Hey, so I was watching this week's episode of Feedback, and they had the person who reviewed Alan Wake on. She mentioned here and in her review that due to the game's long development time, she felt that some bits in AW were an old hat due to "similar sequences" having been done in two games last year. She mentions that those games are
"Left 4 Dead and Brutal Legend" (I assume she means L4D2)
Any idea what those things could be?
Turns into a RTS in the second episode.
Really though, maybe one bit that now reminds me of L4D when (episode 5 spoiler, I think..)
You're not just shooting Taken on your own, but working with two others. But this kind of thing happens a couple of times through the game anyway.
Chapter 4 spoilers for AWESOME
the reviewer is probably talking about the time you ROCK THE FUCK OUT OF THE DARKNESS YEAAAAHHHH!!! which I gather is similar to some setpiece in L4D2 or something
Yes, it is. The Old Gods of Asgard are way cooler than The Midnight Riders.
I also totally have "The Poet and the Muse" stuck in my head.
I really hope the ending doesn't suck. Really, really hope so. Because right from the prologue I'm smelling a whiff of the good old "It was all just a dream/hallucination..." bullshit.
Please be wrong, self.
OremLK on
My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
Finished Episode 2 last night. Haha, oh man, generators...
Got to the part where there's a generator under an unlit light post. I start the QTE, and OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT HE'S WALKING RIGHT TOWARDS ME WITH AN AXE. GO FASTER GO FASTER, light turns on, FSSSSSHOOOOOM, YES OH THANK GOD!
Finished Episode 2 last night. Haha, oh man, generators...
Got to the part where there's a generator under an unlit light post. I start the QTE, and OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT HE'S WALKING RIGHT TOWARDS ME WITH AN AXE. GO FASTER GO FASTER, light turns on, FSSSSSHOOOOOM, YES OH THANK GOD!
My problem is that I never notice the generator until after I've dealt with all the Taken.
I had a really nice moment when after one ambush, I started revving up a generator, not realising a second ambush was incoming. The generator kicked in at the perfect moment, catching 3 of them under the light a short distance away. FWOOSH.
I really hope the ending doesn't suck. Really, really hope so. Because right from the prologue I'm smelling a whiff of the good old "It was all just a dream/hallucination..." bullshit.
Please be wrong, self.
Glad I'm not the only one who got that feeling. It really felt like that opening spiel was written to excuse the non-ending they might have. This better not be another Assassin's Creed or Halo 2.
Just finished Ch. 2. So far the game is kind of neat. I was worried that the dialog would be really hokey from what people were saying earlier, but so far it's really not that bad. It's cheesy, but only a light sprinkling of shredded cheese, just enough for me to buy into it and accept it. The ambiance and setting, coupled with the graphics, are just amazing too.
I'm really not sold on the combat though. It's looking like their M.O is to throw 3 or more guys right in your face and leave you to deal with clunky controls to create "tension". Not bad if they're coming in from a distance, but it's so stupid when they're on you. Dodge, get 1 second of flashlight shining in, dodge, repeat, and even then dodging doesn't always work. Then you got the bullshit enemies who throw stuff which is nigh impossible to see in the dark. There were quite a few fights in the woods before the mill that just sucked balls. It hasn't been unmanageable, but it's not particularly enjoyable.
The Wolfman on
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
0
Waka LakaRiding the stuffed UnicornIf ya know what I mean.Registered Userregular
edited May 2010
Finally finished it.
Sucked in Alice, being left in the dark. That'll teach you for tricking Alan into working instead of having a holiday.
Also
Loved the more open bits, so good, but the last 2 chapters felt repetative.
Yeah, I didn't think the dialogue was any cheesier than your average primetime TV show, which is exactly the effect they're going for, isn't it? So far I don't think this would be out of place on ABC at eight o' clock.
OremLK on
My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
On episode 6 there's a TV talkshow which has Alan on it, but also Sam Lake... The interviewer goes "Please do the face" and Lake proceeds to put on his constipated Max Payne 1-face.
On episode 6 there's a TV talkshow which has Alan on it, but also Sam Lake... The interviewer goes "Please do the face" and Lake proceeds to put on his constipated Max Payne 1-face.
Such a great game.
Yup, that was brilliant.
darleysam on
0
HedgethornAssociate Professor of Historical Hobby HorsesIn the Lions' DenRegistered Userregular
I just got to the first part with flares last night, game is really starting to get creepy.
Starting to get creepy? I played through the first episode last night and thought, huh, that wasn't too bad. I might be able to play through this without crying like a little girl...
Now you tell me it ramps up in the creepiness department?!
I feel pretty stupid, it took me way too long to figure out that you're supposed to wear down the Taken's defenses with the flashlight before you shoot them, and it's more efficient if you catch them with their guard down. I got halfway into the second chapter before I figured it out. Suddenly, the game wasn't so insane anymore.
OremLK on
My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
I feel pretty stupid, it took me way too long to figure out that you're supposed to wear down the Taken's defenses with the flashlight before you shoot them, and it's more efficient if you catch them with their guard down. I got halfway into the second chapter before I figured it out. Suddenly, the game wasn't so insane anymore.
Last night when I ran out of ammo in episode 2, I invented a game I like to call "Dead Light Green Light"
Basically, you run balls out to the next light source, turning around every couple seconds to flash the guys chasing you and slow them down so they don't catch up to you and chop you up.
I now hold the LE in my hands after a trip to Best Buy, although I'm feeling a bit of buyer's remorse.
Don't get me wrong, the package looks great (haven't opened it yet) and I'm sure the game follows suit, but even with the $20 gift card and the bday money, I feel a bit dumb paying what is essentially double the amount I could have gotten the vanilla game off Ebay's current deal ($45).
But it's already here, in my room, so I'll probably open it up and start playing tonight. I just hope it was worth it.
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
I've got up to Episode 4 and I must say this is one of the best survival horror games I've played in terms of pacing, story and such. Unfortunately it lets itself down in one area: I just don't find it pushes me enough resources wise to be scary. Also it's the first game I've played where it actually spoils what is going to happen later in game (manuscripts). Just weird.
Honestly, I think the spoiling only adds to things. Now I know it's going to happen, and I just don't know when. It lets your imagination run away with itself.
amnesiasoft on
0
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
Honestly, I think the spoiling only adds to things. Now I know it's going to happen, and I just don't know when. It lets your imagination run away with itself.
Actually I agree with you and it adds to the general theme of the story of the game:
In essentially how what he's writing is coming true and affecting the world around him. I often wonder "Is this happening because I read the manuscript, if I had left it alone would it still happen?". Albeit that's probably a bit meta.
I could see how they originally intended this game to be an open world survival horror from the way the writing plays into things.
Im loving this game but it hasnt been as scary as I was hoping. Granted Im only in Episode 3 but I mean...I expected more. Despite the game not scaring me much Im absolutely loving it. The story is excellent and I love Alans "take no shit" attitude. Makes me happy he's not a pussy just cause hes a writer.
Oh and it may not be scary to me but holy shit is it intense. REALLY intense. I find myself screaming when Im low on health hoping to not get hit and barely dodging and surviving and then a guy comes from behind with an axe and hes about to hit but then Im all FLARE BITCH HAHAHAH JUST before he brings it down on me backing him up and then I shoot him in the head. Fuck.
Thats an awesome feeling.
mastrius on
"You're like a kitten! A kitten who doesn't speak Japanese." ~ Juliet Starling
0
HedgethornAssociate Professor of Historical Hobby HorsesIn the Lions' DenRegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
Edit: And it's gone.
Hedgethorn on
0
Psychotic OneThe Lord of No PantsParts UnknownRegistered Userregular
Episode 1 blew me away, Episode 2 was even better. Episode 3 is up tonight, I've heard it's longer than the previous two. How long might it take me playing on hard?
Also, new AW-themed avatar-signature combo. Good/Bad?
Episode 1 blew me away, Episode 2 was even better. Episode 3 is up tonight, I've heard it's longer than the previous two. How long might it take me playing on hard?
Also, new AW-themed avatar-signature combo. Good/Bad?
So just beat it. Honestly can't think of any real issues I had with it, loved the story and the characters and yeah the combat isn't as intense/involved/whatever as Resident Evil 4 or Dead Space but it FEELS right; he's a writer not fucking Duke Nukem so the straightforwardness of the mechanics works well as opposed to making it overly complicated or doing a 180 with the 'rules'. I WOULD like to see some more possessed animals-- not like a bear or something, but given the nature of the antagonist maybe something normally passive that's been twisted-- a deer perhaps? A fight with a group of rampaging bucks in the deep woods could be pretty unnerving, and the "Bright Falls" prologue-thing establishes that it CAN possess animals like that.
As far as the open-world being cut out, frankly I think it works better without a wide-open sandbox and the occasional larger section like it has now. It's entirely possible for open-world games to have good stories, but for something as narratively-focused as Alan Wake, in which from exposition to character development to combat something is always HAPPENING, a linear design is more beneficial. Granted, wandering around Bright Falls at night, getting lost in the woods and fighting off hordes of Taken would be pretty cool but the pacing would suffer for it (which was something that hurt Brutal Legend.
Also, really thought the ending was just about perfect and resolved the plot nicely; I could see the benefit of some of the episodic DLC but really don't think that this needs a sequel that they're supposedly planning. There's really nothing else to say, and I think we've gotten too used to series that go out of their way to explain EVERY LITTLE THING that we've forgotten how to appreciate that some things don't NEED to be answered.
Really glad I got the Limited Edition but feel that a lot of this-- particularly the fleshing out of Nightingale's character in the included book-- is almost TOO important to leave out of the game proper. It does a lot to indirectly explain why he's doing this and why he's the way he is when we meet him, and even to show that he isn't a complete dick. Seeing this, even via manuscript page, would have been nice to give him a little more dimension than Guy Who Hates You For No Clear Reason Just Because He's An Asshole.
Good god-dang, people. I'm halfway through episode 2 and can't get enough of this game. Looove the atmosphere. Facial animations are awful as fuck though.
Ceno on
0
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
The games models show the age of its development the most I think, but it still does a competent job.
There is one particular piece of facial animation that is genuinely hilarious.
The games models show the age of its development the most I think, but it still does a competent job.
There is one particular piece of facial animation that is genuinely hilarious.
I'd say facial animations have always been Remedy's biggest weakness. I will say though I love all the nods to Max Payne in this game. But its making me thirst for more Payne. Hopefully E3 will quench it.
Posts
I also totally have "The Poet and the Muse" stuck in my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeSUvoY2oUk
Please be wrong, self.
My problem is that I never notice the generator until after I've dealt with all the Taken.
Glad I'm not the only one who got that feeling. It really felt like that opening spiel was written to excuse the non-ending they might have. This better not be another Assassin's Creed or Halo 2.
Just finished Ch. 2. So far the game is kind of neat. I was worried that the dialog would be really hokey from what people were saying earlier, but so far it's really not that bad. It's cheesy, but only a light sprinkling of shredded cheese, just enough for me to buy into it and accept it. The ambiance and setting, coupled with the graphics, are just amazing too.
I'm really not sold on the combat though. It's looking like their M.O is to throw 3 or more guys right in your face and leave you to deal with clunky controls to create "tension". Not bad if they're coming in from a distance, but it's so stupid when they're on you. Dodge, get 1 second of flashlight shining in, dodge, repeat, and even then dodging doesn't always work. Then you got the bullshit enemies who throw stuff which is nigh impossible to see in the dark. There were quite a few fights in the woods before the mill that just sucked balls. It hasn't been unmanageable, but it's not particularly enjoyable.
Also
Tumblr
PSN:Hakira__
Such a great game.
I light a flare first for good measure and toss it on the ground when I rev up generators.
You know who could kill all these Taken without breaking a sweat? Max Payne. Let's pray he's the star of a future DLC package.
How do you toss the flare, just hit RB again?
Yup, that was brilliant.
Holding RB down lights the flare and holds it above your head; releasing RB drops the flare at your feet.
Huh, good to know.
I just got to the first part with flares last night, game is really starting to get creepy.
Starting to get creepy? I played through the first episode last night and thought, huh, that wasn't too bad. I might be able to play through this without crying like a little girl...
Now you tell me it ramps up in the creepiness department?!
Last night when I ran out of ammo in episode 2, I invented a game I like to call "Dead Light Green Light"
Basically, you run balls out to the next light source, turning around every couple seconds to flash the guys chasing you and slow them down so they don't catch up to you and chop you up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx3MvoUR1io&feature=related
that's Matthew Porretta, aka Mr. Wake.
hehe.
That is without a doubt one of the most ridiculous things I have ever played through.
Not quite sure yet if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Probably both.
But it sure was a hell of a thing, I'll tell you what.
Don't get me wrong, the package looks great (haven't opened it yet) and I'm sure the game follows suit, but even with the $20 gift card and the bday money, I feel a bit dumb paying what is essentially double the amount I could have gotten the vanilla game off Ebay's current deal ($45).
But it's already here, in my room, so I'll probably open it up and start playing tonight. I just hope it was worth it.
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
Just completed episode 3, really enjoying myself.
Actually I agree with you and it adds to the general theme of the story of the game:
I could see how they originally intended this game to be an open world survival horror from the way the writing plays into things.
Edit: I just find it a weird concept.
Oh and it may not be scary to me but holy shit is it intense. REALLY intense. I find myself screaming when Im low on health hoping to not get hit and barely dodging and surviving and then a guy comes from behind with an axe and hes about to hit but then Im all FLARE BITCH HAHAHAH JUST before he brings it down on me backing him up and then I shoot him in the head. Fuck.
Thats an awesome feeling.
And thats when I heard the chainsaw
Also, new AW-themed avatar-signature combo. Good/Bad?
Twitter 3DS: 0860 - 3257 - 2516
Very nice. I approve.
As far as the open-world being cut out, frankly I think it works better without a wide-open sandbox and the occasional larger section like it has now. It's entirely possible for open-world games to have good stories, but for something as narratively-focused as Alan Wake, in which from exposition to character development to combat something is always HAPPENING, a linear design is more beneficial. Granted, wandering around Bright Falls at night, getting lost in the woods and fighting off hordes of Taken would be pretty cool but the pacing would suffer for it (which was something that hurt Brutal Legend.
Also, really thought the ending was just about perfect and resolved the plot nicely; I could see the benefit of some of the episodic DLC but really don't think that this needs a sequel that they're supposedly planning. There's really nothing else to say, and I think we've gotten too used to series that go out of their way to explain EVERY LITTLE THING that we've forgotten how to appreciate that some things don't NEED to be answered.
Really glad I got the Limited Edition but feel that a lot of this-- particularly the fleshing out of Nightingale's character in the included book-- is almost TOO important to leave out of the game proper. It does a lot to indirectly explain why he's doing this and why he's the way he is when we meet him, and even to show that he isn't a complete dick. Seeing this, even via manuscript page, would have been nice to give him a little more dimension than Guy Who Hates You For No Clear Reason Just Because He's An Asshole.
PSN ID: suzukaGongen
There is one particular piece of facial animation that is genuinely hilarious.
god i love remedy
This is my only issue with the game. It shows its age... but god damn it is a masterpiece
Infinity Mog 21 and over Free Company Sargatanas Server. Recruitment currently closed.
I'd say facial animations have always been Remedy's biggest weakness. I will say though I love all the nods to Max Payne in this game. But its making me thirst for more Payne. Hopefully E3 will quench it.