"What if you were reading this review, and instead of a review, you were reading about yourself reading this review? Quite the dichotomy, isn't it? Alan Wake by Remedy Entertainment in a way poses the same predicament for the lead character who shares his name with the game's title. Mr. Wake, who is also a bestselling author, seems to have lost a period of time in his life. Unsure of what happened to the past week, he starts stumbling on pieces of a novel which describe the events that are currently unfolding in his life. Is Alan just a pawn in a novel himself? Could some sinister dark force be at work here? Or perhaps Alan is just crazy.

The strength right from the beginning of Alan Wake is the sheer character and emotion that's put into the story. Superb voice acting helps this along as Alan monologues in a tone and pace that only a bestselling author could. The story starts with Alan heading to the town of Bright Falls, Washington on a vacation with his wife Alice. You see, it's been some time since Alan has written a novel, two years to be exact. Alice thinks a vacation could help clear Alan's writer's block, and help him find inspiration for his next great literary piece. The town itself is another major character in the story, a place where everyone knows everyone else and the biggest celebration of the year is something called "Deer Fest." It's the perfect getaway from the big city life of New York. Needless to say, all Alan wants to do is get the keys to the cabin and relax with his gorgeous wife. But it isn't long into his trip before things begin to go awry. The cabin curator doesn't show with the keys, and instead Alan is handed directions and keys to the cabin by a mysterious woman in a dark diner hallway. Something is off." | more