Alan Wake, the latest game produced by Remedy Entertainment, best known for their work on the Max Payne series. It was a highly anticipated title, originally announced in 2001 and slated for a release in 2006. However it wasn't until May of this year that gamers got to bask in all the glory that was 10 years in the making.
Alan Wake is a true survival horror title, a psychological thriller, and tells a wonderful story(cliched maybe, but still great). The title borrows elements from the TV series Twin Peaks, and stylizes It's story-telling reminiscent of Stephen King(who's referenced several times throughout the game, and not just in name either). The story follows Wake, a best-selling crime fiction author who as of late has been suffering from writers block. At the discretion of his wife Alice, the couple decide to vacation off in the quaint little town of Bright Falls who unbeknownst to Wake/the local townsfolk, harbors a deadly secret. Mysterious events begin to unfold from the moment you arrive, and during the course of these events Alice is kidnapped. You(Alan)make it your mission to find out what happened to her, why you're missing a week of time, and solve the mystery surrounding Bright Falls.
The first playable sequence is told through Wake's dream, and also provides a tutorial for the player. During this time you encounter the Taken, ordinary people who've been possessed by the "darkness." Light becomes an indispensable tool as you'll need it to burn off the darkness per-say in order hurt the Taken at all. Simply shining light onto them is alright but rather slow, a majority of the time you'll need to concentrate it for greater effect, but this also acts as your cross-hair in conjunction with your weapons. However it causes substantial strain on your light source/boost meter, and if it runs out you'll need to quickly swap out for fresh batteries(by Energizer, shameless sponsorship ads no less). On the flip-side of combat, you'll find various firearms(and stronger light sources)throughout this harrowing tale, starting with your basic six-shooter revolver, finding more powerful items along the way.
As Alan Wake, you're also given various little glimpses into the future in the form of mysterious(plot-enabling but also very cool)manuscript pages from a book that you never got around to writing, save for the title. These allow the player to prepare for what lies ahead, always making you wonder "when?" and drives the story forward.
While this title has It's action-y moments, Wake being an average guy is grounded/bound by those rules. He can't run forever at top speed, and gets tired rather quickly, he also doesn't move with fluidity like a trained soldier, or the know-how to properly handle firearms. It very much plays out like a horror story/film, just an average guy thrust into a situation that's way over his head. He feels like an actual person, and not just a character.
Wake also gives the player A LOT of exposition(as expected from an author), there's usually never a moment where he isn't talking/thinking. One of the most interesting things I found was that this unfolds and feels very much like reading a novel(which I'm sure was their intent from the start), It's quite a rare feeling. Unlike most games that tell you a story but makes it seem more cinematic. However Alan Wake also unfolds episodically like a TV series, each chapter ending with music credits, and beginning with "...previously on Alan Wake..." proceeded by a recap of the previous chapter. Let me go off on a little tangent here, the "...previously on Alan Wake..." thing is so damn awesome! I've never seen a game do this before, and honestly even though It's a little flourish, It's that very thing that cemented this game in my head as great! Just the idea of a game being so like a novel and a TV series at the same time is pretty damn cool, and pulled off quite well. The ideas are separate yet they're together and never clash with one another, only fulfilling their respective roles when needed, It's masterful.
Alan Wake is a highly recommended title, the first in what Remedy Entertainment assures us is just the "first season" of a much bigger story. While it took 10 years in the making for this game to see the light of day, most gamers will probably be disappointed in how short a time it will take to complete(as in one play-through), about 8-12 hours depending. However this shouldn't deter you from experiencing one of the best games released this year. Aside from a few annoyances like: checkpoints being a little too far spaced, and laughably bad facial expressions/animations. It's a game that can honestly be picked up by anyone(unless you're scared or something)and adapted to easily enough, and will sink It's claws into you immediately from the get-go. A beautifully paced story with characters you can relate to, and an ending that will leave you wondering, and ultimately asking for more.
A few days ago Capcom so awesomely released Lost In Nightmares, an expanded chapter and the latest in the line of DLC for Resident Evil 5 across both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles simultaneously.
Lost In Nightmares takes you back through the past of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, when they were on assignment with the BSAA to track down Albert Wesker who had previously defected from S.T.A.R.S, and contrived a plan of his own to manipulate the Umbrella Corporation.
Set in an eerily nostalgic Spencer Mansion(just another one, not the original), you are tasked with...well nostalgia.If It's one thing that I'll credit Capcom for, It's that they really know how to take you back to the past. Lost In Nightmares is definitely a treat for anyone who stepped into the shoes of our two protagonists in the first Resident Evil title. The whole layout and placement of objects is quite uncanny(creepy), and allows to to relive those feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia. Even the characters themselves are thrown back to the events of the first mansion, and are saying pretty much everything you're thinking. The Spencer "Estate" contains a fair amount of classic RE puzzle solving(cranks and levers ^_^), as well as some minor back-tracking, and a new play-mate(abomination)for you to contend with(and it is SUCH a joy the first time you meet)as well. Capcom has also graciously put in a nice little easter egg for all It's fans(nostalgic and newcomers alike)by enabling the classic "fixed camera mode," a matter which is achieved by participating in a certain "door checking event(giant happy grin)."
So how does this expanded chapter add up? Is it worth 400 microsoft points(roughy $5 USD), I'd say yes on the grounds that it delivers much in such a short amount of time(very short). During your first run of the game it should take about 1-2 hours at maximum to complete, given that you're trying to get a feel for your surroundings. Once you've gotten yourself acquainted, subsequent/follow-up play-throughs should clock in at just about 30-40 minutes tops. Granted that this is all from the perspective of a solo game(with the A.I. controlled 2nd player being a bit less stupid than before...thank goodness), in co-op(local/xbox live)you should be able to accomplish everything much quicker and more efficiently. In fact I believe that Capcom's intention was for two human analogs to run the gauntlet together as "partners."
Lost In Nightmares is a short, but oh so sweet flash-back expansion. It bolsters some nice fluff to the already complex story-line of the entire franchise, and surprisingly has much replay value. Because of how long the chapter isn't and that It's just so damn fun, you can pick up a controller and pop this right onto the TV like it were any classic NES title(although oddly enough, Nintendo being the only system this particular game isn't on...burn!), a feat that is rarely seen these days in the realm of video games...damn you Capcom, for being so brilliantly nostalgic!
Before we start this fiasco, let me state that I originally wanted to just make a simple review about this game. However after reading through numerous reviews about this game, and my own experiences/conclusions thrown into the mix. I feel as though I have to address this growing epidemic of bull-shit, centered around this title.
This is really just a long rant, but in light of that I'd like to consider this part one of the now, two-part Dante's Inferno review. So why so much trouble/controversy over a title such as this? Let's find out!
Dante's Inferno, a game that only I seemed I care about, much like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Did you know that on the release date of the latter aforementioned game, that I was one of two people to actually pre-order the title? Much of that scenario was replayed when I strolled into GameStop on Tuesday morning. Needless to say I felt like something was wrong, but I guess that's what happens when the sequel to BioShock is released on the same day. -_-
Getting into the thick of it, let's take a gander at one of the major factors surrounding/asphyxiating Dante's Inferno which doesn't give this game It's fair dues. If you haven't figured it out from oh...nearly(there's probably only one that seems fair)all of the reviews out there since I last checked, all anyone seems to do is compare it to God of War. Now I know similar play styles, and certain game mechanics will garner comparison to something that did it before and what not, but in light of a fair critical analysis, most reviewers and reviewies tend to stick with(and I paraphrase): "_______________________________________________________________________________"(insert any and or random comment/comparison about God of War because that's what this game was apparently suppose to have been, but because this wasn't God of War it was terrible.)You know, that's so funny because last time I checked, this game was titled: "Dante's Inferno" and not God of War right? I mean when I pre-ordered/bought the "title" it was under the name, Dante's Inferno right? Hmm...
...well according to the box cover, I have indeed purchased Dante's Inferno and not God of War, I guess the majority of people on the web with an apparent lack of any sort of free will(you know, that thing that lets you decide for yourself about something)at all can't be right all the time huh?
Adding more insult to injury is the overly restated fact that it "emulates the style of God of War poorly." Alright, what game in the action genre doesn't have some form of quick-time events? For that matter, what action game whose main focus on close-quarters combat doesn't have a "button-mashing-combo" system?Do I need to go on? Seriously, do I?
I suppose the point of all this if you haven't been able to put the picture together yet, is that in every single pro/con about Dante's Inferno whether It's mentioned or not is in some way/shape/form the bastard child of It's "parent," God of War. Having little to no mention about the actual game and story that It's based around(pretty much because It's weighed down by a ton of bull-shit), Dante's Inferno quite literally lives in the shadow of the parent it never had, and until people get over it, it will never truly shine and once and for all be recognized as a title all on It's own.
Stick around for part two, which will be posted later in the day. Or when I get around to it...
Alright, so I know this update is like a week old already but I've just been busy with work and all that fun stuff, and I totally forgot about this one. Normally that isn't possible because I live and breathe video games so please forgive me. However, on to the topic at hand!
It was recently announced that Resident Evil 5:Alternative Edition will be released as DLC! You can get the skinny over on Joystiq but the jist of it is as follows. Capcom held a questionaire of sorts with the fans, and having deliberated the results with the Osaka Team, they've decided to move forward with the idea of releasing Alternative Edition as DLC for the US and Europe. Japan will be the only country who currently will be able to obtain the expansion in a physical medium.
I will admit that when I became privy to this announcement, I just screamed inside. This is a glorious day for the Resident Evil franchise and their fans, and I can't wait to play the expansion!
I guess introductions are at hand right? Well...hello, and welcome to what I hope will be a series entries about my life as a gamer, and my opinions about where the industry is heading. Now let's get one thing straight right off the bat, don't lump me in with the "Casual" or "Hardcore" types(because there are types now *rolls eyes,*remember when being someone who plays video games wasn't cool and/or a fad?), for I am neither, I'm just a gamer, I enjoy a bit of everything, if it looks fun then I'll probably play it.
Namae wa?(Name):Devin Age: 23 years _____(old/young...or whatever you decide) Nationality:Japanese(yay, stereotyping! ^_^) First Introduction Into Video Games: my 5th or 6th birthday, when my grandparents got a Nintendo Entertainment System for me Favorite Video Game of All Time:Final Fantasy VII(now before you judge me on this one, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed the story and elements that made up the world of FFVII before it became a fad to enjoy those games) Current Favorite Titles: /Dissidia Final Fantasy(PSP) /Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions(PSP) /Rock Band(360) Favorite Genres: RPG, Action-Adventure, Puzzle, Fighting
Current Systems Owned: /Xbox 360(360) <=====Current Favorite /Nintendo Wii(Wii) /Gamecube /Playstation 2(PS2) /Nintendo DS Lite(DS) /Playstation Portable(PSP) <=====Current Favorite
Past Systems Owned: /Xbox /Playstation(PS1) <=====Past Favorite /Nintendo 64 <=====Past Favorite /Sega Genesis /Super Nintendo(SNES) <=====Past Favorite /Nintendo Entertainment System(NES) /Nintendo DS(DS) /Gameboy Advance(GBA) /Gameboy Color
Now, I'd say that I take playing video games more seriously than the average person(I took 2 days off from work in order to obtain/play a game on launch day...you can make fun of me now, I know, I know...). However, not so much that it runs my life, but gaming is a big part of it. To me playing video games is like the equivalent of reading an exciting novel or watching a great movie, the fulfillment and entertainment that I get from it I can't really describe, I can say that It's only something that someone in the same situation as myself will be able to experience. I devote about 3-4 hours a day at minimum to video gaming(sounds like a lot, but trust me there are people who literally spend their lives on a game...seriously), usually not all in one sitting, it depends on the game.
Can someone love video games and not become a troll? Absolutely. Can these "individuals" become respectable members of society? Sure, why not? We're constantly growing, a community who started as outcasts and has managed to find acceptance in an ordinary world. We're your neighbor, a retail employer, the coffee shop guy, an officer of the law, your mailman...to be quite frank, we're everywhere and everyone, and we're here to stay.
