E3 2009: Microsoft Keynote - Alan Wake Preview

Our E3 2009 experience has started with a bang. After some initial flight complications, we were able to arrive in LA just in time to make it to the Galen Center for Microsoft’s Media Briefing. We managed to get seating with only seconds to spare before the keynote was underway. What I expected to be an underwhelming showing turned out to be an hour and a half packed with ridiculous announcements, littered with guest celebrities. While announcements like “Left 4 Dead 2” and “Metal Gear Solid: Rising” were incredibly interesting, it was the unexpected live game-play demo of Remedy’s “Alan Wake” that got our attention. For a game that I remember to be creepy but lacking in the graphical department, Alan Wake surprised my senses with some of the most detailed, most atmospheric visuals and presentation seen at the show.

For those who may have been living under a rock for the last few years, Alan Wake is survival horror game being developed by Remedy, the studio best know for it’s work on Max Payne. The game follows lead character, Alan Wake, a writer who has been having trouble writing, as his wife takes him to the town of Bright Falls in order to inspire his creative abilities. When his wife goes missing, he sets off to find out what happened to her and begins to mysteriously write a novel in his sleep. As the story progresses, the events of this novel begin to come true and begin to twist into something darker each day. A story like this seems better suited for film but the way in which the team seems to be conveying the story to the player seems like it could really work well. As the demo progressed, certain events were narrated by Alan, making the game feel like a good audio book or movie while keeping the player firmly planted in the universe. As Alan explored the cabin, the games key combat mechanic is revealed. Scribbled on the wall is: “Use the Light”. As unidentified enemies swarm the cabin, Alan must use light to weaken or subdue the enemies before shooting them into smithereens. The game seems to make excellent use of lighting and sound design to create an incredible atmosphere that may rival Silent Hill when it is at it’s best.
The character is controlled in the third person and players are given control of the characters flashlight and weapons. While I don’t yet have a feel for how the character controls, I hope that the demo may be playable on the show floor (probably not). The game looks reminiscent of “Alone in the Dark” (Don’t panic) in regards to the way the player controls various aspects of the character but from the looks of it, it is much more fluid and accessible to control. As Alan explored the environment, (which was beautifully rendered) he was pursued by dark humanoid creatures that seemed capable of controlling objects with their minds. Various objects were picked up and flung at Alan, forcing him to take shelter or dodge to avoid taking damage. Pointing a flashlight at an enemy would cause them to weaken and become vulnerable to attack. At that point, a few well-placed shots sent enemies spinning through the air as they disintegrated into fire and ash (VERY cool effect). At one point, Alan found himself surrounded by many enemies but was able to render them harmless by striking a flare. As all of the enemies shied away from the light, Alan was able to calmly walk through them to make to his destination, another cabin at the far end of the environment. While the focus of a game like this might be storytelling and presentation, combat certainly seems to be fun and less like an afterthought like that of Silent Hill. Combat seems deeper than just point and shoot since other methods of defense included activating lights throughout the game and shooting enemies with flare guns which, as you may imagine, has a pretty awesome effect on enemies who are weak to light. The demo came to a close with a cliff hangar that left Alan trapped in a cabin that was being pushed off a cliff by a giant bulldozer.

Alan Wake has been a long time coming and I was beginning to lose faith. What I saw today however left me breathless and ready to get my hands on the final game when it finally hits store shelves next spring.

And here is the new trailer that was shown right before the live demo (thanks for posting joystiq!):

-Nick