The psychological action thriller Alan Wake is back for yet another special with The Writer, the 2nd and supposedly last DLC from Remedy. With unsuccessful sales, and high review scores for the original game and the first DLC, The Writer is set to finish off the story of Alan Wake. But does the second DLC continue the thrilling cinematic experience, or is it one too many episodes for Mr. Wake?
The Writer picks up where The Signal left off . You start out trying to help Wake find Barry, his best friend in the original game and a figment of his imagination in the two DLC packs. As throughout the other chapters, Alan is battling whether or not he’s dreaming, via his writing, or if it’s all reality. You’re still taking Wake on his journey to figure all of that out, only this time a few twists and turns have been put in by Remedy that is sure to keep you both guessing and asking questions. All in all the story in The Writer will last you around 2-3 hours, depending on what difficulty you’re playing on, and if you decide to explore areas of the game. That’s not long at all for most downloadable content, but seeing as how that’s as long as two of the original episodes combined, the value is somewhat there, but it’s pushing it time wise. The writing is once again well written, and it really keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. The great set piece battles that fans of Alan Wake love are back and in a bigger way this time. The final sequence has you fighting against adversaries you did not think would be your enemies when you started, with a surprise enemy most people just would not think of. The final cinematic in The Writer will also leave you on a cliffhanger in regards to what will happen to both Alan Wake and the story itself. While we can all guess at what this cliffhanger means, we’ll surely hear from Remedy in the coming months regarding the end of this particular downloadable content.
Gameplay has not changed and is still the same as you’re used too. Although this is not particularly a bad thing, the controls were clunky at times and a little change would have helped in this regard. Light is still a huge factor in the game, and in The Writer it plays an even larger part than just you using a flashlight. You still use Wake’s flashlight to stun the Taken. After you stun them you shoot either your pistol, shotgun, or rifle, until they’re gone. However, there is a key set piece that will have you using more than just your flashlight to get rid of the Taken. Throughout the original six episodes there were sections in the game where you would have almost no ammo. In The Writer DLC that problem is no more. Throughout it there’s plenty of ammo for you to find on your journey. As in the first special episode, words play a key part in how you fight off your foes. In key sections of the game, words will be floating in the air, shining the light on them will have that particular action happen. If you see a word that says “boom”, shine your flashlight on it and a big explosion will go off, getting rid of all the enemies around. This is a gameplay mechanic that is very effective and something that adds a new dimension that we’ve only seen in the special episodes that have been released. Collectibles are also making a return, but fortunately you won’t have to find 100 manuscript pages. This time around you’ll only have to collect video games, yes that’s right video games, ten of them to be exact. On your way through you’ll hear the startup noise for an Xbox 360, this means you’re close to a collectible, which is the Bright Falls video game. In a nutshell the gameplay is, in essence, the same we’re used too, but with a few new mechanics that definitely give the game an added dimension.
Visuals in Alan Wake is still one of the highlights of the game. From the beautiful mountain sides to the dark but vibrant lighting, the graphics in Alan Wake are one in a million. As in most of the story, you’ll be playing through at nighttime, which adds a set of visuals that are truly stunning. The one and only graphical problem comes with the Taken, your enemies throughout. As in the main story, their character designs are few and far between. There are only about 5 or 6 different models for the Taken. We would have loved to see some new models instead of the same old ones we’re used to seeing so many times over. One minor visual problem is the fact that the character’s mouths don’t usually move to their words. This is somewhat fixed this time around, but for a game that’s going for realism, this is one thing that needs to get accomplished. Besides the few minor graphical issues mentioned, that most fans of the game won’t care about, the visuals are on par with some of the best on the Xbox 360. Remedy does a fantastic job with the set pieces and the environment around you.
Once again the voice acting in Alan Wake does an excellent job at pulling you into the story. Wake’s character seemingly has you feeling for him, and has you hoping he’ll get out of his predicament. The supporting cast also does a superb job reeling you in as well. During this episode you’ll hear more of Alan Wake, and less of the supporting characters, which is something most of us are used too now. Barry, Wake’s agent and best friend is back and he plays a major role in the outcome of the story. The conversations Barry and Wake have are so believable it’s almost as if they’re sitting in your living room talking. Music also plays a bit part in breathing a realistic atmosphere, and once again it’s spot on. In most games the voice acting can make or break a story, and it's no different in Alan Wake. Fortunately for Remedy they put together the right cast, and they once again shine in this DLC. The intense musical numbers are just another reason why Alan Wake is so much like a movie instead of a video game. Throughout the course of the DLC, the music will help reel you in with the suttle orchestra playing during the cinematic sequences.
For anybody who has played the original game, this particular DLC does not stray away from the original gameplay, but the added storyline is reason enough to purchase this for 560 MSP’s. The only downsides to the overall package is still the clunky controls at times, and the fact that it will only last you about 2-3 hours. For most fans of the game, that won’t matter, but for newcomers it could deter them from this downloadable content. However, you can’t go wrong with the atmosphere and story Alan Wake provides for it‘s audience. The Writer definitely adds on to the game in a fantastic way, and while it’s supposedly the final piece of DLC, we look forward to anything else that comes Alan Wake’s way.