So somehow my Pre-order was shipped ONE WEEK early. The SE release date is 14/5 but somehow they messed up by a whole WEEK. I am extremely hyped to finally see a copy of this game in reality and I will update this post with impressions later today.
[[Gameplay Update]]
Episode 1 done. Initial impressions.
Alan Wake is a masterpiece in storytelling, writing and building atmosphere. Sound design, music choice and events are triggered and chosen with such perfection that they instantly sets the mood just the right way. The small but important details in sound design are extra appearant to me here.
On top of this (or part of this) is the fantastic things that you see on televisions scattered around in cabins in the dark forest that you are traversing. I won't spoil it for you but these are a big part of the wierd lynchian atmosphere that the game have started to build up and already.
After 1 single episode, I already don't really know where I am and what is really going on. Am I awake? am I asleep, am I insane? These are the twists and turns I absolutely love about a good single player game and Alan Wake does it better than any other game (or movie!) in recent memory.
The similarities between a work of David Lynch and the game are already washing over me and let me tell you right now that if love a good Lynch movie (or TV series *cough* Twin Peaks *cough*) you'll be pleasantly suprised at how well Remedy handles is rather than just ripping it off.
They have set out to get into your head and mess with it and its already working since I'm already actually starting to "suspect" a person of really being someone else and building up my own explanations for things in my head.
The scattered manuscript pages that you find are so well written even Stephen King would be envious and they give a wierd sense of forseeing the future by your own written words that adds even further to the mystic and twisted tone of the game (you also see yourself on a television being all crazy, Lost Highway anyone?).
The game sports an unrivaled lighting engine. If there was 1 thing Remedy worked hard on all these years its the environment lighting. Its simply out of this world. It work nice in cooperation with the very lightbased gameplay. You depend heavily on lightsources and its a fresh gameplay element that works very well. It's also closely tied to the mystery and its revealed right off the bat that your wife has an insane fear of darkness.
The plot and atmopshere thickens for every step you take in Alan Wake and I am truly blown away right now.
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