Although Alan Wake may be one of the most highly anticipated titles in some circles, it has received little attention and hype compared to the other big names due for release in the next 12 months. All the more surprising when you consider it’s being developed by Remedy, those masterful alchemists of action and narrative.
Watching the cinematic trailer play out like something from a Stephen King novel, I couldn’t help but think that we really haven’t seen anything like this since the original Silent Hill back in 1999. But in an age where the Resident Evil franchise has the survival horror genre by the balls, it’s easy to see why. Don’t get me wrong, I love mowing down hordes of zombies as much as the next gamer, but I’ve always had a profound appreciation for the narrative-oriented, psychological alternatives.
Silent Hill may have been clunky, linear and often clichéd, but it was also macabre, enigmatic and, most importantly, induced a genuine and constant sense of uneasiness and suspense that rarely let up. Along with its main rival, Alone in the Dark, it was the Alan Hitchcock of the gaming world; strategic camera angles, unsettling lighting effects and spooky music made for a frightening gaming experience which has never quite been matched, even by its own sequels. So in spite of the fact that Alan Wake is a pretty unsuspecting name for an iconic action hero, the game is shaping up to be quite a stunner, and looks to be the most promising contender for Silent Hill’s title.
Don’t salivate too soon however, as despite the build up it received at E3 2009, Remedy announced in July that a PC version of Alan Wake will no longer be released simultaneously with the Xbox version, if at all. You may be wondering then, why have I just rambled on about a game that probably won’t ever see the light of day in PC form? It’s not that I’m a mean person and just want to rub salt in the wound (although that does have something to do with it) it’s just that like the ill-informed ignoramus I am, I only discovered the news after I’d finished writing this article.
The suspiciously vague statement from Remedy is that it has been “indefinitely shelved”, and that the possibility of a PC release is now in Microsoft’s hands. Oh joy. If you have any friends who own an Xbox 360, you officially have our permission to beat them to death with their own controllers. Smug bastards.
Two of my friends have been hailing this as the most promising shooter to come for years now. And it actually started to sound good to me too, after the recent gameplay footage… and then Remedy announces that it’s not coming to PC (anytime soon). Yay, hopes crushed.
I’d still like to see this make it to the PC. Chances are it will, but how long after the Xbox 360 release? A year? Two? Ugh…
Is it only me that looks at Alan Wake and thinks ‘so what?’
You obviously weren’t weaned on the proverbial teat of Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark.
It even has the cool flashlight-as-a-weapon thing!
Like luigis mansion?
I was excited until I saw the gameplay footage, which seems to have way too many action bits when compared to the horror bits. I guess what I mean is: the player is too powerful, and the enemies too numerous.
I completely agree. Silent Hill encouraged retreating as much as fighting because of how difficult the combat was.
That was what they promised in Alan Wake but it really doesn’t look that way.