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Games of the Decade: Expansion Pass #12/Blog a Day #19

Hello everyone how are you?

Video games have changed and evolved in many different ways over the years. We went from games like Pong, Pac-man, Donkey Kong and so forth to games like Metroid Prime, Breath of the Wild and many many more. Games have not only evolved from a gameplay standpoint, but from a storytelling standpoint as well. Games today tell stories that can rival the best movies and tv shows. Today I'm here to talk about one of my favorite personal favorites and also the only Xbox 360 game on this list, known as Alan Wake. 

                                 Great music that caused the game to vanish

I have always wanted to try Alan Wake ever since I heard about it, thing is I never had a 360 to try it out. But all that changed in 2011 when a friend decided to send me one. However I didn't try Alan Wake immediately though and you'd think I would now that I had the power to. It wasn't till 2017 that my hand was forced to. Alan Wake was getting delisted due to the licensing for the music expiring, thus all versions of the game were getting pulled. I was an idiot and never got a physical copy, I should have so I had to settle for the digital version of the game and yes I bought it digitally. But how's the game?

In Alan Wake you play as Alan Wake himself. Alan himself is a bestselling crime fiction author but he is in a slump or writers block that has been going on for two years. His wife Alice suggests that they both take a short vacation to the town of Bright Falls, Washington. But suddenly his wife goes missing and it's up to Alan to find her but not everything around him is what it seems as the reality around him becomes dark and twisted. The twist is that this is all familiar to him.

In this game you have access to weapons depending on where you are. You have a gun but none is more important than the flashlight. The flashlight is the most important weapon and tool you could have. The flashlight is used to light your way through the dark and also as a way to weaken enemies so you can finish them off with your gun(s). But the flashlight is not infinite use so you have to be careful and change the batteries whenever the ones on your flashlight are about to die on you. You also have access to various forms of light sources such as flash grenades and flare guns which are incredibly useful in a pinch if you have your back against the wall.

                            The environments look really stunning and full of detail

One thing I loved about this game is how the chapters are presented like episodes of a tv show. They transition like them as well. Like each chapter has its own twists and a number of them end in cliffhangers as well. It stuff like that that will keep you hooked to find out what happens next. I feel like this is what sets it apart from other games out there.

The areas you will be exploring are linear but at the same time they feel like an open world game in a way. Like no you can't walk anywhere like in an open world game but they feel like it and have enough secrets to find and offers enough exploration without the areas feeling too small. I think they nailed that really well, no area never overstayed its welcome for me. 

"But Captain N, where can I play this game?" Remember when I said the game was delisted? Well this story has a happy ending as it was brought back on both Steam and on the Microsoft Store. It is also backwards compatible on Xbox One and Series X/S. The game also has add-ons which are extra episodes which are worth checking out. If you haven't buy it, you never know when the game will be gone again.

 You have to get used to using both your flashlight and your gun to survive in the dark

Final Thoughts: Alan Wake is definitely one of the best games I have ever played. The gameplay is really great and I loved the mechanic of using the light for both offense and defense. I don't think or remember playing a game that uses the light that way. I also love how you can even use the environment to your advantage. The story is really well written and it feels like a huge mystery. Each episode had me hooked to see what happened next. A number of things are used as references and homages for the game ranging from books to tv shows, when you play you will definitely get the references.

The pacing was really well done too between day and night portions of the game. A number of games struggle with pacing but I think it was done well here for the most part. One thing I loved is the areas and the environments. I really loved that the game took place in a small town and out in the wilderness. I don't know many games that do that. I'd rather play and explore a smaller area that has plenty to do than a huge area with barely anything to do. If there is one thing that games that take place in areas inspired by locations in real life is that one day I want to check them out. Just like Forza: Horizon, Alan Wake makes me want to check out areas like that in the future.

I think the lesson here is if you are able to, try every game you had always wanted to try. With licensing issues and whatnot you never know when a game suddenly vanishes. One day I do hope we do get a sequel to Alan Wake, or at the very least a remaster. I imagine if it was available on more platforms then more people would buy it which would reignite the possibility of a sequel.

                                                              "Hey, bestseller"

The darkness is always around us, lurking everywhere in the most unexpected places. But we must never succumb to it, we must not let it consume us for it will then take over us and warp our reality. Fight it back, don't let it consume you.

That is it for this one. For the next one we are going to play with some cats. Thanks for reading and remember...