’s on par with Heavy Rain, Wake just seems a little too action packed, whereas HR (to me) seems to have the intelligent edge, along with characters you actually care about and feel for – from what I have experienced in Wake so far, Alan is a tit and I don’t really care about him

 

[Kainz]

I was working through Chapter 4 of this dullfest last night, and tbh it picks up very well. So once you are out of the tiresome forest bits and are actually encountering bits of civilisation things pick up.

The 'rock concert' was simply one of the best/funniest things I have ever encountered in a game. It had me in stitches throughout. Bloomin hate Barry though!

 

[Margaret]

I’ve now played through two and a half episodes, so I thought I would give some feedback:

It’s a good game; but like it or not, one of its main aims was to be a Heavy Rain beater, or at least that’s what the messes of 360 fan’s posts have been about over numerous forums and review sites, but I think it falls short of that.

The graphics aren’t all that great, they’re no way bad, but they look a little blurred and blocky, and the character models look a little too simplistic - but I have been spoilt by the characters in HR I guess! They just don’t look very detailed and the facial expressions don’t seem to match the feelings they are supposed to be experiencing.

The sound is good enough, but I think the story is where this game excels, it’s not really anything new, but it draws you in and helps to immerse you into the game, so the small blights the game does have become harder to notice.

The gameplay is a little too rinse and repeat for my liking, but the more I think about that point, the more all games can come across like this now – I think we as gamers have been spoilt over the years, that it’s too hard for developers to bring new innovations.

Much as I am enjoying this, I don’t think it’s on par with Heavy Rain, Wake just seems a little too action packed, whereas HR (to me) seems to have the intelligent edge, along with characters you actually care about and feel for – from what I have experienced in Wake so far, Alan is a tit and I don’t really care about him

Wut...Heavy Rain characters looked damn well creepy at times.

and the aforementioned is just as rinse and repeat, do a few joystick waggles every now and then = Heavy Rain.

Still, I like both though. My main criticism of Heavy Rain was the length of the game, so far I've spent a few hours on Alan Wake and I'm only on chapter 3, I am playing on hard & exploring as much as I can though. (plus watching the TV shows)

 

[Scort]

Wut...Heavy Rain characters looked damn well creepy at times.

They looked creepy as they looked pretty real lol, I just don't get that with the characters in AW.

and the aforementioned is just as rinse and repeat, do a few joystick waggles every now and then = Heavy Rain.

Agreed, but as I pointed out, I bet we could all say this about any game, I think games by definition will be repetitive, it was nice in HR though that it never got to feel repetitive; I just wish I can say the same about AW...

Still, I like both though. My main criticism of Heavy Rain was the length of the game, so far I've spent a few hours on Alan Wake and I'm only on chapter 3, I am playing on hard & exploring as much as I can though. (plus watching the TV shows)

I totally agree, both games are great, if anything though, AW looks like it will be pretty short compared to HR, and that's even with me venturing out in the forest and off piste

I hadn't spotted this before, but I think this sums it up:

i'm enjoying the story part of this, though it's not in the same league as Heavy rain. Gameplays predictable, the story is keeping me going. 7/10 so far.

 

[blueshift]

Erm Heavy Rain wasnt a game, it was just desicion choosing.

 

[v2^]

My copy has just been dispatched, day of tomorrow so i hope it arrives

 

[Scort]

Erm Heavy Rain wasnt a game, it was just desicion choosing.

Ok..... maybe you should play it before posting a retarded comment Besides, a form of entertainment without decision choosing is surely a movie – HR and AW both give you the ability to choose what to do, so are ‘interactive entertainment’, or as most call them, games

I must say, I’m going to enjoy the 360 fanboy comments on this HR/AW comparison, having seen the amount of tripe spouted during the lead up to HR, by 360 fans, it’s quite funny seeing how AW hasn’t turned into the HR beater they all expected it to be

God, I love sitting on the fence during these ‘console wars’

 

[HAz]

Some ppl should just stick to mw2 frag fest and FIFA .

 

[mcwildcard]

Erm Heavy Rain wasnt a game, it was just desicion choosing.

So is life, what of it?

 

[spoonz]

Bought today and thoughts as follows:

Graphics: Average, nothing special at all. I have both PS3 and 360 so not a fan boy of either, but Drakes 2 was better looking.

Sound: Excellent, creates mood and makes the game. Especially love the use of licensed music.

Presentation: the episodic ,method of presentation is an excellent idea. Shame this game, at the moment, is not making the best use of it.

Gameplay: Awkward controls. If you don't have a gun, LB is run, if you do its duck then run. Idiotic. Directions are glitchy and it desperately needs a 180 degrees shortcut. Also, run through forest, find torch, shoot enemy, press button, run through forest again better change soon or this is going in marketplace. I'm nearing end of Episode 2.

Ill see how I go, but it stinks of a rush job. Could have been epic....

 

[Scort]

I'm actually looking forward to putting it back on tonight, lol, guess the story has gripped me, but I've not felt any emotional connection to the characters in this game, whereas Heavy Rain (yes, I know, yet another comparison!) actually had me feeling happy and sad several hours in.

 

[point decay]

Directions are glitchy and it desperately needs a 180 degrees shortcut.

+1 most annoying thing for me.

Have to say that the last third of the game really picked up and i found myself enjoying it more towards the end. It really could have done with haveing something inthe middle of the game to break up the monotony of trudging through the forest though.

I think the game also needed an extra mode or something to extend its longevity, once completed their really isnt much to go back for unless your really into gathering achievements.

You would think with its lengthy development time their must have been some ideas on how to fillout the game more, after all £40 is a little steep for only a few hours of play.

 

[blueshift]

So is life, what of it?

Erm i hate to point out the obvious, but it was supposed to be a game, and supposed to be a form of escapism?

 

[Kyle009]

Finished this tonight. The end game gets really good, the last 3 chapters are excellent in my opinion and well worth sitting through the slow start.

Have to agree about replayability, I'm not one for collecting things or replaying on harder difficulty and wish I hadn't of rushed into buying it. I'll trade it in against Red Dead I think as, bar the upcoming DLC in July, it's not worth holding on to.

 

[stoke1863]

Just finished EP4 and what a brilliant game this is. Yea people are moaning due to the 6 or so years this took to make and i supose i will agree with the repetitive shooting of the combat but what a fantastic setting and story.

I realy appreciate a good story and this meets my needs fantastic. Atmosphere and settings are spot on imo, i just want to keep on playing to unravel the story.Some bits felt a bit like shutter island to me . The Rock show was epic realy fun. Its a shame most of the combat isn't as diverse as that was becuase 70% of the time its rinse and repeat shooting.

Overall i wasnt going to get this due to some negative comments on a lot of forums but im so glad i did. Its probably just behind ME2 for GOTY for me so far.

It does seem a bit marmite. Many people here are getting bored of it (and i can see why) while others on neogaf are saying its GOTY.

 

[Things change I've changed]

wow what a difference of opinions in here, I was hoping that this thread would help me decide whether to purchase the game but alas unfortunately not.

It does seem a bit marmite. Many people here are getting bored of it (and i can see why) while others on neogaf are saying its GOTY.

I love the gaf but I do find that they can get a bit over hyped at times which is why I always rely on this place for games critiquing.

 

[stoke1863]

I love it but seriously if i could i would have rented it. Theres only like 7 hours gameplay in it

 

[Kainz]

Despite slagging it off earlier on, I have to admit that from Chapter 4 onwards things really do pick up at a great pace. The repetitive forests in the earlier chapters just kill the game very fast especially from the lack of weapons.

From Chapter 4 onwards you get the full range of weapons and varied environments for once. I really enjoyed it from this point right till the end. Great game if you can forgive the early chapters.

The game definitely feels rushed in places though.

8.5/10 for me. The extra .5 is for the 'rock concert' scene