Alan Wake comes from the makes of the now very old Max Payne games and it shows with dark visuals and a great sense of atmosphere. I was reminded many times of the nightmare sequences from the first Max Payne and although they do share a similar style they differ in story.
Alan Wake is writer who takes his wife to a small town for a break and you know that never turns out well. Before you know it strange things are happening everywhere and it comes into question whether this is all real, a symptom of Wake going steadily insane or just a visualization of the book that Wake has written yet doesn’t remember writing. The story is definitely interesting, a step up from most video game scripts and it combines with a simple but effective game mechanic that relies on interesting uses of your torch and the surrounding landscape more than it does just blasting away with a revolver, although you do get that too. It’s my kind of game style as I do get sick of just mindlessly blasting away at identikit enemies all the time. Alan Wake hits a sweet spot with it’s combination that few games do.
Above the story and the gameplay is atmosphere which Wake is ripe with throughout the game. Dark shadows and a heavy mist hang through the small village with the dark presence of enemies called The Taken at every turn ready to jump out at you. It gives a great sense of dread and malice. I was constantly reminded of Silent Hill which is does copy a fair bit but manages to remove itself enough to stand out on its own.
I enjoyed it immensely and plan to play the two DLC that are available for the game, although it does seem to be another case of producers removing parts of the main game just to sell it on to make a few extra quid, a trend that is becoming far too rife. Still, if you like the game you’re going to want to download them and that’s what I’m going to do.

My interest in games is starting to ware as I become, steadily, more in love with books just like the old days but I was given a loan ofUncharted: Drake’s Fortune by a friend in the work-place so I had to play it and return it, even if I couldn’t really be bothered.
The game is about Nathan Drake, supposed descendant of real-life explorer Sir Francis Drake, and his journey for the treasure of El Dorado. What this amounts to is lots of Tomb Raider-style jumping from pillar to pillar and Gear of War-style shooting segments, which is an odd combination but it works.
First thing you’ll notice is the voice-acting and mannerisms are top-notch, up there with the best of Hollywood which is obviously where the main inspiration for the game is coming from but, sadly, so does the script which relies far too much on old action-movie cliches: foreign baddies who like to espouse the usual dreaded speeches, slightly ridiculous set-pieces and some generally over-the-top moments. Somehow all that adds to the fun of the game; it’s meant to be a whole big cliche, a true hollywood experience along with the likable lead character and the whole, will-they-won’t-they storyline with the female reporter that rides along for the journey. Another thing is the way the characters look: although the game takes the gameplay elements from Gear of War and Tomb Raider it does not take anything from the character models–the people in this game look like real people. Nathan is skinny and rather weak looking, which flies in the face of the huge hulking man-beasts of the Gears-of-War guys and the female reporter looks…eh, I don’t know how to put this nicely so I’ll just say it: she’s got small breasts. This flies in the convention of every singe female character that has ever appeared in video games, especially Lara Croft’s mountainous mammaries and along with her died-blonde hair with the roots showing you have a realistic and sympathetic character, which is just the same as all the characters in the game. The characters you are meant to like you do and those you are meant to hate, you do.
I have to say that the game is too action-heavy, featuring far-too many killing and not enough platforming. I tend to prefer the latter more to the former but it doesn’t overly detract from the overall experience. One event near the end of the game, just as I was seriously beginning to wane of the constant shooting of foreigners, shocked me and really got my blood pumping. It was a surprising moment in the story and really did change-up the action on-screen and it was a great addition. I just won’t spoil it for anyone that wants to play the game.
The game is short and there isn’t any multiplayer unlike the sequel but it is an entertaining game that’s hard to put down once you get started.

I’ve been playing far too many games so this is the last for a while, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the best games I have played in a while and is obviously not only the best Batman game but I’d consider it the best game using a license since Goldeneye and I do not say that lightly. I completed it all in a week and although I wouldn’t say it was the longest, it felt more light a quickie than a relationship, it was most definitely sweet.

The Joker has escaped and it’s up to Batman to save the day which involves fighting hordes of bad guys and various classic villains aswell as solving puzzles, exploring the island of Arkham and doing general Batman-like things. This is the way I like games, where exploration and thoughtful, intelligent puzzles take over from mindless violence. Well, there is violence and at fist it seems incredible simple with just hitting the same button until everyone is dead but later this evolves until something more where the bad guys use different weapons and you have to think about what you are doing before you actually do it. Yes, I died a couple of times but not many and I wish I’d played it on hard rather than normal mode but even on that it did prove the occasional challenge.

Favourite moment of the entire game is the Scarecrow segments where Batman had been infected with a gas that makes him terrified and you play the levels in his subconscious with the glowing eyes of the Scarecrow constantly looking out for you. I did get some general chills from these bits.

Voice work is exemplary, especially Mark Hamill as the Joker and everything is just done to an incredible high polish. I haven’t played a game of this quality in a while and it was good to get stuck into it.

I recommend you get it.