Pardon that the only footage we could get you is some shaky cam stuff. However, I did get a chance to talk to one of the developers and some playtime with the game. So I will share what I’ve got here. First of which is a release window. It will be releasing as a part of the XBLA House Party next month, and you can probably expect a $15 or 1200MS Points price point.
Beyond that, you can expect to get about 5 hours playtime out of the campaign, with the game comprising another chapter in the Alan Wake story, albeit a longer one than previous ones. The story takes place, after the events of Alan Wake, within episodes of Night Springs. You see, Alan wrote those episodes, and has learned some new things since his last encounter with the Dark Presence. He now has some influence in the worlds created.
Beyond that, Mr. Scratch, en evil, serial-killer version of him has escaped into the real world and is after his wife. Wake has become a bit of an urban legend since the events of the first game, and now he has to figure out a way to stop Mr. Scratch before his wife’s time runs out.
The game will also feature some more licensed music as well as some original scoring. The developer I spoke with mentioned that the tone of the music will change to reflect the new tone of the game. This new game, since it’s based on the TV Show, will have more of a Noire feel to it.
As for gameplay, in my short time, it handled much the same as the original. I was only able to play the Fight Until Dawn mode, which is akin to Horde mode with the exception that it isn’t co-op. I was told the games will have leaderboards, but it will be an entirely single player affair. Even so, it was rather a blast, with players placed in various setting with waves of increasing difficulty you have to survive, until dawn arrives to save you. Weapons are scarce, and there are pools of light that work as temporary safe havens. Stamina was not in evidence at the demo, but I am told we can expect it to make a return.
Some new weapons were present as well, such as the nailgun, and the crossbow. Both of these shoot in an arc, and require some more precision at long distance. The Nail gun is high speed, but the Crossbow takes quite some time to reload. However, the Crossbow allows you to pierce the protective darkness that covers enemies, meaning you don’t have to melt it off with your flashlight first. An interesting trade-off, but not ideal when sorrounded by a mob of enemies.
Overall, the experience was enjoyable, and the developers enthusiasm for the title was very infectious. They definitely want to make a sequel I’m told, and they are still working closely with Microsoft. So keep an eye out for this title next month, and maybe if it does well enough, we’ll be hearing about and Alan Wake 2 soon.
