Steal This Pitch: Bioshock 3

Over the course of this generation one of the more interesting new intellectual properties has been a spiritual successor to a long dead one: Bioshock.  Produced in part from the mind of Ken Levine, a senior designer that helped shape famous titles like Thief, Freedom Force, and series namesake System Shock 2, him and his team at 2k Boston, now known as Irrational Games, made one of the most iconic series in 4gaming today.  Both Bioshock titles have been a commercial and critical success despite the sequel being developed by another studio.

Despite the continued success however, 2k as a whole is looking to branch out in new directions rather than continuing to milk the genetically-enhanced cash cow they have on their hands.  Irrational Games right now is working on a new, unannounced project that is reported to be unrelated to Bioshock.  2k Marin, the lead development studio for Bioshock 2 is working on XCOM, a remake of the classic sci-fi franchise that’s beloved by millions.  It seems that despite rumblings of a reboot of the franchise rather than a continuation, for all intents and purposes the Bioshock franchise as we know and love it may never see a rise to the surface ever again.  And that my friend is a terrible shame.

This is not to say that I’m completely against 2k branching out, nor IP creation and innovation as a whole.  Far from it; you’ll often hear me complaining about the hundreds of games out there than need a modern refresh or the thousands of concepts indie game developers are exploring right now that deserve the public’s (and publishers’) attention.  Rather I feel that sometimes, when you know you have something good on your hands it is wise to instead stick to your guns and innovate off of what you’ve already created.

For this reason I feel that 2k is missing out on a grand opportunity with the franchise and if the series is indeed going away for a time in order to make room for XCOM and whatever it is Irrational is working on then I feel that it might be wise to actually conclude the series rather than put it on hiatus.  Though I am excited about the possibilities of XCOM I feel that I’d rather play another Bioshock than play Marin’s latest effort.

When I say ‘conclude’ I mean really conclude the series.  Let it go out on a high note that ends the Rapture story and ensure that we’ll never return to the destroyed city beneath the waves.  Ensure that Rapture’s last breath is made in a third game: Bioshock 3.

Click to read the full pitch

Please note that the following includes spoilers to the storyline of Bioshock 1 and 2.  If you have not at least played the first title I highly encourage you to do so in order to fully appreciate what is below.  This also does not reflect the events of the Bioshock 2 DLC Minerva’s Den which at the time of the publishing of this piece has not been released.

Just a perfectly normal strangely-lit lighthouse hundreds of miles away from any sort of land. Nothing to see here, move along.

The Pitch

At the heart of almost every great singleplayer game is probably one of the most important aspects of gaming in general: a story.  Sure, gameplay is essential in creating a masterpiece but when combined with a great story you can completely alter how one approaches the game as a whole.  Some series as a whole have forgotten over the years that a story is what can take an already good game and make it an incredible one.  Bioshock doesn’t deserve this fate and neither do we.

I’ve always enjoyed games that explored the concept of a Cold-War-gone-hot scenario.  Titles like World in Conflict (a game that’s close to my heart) and Freedom Fighters, and books like Red Storm Rising have always been exciting to me.  After all, during one of the most dangerous times in recorded human history never has the fate of our entire species ever been in such doubt as it was during that forty year period after the fall of the Nazi regime.

Andrew Ryan, one of the main antagonists of the first Bioshock, knew the risks of what must have appeared to him as a no-win scenario between the two superpowers.  To his eyes the world was too polarized between politics and religion to allow for survivability in a world where the power of the atom had been harnessed for destructive purposes.  I believe that was one of the many reasons he founded Rapture: to help ensure that, if the world above the waves fell into a disarray of war and nuclear fire that the pinnacles of humanity would live on.

If I am correct in assuming that Ryan’s vision for an underwater utopia was fear of the outside world then there were definitely reasons to justify such a drastic course of action.  After all, the Soviet Union finally developed an atomic bomb in 1949 and steadfastly deployed the weapon for use amid rising fears of invasion by NATO and the United States.  In response the Western powers drastically increased their arsenals and the friction between the two lead to the largest arms race in the history of mankind.

The six most powerful people in all of Rapture, all of whom also played a key roll in the downfall of the city.

While the societies above the waves quibbled over the use of a nuclear weapon, deep within the North Atlantic a new type of weapon was being discovered: a genetic one.  Sometime between 1948 and 1951 Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, a former German scientist who had come to Rapture following World War II, found herself passing through Neptune’s Bounty, one of the first areas you visit in Bioshock, and watched a former soldier unloading a barge with another worker.  What she found fascinating was that the worker’s hands had been paralyzed during the war several years back.  When she asked how his hands had become functional once again he said that he had been bitten by a sea slug and that the following morning he had awoken to find himself able to articulate his fingers for the first time in years.  When asked if he had kept the slug he said yes and offered it to her, ignorant of the repercussions of what the slug meant.

This gave way to the birth of ADAM, the genetic currency of Rapture and the very reason for its eventual downfall years later.  The viscous substance the sea slug created was able to alter the genetic material within the human body.  While Ryan did not see the possibilities of such a life-altering discovery was and refused to offer funding to Tenenbaum’s research another man named Frank Fontaine, whose funds came from smuggling illegal goods into Rapture, did.  His funding lead to the eventual creation of Tonics and Plasmids, the weapons that would soon alter life for the worse rather than the good of the people as intended.  And thus, on New Year’s Eve in 1958 it all came to a head when Fontaine, under the guise of Atlas, lead teams of Splicers (citizens who had become addicted to ADAM after ingesting Plasmids) in strikes against key locations within Rapture, igniting the Rapture Civil War.

ADAM and its weaponization of the human body through Plasmids could fundamentally alter the balance of power in the world and potentially the course of warfare forever.  No more would the mightiest weapon be that of nuclear fire; instead you would fear the ordinary man who walks down the block who could cause you to burst into flames with a snap of his fingers.  An army of Splicers has the potential to topple an entire nation and all it would have to do is live among us waiting for the right time to attack.

So what would have happened if either of the Cold War superpowers had gotten a hold of ADAM and Plasmid technology?  Ryan was justifiably fearful of this possibility even if his methods for containing Plasmid technology from the outside not being as such.  This is very apparent in the metanarrative behind the fall of Rapture in actions such as closing down the bathysphere transportation system in and around the city, effectively cutting off Rapture from the outside world.  Nowhere else in the series is this more apparent than during the opening events of Bioshock in which the main character, Jack, gets trapped by Ryan in-between stations and accuses him of being a foreign agent here to procure Rapture technology.

But what if Ryan’s worst nightmare came to life?  Here is one scenario I’d like to offer that provides a glimpse as to what that could be like.

The Story

The year is 1984, almost forty years after the foundation for Rapture was laid and long after the departure of Sofia Lamb from the decimated city.  To most intelligence agencies across the globe Rapture has gone silent; no radio transmissions have been intercepted in almost five years and no traffic has been monitored coming in or out of the underwater city.  For all intents and purposes, to the outside world, it appears that Andrew Ryan’s mad yet partially successful dream has come to a bitter end.

No dogs, cats, hampsters, turtles, goldfish, lions, bears, snickerdoodles, Sno Balls, Twinkies, red licorish, and ESPECIALLY no marshmellows. Ryan HATES marshmellows.

Meanwhile, on the surface, the tides of change are coming in.  Four years after the death of Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Community Party, the Soviet Union is entering a state of collapse.  The still newly appointed General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev, is struggling to contain the situation and hopefully restore power to the once great nation.  It is still fighting a fierce war in Afghanistan and Soviet satellite states are abandoning communism in favor of democratic and capitalistic approaches.  Even attempts to restore the pubic and international trust via doctrines such as Glasnost are not helping to save the fledgling nation.

On one chilly November afternoon Gorbachev receives a classified report concerning the perceived dead state of Rapture.  Survivors of the city are few and far between to locate but in the documents it is revealed that an interrogation of a former Little Sister who was rescued by Jack and brought to the surface gave detailed accounts of Plasmids and their ability to alter human DNA into a malleable yet controllable weapon.  Engrossed by the possibility that this could be the tool needed to return the Soviet Union to prominence Gorbachev call together a meeting of his best and most trusted military minds to discuss recovery operations.  A plan is formed, detailed, and, just a week prior to New Years, is enacted.

A Soviet fleet is dispatched to the 63°5’N, 29°55’W, the location of the lighthouse above the dead city.  In what is perceived to be the largest deployment of Soviet naval assets since the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States and NATO’s militaries are placed on high alert and begin to deploy their Atlantic fleets in order to shadow the Soviets.  Learning that a Soviet reconnaissance force has been put in place in and around the sea above Rapture, intelligence officials deduce that the Soviets are mobilizing to take control of it and the technology within.  Fearing a resurgent Soviet threat and the possibility of a new arms race, one that the Americans would not have a leg-up on, President Reagan orders an American team to Rapture in hopes of beating them to it.

Unfortunately the Soviets beat them to it.  As the Soviet fleet arrives on the scene on New Year’s Eve they attempt to contact their reconnaissance force; nothing.  All attempts to reach them fail so the fleet’s admiral orders a Spetsnaz team to the patrol crafts adjacent to the lighthouse and to report back with the news.  When the team boards the lead craft they find no one.  All the equipment is intact, all their weapons are still unloaded and in their proper space, and there is even coffee in the pot, albeit cold.  In essence the men have simply vanished.  Thinking the men may have gone down to the city itself the Spetsnaz team is recalled to the flagship where they board a minisub that will take them down to the city.

As the sub descends the small portholes gaze upon the art deco buildings that have stood tall and strong for almost half a century.  Despite years of war and lack of maintenance they still look intact and almost habitable were it not for them having no signs of power or life for that matter.  As they approach their destination, the same bathysphere terminal Jack arrive at twenty-four years prior, the team sees lights coming from inside.  As the sub docks and the team exits they are greeted with a horrific sight: the mangled remains of the reconnaissance crew now ripped apart and strewn across the floor and walls.  Only one body remains intact, crucified against the wall.  Above it, written in the blood of the men is written a message: “Rapture will rise tonight.”  Reporting in to the fleet, the team is cut off in mid-communications as static fills the airwaves.  The lights suddenly go out and a scream comes from the point-man whose body flies past them.  One by one the team is literally torn apart, gunfire only able to partially illuminate the source of death.  Whatever it is, it’s huge.  As it continues tear its way through the team the last man watches as his team leader is grabbed by the head and thrown against the wall, impaling him against it.  The final man runs and manages to get into a derelict bathysphere; the creature closes fast but stops just short.  It stands there for a minute breathing a guttural, animalistic growl and it stares at the last man.  With an ethereal voice that sounds more like a beast than man, it speaks.

 “Your time will come little one.”

With a grunt, the bathysphere is lifted into the air and is hurled against the wall, crashing against it with a large clang.  As the man slips into unconsciousness you hear an almost demonic laugh as the title screen rolls.

The Way to Play

If there’s one thing that 2k Boston really drove home it was definitely the gameplay of Bioshock.  In most modern shooters nowadays you see the same format over and over again: cover, shoot, cover.  Bioshock changed this formula up with the introduction of Plasmids, a tool that would become utilized by players as much as the weapons themselves.  Should the base gameplay of the Bioshock experience change to fit the modern methods established in Call of Duty, Battlefield, and the likes?  In my opinion: absolutely not.

What should change however is the way the game should be perceived and played through as.  For too long modern horror titles have relegated themselves to being anything but scary and the fight for survival has not dependent on surviving on meager weapons and ammo and knowing when to run but rather on getting as many hits in before the enemy gets too close.  That is not survival horror at all and I’m looking at you Resident Evil 5, F.E.A.R. 2, and Condemned 2.

In the original marketing for Bioshock it was shown to be a horror title that would live up to the legacy left behind by System Shock 2.  Though I cannot vouch for whether this is a complete success or not as I never actually played either of the System Shocks I can tell you that it did indeed succeed as a horror title if only partially.  Throughout the majority of my first playthrough of Bioshock I did feel like I was underprepared for many of the games sequences.  During the second half of the game did I feel especially ill-suited for many of the tasks such as the optional quest to investigate Apollo Square.  The problem is that the horror aspect is completely defeated by one simple yet narratively-necessary part of the Bioshock experience: the Vita-Camber.

The problem with a horror game is that, at the end of the day, if you remove the fear of death there is almost no reason for a player to feel fear.  Without the threat of death and a loss of progress a gamer can do some Leroy Jenkins-style charges over and over again to defeat the enemy over time.  While this may work in an MMO it certainly doesn’t apply to horror games at all.  When I played both Bioshock titles, in order to truly appreciate the horror aspect of the game, I disabled the Vita-Chambers.  That way, I felt the consequences of death and foolhardy balls-to-the-wall escapades and learned to approach a situation appropriately.

This Big Daddy design wasn't actually in either game. However, given that the design was that far along I feel that we may actually see it in Minerva's Den...

To this end I propose to you the following: either make the Vita-Chamber a story-imperative piece of technology or get rid of it all together.  I can picture a sequence early on in what would be Bioshock 3 in which, as the player is being briefed on Rapture 101 a distant explosion from another building causes a power surge and explosion within the Vita-Chamber network, either causing it to be completely destroyed or possibly becoming disabled.  In the case of the later I’d suggest that they only be active in segmented areas or levels and that they would require powering up in order to be utilized if worse comes to worse.

Another suggestion I would have is for the Vita-Chamber network to be narratively crucial.  Sure, Bioshock 2’s story opens with the main character being revived from death ten years after he died within one but after that they didn’t serve anymore purpose other than what they did in the first game.  To that end I think that it would be a good idea to make resurrection a necessity in order to advance the plot.  For example, suppose our main character is trapped in a room that is slowly filling up with water.  On the other side of the room, separated by a glass wall, is a Vita-Chamber that needs to be powered on and right next to him is the control panel for it.  After solving a time limited hacking puzzle (after all, if the player doesn’t do it fast enough then the room fills up with water and the character drowns) the Vita-Chamber powers on, allowing the player to kill himself instead of suffering a painful drowning and a game over screen.

Another aspect I’d recommend retooling is the question of who can actually utilize a Vita-Chamber.  According to the Rapture narrative Jack and Subject Delta are the only two known to have had their genetic information stored in the Vita-Chamber network.  What if, however, in the years since the events of Bioshock 2 that the Vita-Chamber network had been penetrated and made open-source, allowing for anyone to be resurrected instead of a particular person?  This, in my opinion, could greatly restore the horror aspect originally proposed in the first game.  Imagine, if you will, a boss enemy that continues to resurrect over and over again and endlessly hunts you down as you progress through a level until you are able to disable the local Vita-Chamber network.  How terrified would you be to be low on ammo and EVE hearing the approaching footsteps of an enemy that you don’t think you can take down again with your limited resources?  Done properly this could be a fascinating change to the combat of the game.

One final aspect of the Vita-Chamber I’d recommend changing is the consequences of a revival.  When resurrected in one you automatically have all of your inventory back and are essentially ready to face the enemy head-on once again.  What if, however, it didn’t come with you and all you had was your one bar of health of a single bar of EVE?  As such you’d have to seek out your lost weapons and tools for a far more challenging sequence.

What Evil Lie in the Hearts of Men?

One of the key ingredients to the Bioshock franchise is the aspect of the Splicers, denizens of Rapture who became addicted to ADAM and have been driven mad in their never-ending quest for more.  These people were victims of their own devices and thus many of them find themselves stuck in a never-ending cycle of rage and sorrow.  With thousands of them patrolling the streets of Rapture seeking their next hit of ADAM it is understandable that they would make a great common foe to run into.

Therein however lays the problem: the evolution, or rather the devolution, of the Splicer.  According to the story of Bioshock ADAM is able to unlock the potential of human DNA at the cost of physical and mental deformation.  While Bioshock depicted the madness one suffers from after ingesting ADAM into oneself the Splicers, more or less, appeared like any other normal human being.  Conversely, during Bioshock 2, which takes place eight years later, players were shown aging Splicers whose physical appearance had been deformed severely in most cases, leading to many of them being obligated to wear masks.

Come to think of it I didn't think they were THIS ugly until I actually saw this picture. She's a looker alright.

What if, however, the Splicer changed even further?  What if, say, twenty-five years after first splicing up they were still alive?  How would this be represented in the game?  Well we actually have some choice examples to examine this idea with, notably Frank Fontaine from the end of the first game and Gilbert Alexander from the second.  In the first instance we witness the over-splicing of one in a very short length of time.  Fontaine’s transformation in that time turns him into a sort of demigod not unlike that of Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen.  In this case Fontaine appears to retain his mental prowess.  In the instance of Alexander however this is not the case.  Whereas Fontaine was transformed into a hulking pinnacle of the male form Alexander instead turned into a gigantic, almost prenatal human not unlike a child still in the womb.  The contrast between the two is stark but it does give clues as to how large a threat a Splicer can become if exposed to too much ADAM over period of time.

In a way Bioshock’s Splicers are a bit of a commentary on Darwinism and evolution.  Not unlike the possibilities of the genetically-altered beasts of the Resident Evil series, is it possible that prolonged and continued exposure to ADAM would induce genetically destabilizing conditions that would allow for continuous, unrelenting growth not unlike that of a cancer tumor?  If this is the case then wouldn’t the type of ADAM ingested by a Splicer help artificially determine the genetic outcome of him/her?

To this end I feel that the Splicer is a character that should be far more fearsome than they were in the first two games and therefore could allow for a hierarchy of them instead of just a simple variety.  Imagine if Spider Splicer’s continued to evolve to a state in which the lower half of its body actually resembled a spider.  Imagine the Houdini Splicer had had their skin pigmentation altered to a permanent state of translucence rather than just being able to teleport wherever they wanted.  Or, even further beyond that, imagine a Splicer whose body exhibits plant-like characteristics and can manipulate the environment around it with releases of pheromones.  The possibilities are endless in this regard.

Keeping it in the Family

By far one of the most iconic things about the Bioshock franchise is the Big Daddy and Little Sister dynamic.  Almost always an optional thing to do, a fight with a Big Daddy is something you didn’t want to do on a whim.  Heck, I can recall the first time I was actually forced to fight one in Bioshock.  I remember feeling extremely apprehensive after having witnessed one take down a half dozen Splicers earlier in the level after having gotten caught in the crossfire.  Even after the first encounter I had I still felt I had to prepare for a fight rather than even consider starting one on a whim.

When Bioshock 2 rolled around we were introduced to the Big Sister, a Little Sister who had grown up and been modified to protect Little Sisters whose Big Daddy had died in combat.  The idea of the Big Sister was intriguing and, in the marketing leading up to the release of the game, it was described as the ultimate challenge in the Bioshock universe.  If only this were the case.

The initial encounter with the Big Sister was indeed frightening; it's too bad that how you interacted with her didn't retain that same feeling.

Contrary to what we were shown in trailers and in previews of the game, a Big Sister encounter was not indeed random.  Instead, a Big Sister would only arrive after you have rescued or harvested all the Little Sisters in a given area.  While the battle was indeed intense and the lead up to your first battle with a Big Sister was equally frightening, after recognizing the pattern I did not feel that the Big Sister adds to a horrific atmosphere that the franchise tries to pass on to the player.  Instead of being terrified of a sudden Big Sister encounter I instead found myself laying out traps before finally rescuing my Little Sister, prepared for the inevitable battle.

If there were to be a third Bioshock then this would have to be entirely changed in order to maintain a horror atmosphere.  While Bid Daddy and Little Sister encounters should remain as they are (though with multiple variants present in a level), Big Sisters should be a random encounter that can happen at any time during the game.  While this would cause an imbalance with the gameplay I do propose a solution for the player: allowing them to hide.  Imagine, if you will, wandering through a large mall-esque area when suddenly you hear the scream of a Big Sister.  She’s on her way and she’s pretty pissed but doesn’t know exactly where you are.  As would be the case, what if the player could hide in say a locker or a closet should they wish to not engage in combat or be unable to for that matter?  The Big Sister could search the environment, looking for you and would leave after a short while, satisfied that you are not there.  This could provide a sense of fear that players would enjoy and would actually make each person’s experiences a little unique from everyone else’s.  It’s not a tremendous change from the standard formula but it is definitely something that would make a world of difference in gameplay.

For the Love of Others                                                               

For a story to properly conclude the Bioshock series I feel that there is one character that absolutely has to return for one last go: Dr. Tenenbaum.  Tenenbaum is probably one of the most tragic characters of the series as she is both responsible for the downfall of Rapture due to her discover of ADAM but also her attempts at redemption for her sins by rescuing the Little Sisters from their enslavement at the hands of Andrew Ryan, Frank Fontaine, and Sofia Lamb.  Tenenbaum was a critical character in both Bioshock games as she aided you in the rescue of the Little Sisters while providing information on how to reach and complete objectives.

While her fate in Bioshock 2 is unknown (Minerva’s Den may answer this question) I can only assume that she left Rapture again after Subject Delta and Eleanor Lamb escaped Persephone.  The ideal scenario for her return for the storyline I proposed above would be that she had been found and entrapped to help the Soviet or American forces as an “advisor” to the men who’d be descending beneath the waves.  One can imagine a Naomi Hunter-esque relationship.

The most tragic and compelling character of the series, Dr. Tenenbaum deserves more than just to disappear into the night like she did at the end of Bioshock 2.

I also believe that this would be a prime opportunity to give a voice to former Little Sisters rescued by either Jack or Subject Delta.  While we have had very little experience with these women other than the endings to Bioshock and the marketing for Bioshock 2 I feel that this would be a perfect chance to explore their side of the story in a way that Bioshock 2’s Little Sister sequence hinted at.  Imagine being given advice through the radio by one of Eleanor Lamb’s rescued girls, explaining aspects of areas you are exploring and giving you advice about how to proceed from there.  This could be an excellent prospect to take advantage of and breathe even more life into this lively universe.

One final aspect of gameplay I think should be explored is having an occasional companion to fight alongside.  In almost every instance in the Bioshock series you are either alone or in the presence of a non-combative NPC.  What if on the other hand you had to protect and fight alongside a friendly Splicer or perhaps a teammate?   Such a sequence would allow for players to actually feel that they are not the only good soul in Rapture, especially more so than a voice on the radio talking to you.  While I do not propose a full-on cooperative mode for the game I do suggest that players would want to feel a little bit safer, if only for a short while.

Somewhere, Beyond the Sea

Bioshock as a franchise is one of very strong possibilities.  With 2k exploring new directions however there is no guarantee that the prestige that the franchise deserves will stay with it.  I fear that a Bioshock remake as has been rumored would lead to a completely different style of gameplay or worse a more family friendly experience.  I can only hope that this doesn’t happen.  While Irrational Games is set to reveal Project Icarus Thursday (8/12) I feel that whatever that project will eventually be will not indeed be a new Bioshock title.  Who deserves to take up the mantle?  That is not a question I can properly answer at this time given that the two studios that have done the primary work on the series are currently at work on other games.

Whatever comes, one thing remains certain: Bioshock is not a series that deserves to be sent out to sea without at least a proper final title.  2k, do the series proud.

Review: DarkStar One Broken Alliance

Space simulators are starting to become hard to come by these days.  Long since gone are the glory days of Tie Fighter, Freespace, and Wing Commander each of which were pinnacles of the genre.  Nowadays we have titles that fill that need like Eve Online, X, and Star Trek Online but none of these can really capture that unique feeling a singleplayer space simulator can bring you.  DarkStar One, originally released back in 2006, dated back to that age with a determined focus on exploration, deep combat, and an objective story, but four years on now can its console port, DarkStar One Broken Alliance, capture that same awe I felt as a kid?

Click to read the full review

Beyond the Sky

DarkStar One takes place far into the future in a time in which humanity has spread out to the stars, encountered extraterrestrial life, and established itself as a permanent race in the vastness of space.  In the years following a grand galactic war five sentient races have formed the Galactic Union, a United Nations-like government that rules across the known galaxy.  As the game begins a series of indiscriminant and seemingly unrelated attacks by a sixth race known as the Thul, have stirred up controversy and put the militaries of the various races on high alert.  With the Thul attacks on the rise and their targets becoming increasingly larger the various races are bracing for what could be an inter-cluster war.

Meanwhile, deep within Terran (human) space a young man named Kayron Jarvis receives his first ship, the DarkStar One, from Robert, a family friend.  DarkStar One was a top secret ship developed by Kayron’s late father.  After spending some time getting to know the new ship Robert informs Kayron that he suspects his father’s death was due to sabotage.  Indicting a rogue human named Jack Forrester Kayron begins his quest to bring Forrester to justice.

The overall story of DarkStar One is a lackluster one that takes far too long to get through.  While you do encounter several semi-interesting characters throughout your journey you only meet one really permanent figure: a girl named Eona whose arrival is extremely predictable and whose dry, dim attempts at humorous puns and quips leave you groaning instead of smiling.  And yes, Eona is unfortunately your copilot throughout almost the entire game.

DarkStar One’s story is typical at best of the classic space opera: guy goes on revenge trip, meets a cute redhead, has adventures, and ends up saving the galaxy.  The problem is that this method of delivery does not match up with the scope of the gameplay; more on that in a second.

You Aren’t Actually Going IN to an Asteroid Field?!

The DarkStar One is a very versatile ship in both design and gameplay.  The true character of the game, the ship can accept weapons and equipment modules made by each race and will actively transform over time as you collect artifacts, pieces of long dead alien technology.  It is here that the game utilizes an almost RPG-esque tech tree leveling system.  By upgrading certain sections of the ship not only do you enhance aspects of gameplay such as adding automated turrets or increasing your engine’s throughput but you also visually alter the appearance of the ship.  Watching your ship transform from a mildly appealing Terran transport to a badass, nigh unstoppable marauder will take you dozens of hours but the results are inextricably worth it.

As you venture through the known universe of DarkStar One you’ll find that, while there is an overall narrative to the game, it is almost a completely sandbox experience.  You have on hand several hundred star systems to explore, an almost infinite amount of missions to be had, and, of course, plenty of enemies to shoot.  While you will be attempting to follow the story to its conclusion you’ll find yourself relegating most of your time to exploring each star system and only going after story goals after having finished all other tasks available.

This is all well and good but one of the main problems the game suffers from is repetition.  And by repetition I mean a lot of doing almost the exact same thing all the time just to earn a paycheck.  Almost all of the missions in the game can be consigned to one of three mission types: escort, reconnaissance, and attack.  While there are small variations therein the game’s missions can get old fast so only the most patient souls may be able to tolerate doing all the side missions.  The missions to wipe out the pirate gangs alone will take up more time than you are willing to give.  There are very few missions down to the surface of a planet either and even these are letdowns.

One other nagging problem you’ll find yourself experiencing is the game’s failure to encourage true exploration.  With hundreds of star systems to explore you would think that there would be endless amounts of things to find but the problem is that this simply is not the case.  Almost all of the star systems, while vast in size, are lacking in differentiation between almost all the other systems.  Most systems have a large asteroid or debris field in them.  In fact, other than the Terran Sol system there is almost nothing worth visiting in almost half of the star systems.  Most visits the systems that have missions and quests in them will result in only a handful of minutes being spent in them before moving on to the next one on the map.

Despite it these problems though the main part of the game that Ascaron Entertainment, the game’s developer, got right was the combat.  While most of the space battle are far from epic in size (the most you’ll see of enemies in a map at a time is usually no more than a dozen fighters or so) your engagements will have you dogfighting waves of enemies at a time with the occasional back up of AI mercenary ships.  These ships share the same AI as the enemies of the game and thus charge into battle with almost no hope of survival but hey, as long as you survive, usually there are no consequences.  Regardless, the controls for the flight mechanics are spot on and the game’s auto targeting system allows you to all but slaughter your foes.

The Wall of Space

DarkStar One was originally released in 2006 as a PC title.  Back then the current console generation was still in its infancy and thus it was visually on par with that of titles of the time.  Today however, four years after the game’s original release, Broken Alliance does not match up.  Despite being advertised prominently as being presented in 1080p four years on the game simply doesn’t hold up to expectations.  While some scaling on large asteroids and planetscapes look nice the game does have noticeable pop-in issues and the framerate can dip significantly should the amount of rendered objects in a given map be exceptionally large.  In other words, if you’re in the middle of a large battle, be prepared for some shuttering.

The biggest offender technically speaking is the voice work.  Put quite simply this reviewer has not heard such a horrendous effort put into a Western-developed title in years, and that’s saying something.  In fact, if I had to hazard a comparison I would liken it to last year’s auditorially detrimental Onechanbara Bikini Zombie Slayers; it’s that terrible.  Almost every single line you will hear is cookie-cutter at best and downright read-straight-off-the-page quality.  The voice work doesn’t even lip-sync to the characters depicted on screen, nor does this port even seem like this was attempted.  Eona is the biggest offender in this case as her attempts at humor neither amuses nor enlightens the player.  May her voice actress find work outside the realm of video games.

One last quip that needs to be mentioned: the cinematics. While prerendered FMV sequences still exist prominently in video games they are becoming increasingly obsolete in an age in which visual wonders like Mass Effect 2 and Killzone 2 exist.  While this isn’t to be expected of a four year old port it would have been appropriate for the cinematics to have been at the very least upscaled properly if not having undergone a complete reworking with enhanced models and redone character articulations.  Sadly this is not the case.  More egregiously it seems that the cinematics have had almost no work done on them at all as they have been poorly scaled to match the demands of 1080p.  There is even very visual artifacting during these sequences, something that is almost unforgiveable in my book.

All in all if you’re looking for a visually compelling game you aren’t going to find it in DarkStar One.

The Wrong End of the Galaxy

Overall DarkStar One, despite many items that have not aged well and some technical flaws, is still a welcome entry in a genre that rarely sees new titles anymore.  For those looking for a decent game to pass the Summer gaming drought DarkStar One Broken Alliance is an appropriate fix, especially for obsessive compulsive collectors, but for those who have plenty of other games they could play you should stick of this near-black hole.

Review Schedule Through End of 2010

Since I've started up a new site to keep all my stuff coordinated and all I figured that it'd be prudent to try something new when it comes to my reviews.  Previously I'd relegated my review schedule to what I felt like doing.  This time I'm going to do things a little different.

These are the games you can look forward to reading about through the rest of this year:

• Dark Star One: Broken Alliance (releases 7/22)  Review
• Hydrophobia (9/29) Review
• Halo: Reach (9/14) INDEFINITELY POSTPONED
• Dead Rising 2 (9/28) Review
• Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (10/5) Review
• Medal of Honor (10/12) Review
• Vanquish (10/19)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (10/26)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops (11/9)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (11/16)
• Crysis 2 (~November)   Pushed back to March 2011

*Bolded titles indicate purchases.

Wild cards include RUSE, Rock of the Dead, and FEAR 3.  Due to the fact that I'm out on my own now and can't afford nearly as much as I'd want to several of the above titles may not see a review being posted until sometime after the official release date of the title.  Despite that fact you should be able to read my reviews within 4-5 days of the release of the game.  There have been instances in the past in which I have posted my review the same day as release but this is a rarity: the last time this happened was for Modern Warfare 2.

E3 2010 Hands-Off Impressions: Rage

This year was my first E3 and luckily I was able to obtain an invite to a Rage demonstration session behind closed doors. My story was posted on my main site (HookedGamers.com) but it was heavily edited due to the editor's wish to keep preview stories on only three pages. Needless to say I didn't agree.

So here, for your reading pleasure, is my full, unedited preview of Rage, Id's first new IP in almost a decade and, in my opinion (though I hate to use the cliche), a Fallout-killer.

Note: this article is a bit of a double-edged sword. It is very long but is however probably the most comprehensive depiction of the demo show at E3 2010.

Click to read the full preview

Knee Deep in the Dead
As I sat alongside other journalists and developers alike in the cramp theatre within Bethesda booth I was struck with a bout of both curiosity and anticipation as to the title that would be shown only momentarily. After all, Bethesda and, by extension, Id Software had been relatively absent from the PR market as of late and if there was ever a best time to strut your stuff then I can think of no better a place than the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo. What I was in for however was something that would ignite a childhood glee that had long since disappeared years ago. This giddiness appeared culminated in a near squeal, much to my embarrassment, as a crossbow arrow found its mark in the head of an insane mutant.

Rage is something I've been looking forward to for years now. As Id's new flagship title it also served as the first new intellectual property to be made by Id in ten years. Given that this was the same developer that ignited my passion for gaming as a child with the Nazi stomping wonder that was Wolfenstein 3D it is needless to say that I do hold some bias toward the Dallas developer. While Rage did not have an official hands-on experience on the E3 show floor this year, despite having been shown as early as E3 2008, Rage did have a behind closed doors presence within Bethesda's squared off booth. Bethesda and ZeniMax were kind enough to allow me to come by Tuesday afternoon and the excitement that I left with after having experienced 30 minutes of the new IP was the perfect end to a rather hectic day.

A New Wasteland
Rage is set apart from the most of the other Id titles in a similar vain to Id's semi-remake of the 2004 classic Doom 3. Set in the not too distant future, Apophis, a real life asteroid, is bearing down on Earth with almost no hope of escape for the citizens of the planet. With all other plans failing, the governments of the planet unite in a last ditch effort to ensure the survival of the human race. Creating the Ark series, a network of automated subterranean vaults, the best candidates from every corner of the globe are selected and placed in them in a state of suspended animation with the hope that, once the smoke has cleared and life is capable of continuing on, these lucky souls will be able to reestablish civilization. Of course, like any governmental plan, nothing ever goes the way it is planned.

The player character awakens years after Apophis has taken its toll on the planet and long after humanity has begun to rebuild. Stumbling out of the malfunctioning Ark, the player's character awakens to find his roommates all dead, never having even seen the light of day. Leaving the Ark, the player enters a vast wasteland that nature is still trying to fix. While the overall goal of Rage's story has yet to be revealed, the player's actions will help determine the fate of those who live in the wasteland.

The Remains
E3 2010 served as the first time Id Software felt comfortable showing off their latest title, the first major production in six years, and the limited exposure setting of the Bethesda theatre was more than enough to whet the appetite of those who have wanted to explore a post-apocalyptic wasteland that did not have Fallout in the name. Rage's demo lasted thirty minutes and consisted of four different sections of gameplay and environments to explore, a selection that we were told shows a balanced taste of the Rage experience. The first area shown was the wasteland proper and the home of Crazy Joe, a drifter whose intelligence was questionable and whose demeanor was not exactly genuine. Warning us of ravenous mutants, the demonstrator exits the hut only to be attacked by the denizens who had been mentioned only seconds ago.

The mutants, one of several factions present in the world of Rage, are anything but friendly and are far more likely to tear you to shreds than anything else. These unfortunate souls are the remnants of those who survived the fall of Apophis but became the unfortunate victims of the strong radiation that engulfed the world thereafter. The mutants are nothing more than dangerous animals now, their humanity long since having left them and they now serve as one of the primary threats to the remaining survivors that litter the wasteland. While the demonstrator is able to dispatch them with a pistol and assault rifle, he takes his time demonstrating the power of a thrown weapon known as the wingstick, a bladed version of your typical boomerang. One thing is made clear in this quick combat demonstration: threat of mutants hunting in packs establishes them as a force you don't want to go against without plenty of ammo.

Let’s get this out of the way right here and now: Rage is nothing short of gorgeous. The demonstration we saw that afternoon was running on the Xbox 360 rather than the PC platform for which Id is known for. The demo ran a smooth at a smooth 60 hertz and never for an instance showed any sign of slowdown. Upon seeing the game in combat I knew that, no matter what platform you choose to experience Rage on, the result has to be spectacular.

After dispatching the mutants the player character enters a modified dune buggy and drives off through the monument valley-esque environment. Driving is something very new for an Id title as the limited extent of the previous Id driving experience was limited to a couple monorail trains in Doom 3. The new driving system seems competent and about as easy to utilize as that of any other driving title out there. The vehicular combat portion of the Rage driving experience however is something that only a handful of titles have ever been able to successfully create, the most prominent title being the Twisted Metal series. As the player follows a waypoint on the HUD two others approach and attack, firing off machine guns and rockets. Luckily however this dune buggy has been modified with semi-automated machinegun turrets and, by centering the screen on a fleeing target and pulling the trigger, the turrets track the targets and unleash a wall of hot lead upon the vehicles, destroying them. As the formerly intact, now smoking and flaming, buggy reaches the gate to Wellspring, the local population center that pumps water to the surrounding area.

Wellspring is the site of another feature that Id experimented with and is radically expanding: NPC interaction. NPC interaction has only really been previously done by Id in Doom 3, wherein during the beginning sections of the game prior to the demonic attack on Mars you could interact with some NPCs and do a little exploring. This time around however Id is making these characters persistent though they are being intentionally vague when it comes to alignments with or against them but it was confirmed that side missions are available to those who repeatedly interact with them. Id did reveal however that players will be able to purchase and sell weapons and items found throughout the world as well as participate in various gambling minigames.

After having explored the town for a little bit, the player enters a water pumping station where an alarm is going off. After meeting the engineer assigned to ensure the upkeep of the vital resource the player is informed that a group of bandits known as the Ghost Clan have broken into the tunnel system beneath Wellspring and are ransoming the water supply. After accepting the mission, the player descends into the tunnels below.

With a Gun at My Side
Within the tunnel system the familiar game design that Id built its reputation comes to the forefront as the long, cramp corridors forebode close encounters with less friendly citizens than what you found above ground. Lain back against the wall are the bodies of two guards sent to negotiate with the bandits; they never had a chance. The environment we’ve just entered is stunning in the level of detail present. As a water pumping station you’d naturally expect to see walls and puddles of water. The water details shown however are nothing short of beautiful: sheets of it slide down the walls, puddles realistically reflect the light and environment around them, and large maws of it create waves as you wade through it.

As the player progresses through the tunnel we begin hearing the sound of bandits chatting to one another as they pick a corpse clean of valuables. It is here that we are introduced to a new weapon: the crossbow. While bows are nothing new to games the power of the weapon in Rage cannot be understated. As the player sneaks up to the rim of the stairs to peer down on the soon-to-be victims of the new weapon our demonstrator loads up an electric bolt into the crossbow. The electric bolt works almost exactly like the trap bolts utilized in Bioshock: you shoot it into the water and any enemies that are in it are electrocuted. As the demonstrator looks over the edge of the stairs, we see the two bandits standing in a pool of water oblivious to our presence. Taking aim, the player fires the bolt into the pool, electrocuting them instantly.

The bandit threat isn’t over however; just feet away in another room stand another two bandits, these two unaware of the death of their compatriots outside due to the stealthy nature of the crossbow. It is here that we are introduced to a new aspect of Rage’s gameplay: item creation.

Rage is a swift departure from the Id norm in many ways as hinted at by the game design mentioned above but nowhere else is this more present than in the game's experience system. Just like that found in many modern RPGs, Rage allows players to learn new skills and create new weapons and abilities based on their interaction within the environment. For example, utilizing tools and items found in the environment, the player was able to construct an RC car with bombs attached to it using a blueprint found earlier in the game. Driving it into the room, the bandits have no more time to react than the ensuing explosion sees them explode into a fountain of blood and sinew. These new items and tools can be constructed at any time meaning no need to go looking for a special room or a work bench: if you need it and have the prerequisite tools necessary then you are good to go.

As the player progresses through the tunnel system, taking out a dozen more enemies he becomes trapped next to a treatment processor. As the Ghost Clan horde approaches the demonstrator deploy another device: an automated turret. This turret in particular is a lower end version that can be enhanced further after finding more blueprints. As such the turret only fires in bursts and take a little bit to reload. The help is invaluable however as they player constantly has to turn and take out enemies that approach from seemingly every direction. As the horde finally stops attacking, we’re given a short breather before moving on to the next level.

The Ways of War
From the tunnels of the water pumping station we are whisked away to another level a little later in the game. We have been sent to an auto shop to retrieve some car parts necessary for making a new dune buggy. The building however is infested with bandits, these ones more advanced than the Ghost Clan and having no qualms about carrying fire arms.

The ensuing level play out like any other shooter on the market: moving from room to room, taking out enemies along the way. The AI in Rage is definitely smart: I’ll give it that. As we enter one of the rooms we are attacked from behind by an enemy that had flanked our position. After taking them out we proceed further into the area. Given that this building was above ground when Apophis hit it is in a state of decay. Case in point the demonstrator is able to kill an enemy with a well placed headshot thanks to a hole in the sheetrock of a decaying wall. His hidden buddy takes notice of this though and blows open the door only to be dispatched by a burst of assault rifle fire.

Proceeding further into the building the numbers of enemies are increasing. Luckily, the demonstrator has another tool at his disposal. The player deploys an advanced version of the automated turret seen in the previous level. This version however fires faster and is mobile. The design of the turret is almost exactly like the lifesaving spider sentry bot from Doom 3. As the player and his robotic companion head into the next areas, taking enemies out all along the way, the robot is destroyed upon entering the final room where cars are in various states of disrepair. As the player presses forward a trap is sprung and an enemy armored car charges at us. The demonstrator takes cover and is able to take out the gunner and the other remaining bandits. Pushing past the car, the player retrieves the necessary auto parts, ending the level.

While the level was relatively short compared to the other two the final level Id was to show off was something entirely different.

Citizens of the Ruins
The final level Id was to take us to is currently called Dead City and, as you’d expect, the name is pretty descriptive of the overall feel of the level. Located a good distance from Wellspring, Dead City is a former major urban center from which no visitor has ever returned alive. We were about to find out why.

As the demonstrator trekked forward through some jagged terrain we came across the remains of a former cityscape. Ruined buildings dotted the skyline and dozens lay collapsed upon one another covered in dirt and rust. The feeling of silence is ominous yet the player strides forward and jumps off the large rock barrier and enters the streets. As he does so a ravenous howl splits the air: the mutants are coming.

Taking up arms, the player begins a desperate stand against the horde, upwards of half a dozen surrounding him at a time. As he holds out a wall of debris bursts out from which appears a far larger mutant than the rest. Easily ten feet tall, this behemoth wields a grenade launcher which is squarely pointed at the player. While the player continues to take pot shots at the larger creature while trying to fend off the smaller ones. The larger one fires erratically, some of his shots just whishing by the player while other accidently killing his compatriots. The player is eventually able to kill that larger mutant and the scene dies down. The battle over, the room takes a collective breath of relief, if only for a second.

That’s when we notice the ground starting to shake. The pounding on the ground is loud and it is with such force that dust and small bits of debris fall off the remains of the building next to the player. Something is approaching, something even bigger than the large mutant dispatched moments before. The camera pans around in an almost nervous fashion, scanning the horizon for enemies, the assault rifle fully restocked on rounds and ready to fire. Inside I can’t help but feel the same apprehension I did as a child watching the glass of water ripple with each footfall of the Tyrannosaurus Rex as it arrived on screen for the first time in Jurassic Park. As the camera pans around to a street corner a giant hand broaches the edge of another building. The mutant is easily five or six stories tall and is easily one of the most imposing creatures Id has ever created. As it turns to the corner, it turns its head and notices the player. With a mighty roar, it begins the attack only for the demo to end.

No One Will Hear You Scream
Our short time with Rage was nothing short of wonderful and is easily my number two experience at E3 2010. While we were only given a small taste of the overall Rage experience Id Software’s Matt Hooper, the man who narrated our thirty minute demo, said that in the coming months we would be given more information on even more parts of the game to be revealed such as the racing portion you can do with your buggy, the various side quests, and the inevitable multiplayer segment. He did say that details regarding the multiplayer are forthcoming, giving this writer the opinion that, should you want to get a taste of Rage yourself, you need to come to this year’s Quakecon in Dallas.

Overall though Rage seems to be shaping up quite nicely and looks to provide a fantastic alternative to Bethesda’s already incredible Fallout series for those who want a more focused, semi-linear experience. Rage doesn’t release until sometime next year so let us all keep our fingers crossed that that time is sooner rather than later. 

Review: Alan Wake

Remedy Entertainment has never really been on my radar as a developer of triple-A titles. While they’ve only released four games since their inception into the industry back in 1995 I haven’t found their catalog to be all that enticing despite very strong reviews of the two Max Payne titles that came out during the last generation of console titles. However, despite my lack of attention to their previous efforts my interest was struck five years ago at E3 2005 when the first trailer for Alan Wake was shown and though there wasn’t much to be seen I have since then made the occasional glance in its direction hoping for news. As the years rolled on though I simply brushed it aside thinking that it would be forever known as vaporware much like what Duke Nukem Forever and Starcraft Ghost had dissolved into. It wasn’t until the game’s first demonstration last year at E3 2009 did I really begin to have more than a passing fancy about the game. Witnessing those few minutes of gameplay left me, well, giddy thinking about the possibilities of a survival horror game that actually used light and dark mechanics effectively.

Now that Alan Wake has finally arrived after five years of development though, is it as good a game as its development time should indicate?

Click to read the full review

Consumed by the Pages
There’s something to be said of a writer getting engulfed by their work in the novel-to-be. Unfortunately for Alan Wake this is a far too correct statement. Alan Wake’s story, or rather, the story of his story, takes place in the Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls, a small mountain community in the shadow of a dormant volcano. Alan and his wife Alice arrive via ferry at her insistence in the hopes that the vacation will allow Alan enough time to relax and begin writing again, something he hasn’t done in two years. While in town Alan visits a few of the locals (including a waitress obsessed with his novels and two former rock musicians) and picks up the keys to the cabin they will be staying in at Cauldron Lake, located in the mouth of the volcano. The couple drives up there and begin to settle in before Alice reveals her ulterior motive for bringing her husband to Bright Falls. Alan storms out of the cabin in protest but when he hears Alice scream he runs back frantically only to find a broken railing on the balcony and a fleeting glimpse of her sinking into the water below. Taking a deep breath, he plunges into the water below.

This is where the story truly beings. Alan wakes up in the remains of his wrecked car perched precariously on the edge of a cliff. As he wanders down the road to a gas station seeking help he is attacked by a Taken, a former denizen of Bright Falls who has fallen victim to a supernatural presence. From there Alan fights his way to the gas station and, after noticing an advertisement, realizes it has been six days since the incident at the cabin and that he has no memory of the time between now and then. Stalked by the paranormal entity, Alan begins the search for his wife and hopefully an answer to the riddle of his week long absence.

One of the key plot points of the game is the way the story is delivered and how the player chooses to interpret it. As you progress throughout the course of the game you find pages of a manuscript entitled Departure, a novel that Alan had been writing while entranced by the dark presence during those lost six days. These manuscript pages not only tell you what has been going on over the course of your progress but also what is to come further down the line. For players looking to not have plot elements spoiled for them (like me) you should choose not to read them. The temptation however can be a little overwhelming due to the intense nature of some of the combat so you might be compelled to read it. The pages are also found and presented to you in an out of order sequence so one should consider secrets to be completely spoiled as soon as you press the back button. The inclusion of these pages however definitely helps solidify the events happening throughout the course of the game and will fill in a few macguffins you’ll encounter along the way.

The story of Alan Wake is one of intrigue that doesn’t come along very often in an action adventure game, let alone any title that has been released this past console generation. What makes the large story consumable to the average player is its division into six individual episodes in almost the exact same way last year’s failed revival of Alone in the Dark attempted. While these episodes are by no means bite size, as each of the six episodes can take anywhere from two to three hours to complete, what they do accomplish is make the game manageable and easier for more casual players to complete. Each episode has a prologue as well which gives players who have not played the game continuously a quick refresher about the events that happened previously ala most serial television shows.

Overall, while not delivered in a manner that is totally successful the story overall has quite a bit of potential to it and the ending more than enough warrants a sequel. With new DLC episodes coming down the pike it’s hard not to want to jump on the Alan Wake train.

Light and Dark
Alan Wake’s gameplay is a consortium of different devices that, usually, do not work together without weakening the other in some way. What Remedy has accomplished here however is a blending of proper survival horror mechanics with action adventure elements that are usually reserved for third person shooters. And when I say survival horror games I don’t mean recent attempts at horror games like Resident Evil 5, FEAR 2, and Condemned 2; no, we’re talking about titles that will do a little more than jump out at you during a pre-scripted sequence. Alan Wake is, while not entirely scary, will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat throughout most of your time with the game. However, when you are wandering through a dark forest at night with the wind making the trees shake and creak it is hard not to feel uneasy, especially given that your only source of light is a flashlight that you will have on hand for the majority of your playtime.

This is where the light and dark mechanic of the game comes into play. The dark presence of Cauldron Lake that stalks you during the game is none too pleased with you for reasons I won’t spoil here and will send minions after you called the Taken, citizens of Bright Falls that have succumbed to the power of the darkness. These former citizens are shielded by the darkness and the only way to make them vulnerable is to hit them with a beam of light until the darkness is completely eroded away. At that time they are vulnerable enough to be killed by a gun or any of the other weapons in your inventory. The Taken rarely appear alone and usually only do so at the beginning of the game so it is wise to keep an eye or ear out at all times for enemies lurking in the bushes: basically, if you see one of them, expect two more. The Taken will not cross into pillars of light such as that of a street light or a lit room. Given the survival-oriented direction of the game you are often outnumbered so it is advisable to know when it is best to run for it rather than face the enemy. Luckily pillars of light both serve as a checkpoint and are not too far from one another so frustration is minimal in this department.

Alan’s generous selection of weapons, which includes a standard revolver with optional rifles and shotguns that can be found along your way, is generous in its ammo count and these items can be found in abundance when played on the normal difficulty level. You’ll also find several handy items to use such as flares and batteries which power your flashlight. By far the most powerful weapon in the game is the flare gun which serves as an area-of-effect rocket launcher against the Taken, disintegrating them upon impact. Players will also come across flashbang grenades as they continue on into later portions of the game which can easily turn the tide of battle should you be outnumbered with nowhere to go.

The flares and pillars of light however offer a very interesting, if sometimes temporary, safe haven mechanic to utilize against the Taken. Since the Taken won’t cross into a field of light they can be utilized to herd them in certain directions or at the very least keep them at bay for a few precious seconds. This is often immensely helpful when enemies come from multiple directions with segmented approaches, allowing you to focus on one group while keeping you safe from behind. This scenario plays out commonly throughout several urban environments all over Alan Wake so it is wise to save a few flares in preparation for a coming Alamo-esque sequence.

By far some of the best parts of Alan Wake are the scenes where you are not alone in facing the dark presence. At several instances during the story you will find yourself with an AI partner who fights alongside you as you proceed toward an objective. Not only is the AI competent in its ability to combat the darkness (something that seems to be lacking from more games lately) but it also is well aware of both your and its surroundings. These sequences are easily the most fun of the game and they absolutely scream at the notion that Alan Wake deserves to have a full cooperative play feature. Some of the later levels of the game have you fighting alongside an AI for upwards of half an hour or more so a future Alan Wake title not having a co-op feature just sounds like a tragedy.

Writer’s Block is the Least of His Worries
Alan Wake’s five year development period (with origins leading back to the beginning of Max Payne 1’s pre-production time) almost demands that it have at the very least par visuals and a strong audio performance and thankfully Remedy was able to deliver. The visual design of the game is in many ways spectacular and really lends itself to feeling like an authentic setting. Throughout the entire course of the game I fully believed that I was playing in and around a small town in the Pacific Northwest. The forests however are the coup de grace of the entire experience. Being in the middle of the forest with the moon overhead was phenomenal and absolutely sells in trying to convince you that you are lost in the middle of a nighttime forest. When the wind picks up and the trees and bushes begin to sway it is hard not to get a little spooked, especially when a pick axe from a Taken goes whizzing by your head.

That’s not to say that Alan Wake is a pinnacle of game design; far from it. It is unfortunate that while the environments and particle effects are stellar the facial animations and the frame rate can suffer at times depending on what’s going on around you. The facial animations can be downright abysmal to look at simply due to the fact that both the in-game and cinematic ones can be very stiff and usually result in the characters simply opening and closing their mouths, nothing more. The cinematic animations in particular are almost abysmal and either look like a puppet act or at its best moment looking like last generation animations. The frame rate on the other hand can slow to a crawl at certain scenes throughout the game: one instance in the fifth episode results in the game dropping to an abysmal ten or so frames per second.

One problem that I have to address is the mixed delivery of the character dialogue. While some of the delivery comes off quite well it has to be said that there are many instances in Alan Wake that feel like B-movie deliveries or, worse, filler lines that were never updated from their original writing. The main character’s film noir-esque narration, something that has been a staple of Remedy’s Max Payne titles, is present at all times and that’s regrettable for the player. While we do want to know what’s going on in Alan’s head what we get is often him making a monotone delivery from a script that is usually a commentary on a current or upcoming event. You are not spared this either when you go to read a page from the manuscript as it’s read in an almost lifeless voice by the main character. Seriously, it would be far nicer if Alan had a little more emotion in his voice as you journey on with him beyond the occasional frustrated edge or an angry yell.

Blinded By the Light
Despite having some large flaws in the final presentation Alan Wake is still a great game that’s well worth the five year development period we’ve had to endure. While the game lacks replay appeal save for item collection for achievements the promise of future DLC and inevitable sequels are going to have me coming back for season two of this series.

Final Review Score: 8

And now, your Spoiler Alert: