Thanks to Dave Harder convincing my wife that the hottest XBox 360 game is Alan Wake, I have a new game to play late at night.
After playing the game, I realized it was a game that could be entertaining for people who work in Data Centers. Bad things happen when the power goes off.
During the day in each episode Wake can wander and talk to NPCs, but once the clouds roll in and the moon lights up it's a whole different beast. Shadows flit across the ground at supernatural speed like X-Files black oil when threats are imminent. The lighting effects can be stunning. Moonlight pours from above, streetlamps and construction bulbs indicate the way forward, and Wake's all-important flashlight is a tool for exploration and, more importantly, to vanquish threats. Just because there's such a focus on story and presentation doesn't mean the game lacks a responsive and satisfying combat system.
You have a flashlight to help you see the bad people and find generators to turn the lights on.
You need batteries which are sponsored by Energizer. The diesel generators could have been sponsored, but they all look pretty beat up, so putting a logo on it isn't worth much.
Here is a video turning on a generator.
Here are some reviews.
Critical Response
Michael Plant from The Independent gave the game a perfect score of 5/5. He praised Alan Wake for its "flawless pacing", which "ensures a compulsive experience". Editing and plot were also received very positively, making the game "the kind of experience the current console generation was made for."[32]
The Daily Telegraph rated the game 9/10 with editor Nick Cowen being impressed by its "stunning" look, stating the town of Bright Falls and its surrounding environment to be "authentic" in terms of architecture, vegetation, weather and lighting. He described the atmosphere as being able to "...turn on a dime from feeling safe and serene to one of choking menace and foreboding...". Combat mechanics and plot were also praised with the first making "the player feel constantly under threat." and the latter being "...one of its [the game's] strongest assets." Criticism included facial animation and shortness in length.[33]
Dirk Lammers said the game kept "players on the edge of their seats", giving a final score of 4 out of 4 in his review for the San Francisco Chronicle.[34]
Enjoy.