Brain Hood

If you live in a house with several players, you may be pleased to know that Xbox Live Gold Family Pack is available now.

The kit allows users of the four 12-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold for $ 99.99, which is $ 20 less than the cost of two separate subscriptions. A single membership cost $ 59.99.

Several unique features are included. Thanks to the Family Centre, available on your dashboard or Xbox, users can manage their online preferences and affiliations. Users with children may be in a safe kid-friendly here and they can buy and gift Microsoft Points Microsoft Points for grants.

Monitor Xbox Live usage with activity reports on Xbox website. The Family Pack also lets users in on deals and discounts on family-friendly games, Microsoft Xbox Live’s programming director Larry Hryb, said in a blog post.

If a user already has Gold membership, Microsoft will allow him or her to convert it to a Gold Family Pack, and the credit from the existing membership will apply to the price of the bundle.

This comes one day before the release of Kinect, Microsoft’s add-on for Xbox 360 that allows players to operate the system hands-free. Kinect hits U.S. stores Thursday for $149.99, though Kinect bundles are also available, including an Xbox 360 250GB and a Kinect for $399.99 or an Xbox 360 4GB console, the Kinect sensor, and “Kinect Adventures” game for $299.

Today Microsoft also launched its fall dashboard update for , including the reconstruction of entire user interface.

Recently, on my homeward bound Tube commute, I let out a spontaneous cry of triumph which caused all the other passengers in the carriage to stare at me disconcertingly. I grinned at them sheepishly and did my best to turn invisible for the remainder of the journey. Inwardly, I gave myself a massive high-five. Finally, after about two weeks of toiling away, I would now be able to start reading books again on my daily trip into work. The reason for this is that I’d completed the final gaming achievement from the new list which was loaded onto my Plants Vs Zombies iPhone app in the last update. The game would now have to relax its Rasputin-like grip on me – at least, until the next achievement update arrives (if, indeed, there is one on the way).

Such is the genius of PopCap’s game that the Seattle-based developer could probably ensure its longevity simply by releasing ten or so new achievements every other month. Easily one of the most addictive and delightful games in PopCap’s canon, PVZ has seduced gamers the world over. Originally released for the PC last year, PVZ has jumped onto both the iPhone to the iPad, smashing sales records along the way. The game has been an unqualified success so far, and spurred on by this, PopCap recently announced plans for a port for the Nintendo DS for next year. In the meantime, PVZ has landed on the Xbox Live Arcade, boasting extra content to entice PVZ veterans and newcomers alike to part with their points.

For those who have never heard of it, PVZ is a tower defence game in which players use an assortment of zany foliage to ward off an undead horde lurching across their lawn. They start off planting Sunflowers, which generate sunbeams – the currency of the game – they can then spend on more plants which fire projectiles at the zombies, blow them up, squash them or in some instances, eat them whole. As the game progresses, different types of zombies start emerging – some wearing protective gear, others armed with items which help them vault over your defences – and at the end of each level, the player is awarded with a new plant to add to their leafy arsenal. The game offers a 50-level adventure mode which offers a couple of new environments and battle conditions to mix things up a little, as well as a collection of mini-games. On top of that there’s a list of achievements to complete, an almanac containing a description of every plant and zombie in the game and a store in which players can buy attacking flora and other items. Like both the PC and Apple ports, the XBLA download boasts adorable graphics, a charming soundtrack and the best end credits song since Portal.

Newcomers shouldn’t hesitate to snap up a copy; if this is your first exposure to PVZ then you’re in for a treat. Unlike many other strategy games, PVZ doesn’t suffer too badly from the introduction of a control pad interface, even though it isn’t as intuitive as a mouse and keyboard, and it’s nowhere near as good as a touch-screen. Players select plants using the left and right bumpers, pick a section to plant them on with the right stick and use the face buttons to both plant them and dig them up. The controls require a little finesse – lazily weaving around map can lead to planting your deadly foliage in the wrong place – but mapping the Dig function to the b-button is a stroke of genius (anyone who’s ever accidentally dug up the wrong plant on the PC or Apple device versions will rejoice).

Beyond Puzzle, Zen Garden and Survival mode which make a return from the PC version, the XBLA download comes packaged with some fun new content. The game’s Leader Boards are a nice little addition; all the player’s achievements are visually represented by a house with a series of trophies around it, and they can check the progress of their friends by scrolling through their friend-list. There are also a ton of mini-games which can be unlocked including Beghouled (a PVZ version of PopCap’s biggest selling game, Bejeweled) and Heavy Weapon (a cross between Space Invaders and PVZ)

The biggest reason for veterans to buy the game is that it comes armed with a brand new multiplayer mode. Both the main adventure and the mini-games can be played in co-op, and since two players are involved in the action, there’s the option to toggle the difficulty for this mode, making it significantly higher than that for solo play. There’s no jump-in/jump-out option offered, and no online co-op. But it’s a lot of fun (aside from the odd argument about the use of sunbeam resources) and in bowling mini-game on offer, it adds to the enjoyment. For Vs mode, one player controls the plants while the other controls the zombies. The latter’s objective is to shuffle through their opponent’s defences, enter the house and eat their brains while the former has to take out three targets on the undead’s side of the garden. Both players have access to all the plants and zombies that have been unlocked in the Adventure mode, as well as a couple of new ones – such as the Trashcan zombie, a slower, tougher version of the Screen-door zombie. The mode offers a new way to play PVZ which feels both fresh and inventive. The only downside to the Vs mode is that it requires at least one player to finish the Adventure mode an unlock all of the plants first, otherwise the zombie side can feel slightly overpowered.

It’s a little annoying that, at least for Vs mode, the plants aren’t all unlocked to begin with. Another aspect which may irk fans is that the Michael Jackson-inspired dancing zombie is a thing of the past; it has been replaced here with the Disco Zombie. The only thing lacking from the whole package is a lengthy list of achievements; players only have a paltry 12 to shoot for, so one can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed. It also doesn’t help that some of the new achievements are also laughably easy.

Aside from this minor quibble, the only conceivable aspect standing in the way PVZ selling well on XBLA is its hefty price tag. The game certainly offers a lot of content for the 1200 MS points players have to shell out for it, but anyone who owns the game on PC or iPhone will have already played through most of it. PC Veterans in particular may find paying £10 for a co-op mode (and little besides) a little steep for their liking. However, if you’ve never played PVZ before on any platform, then purchasing it is a no-brainer because it’s hands down one of the best video games ever made for any platform

SEATTLE — 2K Games and developer Gearbox made a surprise reveal at the PAX PRIME 2010 in Seattle when they showed the game for the first time. PAX Prime 2010, also known as the Penny Arcade Expo, is an annual public show centered around video games. Many of the top video game companies are on hand to show off their latest products, some for the first time like Duke Nukem Forever. Duke Nukem Forever’s reveal quickly became the biggest story at PAX because of its long history of false starts and its surprise appearance and announcement at PAX that caught even the game media by surprise.

The game has had a “coming soon” status almost forever as delays and developer problems have plagued the project since the sequel was first announced in 1997 as a follow on to the wildly successful Duke Nukem 3D game. The original studio, 3D Realms, went bankrupt in 2009 and at PAX, it was revealed that Borderlands’ developer Gearbox had been brought in to resurrect the project and deliver the game that the public got to finally try out at PAX.

Duke Nukem’s previous false starts had been a running joke in the games industry and its appearance at PAX was a complete surprise, so much so that most attendees thought it was a joke. The line at the 2K Games and Gearbox booth went around the booth and them some as show goers waited more than an hour to check out the much anticipated game. Behind closed doors, guarded by multiple security guards, Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software, gave an enthusiastic introduction of the game and showed off the new trailer for the game. Gamers were then let into a room where they could try out Duke Nukem Forever hands on for the first time.

“It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here. We’re showing it. We’re making it playable,” said Brian Martel, EVP and Chief Creative Officer of Gearbox Software.”We just surprised everybody because whenever you mention Duke Nukem, it’s been a long storied history. We didn’t want it to be a joke.”

Duke Nukem is known for its over the top lead character and hero, a misogynistic, man’s man who throws off one liners as he kills his enemies.  With lots of nudity, swearing and comic banter, the first game became a fan favorite with a massive cult following in the 1990s. Almost a decade and a half later, its successor is finally almost here. Duke Nukem Forever is slated to ship sometime in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3 Playstation and Windows PCs.

Check out our exclusive interview with Gearbox Chief Creative Officer Brain Martel below as he talks candidly about Duke Nukem Forever at PAX PRIME 2010:

The year has been riddled with quite a few video game sequels. Most of them have been high caliber, exceeding expectations and overcoming what held them back in the original. After players have finished one game, he or she is able to jump right back into the experience and count down the days until the next installment.

However, there is Kane and Lynch 2. This game somewhat improves what held it back in the first installment but still has a long way to go in order to reach the ranks of games such as Mass Effect 2.

The game does have a few good aspects, including its very unique look. It has a shaky camera style seen in films like “Cloverfield” and “Paranormal Activity.” The camera work is excellent, selling you on the “made for YouTube” approach to the game. Along with the camera style, there is a definite sense of dark grit. Headshots are censored by a blur effect, making the act feel more gruesome than it is. Voice acting and sound work are also both excellent.

The story draws players in immediately when Lynch meets his former partner Kane. It is clear that neither of them is very comfortable with their new lives nor with each other. Their body language and tone reek of uncertainty.

It is when players actually start playing the game that Kane and Lynch 2 falls apart.

Overall the game is a very bland third person shooter. The games’ title would have been more accurate if it were called “Kane and Lynch 2: Mediocre Days.” For the most part, the mechanics are there, but, unlike most good third person shooters such as Gears of War and Uncharted 2, there is nothing special about Kane and Lynch 2. All players end up doing in the game is moving from open space to open space, shooting waves of enemies that were made from the “Copy/Paste” school of design. As a matter of fact, during the first 20 minutes, players will have seen all that Kane and Lynch 2 has to offer. All the things players do in this particular game have been done before and done ten times better.

There is nothing to note about the story either. There are a couple of disturbing moments, but it never reaches the crime/thriller cinematic experience that it longs to achieve. It falls apart by the half-way point and players will find little reason to care about what is going on.

There is co-op, both split screen and online. It is suggested that players avoid split-screen entirely, as this game has some of the worst split-screen in recent memory. The black borders on the top and bottom of the screen are so big that it wedges the two screens in the middle. It virtually makes it impossible to see anything. When either Kane or Lynch gets shot, flecks of Kool-Aid blood coat the screen, adding to the already annoying presentation in split-screen. Even rain will impede progress, splattering on your reticule. There is virtually no discernable difference playing as Kane or Lynch, and it is very apparent that the game wasn’t made for co-op of any kind. The challenge never gets ramped up. The only good thing about co-op is that at least players won’t have to suffer alone.

Multiplayer is also available in the form of Cops & Robbers (which is like team death match), Undercover Cop and Fragile Alliance. In each of the three forms, the robbers have five minutes to steal a large sum of money and make it to a getaway car while the police are on their tail. Undercover Cop has a disguised cop in the team of robbers, and he or she has to take out the team before they find out. Fragile Alliance has everyone working together, however, if one of the team members becomes too greedy, he or she can eliminate the other team members and make off with more loot. Undercover Cop and Fragile Alliance are very memorable and plays on your deepest paranoia, as anyone from the team can betray you. Unfortunately, while the ideas are there, it suffers from technical problems. The AI cops all spawn in the same places and the maps are very short. It also suffers from lag, even if you have a good connection. Characters will dart across the screen like they’ve been infused with superpowers, making everything very confusing. More than likely, players will treat multiplayer like a novelty at best.

The biggest crime Kane and Lynch 2 commits is charging the public $60 for a game that is bland, forgettable and short. The main campaign lasts only four hours and after players are finished, they have a feeling that they have been shanghaied. In no way should anyone pay that much for a game that’s behind on the times. If players are looking for a good co-op game that’s low on price and high on fun, then go download “Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light.” It’s beautiful, creative and ten times better than Kane and Lynch 2.

Poor Lara. Everyone’s favourite tomb raider has had it tough the last few years. Once an emblematic duchess of the video game industry, Ms Croft has had to suffer the indignity of starring in two rubbish films being fussed over by Chris Barrie, before naff PS2 game Angel of Darkness spoiled her cred altogether. Even her latest games, despite being more than decent, have been spoiled by snotty upstart Nathan Drake (recently seen in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves), with his perfect stubble, frat-boy repartee and wet T-shirts. Even Lara’s tight vests and impractical short shorts can’t compete with that. So just what’s a girl to do?

A makeover is in order, and perhaps teaming up with a bloke in a skirt. While appearing in a ten quid downloadable game might sound like a bit of a step back for our erstwhile queen of adventure, the Guardian of Light allows for some experimentation to put the spring back in Lara’s step. The result is, well, spectacular.

With a hearty devotion to co-op, arcade style play and an isometric viewpoint, the Guardian of Light initially appears to be a radical departure for Lara. But it’s unquestionably Tomb Raider, with all the high-adventure action and exploration that entails. The zoomed out camera angle doesn’t negate the effects of a strikingly pretty lost civilisation; of lush jungles rustling with the undead, of great tombs carved in stone and volcanic mazes doused in fire. These areas are all laced with vicious traps, stuffed with collectables and provide plenty of giant balls to roll around, pressure plates to stand on and giant spiders to shoot in the face.

Each of the game’s 14 stages is accessible, definable chunks of exploration. Each significantly different in feel, tone and style to the last. They’re all designed to a fault too, meticulously planned out to be easy to navigate but tricky to conquer whether playing on your own or with a friend. In co-op, the second player takes control of the skirt guy, Totec, a Mayan guardian who has lain dormant for thousands of years. Totec has been watching over The Smoke Mirror, an ancient artefact that has trapped the malevolent god Xolotl. Lara, the great ninny, breaks into The Smoke Mirror’s resting place only to have been followed by some mercenaries, who pinch it, release Xolotl’s evil army and all get themselves killed. It’s up to Lara and Totec – rudely awakened by the appearance of his arch-nemesis – to defeat Xolotl and return him to the mirror.

Lara and Totec are equipped to complement each other. Totec has a shield to guard the pair from a hail of arrows, or he can hold it above his head for Lara to hop onto for a boost. Lara’s grappling hook allows Totec to use it as a tightrope or to save him from a fatal fall. Totec can lob one of his spears into a wall for Lara to perch on. It’s beautifully balanced for give and take; proper co-op, in other words, rather than just an extra gun and a second chump to weigh down a pressure pad. The puzzles are designed around these skills and the to-and-fro between each player is terrifically satisfying.

Significantly though, Lara is on her own in single-player. Oh, Totec pops up during the comic-book cutscenes, telling Lara he’s totally helping her out, honest, but then bogs off, presumably to tend to his ponytail (it does look like it takes a lot of work). Totec’s absence immediately avoids the perennial problem of a co-op focused game in that you don’t have a moron AI partner to look after. But most importantly, each level is repurposed depending on if you’re playing solo or in a pair. Puzzles are neatly tweaked, often in incredibly subtle ways, to be solvable by one player, but they never feel compromised. The single-player is in no way diminished by the co-op focus, rather the game is enhanced when playing with a friend.

It’s a fine example of the elegant design and meticulous attention to detail that permeates The Guardian of Light. There is the odd blemish, such as sporadic trial-and-error sections that can irritate (though checkpoints are very forgiving) and one overlong engagement with wafting poison gas, but for the most part everything is expertly crafted. The controls are exceptionally tight, and even the simple act of button-mapping is spot on. Every action on the pad is just right, making Lara and Totec tangibly fluid in your hands.

Combat is handled twin-stick shooter style, with the left stick controlling your movement, right stick used for aiming and the right-trigger firing your weapon. It is, and has been for decades, a marvellous system for gunplay. And it fits perfectly in the Guardian of Light, again suited to either solo blasting or more tactical two player action. Enemies come in various shapes and sizes, huge trolls that thunder towards you with a hefty shoulder barge, smaller, zippier creatures that try to overcome you with sheer numbers and some that explode on death requiring you to quickly nip out of the way. It’s a deeper system than you may expect too, different beasts are handled best with a certain weapon (of which there are many, from dual pistols and shotguns to flame-throwers and rocket launchers) and being able to plant a bomb before detonating it remotely adds a layer of quick defensive thinking. Defeat multiple monsters without taking damage and you build up a combo, activating a relic that gives you a special power-up, such as regenerating health, more power or, my personal favourite, scattershot.

This arcade sensibility is woven throughout the Guardian of Light. You are bombarded with challenges to perform (such as bombing a spiked ball into a fire pit in one go), artefacts to find (that power you up when equipped) and high scores to beat (at which I am rubbish). Crystal Dynamics’ design positively glitters here. Hunting out the collectables is effortlessly compelling, rewarding and most importantly, fun. Whether they’re hidden in the brilliant challenge rooms or dropped in a hard to find nook in the environment, they make full use of the skills you’re provided and encourage you to explore off the beaten track. There are high scores targets to meet by racking up combos in battle or speed-runs to aim for. There’s no way you could do everything at the same time, unless you’re some kind of weird superhuman, so you choose your path as you set out. And whether it’s combat, reaching the exit as fast as you can or just good old exploration, it feels like the game was designed specifically for that one sole purpose. With just so much going on, that is quite an achievement.

Here’s the thing: you’d get change from a tenner for Guardian of Light. My initial playthrough clocked in at around five hours, which is comparable to some retail games I could mention, but with so many challenges to complete and artefacts to find, I wasn’t even nearly finished with it. And the tale of two friends going tooth and nail at the top of the leader boards proves that there’s life in Lara beyond even the challenges the game throws at you. You will rarely find a game that offers such phenomenal value for money, even at full price I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s an exciting reinvention for a heroine whose light has unfortunately faded in recent years; an exciting parade of action, puzzling and exploration elegantly crafted with fresh direction, all while retaining that familiar Tomb Raider ethos. So there you go Lara, all you needed to get back on top was a fresh perspective, and just a little help from your friends.

It looks like Microsoft’s new Arcade bundle coming this fall will not include a hard drive after all.

A listing spotted on Amazon Germany suggests the new bundle comes with only 4GB of storage; likely in the form of a USB stick or perhaps internal flash memory. The listing also notes its release date is August 20, 2010. No word if this will also include built-in Wi-Fi.

The price is currently set at €149 ($190 US), though Microsoft confirmed to us last month the new Arcade unit will be $199 when all is said and done.

Apparently the slimmer Xbox 360 is flying off store shelves as the company is claiming its seeing “unprecedented demand” for the new console since it hit retail late last month. The NPD will release its U.S. console sales for June this Thursday.

A listing relating to an all-new edition of Gearbox’s sublime shoot & loot ‘em-up Borderlands has been spotted on US retailer GameStop’s site, stoking hopes that a definitive package will be hitting shelves soon.

GameStop’s site made mention of a strategy guide for Borderlands GOTY (spotted by CVG), suggesting that a Game of the Year edition is likely on the cards.

No other details were announced, though by now we all know the drill with Game of the Year editions; all of the previous DLC will likely be bundled into one box, and with Gearbox’s post-release support for Borderlands proving highly respectable with the likes of The Secret Armory of General Knoxx and The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned among others it should be quite a package.

Borderlands was one of our highlights of 2009, a delightful redneck blend of shooter and RPG that’s near-unique and an awful lot of fun.

The biggest gaming event of the year is less than one week away. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is about to storm the LA Convention Center and all eyes looking for anything videogame related will be on it. Microsoft will be first out of the gate this Sunday evening with a big Project Natal event…and won’t stop holding gatherings and game demos until the show ends on Thursday. Things will start off with a bang, but will Microsoft have enough gas in the tank to keep people interested once Sony and Nintendo start to show their wares? All signs point to yes.

By this point, one would expect to have already had all of Microsoft’s big E3 announcements either leaked or circling the Net in rumor form. That has been tradition, after all. This year things are different. Sony has spent the past few weeks announcing sequel after sequel while Microsoft’s camp has stayed quiet. My contacts won’t even hint at what to expect, though they do continue to book appointments — some of them with secretive agendas.

But you don’t have to have inside information to have a general understanding of what to expect from Microsoft this E3. Several games have already been announced by Microsoft that we know will be shown off including Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3 and Crackdown 2. There’s also the big Project Natal unveiling Sunday evening, where you can expect to learn the 3D camera’s final name and price, along with the launch lineup of games.

Ah, yes, Natal. This little gizmo will be the focus of the show for Microsoft for the first couple of days. Microsoft is targeting the more casual consumer with its 3D camera, so you can expect most of the games to be in line with what have been hits on Wii. Joy Ride with Natal, some carnival games, and perhaps a fitness program wouldn’t be any surprise at all. That doesn’t mean there won’t be anything the core gamer will enjoy. Several “hardcore” games will be announced or shown to entice those that already own an Xbox 360, including some by third parties and the goofy little Milo.

The focus will slowly begin to shift towards things the traditional IGN reader would get excited about at the start of the press conference on Monday, June 14, at 10:00 AM Pacific. Project Natal will still have a big presence there, but we’ll also start to get some news on more conventional games. Expect Rare to announce its next game, the Summer of Arcade lineup to be detailed, and a few other game unveilings to take place while MS hammers home the fact that it has a new Halo and a new Gears of War game coming within the next 12 months.

The consensus around these parts is that Natal has to wow and Microsoft has to announce at least one major game coming to Xbox 360 for anybody to consider this to be a successful E3. That doesn’t mean Xbox 360 fans are headed for disappointment should Natal fail to excite. There are, after all, plenty of games that are already announced which we’ll be getting our first look at that should have you more than excited for E3.

The sadly underappreciated Gothic role-playing series has been around since 2001 and has told the tale of a soft-spoken nameless hero who ventures forth into a dark fantasy world and eventually becomes a skillful archer, mighty warrior, or powerful wizard while avoiding the perils of being slain by an orc. Perhaps even more sadly, the previous game in the series, Gothic 3, was released with noticeable technical issues, despite the fact that the game also took on an ambitious graphical overhaul. Now, the series is back with a new developer, Spellbound, and a new chapter: Arcania: Gothic 4. Arcania will have a new nameless hero, a new story, and a new home–whereas the previous games were for the PC only, Arcania will also appear on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

We recently had a chance to see the Xbox 360 version of the game in motion to get a quick overview of the game, which starts off on a fairly large “tutorial island” before shipping you off to the rest of the game, which takes place on two other, even-more-vast islands. You play as a nameless shepherd (a brand-new character) whose entire world has been turned upside down by a violent, bloody raid on his home island perpetrated by the new king, Rhobar III, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the previous games’ nameless hero. The king’s raiding party kills off all your character’s friends and family, not to mention his fiancee, so you embark on a journey to seek revenge for your fallen comrades, and you can eventually become a swordsman, archer, or wizard, just like your predecessor.

Arcania seems to be easy to control and easy to play with the standard Xbox 360 controller–your character’s various skills are mapped to quick buttons (a single button press will switch your character from magic to melee to archery), while you can use the D pad to immediately switch to different quick-use items (such as food and other healing items)–a godsend to Gothic fans who previously struggled to pull healing potions out of their packs while they were being beaten to death by monsters.

In addition to reintroducing the series’ three different combat professions, Arcania will have a skill-tree system with points that can be invested each time you gain a level, and its combat systems will be streamlined to make them a bit easier to use. For instance, melee combat will take place with a single button to attack (but will have specific combination attacks based on timing and your character’s invested skill points) plus a separate button to either dodge or block with a shield if you have one; archery will let you autolock your targets at the cost of doing less damage, or zoom in on your targets for deadly headshots once you become more skilled; and magic will have three primary schools in fire (which can be developed to rain down damaging blasts in an area), ice (which both damages and slows the speed of enemies), and lightning (which temporarily stuns enemies by causing their bodies to briefly convulse in pain).

Since Arcania’s story takes place only 10 years after the events of Gothic 3, you can also expect to see reappearances by other familiar characters in the series, such as Diego and Gorn. And again, that new homicidal king sure looks and sounds a lot like the previous games’ nameless hero…but the developer suggests that the story of how the king became what he is may not be as straightforward as it seems. The game itself will be a bit more focused around its story and will have a more-linear structure that will take an estimated 30 to 50 hours to complete for players who just want to reach the end, though there will still be plenty of side content for those who want to poke around and do some exploring.

Alan Wake begins with a nightmare.

Chased by a ghostly hitchhiker he thought he’d just killed with his car, the titular protagonist is running and stumbling through the woods when suddenly, with a panicked start, he wakes. The writer is safe next to his loving wife, the sun is comfortingly bright and the two are on a relaxing vacation together in a peaceful rural town. Everything’s okay… okay, that is, until their cabin comes alive, the wife is swallowed by an evil lake and the writer wakes up again, dangling alone over the edge of a dark cliff and wondering desperately which, if any, of these experiences is real.

Playing Alan Wake, you’ll face the same confusion. The game’s greatest strength lies in masterfully blending truth with fiction, mixing darkness with light and shifting backwards and forwards through time until you don’t trust your own perception, let alone your hero’s. Sadly, the recurring nightmare metaphor can also be extended to how you’ll ultimately feel about the game; while half of Alan Wake is an original, compelling and brightly intelligent mystery story, the other half – which you’ll sink unwillingly into over and over – is a murky, mundane slog through repetitive settings and recycled enemies.

But first, the outweighing good.

Alan Wake, anti-hero

He’s not another soldier. He’s not another superhero. Most importantly, he’s not another bland, generic videogame protagonist designed to look cool on the cover or serve as an empty vessel for the player. Alan Wake doesn’t need to accommodate and reflect your personality – he has his own.

It’s a complex one, too. He’s a celebrity novelist, as famous for punching out paparazzi as he is for writing best-selling crime books. He’s wealthy, intelligent, charming and handsome (a dead ringer for Christian Bale), yet in spite of these blessings – or possibly because of them – he’s selfish, moody and troubled as well. Alan yells at his wife. Alan drinks too much. Alan can be cruel to both his friends and fans. Consequently, however, his journey is way more interesting than someone like Master Chief’s, whose only goal is to save the galaxy. Alan must also save his soul.

Small town surreal

Both helping and hindering him in this mission is the town of Bright Falls, Washington, a setting somehow more eccentric than the protagonist himself. Visit the local diner and you’ll meet a pair of geriatric mental patients who claim to be forgotten rock gods. Wander towards the restrooms and you’ll be ambushed by a woman wearing a black funeral veil. Head over to the sheriff’s office and you’ll find a concerned citizen obsessed with changing light bulbs and a psychiatrist who specializes in treating “creative” individuals… like Alan Wake. Huh.

Though Bright Falls is incredibly surreal, developer Remedy Entertainment has done a great job of keeping the town believable, too. Billboards and banners celebrating the upcoming “68th Annual Deer Fest” are everywhere, and after you meet a radio talk show host on the ferry ride in, you can listen to snippets of his call-ins and interviews whenever you find a radio. Alan Wake even has its own in-game television series – Night Springs, a badly acted Twilight Zone rip-off that eerily mirrors the events and themes unfolding around you.