Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment is famous for creating gun-toting anti-hero Max Payne and inventing the oft-imitated concept of “bullet time” in video games. But the protagonist of this long awaited follow up’s primary weapon isn’t a pair of uzis – it’s a torch. How does the combat shape up in this new adventure? Read our Alan Wake review to find out.
Read the rest of our Alan Wake review:
Alan Wake review
Alan Wake review: Atmosphere
Alan Wake review: Story
Alan Wake may be billed as a psychological thriller packed with spooky moments, twisting plot changes and reams of dialogue but don’t be fooled into thinking that the developer has gone soft; it still contains more than its fair share of intense gunplay.
The main enemies in Alan Wake are the demonic Taken, normal people who have been overcome by a dark mist-like substance and transformed into mindless killers intent on carving our hero up with their axes, knives and chainsaws.
Being a best-selling author and not a hard bitten film noir detective with nothing to lose, Alan Wake is ill-equipped to tackle these monstrous foes empty-handed. His only hope is to make use of the countless handguns, shotguns and hunting rifles which happen to be conveniently scattered around the remote town of Bright Falls.
However, even this high-powered arsenal isn’t enough to completely eradicate the Taken: the black mist which envelopes each enemy in Alan Wake also serves as a protective barrier which is able to withstand the ballistic impact of even the most powerful firearm.
This is where Alan Wake’s central symbolic element – the power of illumination – comes into play. Light strips away the mist and makes opponents temporarily vulnerable to conventional weaponry, so as a result combat relies on a twofold attack strategy.
First you have to remove the protective mist and then open fire with your gun. These two actions are mapped to the Xbox 360 pad’s L and R triggers, mimicking the same “dual-wielding” system seen in games like BioShock 2.
Handheld torches are one item in Alan Wake capable of removing the mist and it’s possible to boost their output to get the job done as quickly as possible – although doing so drains their batteries. These recharge over time but to speed things up you can insert fresh cells.
Other light sources – such as handheld flares, flare guns and flash bang grenades – are also available and these offer vital offensive and defensive options. For example, lighting up a handheld flare will force attacking Taken to retreat momentarily, which allows you to strip away their protective barrier, or should Alan Wake be dangerously low on ammunition, make a run for the nearest safe haven. You’ll find this scenario to be pretty common in Alan Wake as you progress through the game. Ammo is in agonisingly short supply and once your chamber is empty you have no choice but to attempt escape.
Thankfully Wake is pretty handy at avoiding a fight. Using the left bumper and direction stick you can skilfully duck away from incoming attacks, and the game even slows down to provide a cinematic touch as Wake deftly evades the swing of an axe. It’s the only time that Remedy allows its “bullet time” lineage to creep into Alan Wake, and it looks pretty impressive too.
However, this move is tricky to pull off repeatedly and requires perfect timing: more often, when you’re low on bullets and facing multiple foes you’ll need to find a more viable solution. Massive searchlights can be used to completely destroy Taken and it’s even possible to get behind the wheel of a car and blast them with your headlights before putting them over the bonnet.
As varied as the combat is in Alan Wake, it does become stale at times. The Taken only come in a few different variants so it doesn’t take long for them to become over-familiar rather than genuinely spooky. Large chunks of the game are spent running from enemies and while this has the effect of keeping you on your toes, some extended confrontations outstay their welcome slightly.
Alan Wake doesn’t set out to top Max Payne when it comes to gunplay but there’s a lot more depth to the combat than you might otherwise expect. Unlike similar titles – like the PS3 epic Heavy Rain – Alan Wake requires both brains and brawn to succeed, and makes a refreshing change from story-driven but action-light examples of the genre.
Read the rest of our Alan Wake review:
Alan Wake review
Alan Wake review: Atmosphere
Alan Wake review: Story
