Alan Wake General Discussion - Out May 18, 2010!

[quote name='Dr.Zoidberg']How long is it taking everyone to beat the game? Just wondering if this would be a buy or a rental of a game? Thx.[/QUOTE]

I tried to see if they recorded my play time, but I could not find it. I would guess 8-9 hours on normal.
 
[quote name='Dr.Zoidberg']How long is it taking everyone to beat the game? Just wondering if this would be a buy or a rental of a game? Thx.[/QUOTE]
It took me about 13 hours on hard, but I was absorbing all of the TV and radio shows and finding as many manuscript pages as I could.
 
[quote name='Dr.Zoidberg']How long is it taking everyone to beat the game? Just wondering if this would be a buy or a rental of a game? Thx.[/QUOTE]

It's about 2 to 2.5 hours per episode, so 10 or 12ish hours to get through the whole game. Worth every second of it.
 
Just beat the game and it also took me about 13 hours.

The game is absolutely amazing. This is the best game I've played in quite a while and is certainly one of my favorite games of this generation. I fell in love with the presentation and environment in the game. I wasn't expecting such a strong soundtrack. The environment and lighting effects are simply amazing along with the story. I was expecting a decent game and became completely absorbed in the game for the past three days.

Awesome awesome game. I will say that I wish I would have played through this on hard. It wasn't overly easy but I didn't die a lot and I think hard would have been perfect. I'll have to go through it again someday. Time to start Red Dead, I've heard nothing but great things about it but it'll be hard to beat Alan Wake.
 
Played through Ep. 4 last night. When I read the manuscript page
where Barry's world explodes
I got anxious. But
when he simultaneously pulled the flare and I got the Collateral Carnage achievment :lol::cool:
I felt...giddy. Episode 4 nailed humor, tension, and action for me. Looking forward to finishing 5 tonight.
 
If there's one thing I can say about Remedy, it's that they definitely do single player games well. Alan Wake had great voice acting, the environment was fantastic (I caught myself many, many times stopping and just staring at the environment, whether I'm on a cliff overlooking a lake or at night as the clouds rush by), the soundtrack was phenomenal.. loved it.
"The flaming eye of Mordor" was hilarious.

I'm gonna go ahead and get rid of it so someone else can enjoy it, but I'll pick it up again when it's cheaper.
 
Doing a turbo-Normal run for the rest of the thermoses, non-Nightmare manuscripts, TV shows, signs and various weapon achievements.

Turns out the radio I missed was the very first one, I could have sworn I got that once since I explored everything in the very beginning of the game, I must have not saved.
 
It's killing me... was watching my roommate play the game and he is having trouble on hard because he just isn't managing his inventory well... throwing flares everywhere, shooting before the darkness is down, not dodging at all, launching flares at birds that are too far away, and didn't notice that large red tanks can be exploded. It hurts.
 
[quote name='FrankySox']Just beat the game and it also took me about 13 hours.

The game is absolutely amazing. This is the best game I've played in quite a while and is certainly one of my favorite games of this generation. I fell in love with the presentation and environment in the game. I wasn't expecting such a strong soundtrack. The environment and lighting effects are simply amazing along with the story. I was expecting a decent game and became completely absorbed in the game for the past three days.

Awesome awesome game. I will say that I wish I would have played through this on hard. It wasn't overly easy but I didn't die a lot and I think hard would have been perfect. I'll have to go through it again someday. Time to start Red Dead, I've heard nothing but great things about it but it'll be hard to beat Alan Wake.[/QUOTE]

Amen and ditto and I concur and second that! LOVE this game. I finished my Nightmare run over the weekend and just finished up getting all the achievement points. I seriously NEVER go back and replay a game, but this one I couldn't put down. I cannot wait for the DLC and to anyone who has played through on Normal, I strongly suggest replaying on Nightmare, it's almost a new game.

Now to try to get the soundtrack out of my CD player and off constant repeat on my MP3 player......

CHILDREN OF THE ELDER GGGGOOOOOOOODDDSS!!
 
[quote name='faceturd']It's killing me... was watching my roommate play the game and he is having trouble on hard because he just isn't managing his inventory well... throwing flares everywhere, shooting before the darkness is down, not dodging at all, launching flares at birds that are too far away, and didn't notice that large red tanks can be exploded. It hurts.[/QUOTE]

I felt the exact same way watching the Deadly Premonition Endurance Run (team BR) on Giant Bomb.
 
Theres a really quick Sam Lake interview in the newest Game Informer for the addicts... though it doesn't really say all that much. DLC seems so far away... :: twiddles thumbs ::
 
Just completed the game and man it was VERY WELL done. A little confusing and I'm still not quite sure I understand it all,
but it shows they put a LOT of work into this game. EXTREMELY impressed.
cheers.gif
to Remedy!
 
I wonder if they could ever expand that word creation into an actual meaningful gameplay device? I'm really excited for the DLC...
 
just finished it.

decent game. atmosphere was unbelievable.

I also started to like Barry by the end.

Will pick up LE when it's half price for my collection.
 
Just finished it finally and loved it. Great blend of action and suspense.

I began playing this about a month ago and thought that Barry did sound and look like Wombat - after the latest CAGCast, I know I'm not the only one.
 
I just finished it this morning, really good game overall. Was it perfect, of course not, but I did enjoy it a lot. I don't know if it's in the discussion for my game of the year but I think it will be at the worst close. A whole lot of good/great games have already come out this year (the ones I've played so far); Alan Wake, Mass Effect II, Heavy Rain, Bioshock II (not as good as first but still a good game), Battlefield: Bad Company 2, God of War III (awesome until the last 1/2 hr), 3D Dot Game Heroes (GREAT game), and Red Dead Redemption. What a year so far!
 
Finished the game yesterday. I really enjoyed it, and have to say the ending left me in such a good mood I forgot about feeling like some of the episodes were padded a little too much. Definitely want to play it again on a harder difficulty. As for the ending...

After rewatching the closing cinematic, I interpret the whole "It's not a lake; it's an ocean" line to mean that Alan rewrote reality so that he and the darkness are now beneath an ocean, not a lake. That it's his way of making sure the darkness is buried so deep it can't escape again. Considering we heard the typewriter typing until the very last moment, I took everything we saw from the moment he sat down at the typewriter to be Alan creating a new existence, including Rose as the new lamp lady. Thoughts?
 
[quote name='easper']As for the ending... [/QUOTE]

I like your interpretation of lakes and oceans. Haven't thought of it like that before... could provide for some interesting location changes.
 
What do you guys think, should I rent for a week or so and beat it and return, or buy it? How much time did each of you spend on it? And was there any bonus for buying it new?
 
If you buy it new you get the first DLC for free, plus eternal appreciation from those who are dying for "season 2" from Microsoft and Remedy. The more copies sold new = better chances for a sequel.

CANNOT wait for the DLC at the end of the month. Seriously, this game has ruined my gaming schedule for the summer cuz nothing is living up to how much I loved Alan Wake. Not even Red Dead Redemption.
 
[quote name='chubbyninja1319']If you buy it new you get the first DLC for free, plus eternal appreciation from those who are dying for "season 2" from Microsoft and Remedy. The more copies sold new = better chances for a sequel.

CANNOT wait for the DLC at the end of the month. Seriously, this game has ruined my gaming schedule for the summer cuz nothing is living up to how much I loved Alan Wake. Not even Red Dead Redemption.[/QUOTE]

+1

@matto - if those are the choices, I would recommend buying it and seeing if you like it enough to keep it. I think it will be enough but if you are strapped for cash or whatever it keeps open the return option...
 
Beat the first two episodes over the last two days. Great atmosphere and a lot of fun so far. I already decided that I won't play this game at night though, there's been a few jumpy situations for me already :lol:
 
Finished the game last night, really enjoyed it, I even liked the ending.

If I had to be really nit-picky I'd say that I could have done without the 200 collectibles, but that's not something that will bother non cheesemint whores.
 
Additional thoughts about the story from my partial nightmare playthrough (through episode 3)...
One of the manuscripts in level 3 says has Alan repeating "In it... I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it... I lifted the page in front of my eyes and read it. In it... etc..." Also, Nightingale refers to Alan in one of the manuscripts as Raymond Chandler. So could this just be recursive authorship which could include Raymond Chandler, Thomas Zane, Alan Wake, Mr. Scratch and even Alex Casey (one of Alan's books).

Is there any mention of Raymond Chandler in the LE additional text?
 
Just beat it. And of course the first thing I did was listen to the CAG spoilercast.
I disagree with them saying that the Roy Orbison song was the best use. I think A Space Oddity, was used very well, and that's an amazing song as well. The whole literal words into things thing I thought was pretty cool.
ome story stuff pissed me off, could been a bit more mindfucky, but overall a good, but flawed game.
 
[quote name='faceturd']Flawed? How so?[/QUOTE]
Repetitive gameplay, drawn-out levels that last too long (OH CRAP I GOTTA GO BACK THERE CAUSE MY FRIENDS ON FIRE), relatively short.
I thought at first the simple gameplay was good as Remedy made this game story-first, with some interesting mechanics and a creepy atmosphere, and then I kinda got fed up with doing the same thing with little variety, and the linear level structure in an open world kinda seemed liked some untapped potential.
 
[quote name='dembesum']Repetitive gameplay, drawn-out levels that last too long (OH CRAP I GOTTA GO BACK THERE CAUSE MY FRIENDS ON FIRE), relatively short.
I thought at first the simple gameplay was good as Remedy made this game story-first, with some interesting mechanics and a creepy atmosphere, and then I kinda got fed up with doing the same thing with little variety, [/QUOTE]

Yeah, sometimes I also had a feeling of repetitiveness... but as I am playing through again I noticed that they strung out introduction of the heavier weapons, flares, flashbangs, using spotlights, flammable cannisters, then possessed objects, a few simple puzzles, etc... It wasn't as over the top as some games but they seemed to try to do what they could while staying within the story. But its not like there was a helicopter mission or anything...:)

and the linear level structure in an open world kinda seemed liked some untapped potential.
Click to expand...

I am split on this one. I can understand why they made it linear because an open-world model with a story like this seems like it would dilute the experience. However, there were times in larger areas where I thought it would have been cool to at least see bright falls as an open world. But if it turned into GTA style missions... the game probably would have been even more repetitive and boring and ultimately terrible.
 
[quote name='dembesum']... the linear level structure in an open world kinda seemed liked some untapped potential.[/QUOTE]

I actually think it should have been even more linear since going out in some of the areas contained nothing of any value (no collectables, no new sites or easter eggs, etc). Anymore open than this would take away from the story.

The only complaint I had with the game was the first thing you touched on. I felt there was a little too much running through the forest. Besides that, it is one of the best games so far this year that I have played.
 
Definitely. A game like this is better off being linear. After all, it WAS an open-world game originally, but they realized it took too much away from the story.
 
[quote name='lordopus99']I actually think it should have been even more linear since going out in some of the areas contained nothing of any value (no collectables, no new sites or easter eggs, etc). Anymore open than this would take away from the story.

The only complaint I had with the game was the first thing you touched on. I felt there was a little too much running through the forest. Besides that, it is one of the best games so far this year that I have played.[/QUOTE]

I mean$that the game had Bright Falls as a backdrop and you drove passed a bunch of the same environments a lot, but sometimes when you tried to turn one way it placed a car wrecked by the tornado blocking you from going in the direction. This made the game seemed to make you want to know you're playing a video game, making me not as immersed.
 
Just finished it today. Really enjoyed it all the way up until the end. The environments and weapons were awesome! The poltergeist stuff was great too. I may actually shell out some dough for the DLC.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Definitely. A game like this is better off being linear. After all, it WAS an open-world game originally, but they realized it took too much away from the story.[/QUOTE]

Though open-world games have been successful, I think there is a real lack of enjoyment in most of their missions. More often than not its sandbox environments that make or break the current generation of open-world games. What dembesum may be getting at and something that I agree with is that Alan Wake might have been able to break the mold of open-world games. Though it was likely a better linear story as they presented it, concentrated, purposeful all the time... some of the medium-sized environments and the ways that attacks were setup definitely made me wonder if they could have brought something special to open world games too. Frankly, I just think there is a ton of potential in this game and its idea and hope to see more.
 
I'm a big fan of open world games (hello R*), but I like the linear formula. It allowed Remedy to keep up the thick atmosphere. Plus, I really enjoyed the radio and TV shows given their key placement. That would be hard to do if we had been given a massive free-roaming map.
 
Yeah IMO this game would have been quite terrible as an open world experience. The game is at its best when they are guiding you along very narrow paths allowing you to feel kind of claustrophobic and weary. I just think doing an open world game where you have an extremely specific and complex story to tell is a mistake a lot of times. The structure of AW is very similar to the Max Payne games, Remedy stayed within a comfort zone and I think that was a smart move.
 
Someone gave this theme but but I like my current and dont want it:

[FONT='PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif']Exclusive Alan Wake Theme
Code: JKQ43-YRMB8-J3PXB-3PM28-2Q9DB[/FONT]
 
[quote name='$hady']Someone gave this theme but but I like my current and dont want it:

[FONT=PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif]Exclusive Alan Wake Theme
Code: JKQ43-YRMB8-J3PXB-3PM28-2Q9DB[/FONT][/QUOTE]
Code is gone. Ah well.
THanks anyways.
 
Just finished my nightmare play-through with two things to note:

1. This game is damn good. Sales have supposedly been underwhelming, but it would be a real shame to not continue this helluva good story. Heres to hoping the guys with the bags of money realize that.

2. A lot of folks are writing off the length of the game... but the nightmare play-through is actually worth it IMO. Not only do you get additional storyline with the nightmare manuscripts but you can also make much better sense of the whole storyline with a second playthrough. That would double the playthrough time.
 
[quote name='faceturd'] A lot of folks are writing off the length of the game... but the nightmare play-through is actually worth it IMO. Not only do you get additional storyline with the nightmare manuscripts but you can also make much better sense of the whole storyline with a second playthrough. That would double the playthrough time.[/QUOTE]

I loved my nightmare playthrough because it played so different. On normal, you could buzz through, capping Taken, no problem. But, on Nightmare, you have to play so much more defensively. It really makes for an almost new experience. I loved every second of it. And, even though I listened to the soundtrack a million times, it was still cool to get the final manuscript pages, especially the very last one. Being able to revisit that quote was cool.
 
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