Melancritic's Game Reviews

An Update on things & Future reviews

2010-09-17T14:13:00.000+02:00

Now I know I haven't written a review as of late, this is due to my only means of connecting to the internet spontaneously decided to break down. fortunately, my laptop is back, and I can get back to writing reviews! Next review will be posted within three days, for those curious about it, it's going to be Halo: Reach.

- Melancritic

Melancritic Reviews Touhou 6: EOSD

2010-09-07T21:12:00.002+02:00

So, what do you get if you mix up Japanese Loli-ish girls, a vertical scrolling shooter and absolute madness. The result from that is not an Otaku with a fetish for underaged girls. but the games that are collectively known as the '"Touhou'' Project. Created by team ''Shanghai Alice''which only had one team-member, a programmer/artist known as ZUN, Touhou 6 was the first Touhou brought out for the Windows OS, which is why Touhou 6 is being reviewed first.. Being quite some time out know, this game and it's successors brought out a true cult/fan following.

Click ''Read More'' to read the entire review!

This couldn't have been more true...

Touhou as a main franchise has been simple, a vertical scrolling shooter, with some fighting game spinoffs in between. At it's core, Touhou has always been a side-scrolling shooter though.

When I said absolute madness, I wasn't joking. Remember when I said in my Vanquish review that you will get shot from all sides? Touhou is worse. Touhou is unforgiving. Literally every enemy will spray and shower bullets towards you, in all sorts of patterns imaginable. The emphasis on the game is more placed on dodging then actually shooting and killing everything. The fact is, you will never kill all the enemies on screen, it's impossible, the screen simply gets too filled with, Mind you!, beautiful patterns and all sorts of colors. It really is a marvel to look at these patterns and simply admire then.

Dodging Bullets has never been so pretty and patterned.

Touhou has been one of the keystones in the ''Danmaku'' type of vertical shooters, Danmaku literally meaning bullet hell. And truly, no better word could have been used to define this kind of game, as evidenced in my previous screenshot, which is actually considered easy mode. On to the gameplay, shall we?

Gameplay is quite simple, you have two character,. who both have two types of bullets to fire, whether it be homing bullets, or concentrated lasers, there is a nice variety between the two characters in speed and power, and type of bullets fired. Your shots can be powered up by grabbing red blocks which enemies drop, and your bullets fire gradually get stronger and stronger, unfortunately, there is a drawback, there is no healthbar. One hit, and your bullet strength gets SEVERELY weakened. And with this type of game, it is entirely plausible that you will get hit here and there...or a lot, depending on what type of player you are. Luckily, you are granted with three continues, and you get restored to full power when using such a continue.

Fortunately, also included is a ''Panic Button''. as I like to call it. The Panic button releases your character's ''Bomb'' which is essentially her magic spell which wipes out everything decently killable on screen while giving your score a nice little bonus. Bombs are scarce though, you get three per lives, and you can get extra by beating the mid-level bosses within a certain time.

Wait, Melancritic? This game has bosses? Yup, and mid-level bosses too! This is where the artistic patterns of the game truly shine, and in which you will try to frantically find yourself looking for an opening and sneaking a few hits in, there were a few instances where I got killed just by admiring all the colors and patterns!

Boss fights can take up quite some time, with multiple health bars, unleashing a flurry of bullets and beams and dodging almost everything and whatnot, it always feels like such a satisfaction when killing an cute little adorable loli...well...some might say that, others might grieve at such a thought.

While the game is quite fun, there are a few major drawbacks here. First is the difficulty. As a first time Touhou player, when playing on normal difficulty, don't expect to go further then Stage Three (Out of Six) with all continued used. The game requires practice to learn the hitboxes and patterns, and practice on top of that in general, those who do NOT want a nice challenge should steer away from this game.

Also lacking are the graphics, but I can forgive Touhou 6 on this point, since it's quite a old game (About 8 years) and mind you, this game was created by ONE guy, he did everything. The later Touhou series are graphically more appealing, so if you want a challenge AND pretty graphics, then get your butt over to the latest Touhou games. (Touhou 11 would be a recommendation here)

And don't expect a deep complicated story as well, the dialogue is cheesy and sometimes just plain weird as a result as of the bad translations floating around there. Touhou works best as a shooter, and if you want a nice little challenge along with an artsy game, then definitely consider playing this.

Touhou is quite a simple game, and a vertical-scrolling shooter at it's best. Those who are looking for a more difficult type of game should definitely try and pick up one of the games and give it a try, most if not all can be found in the glorious vault of the internet.

Touhou Project is available on the PC

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(What games do YOU want to see reviewed? Let me know in the comments!)

New Review Today/ Twitter!

2010-09-07T13:21:00.001+02:00

A new review will be up later today! However, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to follow me on Twitter. This way you can be updated accurately whenever new reviews come out!

Hope to see you there!

http://twitter.com/Melancritic

Melancritic Reviews: Vanquish Demo

2010-09-04T00:12:00.000+02:00

Okay, so in my last review I stated that a promotion can make or break a game, did I not? Well, the same counts for Demo's. Put out a GOOD demo, and people are more likely to buy a game. Bring out a bad demo that people will obviously dislike, and the expected sales of a game will plummet harder then the value BP's stocks.

Which is why is is a little bit risky, if anything to put out a demo, for the aforementioned reasons. Now today is such a day that Platinum Games, the studio behind the critically praised game ''Bayonetta'' releases their demo for their highly anticipated game ''Vanquish''. Will Vaquish be as good as a jewel as Bayonetta was? Or will this demo vanquish (See what I did there?) the reputation of Platinum Games? Click '"Read More'' To find out!

Now, first of all, if I play a game by a Japanese developer, I always tend to look at the options first. The options say something about a game, which you may not have noticed. ''How much do the developers think of the fans and playability of the game'', this is the subliminal message that option menus sometimes bring along with them. So, when I first checked it out, I was pleasently surprised that you could change the voices, subtitles, and even MENU'S in Japanese, something that was lacking in Bayonetta. Also included are your more standard options like sensitivity for aiming, walking, all that snazz.

Also with the options comes the feature to customize controls. Now let my just say, the control system WORKS. I never really felt that I had to twist or jiggle my hand around to perform a certain movement, or that I was frantically searching for a button. Most of it feels familiar, and makes sense. Obviously, this being a shooter, you lefties out there get some loving too as well, so there is no reason to blame the control scheme.

The Demo features an option for a tutorial, which is always nice, and I jumped straight into that. Before seeing some witty dialogue, the first thing that I noticed were the graphics. They look good, and good, oh, and did I mention that they look good? You are welcomed with some MGS-like dialogue boxes and everything delivered just feels right with the environment, it just fits.

The graphics are certainly top-notch

So after a brief tutorial which introduced me to the aiming, dodging, and the boosting ad the punching, I decided the be so bold and actually play the demo. Being thrown in some random mission, I expected a simple generic shooter. What I got was so much more different. Your character gets thrown in a large scale battlefield, with chaos everywhere. Here's your gun, good luck. This makes sure that the game actually feels like a combat zone, the action is swift, high-paced and honestly awesome. While there is cover here and there, you will get fired on in every direction. Fortunately, your dodges and some aid of a time-slowing mechanism will assist you, but don't get me wrong, this doesn't make the game easy....at all.

The game doesn't sport a visual healthbar for yourself, instead it makes your vision redder and redder, a-la COD and Gears of War. When your health runs out, you automatically enter a slow-motion state, in which you go at normal speed, while he enemies move slower, where your remaining fuel acts as a timer for the slow-mo. However, you will be under constant fire, so don't expect to stroll in guns blazing an expect to rely on the slow-motion. You get a very small window of time to find cover in that slow-mo, or else you are dead. With that said, Vanquish is a hard game on normal mode in my experience, but definitely impossible. Just don't expect normal mode to be the same as COD's Normal mode or your (Insert other shooter here)'s Normal mode.

Expect this....a LOT

After eventually dying over and over again, you finally reach a point where you get to fight against Vanquish bosses. Platinum Games are known for being over the top, and they certainly didn't hold back here. Fighting against what is best touted as a Metal Gear-ish Spider with future technology, the thing is really a marvel to look at. Oh right, we need to kill it, not store at it, my bad! Anyhoo, unlike most ''Shooter'' bosses, this one actually takes some trouble to kill. The patterns are erratic and un-logical, which is only a plus, as it keeps it interesting every-time you fight such a boss. Also, you really get immersed in the ''Warzone'' feeling, as the Spider really just fires at everything, including squad-mates. It really gives you a feeling of being part of an army, and making you think ''We are fighting this thing, as a team, as a whole'', plus, the fact that you get penalized for having squad members die also is an added nudge to said feeling.

Now, the boss fights are of a great length, long enough to waste the ammo of different weapons, but short enough to not make you feel like it is taking foreveeeeeeeer. There is a surprise after you beat the spider, but I won't spoil too much for you guys.

'Scuse me, coming through!

All in all, I would SURELY recommend the Vanquish demo if you are even remotely interested into shooters. The action is high-paced, amazing, slick and sometimes breathtaking, and even it a chaotic battlefield, it doesn't lag one single bit. The graphics look amazing, and again, are consistent and beautiful. A challenging Demo, that leaves you wanting for more, congratulations, Platinum Games, you just won over a customer. Here's to looking forward to reviewing your Full Game! (Hint Hint, Nudge Nudge)

Vanquish will be available on the PS3 and XBOX360

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Or Mail me at: Melancritic@hotmail.com

What game do YOU want to see reviewed!? Mail me or send me a message on Twitter!

Melancritic Reviews H.A.W.X 2 - The 8-Bit game

2010-09-01T20:16:00.000+02:00

So, today I stumbled upon this on the glorious internet, an 8-Bit version of Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. I was quite intrigued by this, as I had wondered how the guys at Ubisoft could have made the original Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X into an 8-bit game. As it seemed, this game was made to promote H.A.W.X. 2, which certainly isn't a bad idea considering every game can do with a positive promotion, but a game is risky business, as if you provide bad promotion, people are less likely to buy your product. Will Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X - The 8-Bit game succeed in it's intended purpose? Click Read More to find out!

Instead of a 8-bit version of the first game, players are presented with something completely different, namely an overhead shoot em up which is very reminiscent to the game ''1942'' Now, when I saw the first 8-Bit graphics, I was quite pleasantly, surprised. The story is told through various screens and is fairly obvious, your missions are also presented in such way. Never does the game really break it's 8-bit style, and consistency is certainly a good thing, for an 8-Bit game, this little thing certainly looks good.

Now, on to the gameplay, as I said, it's a fairly basic vertical scrolling SCHMUP. You get to choose different planes, which are all displayed in their 8-Bit Glory, and again they look really great. When presented in the hangar, all planes look differently, and also, all planes look differently in-game as well. The planes themselves have three stats, Speed, Armor and Offense, and all the planes handle differently, so whether you want to be a big slow tank of destruction of a nimble plane, there is always a plane for you.

Each plane also feels differently in-game as well, you can clearly feel the difference between a more nimble plane and a stronger bulkier plane. No matter what speed you are going though, enemies will always be trigger happy and fire at you. The screen always has a nice amount of enemies flying by shooting at you, in seemingly random patterns, so expect to be on the move quite a bit. Luckily you can shoot those pests down using your own weapons, and thankfully an ''Auto-Fire'' Button is included, so you can toggle Auto-Fire on or off, depending whether you want to mash away at the keys or want to focus more on dodging.

They even got an unlock-able plane for you completionists out there....

There are three weapons to obtain, missiles, the straight shot, and the spreading shot. All can be upgraded by getting the appropriate upgrade from a destroyed supply helicopter, which can also drop extra lives or a power-up with vaporizes anything on the screen. There is a downside to it though, you automatically switch to the weapon you pick up, For example, if you maxed out your missiles, and accidentally pick up a spreader shot from a helicopter because of dodging incoming fire, then you don't get to keep your missiles, but instead your weapons changes to said weakest spread shot.

Fortunately Ubisoft planted in a solution for that, the ERS. See the ERS as your panic button, if you really con't want to get hit fo a while, then with the press of a button you get temporary invincibility, which can really help with the boss-fights (Yes, there are boss-fights) and with the more crowded screens in the gam. If you are lucky enough you can even pick up a new ERS from a supply helicopter.

We get it Mr. Battleship, you don't want me here.

Overall, H.A.W.X 2, The 8-Bit game is a fun little game, a good way to pass the time, and a good promotion as well. People who will play this will surely be left with a positive experience, even if the difficulty is a little high for most standard players. Also, with exclusive content for the actual H.A.W.X 2, it provides something to look forward to to those who have already pre-ordered the game, or to those who are doubting to get H.A.W.X. 2. Even if you are not planning to get H.A.W.X 2 or never even heard of the franchise, play it anyways, having a bit of fun can never hurt, right? And to Ubisoft, I say congratulations on a positive promotion!

Click Here to Play H.A.W.X. 2 The 8-Bit Game

H.A.W.X. 2 will be available on the XBOX 360, PS3, PC and Wii

Melancritic Reviews Super Street Fighter 4

2010-08-31T18:34:00.001+02:00

Finally after years of waiting, fans finally got what they wanted, a new Street Fighter. The crowd raved, and following the tradition of most, if not all Street Fighter games, a short while later''Super Street Fighter 4'' was announced. Touted as being ''The Final Street Fighter 4'' This version brings in new characters, and some gameplay tweaks which were deemed unfair in the previous game. (Can anyone say Tiger Uppercut?). Being advised at a reduced consumer price, it would seem almost foolish not to get Super Street Fighter 4, however, each diamond has it's edges. Click ''Read More'' to read the entire review!

Street Fighter is one of the world's most recognized fighting game series, and is definitely easy to pick up and play. Whether is it mashing buttons, or actually performing movements with skill, Street Fighter has always been a genre which was for everyone. The game get's as hard as YOU want to make it, which is always a preferable thing for the people with less experience or skill so to say. The same accounts for Super Street Fighter 4, whether you are completely unknown to the fighting game genre, or had substantial amount of hours in the arcade hall, Super Street Fighter 4 is a game for gamers of every skill level, which makes the target audience pretty broad.

Also, people needn't frustrate over unlocking characters or stages, in Super Street Fighter 4, it works with a simple WYSIWYG principle. (What you see is what you get) Most important things are unlocked, namely characters, and stages. This means that the ''Pick up and play'' value is very high, you don't feel pressure to unlock anything, and can basically enjoy from the first time you start up the game. This is a big plus, as gaming will actually feel more as entertainment, and not as work. Of course, players will be rewarded (Cause it just makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?) with titles and emblems which you can show off, or use to define yourself. Also, you get to customize your character with Taunts and Win Quotes as you play more with said character, so there is always something more to discover.

So at first glance, Super Street Fighter provides a good impression, but impressions aren't anything, let's move on to the gameplay. Now let's get this straight, if you tried out Street Fighter 4, and didn't like it, or if fighters in general just aren't your thing, then Super Street Fighter 4 isn't going to win you over. It REMAINS a fighter at its core. Got that? Good. The core gameplay remains fairly simple, with six buttons each representing a certain type of power of a punch or kick. Doing certain movements will make your character perform a special move, which can range from throwing out a fireball, to setting your opponent on fire.

Probably one of the most recognized moves in Fighting games this day.

Super Street Fighter 4 features a wide range of characters, and there is a character for almost every kind of playing style. Whether you are a defensive type of player, one that really hammers down the attack button, or if you prefer finesse or speed, Super Street Fighter 4 has it all, and with a cast of 35 characters, there is certainly a wide variety of options to choose from. Unfortunately some characters can be considered clones of eachother, and it certainly isn't uncommon two find two characters who feel completely different and have a different fighting style, but who share the same moves nonetheless. While no special move is EXACTLY the same, with some characters you can certainly feel a kind of familiarity that cuts both ways. For example, if one would to try out the schoolgirl Sakura after spending some time with Ryu, one would notice a different playing style in Sakura, as in that she focuses more on speed and swiftness, but that her specials handle the same as Ryu. In a way it's good, because this allows for players to explore the entire cast without feeling alienated, but on the other side, it's also bad, because it can sometimes make you wish that characters were a little more unique.

With such a wide variety of characters, there is surely always one for you.

However, there are plenty of character which offer a playstyle unlike any other character, and there are some which truly lean on the edge of bizarre, so expect the cast of Super Street Fighter 4 to be filled with both uniqueness and variety. Another thing that Capcom did to further give all characters a certain flavor of uniqueness is give all characters another Ultra combo. You can perform our Ultra Combo when you get beat up sufficiently and your ''Revenge Bar'' Fills up half way. Super Street Fighter 4 gives every character two different Ultra combos, and you select which one to use in the fight when selecting your character. This personalizes your character just a little more, in a way that he or she will perform an ultra combo which YOU find cool to see, or which meshes best with your playstyle. The ultra combos always give a good feel of satisfaction when you land one, and some really leave you gaping in awe.

New jaw may or may not be included

As for more of the gameplay, there are a fair amount or options as always. There is a ''Story Mode'' for each character which involves his or her participation in the tournament, added with a small cut-scene in the beginning and the end. It's the same loose storyline that you can expect from pretty much all fighting games, and while some character's journeys become quite serious, other just participate in the tournament for the most absurd reason. Also included is VS mode, which is your standard bout against the AI or a Friend. Trials make you hone your skills which each character, teaching you combos and general tips and tricks. It's a great place if you want to know the ins-and outs of your preferred character, or if you just want to spar for a bit.

Online is also vastly improved in comparison to the previous game. Super Street Fighter 4 features Ranked Match and Player Matches, which is dubbed ''Endless Battle'', in which you can join lobbies with up to eight other players and play according to a''Loser Swaps'' principle. Also, it is noted if whom you are playing with has a proper connection, which is always a plus in online gaming. Online also feature a tournament mode, which is your standard Knock-Out Tournament, and Team Battle, in which Team bouts can be held with a max of 4 VS 4. Just had an awesome match and want to watch that again? No problem! All your fights can be saved and viewed again in the replay channel, so even you machinima and youtube lovers can show off your skills.

Another HUGE improvement in the online department is that players are motivated to play with all characters. In the previous game, you could bet your that you would encounter Ryu, Ken or Sagat and would be right 95% of the time. Now with several achievements and trophies which motivate online play with all characters, along with the rewards of emblems and titles, online is a much more pleasant experience, with plenty of variety here and there. Tweaks to each character also makes sure that the gameplay is very balanced. Of course, a character with a projectile will mostly have an advantage against characters who do not, which is the sad truth, but Capcom made sure the game feels mostly fair...mostly

The move that dominated Street Fighter 4, thankfully nerfed.

Overall Super Street Fighter 4 is one of the best fighters out there. With a large variety in cast, a really big ''Pick up and play'' value and with a fighting system that is as hard as you want to make it, this is the game to get/rent if you are interested in fighters, or are a long time fan of fighters. With the added reduced suggested retail price, fans of the series and both newcomers to the franchise are advised to at least check out this game!

Super Street Fighter 4 is available on the XBOX 360, PS3 and will be available on the Nintendo 3DS

Melancritic Reviews Split/Second

2010-08-30T16:14:00.003+02:00

So, Split/Second. One of the more recent racing games out there. Promoted with promising a '"Hollywood'' experience, players get to race in various destructible environments, never having any race that is the same and promising excitement all around. Will the team behind popular racing game ''Pure'', Black rock studios again deliver a fun racing experience or will Split/Second really only leave a short impression? Click on ''read more'' to find out!

What if you have an arcade racer and a multi-billion Micheal Bay movie and put them together in a blender, The result would be shrapnel, but jokes aside, that's what Split/Second is in a nutshell. The player is put in the position of a contestant in a fictional TV-Series '"Split/Second'', and apparently the producers are the single most rich people in the world, as they can buy entire cities and rig explosives in them, but aside from the fact that such a show in real life-is impossible, we needn't forget that this is fiction, and immerse ourselves in the experience.

The game certainly does it's best to create a believable experience that one is participating in said TV Show, the game doesn't call the ''Stages'' Stages, but rather "Seasons'', and there are twelve different seasons, with six episodes per season, each episode representing one event like a race or something similar. Before and after each season, you get a nice little montage, like a real TV series, what previously had happened, and teases with what is up to come. Everything in the game's presentation literally screams Hollywood and TV Series, so the game certainly appropriately delivered on that. One really feels he or she is participating in a TV series.

This is also reflected in the gameplay, the HUD is kept to an absolute minimum, there is no Mini-Map or anything similar. The only Information you have is displayed on the back of your car, which shows the Lap Number, your Position and your Energy, nothing more nothing less. This was actually quite a smart move by the designers, as the place where you will be looking at most in a racing game is YOUR car, right? Sure, every once in a while you will watch to an upcoming corner, or a car that passes by, but you don't want your eyes all over the place. Split/Second cleverly fixes that problem, and i can really see other games taking this concept over. It's smooth, slick, and most important of all, it's not in the way.

With less clutter on your screen, you can really enjoy and immerse.

Well not, I did mention explosives did I not? This is one of the biggest gameplay parts in Split/Second, when drifting or drafting, you collect energy. Fill up 1/3 of your energy bar and you can execute what the game calls a ''Power Play''. Most light power plays lets some explosive barrels drop, or let some cars explode, I even saw a few real impressive ones like buildings collapsing. With these Power Plays you can wreck your opponent, taking away their spot. Obviously, other AI players can utilize the same power play against you, so the game is can really dish out some unexpected jabs at you, which can sometimes provide frustration, but the game always gives a fair chance. The larger Power Plays can even change the course of the track drastically, creating an entirely new route, or letting an entire dam (Yes, and entire frigging dam, apparently Split/Second doesn't care about the welfare of other humans ) collapse. Such Power Plays always yield great result and it always feels satisfying to be in last place, then to have an airplane crash and snag in third or second place. Again, Hollywood is the key

Said explosives, tracks and cars are all very visually pleasing, and with so many destructible environments and route-changing power-plays, no race will indeed be the same. The graphics look slick and really mesh with the game style, and the explosions really sometimes make you stare in awe.

Simple arcade racing is not the only thing you can do though, there are various different events like dodging a helicopters missiles, trying to survive every powerplay detonated in a course, called ''Detonator'', and more, and these event mesh seamlessly in the Career Mode, making sure you things will feel fresh every time around, and that you don't get stuck by getting bored by doing the same thing over and over again.

However, for every good thing, there must be a bad thing as well. There are 11 different Courses/Tracks, but some are just slight variations of the other. The game, especially in the beginning stages, begs for more variety. It is only when you get halfway into the career mode when you have a good variation of tracks for each events, it is enough to prevent the player to get bored, but only barely.

As for online, it's basically what you are used to in the Career Mode, only upped a notch. Mix the ''Normal'' Race that you come across in Career Mode with '"Detonator'' and you have a pretty good idea what online races look like, literally everything will explode and collapse, so either this is extremely fun to you surviving amidst all the chaos, or will frustrate you to no end.

Split/Second, overall, looks very visually pleasing, and provides solid gameplay, and good fun overall, The game certainly delivers on it's promoting aspects ''Hollywood and Action'', and is easy to pick up and play. However, the lack of tracks, and online being mostly the same cars and being a little predictable, makes the worth of this game for re-playability a bit low. If you are curious, it's definitely worth a rental, or even a purchase if you are a fan of a good solid arcade racer.

Split/Second is available for the PS3, XBOX360 and PC.

Melancritic Reviews Alan Wake

2010-08-29T13:28:00.008+02:00

So, Alan Wake! Remedy has been working on this XBOX 360 exclusive for quite some time, first annouced when the XBOX360 was announced, which by now was quite some time ago. Promoted as a Psychological Action Thriller, it's the attempt of he team behind Max Payne to show what the team is capable of, and in some aspects they certainly deliver, while in others it is quite lacking.

Click on ''Read More'' to view the entire review!

First of all, let me just say that the lighting and the atmosphere in this game is drop dead gorgeous. Remedy really didn't hold back in trying to recreate a beautiful mountain town and the eerie feeling that comes with it. Props to the designers at Remedy for that fact. A lot of studio's could learn from the way these guys create environments. In short, Alan Wake looks very pleasing visually, but that's just the wrapper of the gift, you have to see what's inside, right?

Storywise, it's pretty good. Alan is a writer who has ''Writer's Block'', (Don't we all one day), but it has persisted for several years. His wife decides they should take a nice holiday, so off they go to Bright Falls to have a relaxing time. At one point, Alice vanishes and Alan decides that he will rescue her, and this is where shit hits the fan. Alan finds that there is one evil force behind the chaos that then breaks out in Bright Falls, and Alan, hoping it will let him find his wife, decides to fight this darkness. (Because we all know that that is the most wise thing to do, right?). The story is a little bit typical, but has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Unfortunately there are no real big cliffhangers and ''mindfucks'', mostly just puzzled minds, who eventually get their answer, but players will be left with a ''Meh'' feeling in the end, thus it doesn't deliver fully on the ''Psychological'' aspect on which the game promotes itself.

But on to the ''Action Thriller'' Part, the gameplay! Alan Wake doesn't really shine here, in fact, the gameplay is it's weakest point. Players are forced to walk from Point A to Point B continuesly. While this is not essentially bad, it's what's between Point A and B which really makes a game. Players are presented with people consumed by darkness, which is nothing more then them being covered in a black fog. Unfortunately, these generic enemies and possessed objects are the only enemies you will ever find, and are all killed in the same way, burn the light of with thine holy flashlight, then deliver two shots to the head. It's an experience that get's quite boring, and because players will know what they are up against, the '"Thriller'' Part is quickly taken away. No need fearing in what you can expect, right? The story slightly makes up for this, but this is a GAME we are supposed to be playing.

While the Enviroments are top notch and the story is quite decent, the gameplay is well below sub-par. The parts between cutscenes get tedious quickly, and sometimes I personally felt like I had to do a tedious task before I had to see the next point of a B-Movie. (Note: When Gaming feels like working, then you are beating the purpose of gaming). Alan Wake is by no means a bad game, however it does not deserve the label of ''Psychological Action Thriller'', as it fails to deliver on all three words. Perhaps ''Interactive Story'' would have suited this better, and I perhaps feel that if Remedy decided to bring out the episodes as Arcade Games, I.E. Alan Wake: Episode 1, etc etc etc then it could have been much more successful.

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Alan Wake is available on the XBOX 360

Welcome

2010-08-29T12:57:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the Melancritic's Game review blog! Here you will find honest game reviews from time to time, which will look beyond the viewpoint of the regular consumer!