145-717: Alan Wake is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios . The game was released in May 2010 for the Xbox 360 , with a Windows version following in February 2012 and a remastered version released for PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , and Windows in October 2021, as well as a Nintendo Switch version in October 2022. The story follows bestselling crime thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover
290-532: A capacitor or a rechargeable battery that supplies current to a light source. Such flashlights can be useful during an emergency, when utility power and batteries may not be available. Dynamo-powered flashlights were popular during the Second World War since replacement batteries were difficult to find. At least one manufacturer makes a rechargeable flashlight that uses a supercapacitor to store energy. The capacitor can be recharged more rapidly than
435-589: A cult following , and is often praised for its visuals, sound, narrative, pacing and atmosphere. Alan Wake was awarded the first spot in Time magazine's list of the top 10 video games of 2010. Alan Wake's American Nightmare , a stand-alone spin-off, was released in February 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade service. A cancelled sequel became the foundation of Remedy's next title, Quantum Break . Later, Remedy released Control in 2019, which takes place in
580-578: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
725-513: A hedge maze area similar to the iconic maze in the film, among other references, as well as King's novel Christine , with one of the in-game cars resembling her. King himself was asked for permission to use his quote. He also received copies of the game as a "thank you", but was unable to try them out because he does not own an Xbox. In addition to King's work, Lake has cited the stories of Bret Easton Ellis and Neil Gaiman as influences, as well as Mark Z. Danielewski 's House of Leaves . In
870-407: A high-intensity discharge lamp (HID lamp) as the light source. An HID gas discharge lamp uses a mixture of metal halide salts and noble gas as a filler. HID lamps produce more light than a traditional incandescent flashlight using the same amount of electricity, though not as much as high power LEDs. The lamp lasts longer and is more shock resistant than a regular incandescent bulb, since it lacks
1015-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
1160-571: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
1305-485: A shared universe with Alan Wake . A sequel, Alan Wake 2 , was announced at The Game Awards 2021 in December 2021 and was released on October 27, 2023. Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller " and "the body of a cinematic action game " put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video-game genre. The game
1450-463: A slow-motion cinematic dodge maneuver. The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun . Flashlight beams act as a reticle . The handheld lights Wake can carry can be boosted, which destroys
1595-767: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
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#17327871419051740-416: A volcanic crater lake , where Alan experiences a vision of the old woman. As they unpack, Alice reveals that the real purpose of their trip is to help break his writer's block by arranging for him to see a famous Bright Falls psychologist named Dr. Emil Hartman. Alan is infuriated and storms out, only to rush back when he hears Alice crying for help. He returns just as Alice is dragged into the lake's waters by
1885-425: A battery and can be recharged many times without loss of capacity; however, the running time is limited by the relative bulk of capacitors compared to electrochemical batteries. A reflector with an approximately parabolic shape concentrates the light emitted by the bulb into a directed beam. Some flashlights allow the user to adjust the relative position of the lamp and reflector, giving a variable-focus effect from
2030-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
2175-408: A common prefocus-style miniature lamp produces on the order of 15 to 20 lumens of light and a beam of about 200 candlepower . One popular make of rechargeable focusing flashlight uses a halogen lamp and produces 218 lumens. By comparison, a 60-watt household incandescent lamp will produce about 900 lumens. The luminous efficacy or lumens produced per watt of input of flashlight bulbs varies over
2320-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
2465-607: A corona of light that appears when aiming at an enemy. Instead of traditional health bars, this shield is represented by a circle that decreases in diameter as it weakens. A stronger darkness may recharge after exposure to light over time. When a Taken is finally destroyed, it disappears. The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and places, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns , hand-held flares and flashbangs . Wake can use searchlights to take out massive waves of Taken. Streetlights and other light stands can provide
2610-569: A determining role in the size, weight, run time, and shape of the flashlight. Flashlight users may prefer a common battery type to simplify replacement. Primary cells are most economical for infrequent use. Some types of lithium primary cell can be stored for years with less risk of leakage compared with zinc-type batteries. Long storage life is useful where flashlights are required only in emergencies. Lithium primary batteries are also useful at lower temperatures than zinc batteries, all of which have water-based electrolytes. Lithium primary batteries have
2755-637: A diving suit similar to the one from his dream, who leaves behind pages of a manuscript entitled Departure . Ostensibly written by Alan, he has no memory of writing it. He soon discovers that the events of the manuscript are coming true and that the shadowy figures, named "Taken," are townsfolk possessed by a dark force. After killing a possessed Carl Stucky and reaching the gas station, Alan tries to alert Sheriff Sarah Breaker of his wife's disappearance but Sheriff Breaker states that there has been no island or cabin in Cauldron Lake for decades after it sank in
2900-488: A figment of his subconsciousness, who helps guide Alan safely across the abstract landscape. Zane eventually reveals that Alan himself is the cause of his current circumstance; the maniacal version of Alan on the television screens is an irrational aspect of Alan consumed by fear, his frenzied thoughts affecting the subjective world of the Dark Place. Alan encounters a monstrous conglomeration of televisions, through which
3045-410: A flashlight as one of their features, for example, a portable radio/flashlight combination. Many smartphones have a button or software application available to turn up their screen backlights to full intensity or to switch on the camera flash or video light, providing a "flashlight" function. In addition to utilitarian flashlights, novelty, toy, and ornamental portable electric lights have been made in
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#17327871419053190-535: A hand-held light source and magnifying lenses for examination of the ear canal and eyes, respectively. Aboard naval ships, battle lanterns may be used as emergency portable lighting. Installed in major compartments of the ship, a battle lantern can be detached from its mounting and used as portable lighting in the event primary lighting is out of service. Battle lanterns may use either incandescent or LED lamps and may have either disposable primary or rechargeable batteries. Many flashlights are cylindrical in design, with
3335-442: A lamp mounted at the end of a flexible cable, or a semirigid or articulated probe. Such lamps are used for inspection inside tanks, or inside structures such as aircraft. Where used for inspecting the interior of tanks containing flammable liquids, the inspection lights may also be rated as flame-proof (explosion-proof) so that they cannot ignite liquids or vapors. Otoscopes and ophthalmoscopes are medical instruments that combine
3480-472: A lower internal resistance than zinc primary batteries, so are more efficient in high-drain flashlights. Flashlights used for extended periods every day may be more economically operated on rechargeable (secondary) batteries. Flashlights designed for rechargeable batteries may allow charging without removing the batteries; for example, a light kept in a vehicle may be trickle-charged and always ready when needed. Some rechargeable flashlights have indicators for
3625-418: A means to provide landmarks to give a sense of direction to the player, gave the ability to create foreshadowing in the narrative, and generally helped with overall cohesion of the game world. The first screenshots depicted the character of Alan Wake in much different attire, as well as a different layout for the town of Bright Falls, compared to the released game. According to Lake, the character of Alan Wake
3770-550: A myriad of shapes; in the 1890s, one of the earliest portable battery light applications was a type of novelty porcelain tie pin with a concealed bulb and battery. The most common power source for flashlights is the battery. Primary battery ( disposable ) types used in flashlights include button cells , carbon-zinc batteries in both regular and heavy duty types, alkaline , and lithium . Secondary, rechargeable types include lead-acid batteries , NiMH , NiCd batteries and lithium-ion batteries . The choice of batteries plays
3915-452: A mysterious force. Alan dives in after her, blacking out as he submerges. After yet another hallucination of the old woman, Alan regains consciousness, apparently having driven his car off the road with no memory of how he got there. He attempts to reach a nearby gas station but progress is hampered by murderous, shadowy figures resembling those in his dream. While fighting the shadows with light, Alan repeatedly encounters an ethereal figure in
4060-454: A novelist was based on a fictional police detective (mirroring Remedy's Max Payne ), but now struggled with writing something different (representing their troubles in finding the vision for Alan Wake ). The game's enemies were designed by drawing concept art and then pouring water over them to make them feel "Just a bit off". For the character of Alan Wake himself, Remedy used "concept photos" as opposed to more traditional concept artwork. All
4205-625: A paper tube with the light bulb and a rough brass reflector at the end. The company donated some of these devices to the New York City police , who responded favorably to them. Carbon-filament bulbs and fairly crude dry cells made early flashlights an expensive novelty, with low sales and low manufacturer interest. Development of the tungsten-filament lamp in 1904, with three times the efficacy of carbon filament types, along with improved batteries in varying sizes made flashlights more useful and popular. The advantage of instant control, and
4350-447: A paste electrolyte instead of a liquid. This was the first battery suitable for portable electrical devices, as it did not spill or break easily and worked in any orientation. The first mass-produced dry cell batteries came in 1896, and the invention of portable electric lights soon followed. Portable hand-held electric lights offered advantages in convenience and safety over (combustion) torches , candles and lanterns . The electric lamp
4495-468: A phone number with the voicemail from one of the game's characters, or to a Verizon-sponsored web site where users gain access to exclusive Alan Wake extras for their console. This functionality is only available in the United States. The product placement has been removed in the remastered version. The game's score is composed by Petri Alanko. The soundtrack features the song "War" by Poets of
Alan Wake - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-406: A plastic or glass "bulls-eye" lens to form a concentrated beam. The lens or reflector cover must resist impacts and the heat of the lamp, and must not lose too much of the transmitted light to reflection or absorption. Very small flashlights may not have a reflector or lens separate from the lamp. Some types of penlight bulbs or small LEDs have a built-in lens. A reflector forms a narrow beam called
4785-399: A response. Alan meets the kidnapper Mott at a nearby national park, who demands pages of Departure as ransom. The two fight before Mott runs off into the night. Alan and Barry attempt to retrieve more pages and attract the attention of FBI agent Robert Nightingale. Alan leaves Barry behind and flees Nightingale, who chases him through the forest unsuccessfully. He meets Mott again to deliver
4930-534: A safe haven, which the Taken cannot enter, and will regenerate the character's health faster. Otherwise, health regenerates slowly with time, when not taking any damage. In certain sections of the game, it is possible to use a car to traverse between locations in Bright Falls. When in a car, the player can run down Taken on the road, or boost the vehicle's headlights to destroy them. A major element of gameplay
5075-486: A semi-automatic system to help generate this open world using biomes and other features based on their research on the Pacific Northwest where Bright Falls was set. For example, this tool allowed them to path a road across the game world, upon which the tool would make sure no vegetation would appear near the road though added sprout of grass near its edges, and would add approach ditches and other features along
5220-711: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
5365-411: A signal through a cell phone in order to "focus" and guide himself through the Dark Place. While navigating the realm's shifting, dreamlike topography, Alan encounters television screens depicting a more maniacal version of himself, who uses the power of the Dark Place to narrate circumstances that plunge Alan into danger, sending hordes of Taken after him. Alan also encounters an ethereal version of Barry,
5510-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
5655-438: A single 5 mm LED, may only produce a few lumens. Even a small LED flashlight operating on an AA cell, but equipped with an LED, can emit 100 lumens. The most powerful LED flashlights produce more than 100,000 lumens and may use multiple LEDs. LEDs are highly efficient at producing colored light compared with incandescent lamps and filters. An LED flashlight may contain different LEDs for white and colored light, selectable by
5800-482: A single release was likely more profitable. Spencer said that since then, they recognised this was likely a bad decision as it forced them into a certain way of thinking with respect to monetisation. A number of real-life brands and products appear in Alan Wake . The developers said that they tried to "be very conservative and attentive towards gamers" with their use of product placement , and that they aimed "to make
5945-399: A steady electric current and required periodic "rest" to continue functioning. Because these early flashlights also used energy-inefficient carbon-filament bulbs, "resting" occurred at short intervals. Consequently, they could be used only in brief flashes, hence the common North American name "flashlight". The first dry cell battery was invented in 1887. Unlike previous batteries, it used
Alan Wake - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-407: A target. They are small enough to be easily rail-mounted to a gun barrel. Tactical lights must withstand the impact of recoil and must be easily controlled while holding the weapon. Although most flashlights are designed for user replacement of the batteries and the bulb as needed, fully sealed disposable flashlights, such as inexpensive keyring lights, are made. When the batteries are depleted or
6235-467: A transparent optical element (light pipe) to guide light from the source into a beam; no reflector surface is required. For a given size of light source, a larger reflector or lens allows a tighter beam to be produced, while capturing the same fraction of the emitted light. Some flashlights use Fresnel lenses , which allow the weight of the lens to be reduced. The reflector may have a flat transparent cover to keep out dirt and moisture, but some designs have
6380-423: A tubular shape, or tubular extruded stock can be machined to add threads for the head and tail cap, knurling for grip, and decorative and functional flats or holes in the body. LED flashlights may have cooling fins machined into their metal cases. Plastics are often injection molded into nearly final shape, requiring only a few more process steps to complete assembly. Metal cases provide better heat dissipation for
6525-402: A version of the game for Microsoft Windows was released. Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there
6670-502: A volcanic eruption. Breaker believes Alan is mentally unwell and takes him to the police station. Meanwhile, Barry arrives in Bright Falls in search of Alan. At the police station, Alan lies to hide the hallucinations he has been experiencing. He receives a call from a man purporting to be Alice's kidnapper, demanding the pages of Departure in exchange for her. Emil Hartman appears at the station to invite Alan to stay at his psychiatric hospital , Cauldron Lake Lodge—Alan punches Hartman as
6815-475: A white LED, which needs around 3.4 volts to function. Flashlights using three or more dry cells may only use a resistor to limit current. Some flashlights electronically regulate the current through the LEDs to stabilize light output as the batteries discharge. LEDs maintain nearly constant color temperature regardless of input voltage or current, while the color temperature of an incandescent bulb rapidly declines as
6960-415: A wide floodlight to a narrow beam. Reflectors may be made of polished metal, glass, or plastic with an aluminized reflective finish. Some manufacturers use a pebbled or "orange peel", instead of a smooth reflector, to improve the uniformity of the light beam emitted. Where multiple LEDs are used, each one may be put in its own parabolic reflector. Flashlights using a " total internal reflection " assembly have
7105-409: A winding crank and spring connected to a small electrical generator (dynamo). Some types use the dynamo to charge a capacitor or battery, while others only light while the dynamo is moving. Others generate electricity using electromagnetic induction . They use a strong permanent magnet that can freely slide up and down a tube, passing through a coil of wire as it does. Shaking the flashlight charges
7250-414: Is a bestselling crime fiction author from New York City who suffers from a two-year stretch of writer's block . He and his wife Alice travel to the small mountain town of Bright Falls, Washington , for a short vacation at the advice of their friend and agent Barry Wheeler. Before arriving, Alan has a nightmare about shadowy figures who try to kill him, when an ethereal figure in a diving suit intervenes in
7395-557: Is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless,
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#17327871419057540-526: Is a slide switch that allows the light to be left on for an extended time, combined with a momentary button for intermittent use or signalling. (On earlier models, the button was a switch and the slider simply locked the button down.) Since voltages and currents are low, switch design is limited only by the available space and desired cost of production. Switches may be covered with a flexible rubber boot to exclude dirt and moisture and may be backlit for easy location. Another common type of switch relies on twisting
7685-564: Is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of
7830-443: Is based on a poem written by Lake. "War", however, was not written specifically for Alan Wake . On 20 July 2010, an official soundtrack consisting of 18 tracks was released. In addition to the original soundtrack and these songs, Alan Wake includes several licensed songs used typically at the closing of each episode or elsewhere. " Haunted " by Poe plays at the end of the second episode. " Space Oddity " by David Bowie plays over
7975-443: Is designed to be worn on the head, often having separate lamp and battery components. The battery pack may be attached at the back of the head or in a pocket to improve balance. Headlamps leave the users' hands' free. A headlamp can be clipped to the brim of a hat, or built to mount on a hard hat , instead of using straps; other types resemble eyeglass frames. Similar to the headlamp, an angle-head flashlight emits light perpendicular to
8120-424: Is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of the term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game
8265-411: Is primarily set in the fictional idyllic small town of Bright Falls, Washington . The main gameplay happens in various areas of Bright Falls—such as the forest, a national park, or a farm—during the night time; these are punctuated by calmer, non-combative sequences set during the day. The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake, a well-known novelist who is going through writer's block . In
8410-604: Is the "Previously on Alan Wake ..." recap sequence that opens each episode, and serve to "refresh the player's memory and point to things that will become relevant shortly." A different song plays at the end of every episode, imitating certain TV shows that feature different music during each episode's closing credits . The main game itself is divided up into six episodes. Additionally, two "special features", titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", have been released as downloadable content (DLC). Together, Alan Wake and its DLCs constitute
8555-512: Is the optional discovery and collection of manuscript pages from Alan Wake's latest novel, Departure . Although Wake does not remember writing this book, its storyline seems to be coming to life around him. These readable manuscript pages are scattered around the game world, out of chronological order; they often describe scenes that have yet to occur and act as warning and instructions for proceeding through upcoming challenges. Other optional collectibles include coffee thermos flasks scattered around
8700-524: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . Flashlight A flashlight ( US English ) or electric torch ( Commonwealth English ), usually shortened to torch, is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb , but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since
8845-476: The crunch ," and started coming up with different concepts for a new project. Among these was the concept for Alan Wake . Early on, this was based on trying to tell a deeper narrative story than what Max Payne had been, influenced by works of Stephen King and David Lynch , in particular Twin Peaks , and approached as a television episodic format to tell the story of the action- thriller . The basic elements of
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#17327871419058990-443: The episodic release format , with each of the above episodes released digitally over time, Microsoft instead pushed Remedy to release the main game as a full product on retail disc. Phil Spencer , head of Xbox Game Studios , said in 2020 that at the time, Microsoft was concerned about if the episode format would work and its revenue potentials, projecting there would be declining sales with each successive episode, and instead believed
9135-472: The "first season" of a bigger story. The main game is designed to have a satisfactory ending with the main character reaching his goal, while the DLCs form a two-part special that further expands on the game's story by "[continuing] the fiction and [serving] as a bridge between seasons." The game's developers expressed interest in following Alan Wake up with a second season or a sequel. Remedy Entertainment chose
9280-818: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
9425-431: The "rational Alan" must regain control in order to have any chance of escaping the Dark Place. Zane directs Alan to a lighthouse across the increasingly surreal landscape of the Dark Place, while the irrational Alan attempts to stop him by creating delusions of Alice, manipulating the landscape, and sending armies of Taken after him. Alan eventually outwits his other self and reaches the lighthouse, passing through it to reach
9570-466: The "throw" in hobbyist parlance, while light emitted forward misses the reflector and forms a wide flood or "spill" of light. Because LEDs emit most light in a hemisphere, lens lights with the LED facing forward or reflector lights with it facing backwards radiate less spill. Variable focus "zoom" or "flood to throw" lights may move the reflector or lens or they may move the emitter; moving the emitter presents
9715-482: The Clicker; realising he must maintain balance in the story, Alan completes Departure by freeing Alice, but strands himself in the Dark Place in the process. Finishing Departure, Alan writes the final line, "It's not a lake, it's an ocean." Continuing from the end of the main game, Alan finds himself in a surreal version of Bright Falls and realises he is still trapped in the Dark Place. Zane directs Alan to follow
9860-490: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
10005-496: The Dark Presence's return. Weaver leads them to the "Well-Lit Room" containing a light switch known as the Clicker, which, through the power of Alan's writings, possesses the narrative ability to destroy the Dark Presence. Alan returns to Cauldron Lake alone and dives in, finding himself in a surreal alternate dimension known as the Dark Place, where thoughts and ideas become reality. Alan encounters Jagger and destroys her with
10150-641: The Fall , from the band's fourth studio album, Twilight Theater . Sam Lake said that the song "...is a prominent part of the Alan Wake soundtrack and the theme also links strongly to the game's storyline." Poets of the Fall also perform two original songs, "Children of the Elder God" and "The Poet and the Muse", under the name Old Gods of Asgard. The band wrote the ending theme to Remedy's previous game, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne , called "Late Goodbye", which
10295-413: The LED has a long life compared to the usual life of a flashlight, very often it is permanently installed. Flashlights made for an incandescent lamp can often be upgraded to a more efficient LED lamp. LEDs generally must have some kind of control to limit current through the diode. Flashlights using one or two disposable 1.5-volt cells require a boost converter to provide the higher voltage required by
10440-420: The LED, but plastics are not electrically conductive and may resist corrosion and wear. Industrial, marine, public safety, and military organizations develop specifications for flashlights in specialized roles. Typically, light output, overall dimensions, and battery compatibility and durability are required to meet minimum limits. Flashlights may be tested for impact resistance, water and chemical resistance, and
10585-582: The Luxeon LED, a high-power white-light emitter. This made possible LED flashlights with lower power consumption and running time better than incandescent flashlights with similar light output. The first Luxeon LED flashlight was the Arc LS, designed in 2001. White LEDs in 5 mm diameter packages produce only a few lumens each; many units may be grouped together to provide additional light. Higher-power LEDs, drawing more than 100 milliamperes each, simplify
10730-550: The Microsoft-powered Ford Sync in-vehicle entertainment system. An Xbox 360 console can be seen in one section of the game, with the box of the fictional Night Springs video game next to it, which are collectibles in "The Writer" DLC episode. In multiple sections of the game, Microsoft Tag bar codes can be seen; these can be scanned in real life by the user with the appropriate software on their mobile device. When scanned, these tags redirect players to
10875-446: The TV series storytelling format to establish a certain stylisation and pacing. The developers felt that watching episodes of certain TV shows—such as the heavily serialised series Lost —in the form of released box sets , at the viewers' pace, was a "natural way of 'consuming media'", and that this episodic format was a better fit for a long game. Remedy lauded Lost for its pacing as a thriller TV show. While Remedy had wanted to use
11020-478: The United States, with annual sales of renewal batteries and flashlights at $ 20 million, comparable to sales of many line-operated electrical appliances. Flashlights became very popular in China; by the end of the 1930s, 60 companies made flashlights, some selling for as little as one-third the cost of equivalent imported models. Miniature lamps developed for flashlight and automotive uses became an important sector of
11165-453: The absence of flame, meant that hand-held electric lights began to replace combustion-based lamps such as the hurricane lantern . By 1907, several types of flashlights were available: the tubular hand-held variety, a lantern style that could be set down for extended use, pocket-size penlights for close work, and large reflector searchlight-type lamps for lighting distant objects. In 1922 there were an estimated 10 million flashlight users in
11310-546: The action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
11455-412: The approximate range of 8 to 22 lumens/watt, depending on the size of the bulb and the fill gas, with halogen-filled 12-volt lamps having the highest efficiency. Powerful white- light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have mostly replaced incandescent bulbs in practical flashlights. LEDs existed for decades, mainly as low-power indicator lights. In 1999, Lumileds Corporation of San Jose, California , introduced
11600-433: The area, and others for the night levels that were predominately action-based, and even with some levels having both daytime and nighttime versions. This change better supported the thriller narrative as well. Other key gameplay ideas that came out from this period were the ideas for the Taken and how the player would fight them, how these enemies would appear and the in-game signals the player would see and hear to prepare, and
11745-410: The battery discharges, becoming redder and less visible. Regulated LED flashlights may also have user-selectable levels of output appropriate to a task, for example, low light for reading a map and high output for checking a road sign. This would be difficult to do with a single incandescent bulb since efficacy of the lamp drops rapidly at low output. LED flashlights may consume 1 watt or much more from
11890-575: The battery, producing heat as well as light. In contrast to tungsten filaments, which must be hot to produce light, both the light output and the life of an LED decrease with temperature. Heat dissipation for the LED often dictates that small, high-power LED flashlights have aluminium or other high heat-conductivity bodies, reflectors, and other parts to dissipate heat; they can become warm during use. Light output from LED flashlights varies even more widely than for incandescent lights. "Keychain" type lamps operating on button batteries , or lights using
12035-413: The bulb contains a halogen gas such as iodine or bromine to improve the life and efficacy of the bulb. In all but disposable or novelty flashlights, the bulb is user-replaceable; the bulb life may be only a few hours. The light output of an incandescent lamp in a flashlight varies widely depending on the type of lamp. A miniature keychain lamp produces one or two lumens. A two-D-cell flashlight using
12180-628: The bulb fails, the entire product is discarded. Diving lamps must be watertight under pressure and are used for night diving and supplemental illumination where surface light cannot reach. The battery compartment of a dive lamp may have a catalyst to recombine any hydrogen gas emitted from the battery since gas cannot be vented in use. People working in hazardous areas with significant concentrations of flammable gases or dusts, such as mines, engine rooms of ships, chemical plants, or grain elevators , use "nonincendive", "intrinsically safe", or "explosion-proof" flashlights constructed so that any spark in
12325-429: The cabin. As Alan nears the cabin, the imaginary Barry reappears and tells Alan that he will have to reject all the illusions before he can face off against the insane version of Alan, including the apparition of Barry. Alan is forced to confront Taken versions of Barry and the other townsfolk, defeating them all and reentering the cabin. The irrational Alan is in a paranoid state on the cabin floor; when Alan touches him,
12470-522: The characters featured in Alan Wake were based on real-life models. Ilkka Villi and Jonna Järvenpää, the models for Alan and Alice Wake, respectively, are the only Finnish models in the game; all other models were American. Voice-overs were provided by native actors from Japan and America for their respective regions. After four years of having repeatedly demonstrated the Microsoft Windows version, in 2009, Remedy confirmed that at that point
12615-404: The darkness faster, but also reduces the light's battery level. Besides the conventional shooter gameplay need for reloading ammunition , the player must also insert fresh batteries into the flashlight when they run out, or wait for it to recharge slowly. The strength of the darkness protecting an enemy can vary among the Taken. The amount of darkness "shield" remaining on an enemy is represented by
12760-486: The designer with the problem of maintaining heat dissipation for the LED. The original 1890s flashlights used a metal ring around the fiber body of the flashlight as one contact of a switch ; the second contact was a movable metal loop that could be flipped down to touch the ring, completing the circuit. A wide variety of mechanical switch designs using slide switches, rocker switches, or side-mounted or end-mounted pushbuttons has been used in flashlights. A common combination
12905-410: The dream and teaches him how to utilize light to fend off the shadows. Upon arrival in Bright Falls, Alan goes to a diner to retrieve the keys to their cabin from Carl Stucky, the landlord, but instead encounters a mysterious old woman, who tells him that Stucky had fallen ill and she was entrusted to give Alan the keys. The woman directs the couple to a cabin on an island in the middle of Cauldron Lake,
13050-507: The early 2000s. A typical flashlight consists of the light source mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover (sometimes combined with a lens ) to protect the light source and reflector, a battery , and a switch , all enclosed in a case. The invention of the dry cell and miniature incandescent electric lamps made the first battery-powered flashlights possible around 1899. Today, flashlights use mostly light-emitting diodes and run on disposable or rechargeable batteries . Some are powered by
13195-444: The end credits. Anomie Belle 's "How Can I Be Sure" is featured in the third episode. " Coconut " by Harry Nilsson is played several times during the game. Due to expiration of these music licenses, all digital and retail versions of Alan Wake were pulled from purchase from the various storefronts in May 2017; Remedy offered a large discount for the title in the days prior to removal. The removal did not affect those who already own
13340-502: The evacuation of Bright Falls and left Alan dealing only with the supernatural forces. The game, still designed around this open-world approach, was announced at E3 2005 in June for "the next generation of consoles and PCs ", and was shown to the press behind closed doors in the form of a tech demo . Remedy also used this demo to gain publisher interest. By 2006, Remedy announced they had partnered with Microsoft Game Studios to publish
13485-546: The finished flashlight case. Aluminum, either plain, painted or anodized , is a popular choice. It is electrically conductive, can be easily machined, and dissipates heat well. Several standard alloys of aluminum are used. Other metals include copper , stainless steel , and titanium , which can be polished to provide a decorative finish. Zinc can be die-cast into intricate shapes. Magnesium and its alloys provide strength and heat dissipation similar to aluminum with less weight, but they corrode easily. Metals may be drawn into
13630-439: The first LEP flashlight available in 2018, there are currently a few dozen LEP flashlights, mainly from China. At the moment, there are 2 types of LEP modules used. The laser light either shines through the phosphor layer to produce white light, or is directed at the layer by a mirror. The mirror-type is built inside a plastic module, while the shine-through models are usually built with a copper/aluminum shell, and much smaller than
13775-615: The flashlight are used for signalling, for example, in railway yards. Colored light is occasionally useful for hunters tracking wounded game after dusk, or for forensic examination of an area. A red filter helps preserve night vision after the flashlight is turned off, and can be useful to observe animals (such as nesting loggerhead sea turtles ) without disturbing them. Detachable light guides, consisting of rigid, bent plastic rods or semirigid or flexible tubes containing optical fibers, are available for some flashlights for inspection inside tanks, or within walls or structures; when not required,
13920-490: The flashlight is not likely to set off an explosion outside the light. The flashlight may require approval by an authority for the particular service and particular gases or dusts expected. The external temperature rise of the flashlight must not exceed the autoignition point of the gas, so substitution of more powerful lamps or batteries may void the approval. Inspection flashlights have permanently mounted light guides containing optical fibers or plastic rods. Another style has
14065-507: The form of his spouse who drowned in the lake, Barbara Jagger, the old woman Alan encountered. Zane was able to resist its will and used his writings to cause the volcanic eruption that sank the island, stranding himself within the lake. The Dark Presence has grown strong enough to start to influence the townspeople and create the forces that have pursued Alan. That night as Alan and Barry take shelter, they get drunk on moonshine and Alan recalls memories of being forced to write Departure during
14210-443: The game exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game console and then-current Windows Vista PC operating system . Remedy still continued to struggle with merging the open-world survival gameplay and story, now further complicated with Microsoft's involvement and suggestions for improvement, which Lake compared to a " too many cooks " situation. They were now missing various publisher milestones as they tried various changes to
14355-408: The game there are a number of television sets that can be found around the town in different places. They can be switched on and a short episode of the fictional series Night Springs will be played, which is influenced by the television series The Twilight Zone , created by Rod Serling in the late 1950s. Alfred Hitchcock is also cited as an inspiration, with the flocks of birds that often attack
14500-657: The game was being developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 and the decision to make a PC version was in Microsoft's hands. The game was announced as "done" and undergoing final polishing in August 2009. The game eventually went gold on 7 April 2010, and was released in May. After the game's release in 2010, Remedy said that bringing the game to the PC was "not on the cards at the moment." However, nearly two years after its release, Remedy
14645-470: The game world (100 in all), as well as discovering television sets which show different episodes of the fictional Night Springs series, radios airing talk and music from Bright Falls's local radio station, and textual signs around the town. The radio shows and signs provide a deeper understanding of the town's history and culture. The game's downloadable content episodes introduce other collectibles such as alarm clocks. Alan Wake (voiced by Matthew Porretta )
14790-420: The game's interactive TVs, as well as an allusion to the company's famous advertising line "Can you hear me now?" during a phone conversation in "The Signal" DLC . Additionally, billboards around Bright Falls advertise both Energizer and Verizon. Ford and Lincoln automobiles are also featured in the game. Several Microsoft related brands also appear in the game. Alan and Alice Wake's car shows that it has
14935-469: The game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals, and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from mallets and knives to shovels and chainsaws. They vary by speed, size and the amount of damage they can take, and some can teleport short distances. Besides the Taken, the player must combat flocks of possessed ravens and animated objects . When enemies are close, Alan can perform
15080-412: The game, nor did it impact the availability of Alan Wake's American Nightmare , though that title will likely be affected similarly when its own licensing deals expire. With the help of Microsoft, Remedy was able to resecure these licensing rights by October 2018 and the game was relisted on digital storefronts. Alan Wake was first released exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game console . The game
15225-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
15370-501: The head of the light. Weapon-mounted lights may have remote switches for convenience in operation. Electronic controls allow the user to select variable output levels or different operating modes such as pre-programmed flashing beacon or strobe modes. Electronic controls may be operated by buttons, sliders, magnets, rotating heads, or rotating control rings. Some models of flashlight include an acceleration sensor to allow them to respond to shaking, or to select modes based on what direction
15515-425: The heat and pressure on us". This took about two months but from it came the revised gameplay loop, which they were able to reapply to the existing open-world setting they had, breaking it apart into linear chapter-sized levels for the final game and adding some additional assets as needed. This allowed some levels to be used for daytime that would be used to advance the story, letting the player talk to NPCs and explore
15660-409: The incandescent lamp manufacturing business. LED flashlights were introduced in the early 2000s. Maglite made their first LED flashlight in 2006. Incandescent flashlights use incandescent light bulbs, which consists of a glass bulb and a tungsten filament. The bulbs are under vacuum or filled with argon , krypton , or xenon . Some high-power incandescent flashlights use a halogen lamp where
15805-407: The irrational Alan tries to kill him. Alan defeats the televisions, but wakes up back in the cabin again, and realises he is still trapped. Still trapped in the Dark Place, Alan regains consciousness and accepts that he is the cause of the insanity he is experiencing, regaining his memories in the process. Zane tells him that the "irrational Alan" is still inside the cabin, controlling the Dark Place;
15950-406: The lamp assembly attached to one end. However, early designs came in a variety of other shapes. Some resembled candlesticks , with a bulb mounted at the top of a battery tube fixed to a flat base, with a handle. Many resembled lanterns , consisting of a battery box with a handle and the lamp and reflector attached to the front. Electric lanterns are used for lighting the broad area immediately around
16095-421: The lantern, as opposed to forming a narrow beam; they can be set down on a level surface or attached to supports. Some electric lanterns use miniature fluorescent lamps for higher efficiency than incandescent bulbs. Portable hand-held electric spotlights can provide larger reflectors and lamps and more powerful batteries than tubular flashlights meant to fit in a pocket. Multifunction portable devices may include
16240-403: The length of the battery tube; it can be clipped to a headband, belt, or webbing or set on a flat surface. Some types allow the user to adjust the angle of the head. The Fulton MX991/U Flashlight was an angle-head flashlight issued to US military personnel; similar style lights remain popular. Tactical lights are sometimes mounted to a handgun or rifle . They allow momentary illumination of
16385-413: The lifespan of the control switch. Flashlights intended for use in hazardous areas with flammable gas or dust are tested to ensure they cannot set off an explosion. Flashlights approved for flammable gas areas have markings indicating the approving agency ( MSHA , ATEX , UL , etc.) and symbols for the conditions that were tested. Flashlights for hazardous areas may be designed to automatically disconnect
16530-566: The light guide can be removed and the light used for other purposes. A penlight is a small, pen -sized flashlight, often containing two AA or AAA batteries . In some types, the incandescent light bulb has an integral lens that focuses the light, so no reflector is built into the penlight. Others use incandescent bulbs mounted in reflectors. LED penlights are becoming increasingly common. Low-cost units may be disposable with no provision to replace batteries or bulbs and are sometimes imprinted with advertising for promotional purposes. A headlamp
16675-940: The light is held when switched on. At least one manufacturer allows user programming of the features of the flashlight through a USB port. An electronic control may also provide an indication of remaining battery capacity, voltage, or provide information regarding recharging or automatic step-down of brightness as the battery nears full discharge. Early flashlights used vulcanized fiber or hard rubber tubes with metal end caps. Many other materials including drawn steel, plated brass, copper, or silver, and even wood and leather have been used. Modern flashlights are generally made of plastic or aluminum. Plastics range from low-cost polystyrene and polyethylene to more complex mixtures of ABS or glass-reinforced epoxies. Some manufacturers have proprietary plastic formulations for their products. A desirable plastic for manufacturing flashlights allows for ease of molding and adequate mechanical properties of
16820-399: The lodge before the shadow subsumes it and all those inside. Alan and Barry gradually begin to learn the truth about Cauldron Lake from other townsfolk. An entity known as the Dark Presence is trapped within the lake, attempting to escape by using the lake's power to turn literature into reality. It had previously tried this with a poet named Thomas Zane—the figure in the diving suit—by taking
16965-422: The mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington , all while experiencing events from the plot of his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life. In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers . The game consists of six episodes, and
17110-420: The narrative were set early on: Alan Wake as a successful writer finds himself in the small town of Bright Falls where due to supernatural events his writings have come to life to attack him. To further distance this next game from the linear style of Max Payne , Remedy planned Bright Falls as a free-roaming, sandbox-style open world city, similar to those seen in the Grand Theft Auto series. They developed
17255-429: The open-world format with no clear resolution. Roughly three years into development, the team recognised they needed to stop and refocus on what the core elements of the gameplay was to be. According to Lake, Remedy took the leads from each department to form a "sauna" group, making them work in a room together to lock down the gameplay that Alan Wake should have without losing much of work they had already done, "with all
17400-593: The optical design problem of producing a powerful and tightly controlled beam. LEDs can be significantly more efficient than incandescent lamps , with white LEDs producing on the order of 100 lumens for every watt, compared to 8-10 lumens per watt of small incandescent bulbs. An LED flashlight has a longer battery life than an incandescent flashlight with comparable output. LEDs are also less fragile than glass lamps. LED lamps have different spectra of light compared to incandescent sources, and are made in several ranges of color temperature and color rendering index . Since
17545-403: The pages. As he arrives at the location he witnesses Mott being tortured by the mysterious old woman, confessing that he never actually had Alice. Alan and Mott are then attacked by a dark tornado that hurls Alan into Cauldron Lake. He awakens in the lodge overlooking Cauldron Lake under the care of Hartman who claims Alan is experiencing a psychotic break , triggered by Alice drowning. He claims
17690-402: The plastic type. Accessories for a flashlight allow the color of the light to be altered or allow light to be dispersed differently. Translucent colored plastic cones slipped over the lens of a flashlight increase the visibility when looking at the side of the light. Such marshalling wands are frequently used for directing automobiles or aircraft at night. Colored lenses placed over the end of
17835-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
17980-414: The player-character at night. According to Remedy's creative director Sam Lake , this approach created numerous difficulties in establishing a story and narrative for the thriller to explain how the gameplay elements tied together with the supernatural events. For example, Lake said one idea was based on the supernatural events tied to the no-longer-dormant volcano under Cauldron Lake, which would have led to
18125-432: The prior week. He realised that the Dark Presence is trying to use his writings to escape, holding Alice in the lake so as to coerce him. Alan and Barry are arrested by Robert Nightingale but the Taken assault the police station and drag Nightingale away. Sheriff Breaker, now convinced of the Dark Presence's existence, helps Alan and Barry to reach Cynthia Weaver, a hermit who knew Thomas Zane and prepared countermeasures for
18270-565: The protagonist being influenced by his classic horror film The Birds . The game's setting, Bright Falls, draws much inspiration from the early 1990s TV show Twin Peaks , which was set in the titular town; both fictional small towns in the state of Washington . To research the Pacific Northwest setting for the game, a Remedy team travelled to the area and drove about 2,000 miles between Oregon ; Washington; and British Columbia , Canada, over two weeks, bringing back over 6,000 photographs and videos of various natural settings and Americana of
18415-415: The relatively fragile electrical filament found in incandescent bulbs. However, they are much more expensive than incandescent, due to the ballast circuit required to start and operate the lamp. An HID lamp requires a short warm-up time before it reaches full output. LEP stands for Laser Excited Phosphor. The light source is a blue laser diode, which is directed at a phosphor layer to make white light. With
18560-439: The same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include a combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story
18705-413: The sides of the roads to simplify the world creation. Remedy also wanted cinematic action, so light and darkness was to play a significant factor in the game, which was first built into a dynamic day-and-night cycle. The game would have been more like a survival game ; during daylight hours the player would collect resources, such as gasoline to run portable generators to run lights, as to protect and defend
18850-526: The small towns in the area. These included Astoria, Oregon and North Bend, Washington , the latter where Twin Peaks was filmed, as well as locations used around Seattle for the film The Ring . Even after returning to Finland, the Remedy team contacted Microsoft, based in Washington, for help with additional photographs. Alan Wake episodes Main game: Downloadable content : In its structure,
18995-422: The state of charge of the battery. Power-failure lights are designed to keep their batteries charged from a wall plug and to automatically turn on after an AC power failure; the power-failure light can be removed from the wall socket and used as a portable flashlight. Solar powered flashlights use energy from solar cells to charge an on-board battery for later use. One type of mechanically powered flashlight has
19140-399: The story of Alan Wake plays out similarly to a mystery television program, where each episode brings another piece of the puzzle to the main ongoing story, yet have a distinct plot of their own. As such, Alan Wake is organised into episodes, which include narrative and plot devices normally used in TV, such as cliffhangers at the end of the episodes. A prominent borrowing from television
19285-444: The storyline continues in two special episodes, The Signal and The Writer , that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) in the year of the game's release. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story. Written by Sam Lake and Mikko Rautalahti, Alan Wake took over five years to create. The game
19430-421: The supernatural phenomena Alan has been experiencing were all fabrications of his imagination. Alan attempts to escape the lodge as the shadowy force starts to attack it, learning in the process that the fake kidnapper was employed by Hartman to lure Alan to him. Hartman tries to stop Alan from escaping, and gives the impression that he is aware of the supernatural events surrounding the lake. Barry helps Alan escape
19575-511: The two are made whole again. Alan realises that he cannot let himself fall into a delusional state again for fear of never being able to escape, and returns to the typewriter to start a new story. By 2003, the Finnish studio Remedy Entertainment had created the critically acclaimed Max Payne (2001), and its sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003). After shipping Max Payne 2 , Remedy Entertainment spent some time "recovering from
19720-420: The use of lit safe havens between combat. Lake stated that because they kept as much of the previous open-world elements they already built in this rework, this helped to give "a sense of realness" to the game world. Oskari Häkkinen, the head of franchise development at Remedy during Alan Wake ' s development, said that retaining the open world map, with features planned and rendered in the distance, gave them
19865-697: The user for different purposes. Colored LED flashlights are used for signalling, special inspection tasks, forensic examination, or to track the blood trail of wounded game animals. A flashlight may have a red LED intended to preserve dark adaptation of vision. Ultraviolet LEDs may be used for inspection lights, for example, detecting fluorescent dyes added to air conditioning systems to detect leakage, examining paper currency , or checking UV-fluorescing marks on laundry or event ticket holders. Infrared LEDs can be used for illuminators for night-vision systems. LED flashlights may be specified to be compatible with night vision devices . A less common type of flashlight uses
20010-626: The user turning a crank , shaking the lamp, or squeezing it. Some have solar panels to recharge the battery. Flashlights are used as a light source outdoors, in places without permanently installed lighting, during power outages , or when a portable light source is needed. In addition to the general-purpose, hand-held flashlight, many forms have been adapted for special uses. Head- or helmet-mounted flashlights designed for miners and campers leave both hands free. Some flashlights can be used under water or in flammable atmospheres. Early flashlights ran on zinc–carbon batteries , which could not provide
20155-407: The world feel more real rather than put ads in-your-face." Examples of such marketing include collectable Energizer batteries and lithium batteries to insert into the player's hand-held lights. The phone service provider Verizon Wireless is another prominent brand in Alan Wake : besides Verizon branded mobile phones appearing on screen, there is a 30-second Verizon commercial viewable on one of
20300-407: Was a major inspiration for Alan Wake . The main character as a writer whose work is coming true is a theme that has been explored by King in a number of his works. Wake's narration directly alludes to King on several occasions, including the game's opening line, in which he quotes a Stephen King essay. The game also pays homage to the film The Shining (based on King's novel of the same name ) with
20445-544: Was able to secure the rights to publish a PC version. Alan Wake was influenced by and often alludes to certain films, TV shows and books, as well as paying homage to a number of artists and works. Remedy has explained the shared themes and ideas between the game and other existing works of popular culture as "taking something familiar to people as an element, and building something of your own, and hopefully something [that is] unique in games, but still familiar from other forms of entertainment." Bestselling author Stephen King
20590-429: Was also intended to be the opposite of Max Payne. While Max was a cop and thus suited to an action game, Remedy wanted Alan to be atypical of an action hero, making him a writer, partially influenced by King, that became involved in the events and forced into action. Near the end of the game's development, Alan's story started to become a metaphor for Remedy's work on the game itself, according to Lake: Alan's past work as
20735-400: Was odorless, smokeless, and emitted less heat than combustion-powered lighting. It could be instantly turned on and off, and avoided fire risk. On January 10, 1899, British inventor Rahim Sotoudeh obtained U.S. Patent No. 617,592, assigned to American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company . This "electric device" designed by Misell was powered by "D" batteries laid front to back in
20880-510: Was originally developed as an open-world survival game as an antithesis to Remedy's prior linear Max Payne games, but the team struggled over three years to merge the gameplay with an action-thriller story. In two months, the team reworked the game into a more traditional linear game with an episodic approach that better supported the planned narrative structure, and which allowed the team to reuse previously created open-world assets. The game received positive reviews from critics, has garnered
21025-643: Was scheduled to be released on 18 May 2010 in North America, and on 21 May in Europe. When the game went gold on 7 April 2010, the European release date was moved up a week. Therefore, the game was released in Europe first, on 14 May 2010, and then in North America on 18 May, as originally scheduled. On 23 November 2010, Alan Wake was released on the Games on Demand service of Xbox Live . On 16 February 2012,
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