Finally tackling Alan Wake - thoughts so far

First off, hello community, follow me on twitter.

 

Alan Wake is a game I had always intended on playing at some point but I kept getting distracted by other titles. Last night, I had a genuine, extended, "what game should I play" moment, and took the opportunity to dive in to this title. I ended up putting roughly 3 hours into it off the bat and got through the first two "episodes." It's pretty interesting so far. I'm definitely driven by the story, but the gameplay is coming off at about an "ok" level. It's not bad, by any means, but it's a bit repetitive. There's plenty of game left for it to get more varied, but so far it's been a matter of shining a flashlight at a guy until I can shoot him, and then shooting him until he dies.

 

For a game that has such a dark atmosphere, I'm not finding it that scary, which really feels like a giant wasted opportunity. The character models aren't perfect, particularly with the way their mouths move with the speech, but the environments look amazing, and there are some rather cool moments with the "darkness" sweeping around like a wind through trees in some areas. The story is a great setup for a horror experience. Yet, somehow, I don't get that feeling of suspense and fear, and I can't be sure why. Maybe it's just that, up to this point, none of the enemies are all that intimidating, and it starts to turn into a shooting gallery of sorts. A game like Amnesia: The Dark Descent expertly played off of suspense to make you genuinely afraid to open the door or turn a corner. Alan Wake feels like you can just sprint through and try to make sure you shoot guys before they get too close. Don't get me wrong, it is an awesome atmosphere, but with that setting and story, this game should be terrifying. It's not.

 

That said, I'm hardly very far into the game, and there's plenty of time left for things to get creepier. Right now, the story is what keeps me wanting to play. Collecting manuscript papers for the-story-that-Alan-wrote-but-doesn't-remember-writing is awesome. I love reading the new pages and then wondering how they will actually play out in the future. It's a fantastic foreshadowing mechanic.

 

TIME Magazine just named Alan Wake their choice for Game of the Year 2010. In one way, I'm glad that it will bring more attention to what is definitely the most original and deep Xbox 360 exclusive to come out this year, but I don't see how this is better than every other game that has come out. I know I'm only 3 hours in, but I can say pretty confidently that 3 hours in to Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption, I was absolutely enthralled. So far, I'm intrigued, interested, and in many ways impressed with Alan Wake. But "enthralled" is not a word I would use just yet.

 

Well, we'll see if I change my tune as I venture on.