20 Best Game Booster For Pc (2023 Updated)

The HD60X is an upgrade over the HD60 S+ which I (and my kids) have been using for a while in order to capture our gaming endeavors. Notable differences from the older version are the following: VRR Passthrough Support (48-120fps) New Design (all cables come out of the back now) Can capture 120hz/1080p SDR (if source is 1080/1440p and 120hz/240hz) Record in 4K 30 HDR (with 2160p HDR passthrough) Easier Configuration with Next-Gen Consoles The box itself is very simple, two HDMI ports and a USB 3 port are on the back, which is different from the previous model where the HDMI ports were opposite each other on each end.

The new design is much cleaner. Simply plug the HDMI IN cable into your source and the HDMI OUT to your TV or monitor. The USB connection needs to go into your computer for capture software such as Elgato’s 4K Utility or other streaming software such as OBS.

Passthrough will not work without USB power. When connected to a next-generation console like the PS5 or Xbox One X you can play the game in 4K60 HDR on your TV while the capture card records in 1080p60 and even tone maps the HDR to SDR if livestreaming.

When testing with my Xbox Series X the HD60 X was pretty much plug and play where I had difficulty in the past getting the older model to work as easily. I was able to play at 4K60 HDR and capture at either 1080p60 HDR or even 2160p30 HDR! When I tested with my PS5 I discovered that you must disable HDCP from System -> HDMI settings in order to even receive a signal from the PS5.

The capture card will only support unencrypted HDMI signals. Also, note that VRR is not supported on PS5. My PS5 footage of Tony Hawks Pro Skater looked incredible. Full 1080p60 and I can confirm that I got HDR information with my recording.

One thing I noticed is I lost the ability to hit 120hz with my HDMI 2. 1 TV when using the capture card. However, you can capture at 120hz if the source is also 1080p 120hz or higher. There was no perceived lag either in the video being shown on my laptop (using the 4K Capture Utility) or in the passthrough video to my TV.

Pros Captures 1080p60 HDR (or 1440p60 SDR, or 4K30 HDR) 4K VRR Passthrough High refresh passthrough (240hz at 1080p) Analog Audio Input Port (3. 5 mm) Works with OBS, Streamlabs, Vmix, Zoom, Teams Includes 1 HDMI and USB 3.

0 cable Cons Requires Windows for HDR Capture 4K120 passthrough doesn’t work Overall, I think this will eventually replace the HD60 S+ in their lineup, considering it’s the same price and with similar features.

If you are looking to pick up a new capture card then this is the one to get. If you have the previous model probably not worth it, unless you fit a niche use case, or just like the new design. The only reason you wouldn’t get this card is if you also needed to capture or stream at 4K60 meaning you would need to get one of the higher tier capture devices from Elgato.

It works, but you have to wrangle with the hardware for it to do what you want. When I bought this card I was looking for a replacement that could do 4K pass-through on my PS5 because I was getting a new 4K monitor and I like to stream things to people, when I got it setup it would straight up not load, no error or anything I did not know what was wrong, just No Input.

After hours of figuring things out I realized on my own that it cannot output to HDMI 2. 1 so I had to switch my monitor to 2. 0. Now this wouldn’t be that bad it’s a older card, but it then it was crashing every single time I tried to get the pass-through to work in 4K — it’d just freeze up and give up, you see, turns out you have too manually set your PS5 to 1080p, switch inputs and then you’re allowed to switch it to 4K.

Okay fine that’s all right? Wait no what do you mean I have to deactivate and active the card in OBS multiple times per session because it has audio delay that is literal seconds behind. Alright fine, sure, I can do that but oh, if I don’t have the exact correct settings on Discord turns out the whole thing will just decide it’s had enough and die on me until I manually re-plug it, thus having to switch my PS5 to 1080P and then switch inputs and make it 4K.

Overall pretty unhappy with the product, I like things to be plug and play and honestly it’s the fact that these issues work in perfect tandem to make the product experience as miserable as possible.

I’ll only give it two stars because at least it does work with enough hard work and guts.

I have been working with video capture since 2004 when I started with SD video with Pinnacle Studio version 8. I have had several capture cards over the years, and have dealt with MANY head aches. Bad drivers, audio sync issues, over heating cards, etc.

I have used cards and units from Pinnacle, Aver Media, Blackmagic Design, and Happaugh. Although I use the Blackmagic Design cards for the higher end/uncompressed captures, I was looking for something portable I could use with my laptop to capture full HD from several different units.

This card is AMAZING. This capture card is by far the easiest card I have ever owned. I un-boxed it, plugged it into my Windows 10 laptop, installed the software from the website, plugged in my video source, and I was up and running without ANY issues.

I have captured 6 videos already, all of them multiple hours long. No issues at all. I do not do much streaming, as I am into capturing video for editing in pro video software. So I can’t not comment on the streaming capabilities.

But for straight up capture for editing, this thing is fantastic. No audio sync issues, and the software ha great settings for the quality of the capture you want. I like to run capture at the highest settings so I can compress my edits down later.

I am VERY happy with this card. Simple to use, and it just works. Highly recommended.

Pros: This is the industry’s standard, and the first produict family you found online when you decided to capture game or otherwise. Main point: it works. Simple, you just get the HDMI in, it goes through no problems.

It works with OBS, this is the main selling point and difference from the previous model. That means the computer will detect it as a camera and will work pretty much with everything you decide to use.

There is a mic in, which is very convinient for those who dont want a super USB mic, and lets you start working without looking for audio cards, or going through any hassle you pc board audio interface has.

It works well and its a mini jack one. It come with two cables, a VW-1 High Speed USB C and a 4K capable HDMI one. Both at legths to reach a computer without making a mess about your desktop. Cons: I dont like the 4K Capture Ulitity from elGato, in the sense that that there is no hotkeys to use your keyboard, in a bid to make you buy their deck solutions.

However, being able to use OBS or any software with it, this is not a problem.

I used to use a JBL Charge 4 as a speaker for my laptop, so this is a massive trade-up. Great sound quality. If you play something with surround sound audio, it’s instantly recognizable with the soundbar.

Good bass too, although, if the bass is too much then the soundbar moves ahead due to its rear facing speakers. One caveat would be that this definitely needs an equalizer to achieve peak performance.

Others have also talked about the soundbar lacking ports, and also the Razer Synapse software being a bit janky. I have used Synapse for non-audio Razer products for the last month or so and they have been working fine, but it might be different for audio products.

Great value for money at this price range.

Fantastic sound, easy setup, works well with my other razer products. I have over the ear headphones with a mic for when I want to play games that require me to interact with other people, but sometimes I just wanna kick back and play with the speakers on.

This is fantastic for that purpose, very good sound, and with the THX features they sound great. They can also be turned up loud enough that I can listen to music throughout my whole house if I wanted to.

Pretty great so far, after about two weeks.

The V2 is awesome, and sounds great. Period. The RGB is a nice touch. Controls through Synapse work well (for me at least). Having it set to THX surround sound helped the sound settle into the room a lot more.

The only reason I am giving this a 4/5 is due to the fact that the only way you can input the sound is through usb-c. If it had more port options (optical, etc. ), then I would have been much happier.

After having looked around at several different capture cards, I decided to go with the EVGA XR1 Lite. Which I don’t regret one bit, it’s one of the best budget capture cards you can get for your money.

I haven’t yet found a capture card yet that works as advertised. Documentation is very light, troubleshooting all happened with other buyers helping each other.

If you’re buying this game for the price, definitely do not buy it. Do some research before getting into this game because I can tell you that when I purchased this game from the $20 rack I thought I was in for a cheap treat but really I was in for a beautiful looking game that was boring and repetitive.

For anyone interested in this game yes it’s a gorgeous looking game that has some pretty cool concepts around it. Wearing headphones playing this was pretty cool since you could hear all the inner voices coming from all directions and just having a cool feel for the game however the puzzles in this game were so boring and repetitive that after I completed two of them I didn’t want to continue the game.

The enemies come out of nowhere sometimes and just bash you without warning or even seeing them since they just spawn right next to you. The combat was fun in the beginning but once you get into it, the combat just has no versatility.

One final thing is that if I had not ready the little summary on the back of the box, I would not have known what this game was about. The game’s story is so cryptic in the beginning that I had such a hard time being patient enough to see where the story went.

If you have read this far save your $20 or if you really want to get a game that has that same viking/norse god vibe go for God Of War because that game is both beautiful and exhilarating with a great story.

Also God Of War is $20 now and is probably cheaper if you’re reading this review after 2021. So yeah go out and get God of War because Hellblade is a disappointment despite the “awards” it has received according to the box art.

Do not be fooled by that.

Know what you’re getting into before you give this a go. Hellblade is a short, linear adventure tale with some horror elements thrown in. Its roughly 80% puzzle and 20% combat. I’ve seen some compare this to God of War, but I don’t think so.

Only similarities to God of War (2018) are the 3rd person camera view, and the Greek mythology. I think the 2 stand out elements of this game are the graphics and the length. At roughly 8 hours, it is the perfect run time for a game of this nature.

I actually wish more games would shorten themselves like this. This game will live and die for you based on your investment in the story. I personally did not enjoy the story, so I was left with what the gameplay has to offer, which is not much.

The puzzles are fun and make you think a bit – but there are no game play mechanics like leveling up, finding items, etc. This is a very “indie” feeling game in this nature. You just proceed forward, solve the occasional puzzle and move on.

I absolutely love Senua’s Sacrifice! It is literally the only game I will play with headphones, just so I can hear all of the voices. The story is wonderful, and can be heartbreaking. Also, the way Ninja Theory presents mental illness is spot on, treating like an actually illness and not a disease like in other games.

Would definitely recommend to everyone, but most likely would not recommend it to those who hear voices. I took this screenshot on my Xbox One S.

This game takes the action and thrill of Battlefield 2 and adds strategy to the mixture. The end result is a very entertaining battle simulation involving covert ops. The new vehicles include rail buggies, atv’s, and even jet skis.

Some of the new components of the soldier kits include grappling hooks for scaling walls of tall buildings. If you’re a fan of Counter-Strike and BF2, then this game is a must have!.

FOR ME at least, the ONLY reason I purchased BF2SF was to get the additional weapons for BF2. For an expansion it is decently priced, but it is essentially a separate game from BF2 – you can’t play BF2SF maps when you have just plain old BF2 loaded up.

I only played SF once, just to get the additional weapons loaded in, and I haven’t played it since. I recommend just doing the account swap thingy to get the extra weapons if they are your only goal, if you want to play the extra maps, extra abilities, and all the other extras exclusive to SF, then by all means – buy away!.

Bought this recently, and took me a few hours to figure out why it wasn’t being detected at all. I bought this not knowing my motherboard did not have a 4x slot. but knew I could put this into a space x16 slot.

it for some reason did not work in my top x16 slot, that normally a video card would be installed it. So I removed it and tried on the bottom slot. and it still wasn’t picking up correctly in the computer, but I could at least see an unknown device/multimedia controller this time in the device manager.

after installing the software it still had no device detected. looked around and found the drivers page. The pages claim that this is plug and play. but you still need to find the correct drivers for the correct card.

after finding the correct drivers, and a reboot. everything seems to be working like it should. *TLDR* Can work in a 8 or 16x slot if you do not have a 4x. ( will still only run at 4x speed) check device manager for unknown devices or multimedia controller with out drivers installed make sure you have the correct drivers for the correct card.

I’ve been researching capture cards for months before deciding to go with the Elgato 4K60 Pro MK. 2. It was a toss-up between this and the Avermedia Live Gamer 4K. The main reason for choosing this was the price, which at the time was $220, $80 less than the AverMedia card.

As for using the card itself, it was a painless installation, and the fact that it uses a PCIe 2. 0 interface meant that I could have it a the lowest PCIe slot on my motherboard. After installing the 4K Capture Utility, everything was smooth sailing.

Keep in mind that if you plan to use this with a PS4 you MUST disable HDCP in the system settings. Go to [Settings] > [System] and make sure that [Enable HDCP] is unchecked. If you plan to use a PS3 you must use something like an HDMI Splitter that will allow you to bypass the HDCP that is always enabled on the PS3.

Bottom line: The Elgato 4K60 Pro MK. 2 is a great capture card.

This is a multi-functional box, not just for streaming. Buttons can be programmed to do anything your keyboard or mouse can do AND can fire multiple commands in sequence allowing for some pretty complicated actions.

Button faces can be customized with your own graphics and can even include live data. Profiles can be saved and shared with user communities. All of this makes it ideal for the Flight Simulator enthusiast or any other software with a supportive community.

Multiple pages and multiple profiles can be accessed so you aren’t limited to just the 15 buttons you see. You can have pages and pages of pre-programmed buttons. See pictures for examples.

Just as I started to get into the game, it started glitching. The game starts out as a tutorial. Thats okay, many games do this. But it keeps going…more tutorial like play through! Just as I got some freedom to explore and start collecting items…the game freezes.

I’m stuck on the pause screen…hours of exploring and dodging enemies so I don’t loose my stuff to be lost having to close the game! I restart and make some progress. THEN the game force quits and I get an error message that the PS5 closed the game do to an error and info has been sent to Sony! A day later I start it up, I’m in a state where I’m starting to get into the game once more.

The game gets stuck AGAIN on the pause menu, after I spent hours clearing a level and about to solve a puzzle. I’m getting rid of the game. Too many glitches that impede the slow tutorial like game play that spans for a long time.

Creative Assembly have returned to their most famous Total War setting in Total War: Rome 2. In doing so, they have taken almost everything that was enjoyable about the previous Rome title and disregarded that for this game.

The end result is a broken and buggy game that lacks the depth and character of the original Rome. At the same time, Creative Assembly seems to have failed to take into account any of their more recent successes – particularly from Total War: Shogun 2 – and has released a stripped down empty game with illogical or plain unentertaining game mechanics.

The political aspect of the game appears to have no actual purpose or effect on the game, while the UI isn’t anywhere near as user-friendly or informative as the previous titles. The great multiplayer systems of the previous titles in the series is now also gone, replaced with a system no better than those used in the original Rome.

Multiplayer is also sluggish and unstable, leading to more pain then it is worth. This game shouldn’t under any circumstance be considered for its multiplayer. As is, by now, tradition for Creative Assembly, their AI is entirely broken to the point where the game is a piece of cake on even the toughest difficulty settings.

In battle, the AI acts illogically and in contradiction to everything Creative Assembly advertised. It beggars belief that Creative Assembly wasn’t aware of this prior to releasing this game. The game isn’t entirely void of entertainment however, with beautiful visuals and some interesting gameplay mechanics scattered throughout.

The game shows a lot of potential, but is hampered by it seeming to still be in a state of early beta. It is hard to see the game being finished or brought up to scratch through just patches however, with a strong need for future expansions to introduce gameplay mechanics that were unnecessarily stripped out of this title.

Overall, Rome 2 is the worst Total War release since Empire: Total War. It has greatly damaged the credibility of Creative Assembly and has brought into question their commitment to future PC titles.

Their decisions has left a game bereft of the interesting and entertaining gameplay from previous Total War titles, while also indicating disturbing greed in their removal of key factions for future DLC.

The best possible overview of the state of the game can be found on YouTube, where the AngryJoeShow gives a strong argument for the strengths and weaknesses of this title in their review of the game.

My recommendation is to not buy this game until it is either suitably patched or expanded on, and the issues experienced at the moment are resolved.

When I watched videos of this game, I thought that it would be a great heir of first Rome: Total war. But when I played the game I was very disappointed. Game interface is very poor. It looks more suitable for RPG’s, than for Total War series.

It is very cumbersome and not such informative and understandable as in previous Total War games. Stylization is more antique and modern. And this is depressing because it ruins the games setting. But not only that the game soundtrack is not such memorable and beautiful as in previous games.

It is just background music that make no sense. I can’t say that games soundtrack is bad, but comparing with first Rome: Total war where in music set the tone for the battle it is just common music. Another drawback is global map.

Visualization of it is excellent, but game mechanics was simplified. Now you shouldn’t to plan what you will build in yours cities just because there only few choices and most of them are clear and plain.

Armies recoveries automatically and when you ordering new units, they automatically appear in your army. Also your armies can cross seas without ships. They just transform into ships! And finally battles.

They are quicker, but maybe it will be patched. The main problem of battles is victory points. Now you can see them not only in cities, but even in open field battles. You can simply win battle if you manage to capture and hold them.

And no matter how small your army is and how big is enemy’s army. During siege now you can just burn gates by every squad! Catapults, siege towers, ram, ladders? Forgot it! Just burn gates and run to victory points! Summing up I can say that this game is not that Total War that I played many years ago.

It seems that developers wanted to draw new auditory, but not to satisfy those gamers , that played Total War back then. Of course this game does have some good new ideas, nice graphics ( but very very poor optimisation, so no guarantee that you will see nice graphics) and huge battles.

And maybe, many people will like it, after numerous patches. Third patch is on the way, but in my opinion no patch will bring me the Total War that I liked so many years ago.

Game at its current state (September 2013) has some serious issues all explained at length in AngryJoe review (search youtube). But fixes are on the way and this week we are getting third patch. It seems that developers are really determined to make this game as much bug free as possible and maybe they will include some features they left out – I really hope so.

Other than that MP, and Co-op are very enjoyable and another good thing about this game is that the campaign map is very beautiful. Also all battlefields are unique – whole campaign map is actually a big battlefield.

Every battlefield is constructed from data taken directly from your position on the campaign map. At this current state and as a big fan of the Total War franchise, I would rate this game 7/10 , but if CA (developers) listens to our criticism we may get a very solid 8+/10 sometime in the future months if they continue to release solid patches.

I bought this game for xbox 360 used from game stop years ago. I wanted to buy the ultimate edition for PC so I can experience all the DLCs and the full game comfortably. (I prefer keyboard and mouse and didn’t get very far on the xbox) Unfortunately you have to either buy these disks new or unused because the disk ISN’T A ROM.

It redirects you to steam to enter your code effectively making the disk useless besides the initial installation. And because I bought this used so was the code making the purchase of this game a waste.

I prefer having physical copies of my games even on computer but unfortunately to my knowledge there isn’t a ROM disk version of the game.

One of my all time favorite games. I’m right now thinking about doing another playthrough. One issue though is the bugsI have this on Xbox 360, PC and PS3. Overall it’s been the most playable for me on the PS3.

The Xbox version had issues out the gate, even installed on my HD. The PC worked fine until I got all the DLC now it freezes up. I now have it for the PS3 and I have not downloaded any expansions and it has been pretty reliable.

But whatever platform you play it on it’s an amazing game that NEEDS a premastered ultimate edition for PS4/PS5.

This is my first time buying a Fallout game, I bought it because my friends talked about it and I wanted to try it out. The one I got lists that it is playable on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, I can’t test this because I don’t have an Xbox one.

What I got included; Two Discs (Disc 2 was an installation disc, while Disc 1 was the game disc), and what I assume are DLCs, which are Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, Lonesome Road, Gun Runners Arsenal, and Courier’s Stash.

I didn’t relise I ordered the Ultimate Edition until it came, but I’m not complaining. The Discs came brand new, not a single scratch. Putting the discs in a case where the silver parts are touching lowers the scratching of said discs, this works for me.

Long review short, I Haven’t played it yet, but It looks fun, and my friends recommended it.

Final Fantasy XIV has really kept the content coming and continuously makes the game feel fresh with frequent events and vanity items that are split between grind rewards and cash shop. I love the fact that I can have my character looking cool and unique without delving into the cash shop.

In fact, the best mounts, minions, and costumes are usually exclusively grind-rewarded. I love that about this game, especially as someone who hopped over to Black Desert Online for a time, where cash shop feels like a necessity.

I’m very excited for the next expansion to FF14 and the new race they’re bringing in. I don’t think you could go wrong trying out FF14 if you’re looking to change MMOs or just enter the whole genre. It has a special mentor program where new and returning players get their own chat channel to ask questions and get help with quests from veterans who have signed up to be “mentors.

” The story is engaging, although sometimes you’ll get those unskippable cutscenes in the main campaign that are waaaay too long (we don’t need to read your treatise on why you’re bent on world domination, __insert name here___).

Come to Eorzea!.

FFXIV A Real Reborn is probably one of the best comeback stories in all of gaming. When it was originally released, it was terrible! One of the worst launches for an MMORPG ever because of how buggy and glitchy it was.

Fast forward two years and the team behind FFXIV gets a second chance, which is unheard of in the video game industry, and releases A Realm Reborn. Now with millions of subscribers and two expansions, the game is a titan in the MMORPG genre.

Stormblood is the latest expansion for Final Fantasy XIV. It features another 10 level increase in the cap, and it also features two new jobs. Red Mage and Samurai. I played both of these jobs and they are definitely fun.

There is also a lot more content in here as well. Basically, if you are already playing FFXIV, then you probably already own Stormblood. If you are thinking about getting Stormblood, then you should definitely take the plunge as the additional content is well worth the asking price.

The digital version has been on sale for around $20 already, but if you want the physical version, and you can find it in stores, you can get the GCU discount on it. It won’t work on the Stormblood card, only the one that comes in a case (which is still just a digital code, FYI).

I’ve been a long time Final Fantasy fan, and a fan of Square Enix themselves for many years. For the past five years, I’ve played World of Warcraft, but with each expansion, I grew less enamored with it.

I didn’t even know FF XIV existed until my husband introduced me to it a few months ago. After a single hour of play, I was in love with the game. This game gives me the feeling and fun of an amazing, standalone Final Fantasy game, but with so much more to do, and so many people to interact with.

Hands down, it blows World of Warcraft away. This new expansion for FF XIV is a welcomed addition. It makes some well thought out changes to the game, adds new abilities, and further fleshes out what was an already amazing game.

If massively multiplayer online role playing games are something you enjoy, and you’ve been a fan of the Final Fantasy line of games, this is a must buy.

I really love this game. I have lost count on how many times I have played it, but that should tell you how good I think it is! The graphics were amazing. The storyline was fantastic! I loved the free roam aspect.

I don’t really care for games that make you stay with the story line haha so I really recommend this game if you have yet to play it 🙂 have a great day!.

I would have rated this 4 1/2 if that were an option, I just think it’s better than 4 stars though. The graphics are amazing, as is the soundtrack. The story is good but the game is fairly linear, which to me is a bit of a drawback.

I like to explore, and you have pretty much just one direction to go in this game. The fighting mechanics I found to be a bit complex to start out, but once you get the hang of them, it’s rather fun, especially trying to build up huge combos and consecutive executions.

The multiplayer has been fun so far (only been playing about a week), but it’s co-op against npcs. While I like that option, I would love there to be a pvp multiplayer for this game. I think that would be amazing.

There are some micro-transactions that can enhance your game experience, but they are not necessary: some just speed up the process a bit while others are purely cosmetic. TL:DR Underrated game, worth the price, should have got more attention imo.

Ryse: Son of Rome is beautiful to look at, has stunning graphics, an amazing and gripping storyline. Personally, I loved the game. The expressions on the faces of different characters are stunningly detailed and emotional.

The game will transport you to another world and it does feel like you are living in tumultuous Rome. I would recommend buying this game if you are looking to play yourself as a character through an epic movie.

Now for the not-so-good parts – The game lacks engaging multiplayer and tends to get boring during multiplayer sessions. The gameplay tends to get repetitive in the start of the single player, but gets fairly better towards the latter half of the game.

I’d definitely recommend the game as it makes up in visuals and engaging story-line for the lack of varied game-play. Pros: Visuals, Storyline, Engaging Characters Cons: Repetitive Gameplay, Not that engaging in Multiplayer.

If you’ve played Max Payne (1 and 2), then you will quickly spot the similarities with Alan Wake’s gameplay and environment. Even though Remedy tried to get as far from Max as they could, they only changed the food coloring and left the remaining recipe the same.

That’t not necessarily a bad thing either. Gameplay-wise, I think it may actually be incredibly close to The Evil Within. At least from the gunplay and mechanical fights perspective. Controls, animations, and (to a certain degree) writing is reminiscent of Remedy’s earlier work.

At any rate, Alan Wake is a fun game and its story is compelling enough. There are obvious parts of ridiculous overacting, but it’s serviceable. The only real hit this game takes is in the action gameplay which did not age particular well.

Alan Wake as a character controls like someone on the verge of falling over dead. Maybe it’s due to all the coffee the guy consumes and then subsequently loses his mind. In the end, I’d recommend it.

If nothing else, it stays somewhat true to Remedy’s grittier and edgier past.

I brought this a couple of months ago off ebay, and I haven’t actually got around to finishing it just yet, because of Black Ops lol. But I’m close enough to know its a worth while expenditure. Following Max Payne, this follows the same gritty dark storytelling, and is basixally abou a writer, called Alan Wake, who takes a vacation with his wife, who then gets kidnapped and spooky stuff starts happening.

The story telling is fine enough. Whilst a bit undercovered in parts, there’s just enough info to let you pick up the gist of whats going on, if you care really. The characteres are likeable enough, espcially Barry, Al’s publiscist and best friend.

Al himself is pretty agreeable. What I like about the game is that it goes out of the way of the usual cliches of reptitive scenery with respawing enemys everywhere, and replaces it with a nice almost open sandbox enviroment that has plenty of fun easter eggs, espcially the Bright Falls (a spoof of the Twighlight Zone) tv show you can watch.

Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man? ask one show. I dunno the anwser, but what do I do know is that the other thing I like is the random catch phrases the enemy come up, which are cynically delightful.

This, and the way the game is broken up into several episodes each with their own intro and ending like a tb show makes for a nice presentation overall. What is broken down, and frustates the game, is the poor camera, which hovers behind Al but often at a crummy angle, often meaning that you will only know someone is behind you when hes swung an axe at you a few times.

This, and how hard it is to dodge an attack at times, espcially when swarmed, does not help at all, and complimented with a compass that can be a bit meaningless at times means you will find yourself restarting a few sections and wandering around a fair bit too.

But the storyline is intriguing enough that you find yourself persitiing nontheless, and so whilst the physics of the game may not be all up to scratch, it draws you enough that you find yourself not caring at times.

First off, I first heard about this game back when the xbox 360 came out back in 2005. I wasn’t entirely sure about what type of game it was besides it being somewhat of a single player action/adventure game.

Years later, I never really heard much at all about it wasn’t even sure it was still in production. Then all of a sudden, 2009 E3 they had some news about the game being released only on Xbox 360 sometime in 2010.

I watched a video about the history on this game producer called Remedy Games who was responsable for the first Max Payne game and a few other titles. Alan Wake was a title they were working on but it took them a good 5 years to finish because of complications on the storyline and such, the question is.

was it worth the wait? The Game I picked this game up mainly because of it being something entirely different than the normal 3rd person shooter or FPS game that comes out today, it looked like a very storyline driven game so I gave it a shot.

When you first get into the game you will notice that it follows the plotline of the main character, Alan Wake, who is a writer as he is on vacation to a place called Bright Falls with his wife Alice.

As the game progresses his wife becomes missing and it’s your job to solve this mystery. Most of the game feels like a straight storyline with some action sequences thrown in involving some shadowy figures following trying to kill you and some rather simple puzzles.

It seems like most of the dialog portions are shown when it’s daytime outside and all of the scary action happens when it’s dark. The controls are simple easy to figure out with the regular Xbox controller and it’s fun trying to get the next peice of the mystery solved.

There’s also different storyline peices you collect to form Alan Wakes next book and other items that give you more ammo or batteries for your flashlight to fight against the shadowy figures. The music is pretty soft but gets intense as the suspense hits through the moments where characters are after you.

The graphics are alright, it looks a little better than a first generation Xbox 360 game but nothing spectacular. Acheivements can be granted for completion of certain chapters but as far as I can tell that’s the only “special” unlocks you can get.

Overall for how much I’ve played of this game I really like it, it’s challenging at times and does freak you out in certain situations. It’s just something totally different and I really enjoy what Remedy Games did with the game, hopefully it will be a hit and they will make more of these.