#curse my decade old xbox 360

[azurbee]

That moment when you are just casually vibing and replying Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon and you're on the destroyer level and it ends up bugging and you can't get to the rest of the shadow crystals and you ended up saving before you found out what was happening and you can't restart the level so now you need to purge that save file and restart the whole fucking game again

[wozman23]

The Illuminating Brilliance of Alan Wake

These last two day, with a tropical storm derailing my plans and work, I decided to jump back into the world of Alan Wake for the third time in anticipation of Alan Wake II releasing October 27th, this time via the remaster on PS5 thanks to it being included in the PlayStation Plus lineup a few months back.

To say that Alan Wake II is my most hyped game would be an understatement. Never having purchased a 360, I didn't play the original upon release in 2010. But it was on my radar. And sometime later, when a Humble Bundle released that included it and American Nightmare for something like $2, I jumped at the opportunity… Cruelly, my PC couldn't run it. But then, at the tail end of 2013, I bought a new PC… and a few months later I discovered it could run it!

I was astounded! I still vividly remember playing through it that first time, experiencing everything about it that impressed so much back then, and still does to this day. It quickly became one of my favorite games of all time, and I joined the cult of people hoping for a sequel.

Now as for the remasters, I'm not one for them. They often seem like quick cash grabs. So I never intended to buy the remaster when I still had access to the PC version, as well as the Xbox version via backwards compatibility. And in playing the remaster, it does show its age. Animation and dialog are really rigid. The vehicles control like they have ice for tires. And the visuals don't hold a candle to modern games. But it's just such a fascinating romp that I really don't care. What it did well then, it still does well today, even if its no longer in the prettiest of packages.

First off, the combat mechanics are simply sublime. I've also never been a big fan of survival horror games with a few exceptions (pretty much just Alan Wake and the Dead Space franchise - which I think has many parallels in terms of strengths). But the whole "Remove the darkness from enemies with light to make them vulnerable to damage" is so cool. It never gets old, especially thanks to the variety of weapons and tactical advantages that each has. The flashlight, revolver combo is a staple, but firing off the flare gun or tossing a flashbang provides a completely different level of satisfaction.

Second, the narrative despite favoring many cliches, is just so damn good. Even after my third time playing it, I'm picking up on little details. Yet, somehow, I feel as if they only lead me to more questions. I think I understand less now than I did almost a decade ago.

What exactly is real in the world of Alan Wake? Is Bright Falls actually a cursed city where written works become non-fiction? Did Thomas Zane actually exist, or was he just the deus ex machina created by Alan? Does Alan actually exist, or is he just the product of Thomas Zane's poetry? How much of Alex Casey is Alan, or vice versa? Is Alice dead? Is Alan dead? Is he actually in some sort of psychosis or perhaps a coma? Is everything a dream, or work of fiction crafted by the hands of someone else?

Its ambiguity is its strength. It often takes you in one direction, just to contradict itself at a later point. I really have no idea what the actual truth is, yet I love the ride and speculation all along the way.

Another strength: Barry. He's such a great character. Comic relief characters, and comedy in general, are tough to pull off in games. But Barry is just such a likeable character. One of my favorite points from the game is when he shows up draped in Christmas lights as an aid to ward of The Taken. It's such a silly, yet practical, application of the use of light in the world. And it's totally Barry. He's a buffoon, who doesn't seem to have much know-how in terms of survival instincts, yet you root for him. I'm trying not to pay too much attention to Alan Wake II pre-release, but I hope he plays a prominent role again. Another strength of the narrative: collecting the manuscript. They offer all kinds of insight into the world and how everything is interconnected. Sometimes they build backstory. Sometimes they further explain things that have happened. Sometimes, like in the instance of Barry getting separated from Alan, they create tension with other characters as you get to witness events second hand. And sometimes they just foreshadow things to come, even becoming tongue-in-cheek in some situations. They're a really fun way to incorporate collectibles, and they fit the narrative well.

That tongue in cheek nature isn't just limited to documents. There are The Old Gods of Asgard too, two more quirky characters who are either completely insane, or perhaps the only ones who actually know what is going on in Bright Falls. Their stage set piece is another high point in the game. By that point, it feels as if you've got combat mastered, and you can just have fun taking down swarms of The Taken. It's so satisfying. And that leads perfectly into my next point.

Remedy has also had a long history of working with the band Poets of the Fall. I never played their Max Payne games, so the moment when "War" comes on the in-game radio served as my introduction to the band. And that too was one of the standout moments I vividly remember from my first play through. I think collaborations like that are not made enough in the video game industry. One of my other all-time favorites, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (still waiting for that sequel that I sadly know will never come) did this well too, commissioning the band Cold to write a song, "In My Mind" specifically for the game. It's not a well known song of theirs. I saw them a few months back, and knew there was zero chance that they'd play it. But it's the main reason I'm a fan of theirs. Just as Remedy's collaboration with Poets of the Fall is the reason I'm a fan of theirs.

I've got to work my way through the two expansions again, but then I might go back and try to platinum the game. I've never played on Nightmare mode, so there might be a bit more for me to come across that could help provide some clarity within the world… Or just confuse me more… There are so many little details to love about the world. I love the quaint charm of Bright Falls. I love the Twilight Zone parody of Night Springs. I love that Sam Lake makes a small appearance. I love just how weird, and quirky, and mysterious it is!

I'm also enjoying revisiting Poets of the Fall tonight, since I really never gave their more recent albums an abundance of attention. The instrumental "Rogue" just took me by surprise.

If you haven't played Alan Wake, do yourself a favor and give it a look. It made me a rabid fan of Remedy. Control was a great distraction, with its own interesting tie-ins to Alan Wake, and I'd like more of it too, but I'm really just ready for the proper continuation of Alan Wake. C'mon, October 27th!