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Two narrative devices used in Alan Wake are actually provided by Wake himself: thoughts and manuscript pages. Highlighting certain objectives for players and finding ways to make sure that they stay on task are things that developers have thought of as early as the days of Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon. In Super Mario Bros., there was only one way to go — right. The designers made sure to put a timer on each level that would run down and threaten the player if they were loitering. Likewise, loitering in Double Dragon would bring out the hand that would point to the direction that Billy and/or Jimmy Lee had to walk towards.
Wake’s thoughts keep him connected to the player. Every time he thinks to himself, he speaks to the player. Wake will sometimes express his concern and remind the player of what he should be doing in first-person narrative, presented to the player in the form of a voice-over. Wake will say things along the line of, “I need to get to that gas station” or “I need to go through so-and-so in order to continue.” Wake’s narrative and thoughts keep players focused on the objective without taking them out of game. Players will also find out that he will describe visuals in a way that adds to what the game’s graphics engine can do.
Another narrative device that comes from Wake is the manuscript. These manuscript pages reveal information about parallel events (events occuring at the same time, but different location), other characters, and even foreshadow events to come. The manuscript usually foreshadows future events. But when the former two are on each page, they usually flesh out characters in a way that doesn’t require a cutscene or their presence on the screen. This ensures that the player will continue to learn about important characters and their motives.
Prior to the release of Alan Wake, Remedy released a series of six short web-isodes entitled Bright Falls — the prequel to Alan Wake. These live-action shorts star a journalist that comes to Bright Falls to work on a story only to find that he begins to get caught up in the insanity that seems to be plaguing Bright Falls and its citizens. He begins to find out that he’s been losing track of time, blacking out, and waking up in places he has no recollection of going to. Afraid of what he might become, he tries to leave town before the darkness takes control of him. In a progressive movement by Remedy, releasing a prequel to their game has allowed players to witness the other side of Alan Wake — the Taken. Bright Falls acts as a narrative device that personifies the creatures that Alan Wake finds himself going up against. Through the journalist and Bright Falls, the Taken have a face and story that the player can experience.
Finally, one of the most notable narrative devices used in Alan Wake is the cliffhanger. Each “level” is called an episode, and they each end with some sort of twist or cliffhanger that raises questions and makes the player want to continue. This device challenges the player’s perception of the plot, prodding them to continue and search for answers. Having cliffhangers at the end of each episode indirectly pushes the story forward as players are compelled to keep playing.
The narrative device can be a powerful tool in forming a story with substance and a relevant setting. By providing the player with meaningful ways of learning about the game and the world that was created in different contexts, the experience becomes much more valuable and enthralling. Remedy’s use of narrative devices– a demonstration of immersive storytelling — in a videogame has allowed players to learn about the environment, characters, and plot that make Alan Wake.
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