Although the game began its existence as a tech demo, the full realization of the new Xbox 360 release Alan Wake is a significant achievement in its own sense, according to a review from gaming news site Gamespot.
Gamespot's Tom McShea described the game's night-time forest environments as "spectacular," making it the latest in a long line of Xbox 360 games to fully utilize the console's display hardware. The visuals should play well on anything from an old CRT screen up through an HDTV or HDMI projector.
In addition to the moody and well-realized visuals, McShea praised the "gripping storytelling [that] really sells the protagonist as a famous author. Every moment of this story is fraught with tension. Wake's narration is filled with as many questions as answers because he has no explanation for the strange events occurring all around him."
While Alan Wake has won significant plaudits from the assembled video game punditry, other titles - including sequels to Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect - remain atop most critics' lists for yearly award contention.
