The Signal is part one of two DLC's and this should have come free via a code with the retail copy of the full game, so really there is no reason not to download it, unless of course your X360 is not connected XBLive. For those who have not purchased the game yet read our review HERE to get a full perspective of what to expect before forking out your hard earned cash.
With no memory of previous events Alan has arrived back in the Bright's diner and with the surrounds seeming like a ghostly dream everything has a sense of déjà-vu about it. Following a GPS signal Alan treks back into the darkness (glutton for punishment) to get some answers about what's going on around him. After consulting in the magic mirror on the wall and being rearmed with the “means to an end” torch and “process of elimination” pistol Alan finds out that he is not the fairest of them all and it is time once again to enter the storybook fairy-tale and once again bite into the poison apple, metaphorically speaking.
It continues with the same elements and atmosphere of the main game with the spooky, murderous hook/knife/axe/sickle/chainsaw wielding enemies back to terrorise and of course the scariest enemy of all returns, the darkness itself and any objects it chooses to possess. Just like the main game the enemies need to have the darkness sucked out of them, bringing them into mortal existence and either dissipating of their own accord or eliminating them using the weapon.
Again the shadows in the mist play tricks with the eyes making it feel like a demonic cacophony of dancing satanic creatures surrounding the very air that I breathed, with an uneasy tremble encasing my reality, giving me chills and reminding me of what a true survival horror game this really is. You get chased by pages from your own book and I thought geez they must have been from a really bad rough draft that is now coming back to haunt him. Barry even makes a humorous cameo appearance starring as a shadow of his former self.
There are new objects like a lantern for a bit of extra lighting kick and the collectable's here are alarm clocks instead of flasks. The line between book, game, reality, sane or insane are gelled into this DLC with words themselves being ripped from the pages of one of Alan’s books and playing a key part in the game, hovering in front of you and clearly marking where items and memories reside, in fact all major pickups are labelled this way It’s as if a developer said, “You know what, items were too well hidden previously, so let’s write big words in the air so the players can’t miss them. Words even star as enemies themselves considered “Bad Words” they are not what you think, they are things like Raven for e.g. and if you shine light on them for too long they transform into the creature and start attacking so it is a good idea to avoid altogether.
The soundtrack reminds me of an insane asylum patient playing an out of tune violin, this adds to the suspense and intensity of the game. Although there is really no objective or point apart from following the signal, it does a sufficient job extending the existing story twisting and teasing a little giving it another open, up to your own interpretation style ending
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VGChartz's Mark Nielsen: "All in all, it’s not hard to see why Alan Wake has received a bit of a cult following (there’s that famous foreshadowing again). It’s a title that blends themes and gameplay, while pushing the limits of storytelling by putting stories within stories and letting you read those stories before you get to that part in… the story. It has flaws, to be sure - the gameplay side can’t quite keep up with the rest of its ambitions - but overall it’s a great game that stands out among its peers and is undeniably… one for the books."
Alan Wake 2 continues the writer's story, 13 years later.
Remedy has Alan Wake merch on sale, including a pretty blue thermos. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone according to plan, and many players who want a thermos find themselves without one, though it does appear that Remedy is attempting to fix things. Nevertheless, it has resulted in a lot of upset, illustrating just how much the thermos means to Alan Wake fans.
