Turbo Button
Alan Wake had some running themes of surrealism and uncertainty that unfortunately weren’t fully realised from start to end. Despite this, there are some great moments where this stuff really shines.
Today I look at the good and bad of Alan Wake’s attempts to subtly creep you out with its surreal vibes, and long for Remedy to hurry up and make a sequel.
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Music Used:
Pete Rock – Intrigue
Pete Rock – Hop, Skip & Jump
Ratchet and Clank – Eudora
Source
I don't think you know what surrealism actually is.
You forgot to add the scarcity of ammo.
"It's not a lake, it's an ocean."
I had a problem with combat in Alan Wake. It was kinda "too much fun". It isn't by far the most fun I had in a shooter. But it still was enough fun that I didn't dread enemy encounters. It isn't set as Resident Evil 4, you shouldn't be so empowered in combat.
I love this game, pls gimme Alan Wake 2
yeah i reallly like the surreal/dream like vibe as well. it can be good for horror as well as just a wonderful positive dreamy vibe that you usually only get while asleep or in a particularly good film.
Alan Wake was one of my favourite games last gen. Its the xbox best game to date. I really want an Alan Wake 2!
Man do I want a sequal in next gen.
I wanted to love Alan Wake, seeing how I've been following the game since its original open-world concept in mid-2000's, but one thing that really disappointed me was that for a game so heavily inspired by David Lynch and Stephen King, some of the most imaginative voices in modern horror and masters of making the most mundane things seem sinister and mysterious, the game's story and stylization is extremely generic.
Really, a bunch of lumberjacks shrouded in shadows, is that the best you could come up with, Remedy? They've got a story where literary creations can come to life and instead of filling the game with vampires, murderous cars, haunted hotels, insane fans or killer clowns, they pick the most unimaginative enemy design and don't change it throughout the entire game. This could've been the Cabin in the Woods or the Jumanji of video games. An amazing ride through the history of the genre where Alan would have to use his wits to battle his own creations. What if each boss, a famous villain from one of Alan's stories, was a reflection of his personal fears which he would have to face? There was just so much potential for a story like this. But no, instead of anything genuinely interesting and fun, we got a tedious formulaic mystery that takes itself way too seriously (or not seriously enough in case of American Nightmare) and gets lost in its own convoluted rules. The nightmare levels of Max Payne were far more creative and emotionally effective than anything in this game.
Play No Man's Sky
God, I hope Remedy is working on Alan Wake 2, it's such a great game. Or at least a remaster.
P.T came to my mind while seeing this and now I'm sad.
I love surrealism, and I have to agree it's under used in game. Actually making me want to check out Alan Wake.
Got any recommendations for other games that use it well, though?
Deadly Premonition. Dooooooooooo it.
One day, I hope you replace TGB for one episode of Bit & Brit's Let's Plays and just complain non stop about MGSV.
Audio's too low.
Man we really need an Alan Wake 2.
Oh boi was this game a bore.
Surrealism was an art movement spearheaded by such giants as Andre Breton and Louis Aragon in the 1920s, and one of its most defining features was its political ideology. See Walter Benjamin's essay Surrealism for a more in-depth explanation. Alan Wake may toy with a dream-like aesthetic, but surrealist, it ain't. If anything, some profane illumination may have made it more interesting.
that ratchet and clank soundtrack though
Never took the time to look at Alan Wake. Surprisingly gorgeous for a 7th gen game without stylized art design.
Seeing you do a video about see through vision in games could be pretty interesting.
It seems most of the game's interesting ideas actually come alive from the later DLC.
We need David Lynch to make a vidya game
you just earned yourself a new subscriber
There's very few true survival horror games. It's quite a shame.
Even if the enemy were repetitive, i love how smooth the combat is in this game. Alan wake is still one of my top favorite game from the last gen.
"Pointing out some things that I like"
That was a pretty "cheeky" joke there. Eh? Eh?
For as repetitive as some of the enemies are Remedy did a tremendous job of keeping me on edge, especially in the forest sections, with the sound design and fog/darkness effects. When those would ramp up I'd spend a lot of time spinning around making sure nothing was behind me and trying to keep my bearings so that I was always headed towards a light source. Great video, keep up the good work!
Alan Wake is wasted potential.
They had an interesting premise and pretty atmospheric locations…just so they could sabotage it all with some awful decisions. The game clearly differentiates the combat segments from the exploration segments with tense music during combat, unnecessary close ups in slow motion of enemies and the way they never shut up. If they could blend the two in a more subtle way, then you would REALLY feel like anything can happen, you are never safe and have to be prepared for everything.
Instead, when you find and enemy, you immediately know: ¨oh, this is a combat segment, OK lets go¨. This ruins the game for me. Yeah, there is the odd jumpscare that comes with no announcement, but its not really the same. And usually they offer no real danger anyway…
So I agree with the surrealism, but the uncertainty? Not really. The game is just as formulaic and predictable in so many places, its the opposite of uncertainty.