Alan Wake, which was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 console in 2010, attracted great attention from horror-action game lovers. We were experiencing the struggle of the famous horror writer Alan Wake on vacation with the dark beings. Players who wanted more stories after a game and two DLC packs could not find what they wanted in the spinoff game American Nightmare. Control's new add-on package AWE promises to alleviate the story hunger of Wake fans to some extent.
I remember thinking "Maybe they are preparing for the new game from here" when I saw information about the Bright Falls incidents involving Alan Wake in various documents in Control. It would be a lie if I said I was not happy when I learned that AWE will be about the paranormal events that took place in Alan Wake and Bright Falls, with a short time left. So I have to warn Alan Wake fans like me from the beginning. The Alan Wake game you have been waiting for for a long time has not arrived yet.
Control: AWE takes the first steps in the studio's "Remedy Connected Universe" universe. Sam Lake, one of the leading names of Remedy, announced that the studio's future play will take place in a common universe called "Remedy Connected Universe". We have high expectations about RCU, which will include Control, Alan Wake and possibly Quantum Break, but let's turn to AWE for now.
The voice of the famous writer Alan Wake, who has been missing for a long time and is considered dead, directs our main character to the Research Department of the Oldest House. Dr. The Research Department, where Emil Hartman was caught and brought in, has been closed for a long time and nobody can reach it from outside. When we reach the section with the elevator and enter, we understand the reason for this. A brand new danger has arisen when the dark beings surrounding the Research Department encounter Hiss, who took over the office.
Do Not Shine The Light In Your Eyes
Control AWE has a darker, more spooky and linear gameplay compared to previous packages. In addition to the opponents we fight against throughout the main game and The Foundation, we also need to be on the lookout for shadows. Taking on a completely different shape because of the darkness and the Hiss, Dr. In pursuit of Hartman, we are entering three different sectors and trying to stop the doctor. On the other hand, we get the opportunity to reach us via the red line and witness the writings of Alan Wake.
"I haven't played Alan Wake before, I won't understand anything from this pack." If there are those who think, there is nothing to worry about. Although there is plenty of Alan Wake content in the game, we know that the game we play at the end of the day is Control. There are many documents and audio recordings of the altered objects and the events resulting from them. Altered objects such as a train, two arcade game machines and food machines await us.
A new weapon development has been added to the game with AWE. Thanks to the plug-in called Surge, we can attach a maximum of three explosives to a ground (or to the enemy) and detonate whenever we want. Since I normally fought using the first weapon and the "Launch" skill, I also liked the idea of setting traps while entering the fight and blasting them while passing over the enemy. I have to say that it is very useful in side missions and final boss fight where we clear the air vent.
I said that the game we play is still Control, even though it is based on Alan Wake. We see this also in enemies. We do not encounter the enemies named "Taken" in Alan Wake, which we cannot harm unless we remove the darkness above them by shedding light. The effect of darkness on the game Dr. Except for our encounters with Hartman and his puzzle solving, we don't see it. Considering that the darkness constantly lowers our energy and Jesse wasn't a flashlight, it would be a bit of a nuisance to constantly search for projectors. It is interesting at first to eliminate the darkness that closes the doors with the portable projectors we find in the environment and to escape from our opponent who has undergone a terrible change in the darkness that absorbs our energy until we find the generators. Fortunately, the game is not very long and the game ends when you say "If I have to search for another generator, I will close the game".
While there are no enemies captured by the Darkness, Hiss is still here. In addition to the enemies we have known before, we have a new competitor called Airborne Ranger. These soldiers, the last member of the FBC's unfortunate captured personnel, can attack you in the air and successfully fend off objects you throw.
Federal Bureau Agents Play Atari
In both Control and The Foundation, besides the main role, there were side roles we had and a variety of jobs that would require us to move between regions. AWE, on the other hand, has a more linear gameplay. Besides the main story, there are two side quests we can do and the cleaning quests left by Ahti. There is also an arcade game device named SHUM.
Side quests are related to the items mentioned in the notes you found around. There are side tasks such as solving the puzzle in the train car changed by the terrorists or finding and bringing the "thing" he wanted for one of the astronauts 3 people set off and 4 returned. Ahti's tasks are simple cleaning tasks where we can use new mechanics. The arcade game machines named SHUM seem to be able to increase the replayability of the game.
Although it is one of the most famous arcade game machines of the SHUM era, only two of them have been found. These devices bring the user's mind to the game and establish a virtual reality-like system. There is Horde Mode, in which we try to kill the HISS that attack us in waves, and Time Attack mode, which measures how many enemies we can clear before the time runs out. SHUM 2, which starts to work when you successfully complete one of these two modes, is the part of the game where you can play the boss fights again. The game machine that allows you to repeat boss fights such as The Former, Mold-1, and The Anchor also gives us the opportunity to replay Ashtray Maze, which is arguably the most enjoyable part of the game. When we complete these chapters, we also earn various boosting awards.
Where Is Our Flashlight?
There are some things I don't like about the new plugin package and I want to talk about them. First of all, environmental design is a bit annoying. Since The Foundation took us to a new area underground, it was possible to come across different designs. AWE is opening a new section of the office, and there is hardly any other space. We have the feeling of touring the places we saw in the main game again. Okay, this is part of the Bureau too, but if we saw a little bit different things, I wouldn't say no.
The presentation of the story bothered me a little. DLC starts automatically and continues with Alan Wake's narration on the way to the elevator. We find a department that has not been active for a long time, and there is no one in the Bureau talking about it! Okay, there is a person and he talks constantly, but most of the characters we encounter throughout the game seem to be unaware of such a situation. That constant talking friend also repeats the same things in some places, slightly undermining the atmosphere.
I mentioned that the puzzles are always the same and finding the generator in the dark becomes annoying after a while. And when we had to do this while fighting and when we were caught seriously lost their lives, "Isn't there a flashlight, a hat with a flashlight or something in the big office ?!" It is possible to rebel.
With the Ultimate Edition version of the game, a free update has been released for all players. You can access the new features that affect the whole game even if you do not have the add-on packages. There are useful features such as checkpoints added to some boss fights, new checkpoints you can open, skill enhancements that allow you to take and throw multiple objects. In addition, thanks to the newly added Assist Mode, it is also possible to change some features of the game and activate options such as being immortal or increasing the experience points earned.
Remedy Builds Its Own Universe
Control: With AWE, we are taking the first step into Remedy's "RCU" universe. If you're expecting an Alan Wake story, you'll be disappointed. But if you start with the expectation that this is a Control plugin and a story that allows us to enter the "RCU" universe while telling the story of Alan Wake, it is possible to have a very enjoyable time. Control: AWE has become an add-on that appeals to both Control and Alan Wake fans with its new weapon add-on, enemy and puzzle mechanics, as well as the first steps to a larger universe. It does not give what we want, but manages to excite for what is to come.
Nice article. Love to read it