Alan Wake

If Stephen King made a video game, it would probably be Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake. Produced by Microsoft Game Studios, this third-person survival horror game is about the title character's desperate search for his wife after she is kidnapped by mysterious forces in the small mountain town of Bright Falls. The story is divided into six episodes, like a miniseries. Along the way, Wake realizes that he has subconsciously written a manuscript, which he finds pages of during his search for his wife. While there's plenty of terror brought forth by the plot, there isn't a lack of comic relief from the NPCs.

The main villain is the bizarre force known simply as the Darkness, which turns the entire world against Wake. You'll be attacked by deranged locals, flying objects, and flocks of angry blackbirds. To defeat your enemies, you first need to bathe them in light to destroy the darkness that protects them. While your flashlight is your primary weapon, there's also flairs, flashbang grenades, and environmental objects to use. After you've destroyed the darkness, your enemies won't be immune to bullets. However, like all survival horrors, ammunition is limited, especially in the harder difficulties. So there will be times that you might panic and worry that you won't be able to escape into the light in time. Don't worry, that's supposed to happen.

There's also plenty of little radio broadcasts and Twilight Zone spin-offs to find, making the eerie story and environments even eerier.

One frustrating drawback of the gameplay is the ability to dodge attacks. While you can do this, it requires perfect timing and doesn't always seem to work. It also doesn't help when you've been backed into a corner. Enemies will also attack you from off screen with projectiles and can randomly kill you before you know what's going on.

There's also nothing to do beyond the story mode. There probably isn't even a reason to call it "story mode." It would be more appropriate to call it "the game," because there's no multiplayer or challenge modes to be found.

One last issue is the story's ending. It feels incomplete and leaves you wondering if there's meant to be a sequel (and yes, Remedy has already confirmed it). This could be argued as an ironic ending for a game about a successful writer who has lost his ability to write.

While the overall game is pretty good, the lack of things to do beyond the story makes it not worth $60. Survival horror fans should grab a used copy, and other curious gamers should rent it. Alan Wake is currently available for the Xbox 360 and is due for the PC later this year. It's rated T for Teen.

Image provided courtesy of Wikipedia.

Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain is labeled as an interactive drama by its developer, Quantic Dream. You follow the stories of four characters in a nameless city drowning in its annual autumn rainfall. Their paths slowly converge as they all try to answer the same question: Who is the Origami Killer? While it's nothing for hardcore gamers to go crazy over, this game game is great for casual gamers looking for a more mature approach.

The game's plot is affected by the choices you make as it unfolds. Some choices can be so important that they will determine whether characters live or die. This is great for the replay value, because once you're finished, you'll want to see all the alternate endings and plot twists that you missed.

Heavy Rain also looks and sounds great. I am so glad I invested in an HDTV before I got this game, because some of the close-ups of the characters' faces are very detailed. The story is also pretty good, and will keep you guessing until the very end.

Having said all that, there are a few problems. Controlling the characters' movement, for one, is pretty frustrating. Instead of just pushing the left analog stick forward, you have to hold down the R2 button. Camera angles can also be poor at times, and you are given limited control of visibility. Cutscenes are also unskippable.

I also can't recommend this as a buy for hardcore gamers, because there isn't much experience needed to get through this game. The most challenging thing is a series of button command mini-games, which include the motion controls. However, if you or someone you know is new to the world of video games, and in need of a more mature story, Heavy Rain is what you're looking for.

This game is rated M for Mature, and is available exclusively for the PlayStation 3.