MovieChat Forums > Alan Wake (2010) Discussion > Story supposed to make sense?

Story supposed to make sense?

posted 12 years ago by smoogy_smooger
2 replies | jump to latest

So there's basically a book within the same book in the game. And the game itself is partially "real" and partially the story of the book played out.

The idea of manuscripts are at the lowest level (self reference), just above them the manuscripts as they are shown in game, then the gameplay on the third layer, while some of the gameplay is on the fourth top layer.

Reality in game (Wake has written a book).
-Book played out in parts of the game.
--References to the book itself in the book (the physical manuscripts).
---References to the manuscripts inside the manuscripts. (infinite self-references here?)

I assume that the book starts at the diner, while they in game-reality check in at the place they were supposed to check in at? Or was there really a cabin they went to? (Last scene with Alice in the sea - not part of game reality?). Car crash wasn't real? Does the book tell something about game-reality (apart from the radio shows?), it hints about what's going on there (inspiration for the book?).

And in addition to that confusion we have this time loop with the old lady-diner girl, Tom Zane-Alan Wake. There might not be a single valid interpretation, the game is vague.

Apart from that, good style, reminds somewhat of Max Payne, but I liked that theme better. I like the monologues. Great environments. Really looks authentic.

I generally don't play monster shooters, but this game got away with it because of the mental aspect. However, I think they could've reduced that element quite a lot. The shooting part is not that important, I play for the interactive story.

[–] indynick-1 12 years ago

I always thought the real hero is Tom Zane, he's writing Alan writing a way out to release him from his prison in the Dark Place.

Think about it, Alan is just as oblivious as us, he doesn't know that he's a character in a story too, just not his own. Zane writes about Alan Wake writing his escape from the Dark Place, this is Tom Zane's loophole. Think of it as a loophole in a loophole. Book within a book, a dream within a dream.

Slow cheetah come, it's so euphoric. No matter what they say.

[–] MuggySphere 12 years ago

I'm totally confused by the game now having finished it and the two episodes.. Is it all real or is it in his head? Which bits are actually real?