Alan Wake Preview

Ozz explains the problems of creating a ten hour game in the typical movie-like structure that your average 10 hour action game follows: “Movies are two hours and can keep that story arc compelling and keep the audience engaged – When you go over that two hours, it’s hard to keep that engagement once the story arc peaks and keeps peaking repeatedly.”  An issue due not only to the increased length of video games but also people’s interrupted consumption of them.

Your enemies fear light and are only vulnerable when under the glare of Alan's torch or any of the inventive makeshift light sources you come across.

Ozz reassures us that Alan Wake’s structure addresses this problem: “The TV-style structure works really well for us because we have episodes where we peak within that story arc and we end on a cliff hanger, and we start the next one with a ‘previously on…’ where we merge the player back into it, and it can be a daytime scene where it’s a lot more serene and about learning the motives of the supporting cast around the town of Bright Falls, foreshadowing later events”. Of course it also provides a great delivery platform for additional content as Ozz tantalizingly reveals: “Think of this game as season one and expect the DLC to bridge the gap to season two – specials if you like“.

Remedy are promising a wide variety of enemies and with the dark force's ability to turn inanimate objects into deadly threats, danger can be anywhere.

Characterisation is one aspect of Alan Wake that truly sets it apart from it contemporaries, in that the entire cast appear as genuine people rather than grizzly action heroes and buxom bimbos. The artists have been as bleak and uncompromising with appearances as the writers have been with personalities, with tangible tensions between Alan and his wife – even at the outset, things feel a little uneasy.

I’m not about to undo Remedy’s carefully orchestrated teaser campaign by speculating on any of the dark and mysterious story elements that we were privy to in our short time with the game, but I can say that the dark force that has overtaken the good folk of Bright Falls has done little to dampen their accuracy or their skill with an axe. Enemies work quickly to surround you and attack with alarming aggression. Even early encounters provide a challenge as you struggle to stay on top of reloading both your weapon and the essential torch, meaning you will need to make friends with the all-important dodge button if you hope to survive.

Expect the usual array of hatchets, axes and bludgeoning equipment. Alan Wake is pleasingly old-school in that respect.

Only few short months away from it release, Alan Wake hints at being something quite special. The perils of attempting to predict just how satisfactory a mystery will unravel are many, but if Remedy have picked up anything from the masters, it’s a fine understanding of suspense. Until May I will be residing nervously on the edge of my seat.