Games: Alan Wake

This is a quick drive-by posting. I don't think I qualify as a gamer, per se, because my interests and skills are very limited. I tried Ghostbusters 3 (PC) and couldn't do it. I managed Dragon Age: Origins (PC) and World of Warcraft okay, but couldn't hack the controls for the newest Resident Evil (console). (I have hand/eye coordination issues and first-person shooters trigger massive dizzy spells. (I'm still sad I couldn't play Portal.)) I got pretty good at Viva Piñata...I SO fail at being a gamer.)

I don't think I can play Alan Wake, either (haven't tried the controls yet). But whoa, is it cool! It's actually a game I'll sit down and watch someone else play. It's reminiscent of Twin Peaks (which I loved), and I'd have a hard time believing it's not intentional. There's a bit of Steven King thrown in as well (he's actually quoted at the beginning).

We got through episode 1 yesterday (there are 7 currently, with more promised as future downloadable content) and I was kind of sad that I was so drowsy I couldn't keep watching. (I've watched bits and pieces of games while others played, but never more than a couple of minutes.)

Alan Wake is a best-selling writer who has hit a slump and travels with his wife, Alice, to Bright Falls, WA for a change of scenery. He's not there long before things turn truly bizarre and pretty freaking scary.