Alan Wake Digital Foundry

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-alanwake-tech-analysis

Alot of interesting stuff about the technical side of Alan Wake.

It turns out the game's native resolution is very odd. There are different rendering targets some lower and some higher than 720p. But the frambuffer itself is 540p (even though most of the post-processing and the HUD run native 720p). This resolution gets software scaled by the engine to 720p and then hardware scaled up to 1080p. The low native resolution is masked by a "combination of of high levels of anti-aliasing and high-quality scaling". So overall the image quality isn't reduced gradually.

The game also runs at 30 FPS with some screen-tearing like in Gears of War.

Digital Foundry also stated that the "environments and lighting are second to none". They go on about how Alan Wake looks very impressive graphically. The only minor point is that the character animations could have been way better.

I can't wait to play this personally. I still don't doubt this will top Uncharted 2 as the graphics king. Hell, Remedy is even working on improving the character animations on future DLC.

alan wake is going to pass u2 in graphics i believe to

Cannot wait to play this. All the reviews say that the environment and atmosphere in this game in amazing.

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

Because its a different take on the horror genre that doesn't rely on shit jumping out at you from every corner. It relies on atmosphere, visuals, music and sound effects that build a terrifying mood to scare you.
Also its a new and innovative gameplay style. Fight with light.

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

You have to take off those Sony goggles first.

ghost23 wrote:

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

Because its a different take on the horror genre that doesn't rely on shit jumping out at you from every corner. It relies on atmosphere, visuals, music and sound effects that build a terrifying mood to scare you.
Also its a new and innovative gameplay style. Fight with light.

In psychological thrillers it's the writing that makes it scary and from what I've heard Alan Wake gives Steven King a run for his money. All the reviews I've read so far say it has great writing and the acting is great too. In fact I heard on a podcast that it makes Heavy Rain's writing and acting looks like the first Resident Evil.

343_Guilty_Spark wrote:

ghost23 wrote:

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

Because its a different take on the horror genre that doesn't rely on shit jumping out at you from every corner. It relies on atmosphere, visuals, music and sound effects that build a terrifying mood to scare you.
Also its a new and innovative gameplay style. Fight with light.

In psychological thrillers it's the writing that makes it scary and from what I've heard Alan Wake gives Steven King a run for his money. All the reviews I've read so far say it has great writing and the acting is great too. In fact I heard on a podcast that it makes Heavy Rain's writing and acting looks like the first Resident Evil.

True, there's also a lot of praise for the atmosphere in the game as well.
At least we know that it has both amazing atmosphere and amazing writing. What more could you want from Alan Wake?

The technology used in Alan Wake shows alot of potential. In future games they could make the lighting elements more part of the gameplay.

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

I think critics lowered their score because it's been in development and hyped for so long it couldn't possibly live up to all their expectations. If they could forget it's been in development for 7 years they probably would have rated it above 90.

Master_Chief wrote:

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

You have to take off those Sony goggles first.

LOL those are the last kind of goggles I would be wearing

343_Guilty_Spark wrote:

ghost23 wrote:

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

Because its a different take on the horror genre that doesn't rely on shit jumping out at you from every corner. It relies on atmosphere, visuals, music and sound effects that build a terrifying mood to scare you.
Also its a new and innovative gameplay style. Fight with light.

In psychological thrillers it's the writing that makes it scary and from what I've heard Alan Wake gives Steven King a run for his money. All the reviews I've read so far say it has great writing and the acting is great too. In fact I heard on a podcast that it makes Heavy Rain's writing and acting looks like the first Resident Evil.

True, it does take a new, fresh (and much needed) look at horror. But I guess it just isn't my type of horror. I love getting scared shitless when things jump out at me. I will probably end up picking this up, and I will have to see when I play.

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

343_Guilty_Spark wrote:

ghost23 wrote:

TheJubJub57212 wrote:

I still dont see why this game is so appealing to everyone. It just doesnt look that great to me for some reason

Because its a different take on the horror genre that doesn't rely on shit jumping out at you from every corner. It relies on atmosphere, visuals, music and sound effects that build a terrifying mood to scare you.
Also its a new and innovative gameplay style. Fight with light.

In psychological thrillers it's the writing that makes it scary and from what I've heard Alan Wake gives Steven King a run for his money. All the reviews I've read so far say it has great writing and the acting is great too. In fact I heard on a podcast that it makes Heavy Rain's writing and acting looks like the first Resident Evil.

True, it does take a new, fresh (and much needed) look at horror. But I guess it just isn't my type of horror. I love getting scared shitless when things jump out at me. I will probably end up picking this up, and I will have to see when I play.

It's not a horror game. It's a psychological thriller. In films a horror movie would be like Dawn of the Dead and a psychological thriller would be like The Shinning. There are actually very few games I'd call psychological thrillers. Even though Heavy Rain fails at being a game, or a good movie, it's a psychological thriller and now Alan Wake is going to bitch slap Heavy Rain with it's superior writing, setting, characters, voice work etc.

If you're expecting Resident Evil with a flashlight you'll be disappointed. But if your looking for "get in your head and freak you out" story and characters than you'll be in thriller heaven.

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

I showed in one of my threads that a shitload of reviews gave this game a 9 or 10. However most of those reviews do not even enter in the plans of Metacritic. Why? I have no fucking idea. Not to mention that the score gets all fucked up when sometimes some punk reviewer like Gamecritics gave Alan Wake a goddam 65 and Alone in the Dark a 95.

Also Alan Wake is 84% with 45 and Heavy Rain is 87% with 106 reviews...why i ask? The gap is kinda of big.

daveMastaKill wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

I showed in one of my threads that a shitload of reviews gave this game a 9 or 10. However most of those reviews do not even enter in the plans of Metacritic. Why? I have no fucking idea. Not to mention that the score gets all fucked up when sometimes some punk reviewer like Gamecritics gave Alan Wake a goddam 65 and Alone in the Dark a 95.

Also Alan Wake is 84% with 45 and Heavy Rain is 87% with 106 reviews...why i ask? The gap is kinda of big.

Metacritic isn't 100% accurate. I think Gamerankings is a bit better. But they both aren't perfect.

Alan1994 wrote:

daveMastaKill wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

I showed in one of my threads that a shitload of reviews gave this game a 9 or 10. However most of those reviews do not even enter in the plans of Metacritic. Why? I have no fucking idea. Not to mention that the score gets all fucked up when sometimes some punk reviewer like Gamecritics gave Alan Wake a goddam 65 and Alone in the Dark a 95.

Also Alan Wake is 84% with 45 and Heavy Rain is 87% with 106 reviews...why i ask? The gap is kinda of big.

Metacritic isn't 100% accurate. I think Gamerankings is a bit better. But they both aren't perfect.

The guys at Alan Wake forums are doing a amazing job of warning the guys at Metacritic, or else even the review of the escapist that is a perfect 100% was not even there!

daveMastaKill wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

daveMastaKill wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

Alan1994 wrote:

AndrejTheReviewer wrote:

the graphics look great,but they arent anything special for me,still the game looks like it will be a great game,despite the reviewes

The reviews of this game was great. It recieved an 85% overall score on metacritic.

i know what you mean but i expected 90 or more,thats what i meant

I showed in one of my threads that a shitload of reviews gave this game a 9 or 10. However most of those reviews do not even enter in the plans of Metacritic. Why? I have no fucking idea. Not to mention that the score gets all fucked up when sometimes some punk reviewer like Gamecritics gave Alan Wake a goddam 65 and Alone in the Dark a 95.

Also Alan Wake is 84% with 45 and Heavy Rain is 87% with 106 reviews...why i ask? The gap is kinda of big.

Metacritic isn't 100% accurate. I think Gamerankings is a bit better. But they both aren't perfect.

The guys at Alan Wake forums are doing a amazing job of warning the guys at Metacritic, or else even the review of the escapist that is a perfect 100% was not even there!

I'm just glad user-votes aren't factored it. Fanboys gave it a 1.9 before it even released.