Alan Wake (X360) pt.3

Posted on Mon 18 April 2011 • Tagged with Video Games

Part I - The Signal

And I’m finally through the Alan Wake LP (which I picked up thanks to my friend Trayzard). This last entry does contain some minor spoilers that I couldn’t quite write around without overcomplicating things. To make this more interesting to you I’ll not be marking them.

It turns out I was not completely right. There is indeed one tiny new element of gameplay in the epilogue, that is (of course) reused in the DLC. Which interestingly turns out to be a good thing since there would’ve been need to explain a new type of supply caches otherwise.

On a sidenote I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an aggressive playground before. ;)

Oh and about the deerfest waggon: The LPer is right about that one. Should’ve been in the main game but I’ve already complained in the last post as far as I remember.

The ovens are great environmental objects on their own but for environmental kills they’re absolutely awesome.

Why did we have to wait for the funny and sarcastic Barry till the DLC? I don’t get it. He’s hilarious.

The impression that I got from the first DLC is great. Everyone should see what the birds look like deeper into the DLC. It’s a pity that you’d have to force yourself through the main game to get the context though. Too bad. If you have Alan Wake however and for some reason have not played The Signal, shame on you.

I wonder if the right side of the wordy minefield is a nod to “the right path”.

Conclusion: Too bad the best thing of Alan Wake is in its DLC and not within the main game.

Seriously, though. I wished my world would’ve floating words in it that come true if you shine light on them if you know what I mean. Boom! (also mind the typewriter sounds.)

Part II - The Writer

“Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy. That’s why they’re crazy” ~Barry

Now I have to admit it. I love you, Remedy for going back to that place again in the DLC. And look at those pretty fireworks!

I have no clue why the main game didn’t contain as many great effects as the DLC did. Rotating the house didn’t feel out of place for a single moment and felt completely natural compared to those space shooters who go for the gravity-manipulation concept.

…I laughed so hard at “MAKE A CYLINDRICAL OBJECT ROTATE” a.k.a. the Starfox 64 reference.

Also the well’s puzzle ought to have been in the main game. Can’t believe how amazed I’m about the DLC compared to the game I was quite bored about. Who would’ve thought they meant the “running in a wheel part” literally. Right next to: who would’ve thought that the water is that hard? Possibly the guy who decided to spare/get rid of the swimming animation. Duh.

The psychiatric talk is… weird. Really weird. I imagine it’s only there to stir the player up, to try to tell him that all he has achieved up until this point is useless. I’m not sure what the overarching point is since Alan is by far not as guilt-ridden as depicted by the part of him that’s clearly already insane.

In my opinion the lighthouse makes a nice real section, since it is clearly the symbol of hope. The secondary usage of this symbol as a indirect weapon is a wonderful gameplay mechanic the devs can be proud of.

And I conclude with my final thought: Though the real ending is a cliffhanger, it was probably the best possible way to end this story in a non-cheesy way.


Alan Wake (X360) pt.3 is part 3 of Alan Wake (Let's Play):

  1. Alan Wake (X360)
  2. Alan Wake (X360) pt.2
  3. Alan Wake (X360) pt.3