Alan Wake - (original video game)

[darth los]

True. The horror comes from dreading every second your in a forest what "might" happen. Whenever there's a stretch where I know there's going to be enemies to fight, like a forest, I run through it like, "oh shit! oh shit! oh shit!"

[MikePizzoff]

My room mate just got this, so I'm hoping he'll blow through it and let me borrow it.

[darth los]

My room mate just got this, so I'm hoping he'll blow through it and let me borrow it. Mornings I go to the gym, then to work, so needless to say I have a busy schedule and i still blew through this in about a week, so it shouldn't take that long.

[LouCipherr]

Whenever there's a stretch where I know there's going to be enemies to fight, like a forest, I run through it like, "oh shit! oh shit! oh shit!" Y'know what's funny? The first day I got the game, my son played it most of the day - when I came up to watch him play, he's walking along a forest path and his flashlight starts dimming and acting weird. He says, "oh no, it's happening again!" and he's just kinda creeping along the forest path - I said to him, "RUN! Don't just sit there or walk slow, RUN!" and he started running like crazy down the path. Still ran into all the enemies there, but, we had that same feeling - the feeling of "oh shit! I gotta go, and like, FAST!" was all we could think about! This game really does rock nuts.

[darth los]

And if you notice there's barely any gore in it at all. Side note: Hollywood has been relying on the gore way too heavily recently. Perhaps something like this, even in this medium, will remind them what true horror is all about.

[LouCipherr]

As was said about "Jaws" - it's what you don't see that's frightening. Something that a lot of directors and screenwriters have forgotten. You're right, there's pretty much no gore for the most part in AW - yet it still is spooky as hell. Atmosphere, people (I'm speaking to hollywood here) - look it up, and don't stop on the definition about it being a gaseous mass surrounding a planet/celestial body!

[bassman]

As was said about "Jaws" - it's what you don't see that's frightening. Something that a lot of directors and screenwriters have forgotten. That wasn't an artistic decision. They had to leave the shark out because they were continuously breaking down. That's one fuck up that worked in their favor...

[darth los]

That wasn't an artistic decision. They had to leave the shark out because they were continuously breaking down. That's one fuck up that worked in their favor... Boy did it ever. But the fact remains that sometimes in horror, less is more. The dread leading up to the actual horrific act, whether it be dismemberment, being eaten by a shark or whatever circumstance they are in is often more scary than the act itself.

[LouCipherr]

That wasn't an artistic decision. They had to leave the shark out because they were continuously breaking down. That's one fuck up that worked in their favor... Yes, this is true, but the end result is what it is - it's what you can't see that's spooky as shit. Many older horror films got it right too, but when the camera starts following around what was meant to be scary (Freddy in NOES, Jason in Fri13th for 2 examples just pulled out of the air) it's no longer scary. Suspense. It's more than "the condition of being suspended"

[darth los]

Yes, this is true, but the end result is what it is - it's what you can't see that's spooky as shit. Many older horror films got it right too, but when the camera starts following around what was meant to be scary (Freddy in NOES, Jason in Fri13th for 2 examples just pulled out of the air) it's no longer scary. Suspense. It's more than "the condition of being suspended" I wouldn't even go that far. I thought those movies were scary, particularly Jason, because you had the same feeling of dread running through the forrest , never knowing if and when he was going to jump out, as Alan Wake gives. Where they stated going too far was the low budget slasher films and their descendants of today, Torture porn. Those consist of movies like Hostel and Saw, in which it seems their only purpose is to show the audience human innards.

[LouCipherr]

True, and I agree darth, that the whole torture porn shit is horrible and has gotten old real quick. Personally, I think these types of movies went south long before movies like Hostel & Saw came into play. I guess "Less is more" is a phrase Hollywood has forgot about. Kinda sad, really.

[ProfessorChaos]

alan wake is on sale at best buy for $40. just picked up a copy, i plan on starting it tonight.

[MinionZombie]

alan wake is on sale at best buy for $40. just picked up a copy, i plan on starting it tonight. Hope you enjoy yourself with it. I'll return to play it a 2nd time at some point. I want to let it settle in my mind for a while first, plus I need to catch up with a title on my wish list before Mafia 2 comes out in a couple of months. "The Signal" DLC is coming soon too - I just hope they release the DLCs on disc like they did with "Episodes From Liberty City".

[darth los]

alan wake is on sale at best buy for $40. just picked up a copy, i plan on starting it tonight. The one I played was a rental so I'm defo' going to snatch up one of those.

[bassman]

Down to $40 already? Awesome. I'm going to let it drop about 20 more and then give it a shot.