Shadows

I do other stuff other than obsess over games.  I write music about obsessing over games.  For example.  Based on the games I obsess over.  Shadows.

Alan Wake - American Nightmare

So, this game was like the first one in only the game mechanics... mostly.  There's a couple small changes in how the light effects the bad guys, the weapons selection and the types of bad guys.  But, the changes are good for action-based game play, which this game is more of.  Where Alan Wake (AW) was all about the atmosphere and building tension... and really just creeping you the fuck out, American Nightmare (AN) is a stand alone game that has more in common with slasher flicks action than the Hitchcockian 'what-you-don't-see' sort of psychological horror.  Everything in this game picks up the pace. 

yes, those are big fucking spiders.

AN is more all about F'd up things happening (see above).  That much is obvious with the types of Taken that become the staple of this game.  With AW and it's DLC, it's so creepy that I will not play it until it's night time and I've turned off all the lights.  AN obviously works well at night and has it's ultra-creepy moments, but for the most part has this sort of over-the-top schtick going on where the villian is SO evil that it starts to become funny, and playing in the day-time takes nothing away because it's just not as scary as AW.  I mean, for example, here's a live-action trailer feature the main villian, Mr Scratch, and evil doppleganger that first appeared in AW. 

LOTI (laugh-on-the-inside).  I mean he's so evil he not only murders people and controls supernaturals monsters, but he steals from the company snack bar if no one is looking.  It's hokey, but it completely works in this game.  And there's stuff like this:

I mean... it's silly and disturbing at the same time.  That brings me to the amount of live-action cinematics.  Way more.  And they are really well done too.  Ilkka Villi does a really good job playing Alan Wake and Mr Scratch.  But, it doesn't feel like a game where you're just watching cut scenes... the live-action is overlaid in the game play similarly to the first one in that it's happening in the background as you're playing. 

Poets of the Fall are back as The Olds Gods of Asgard, and they've cut a new single: Balance Slays the Demon.  It's is so friggin' power metal, it's re-god-damn-diculous.  There's a new DJ on the radio as this game takes place in Arizona, but he's not a very integral part of the happenings in the game.  There's a new score by Petri Alanko as well as new pop songs brought in throughout the game.  In AW, the songs came on the radio and at the end of an episode, but this story is episodic because it is an episode of Night Springs. 

Night Springs is a TV show from the first game and happens to be one of Alan's first writing gigs as a professional writer.  AN is one of his episodes, rewritten in the dark place as Alan tests ways to try and get out of the dark place.  So, it's not a sequel, it's not DLC, it's a stand alone game that relates to the main storyline.

All the same attention to detail that was apparent in AW is in AN, like the Old Gods of Asgard symbolism and the style of their banners.  This version of 'Night Springs' is very simlar to a Route 66 town in Arizona that was built in the 50s and had the highway move away from it, killing off the business and leaving a sort of ghost town. 

There's not much else to say though, it's just a fun game more action than horror, so don't jump into it expecting the same sort of experience as AW.

With that said, here's the trailer:



Alan Wake

For anyone that hasn't played this game, it is amazing.  I know it's old, but I'm way behind on my gaming.  Since it came out in 2010, you can see how far behind I am.  Side note... Uh, when I was young and looking forward to being an adult, this shit was not what I had in mind.  I can't even keep up with a respectable gaming schedule.  C'mon man.  Damn.  

I wouldn't normally call a video game a work of art, but this game is so well done.  I wouldn't use the word epic, even though that has been a trend lately, but amazing by definition is pretty accurate.  The story is fantastic and so original, and that in itself is a nice change from a movie industry that has fallen back on remake after remake.  It is littered with lots of great pop culture and literary references, Twin Peaks and Stephen King being the most obvious and plentiful. 

The music is beautiful, and even with the standards for video game music skyrocketing in the last decade or so, the score is absolutely amazing.  It's beautiful and haunting, which goes perfectly with the atmosphere of the game.  It's by Petri Alanko, you can check out some of it online in different spots.

The soundtrack, which is different from the score, is amazing too.  There's several different soundtracks and they're all good.  There's the Collector's Edition Soundtrack, there's the Episode Ending Songs, there's the extra songs from in the game that aren't credited... and sometimes it seems like the songs change, so I don't know if there is some feature where the company can just randomly change the song selection on the radio or what.

And then there's the Bright Falls songs by Black Iris (which you can download here for free, I couldn't get the player to load into this blog right).

Bright Falls btw way is also great.  Very moody.  They are a prequel series of 6 webisodes leading up the to the beginning of the game.

The collection of songs and artists is so awesome and creepy.  The depth of detail in the game is just amazing.  They don't just stop with the video game and that story, they create stories within stories told through a supporting TV show throughout the game; Night Springs, they have what adds up to a massive script plus the character read audio support for it in game, in game DJ, a fake band that has real songs in the game and the music is awesome, great graphics and shadowing, actual night time pacific northwest audio which really adds to the creepiness... I mean, it is IN DEPTH.

One thing that makes it more great is the episodic format.  The story telling is written in such a way that you a left with cliff hangers every time and the game really does keep you guessing. The environments are almost a character in themselves they are so well done.  The ambiance it creates when combined with the other audio like the characters and the music, stretches your nerves raw cause you know... you just KNOW something is about to jump out at you.  You are waiting for it, you know it's gonna happen and you're prepping yourself psychologically not to shoot all your ammo when it happens... short controlled bursts... short controlled bursts... short contro.... FUCK!!  *bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, click, click, click*  fucking reload!  Reload you slow fuck!

 

 That's what it's like to play.  And, any gamer that plays Halo regularly will probably hate this, but I loved it: Alan gets tired easy.  When you're running, he slows down quickly and starts gasping for air and a lot of times it forces you into fights you are trying to avoid.  He's a writer, not Master Chief.  He doesn't fight wars.  He doesn't even exercise.  Between that and the flashlight/gun pairing, the game play dynamic works perfectly with building tension.


The voice acting is great and the motion capture actor Ilkka Villi does a great job in the cinematic stuff you catch on TVs sporadically.  I actually wouldn't mind seeing a live-action mini-series based on this.  Essentially, everything is already done.  Sound, music, actors, voice-talent, script, show setup, background... there's even a book that pairs up and gives back ground on other characters in the game like Agent Nightengale and explain why they are the way they are.  The book is pretty good btw, even though it's written by an unknown writer.  I'd plug ad links in here, but because Illinois tax laws are so F'd up, Amazon won't allow me as an Illinois resident to participate in their sales associate program and link sales locations in here... sort of aggravating.

I know it's late, but if you're like me and you haven't gotten to play it, you should... just, only play it at night before you go to bed.  This time of year is great too because you can open your windows up and it cools your house off, adds another sensory layer to the game. And get the DLC, they are both great stories. 

So, what about Alan Wake 2?  Well, instead of Alan Wake 2, Remedy dropped a stand alone story Alan Wake American Nightmare.  I loved that as well, but it is an entirely different feel.  I'll do a separate post on that because it was worth the money, which wasn't much.  Alan Wake 2 is on the way however.  The leak is a blog, but if you read it in order, it's pretty creepy. 

With that said, here's the trailer:

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure

Sept 13th, 5:00am

It's still dark, 5:00am is about the latest it can get, and it was a full night.  Once Alan leaves the world and goes into the Dark Place, time is no longer relevant. 

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Cauldron Lake

Sept 13th, 4:30am

ANOTHER ghost town.  How is this possible?  I've been all over this state.  How are there like 28 ghost towns all next to each other in this game?

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Drop Zone

Sept 13th, 4:00am

More uphill hiking.  This crap will wear anyone out.

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - The Long Hike In

Sept 13th, 3:00am

Another mining ghost town, but Alan's on a mission.

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Junkyard

Sept 13th, 2:30am

Of course, a junkyard, cause that's on the way.

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Traffic

Sept 13th, 2:00am

We're doing a lot of driving and cutting down time.  The players I think would do some investigating, but Alan I don't think would.  He thinks he knows where he's supposed to go now, so why screw around?

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Alone in Daylight

Sept 13th, 1:30am

Things are still moving pretty fast right now.  I'm placing this only another half hour from the Well-Lit Room. 

Alan Wake - Episode 6 - Departure - Day For Night

Sept 13th, 1:00am

Since this is mostly a flash back that, and they are still in real time in the Well-Lit Room, I'm putting this at 1:00am.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - The Dam

Sept 13th, 12:30am

Since Alan is pretty much running the whole time, I think he'd make some good time.  I figure 12:30am is a good time.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - To The Dam

Sept 13th, 12:00am

I kinda feel like this would take longer than a half-hour, but there's so much more that happens over this one night to reach the end of the game, I'm just making it release at midnight.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Helicopter Down

Sept 12th, 11:30pm

I'm not sure how much time elapses in the pipe, but it was taking her a long as time to open it.  And she doesn't walk very fast.  But, I'm assuming they didn't make it very far because Alan would've wanted to call Barry as soon as possible, so I'm guessing 11:30pm?

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Who Designs These Things?

Sept 12th, 11:00pm

I can't imagine it would take a half hour to go out back and flip some switches.  A half hour seems fair.  11:00pm.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Bright Falls Light and Power

Sept 12th, 10:30pm

In reaching the Power Plant, none of it took that long, and I'm keeping in mind that all of this wraps up on the 13th of September, so I'm spacing this only another half hour.  So, 10:30pm.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Angry Birds

Sept 12th, 10:00pm

Not sure how long they flew, but with the time it took to get the chopper ready, an hour might be excessive, and Bright Falls isn't a big town.  So, while it might be more like 10:15pm, that isn't an option on the YouTube scheduled release, so I have it at10pm.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Going Down

Sept 12th, 9:30pm

Getting up the hill didn't seem to take that long and there weren't many distractions, so I think a half hour is fair.  9:30pm.

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - The Crypts

Sept 12th, 9:00pm

Conveniently, Alan and Sara have to go through the crypts.  It didn't seem like there was much distraction, so I figure a half hour is fair. 9:00pm

Alan Wake - Episode 5 - The Clicker - Ambush

Sept 12th, 8:30pm

Since we're just wandering around town, I can't imagine that took too long.  Even with fighting.  8:30pm.