A Visit to Twin Peaks - Twede's Cafe, aka 'Double R Diner'.
After the hectic weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo, some friends and I decided it would be fun to travel to North Bend, WA to see some locations that were used in the cult TV show, Twin Peaks.
We decided to grab some lunch at Twede's Cafe, (also know as Double R Diner in the show), or simply the 'Twin Peaks' cafe. I had the Twin Peaks Burger, which was piled high with bacon, cheese, and beef patty. While the others ordered something equally as excessive. Oh, and not to mention the ridiculous amount of fries. We found ourselves overwhelmed with the amount of food.
Twede's is also home to the Twin Peaks cherry pie, which we could barely finish after eating our entrees. This Cherry Pie is a Miracle.
The small town eatery has had a long history, which includes a fire, which damaged the original interior of the restaurant. Despite the post-fire reconstruction, and Tweety Bird theme, the layout is very similar to what is seen in the show, albeit a lot more crowded at lunch time. This is also the same diner depicted in the videogame Alan Wake, Oh Deer Diner.
Near the back of the restaurant, a wall of Twin Peaks memorabilia, newspaper clippings, and autographed photos, line the way to the bathroom. A collection of stuff that any Twin Peaks fan would be interested in.
The diner is the first destination, of several locations in the North Bend area, used in Twin Peaks, and is part of a 'Twin Peaks tour.' Maps are provided at the diner to those who ask. This is definitely a great little piece of film/tv history worth checking out.
I was feeling very sick that day, from all the partying during the PAX weekend, that I had a hard time enjoying the road trip. Maybe I'll make a return trip in the future.
The chilly formula of Alan Wake is a recipe for success.
I sit before the glow of my laptop, fingers positioned at ready, my eyes adjust to the brightness of the screen, the body of the blogger post publisher, blank. I stare at it, and the screen looks back, waiting to be filled with thoughts, meaningful or otherwise. Yet, I struggle to begin. Fresh from watching the end credits to Alan Wake, I feel a certain affinity for the title character who suffered from a serious case of Writer's block.
Taking me several weeks to put my thoughts together into a worthy summary of my game experience I was unable to write about Alan Wake, simply because there is just too much to say. Fortunately though, all I needed was some time to figure out where to begin -- and it's best to start from the end.
As the end credits rolled, I was in awe at what I had just experienced. I wasn't sitting in a movie theater after a 90 minute film screening of an epic suspense thriller, I was in front of my Xbox 360, trying to come down from a unique interactive story, a certain rarity in the game industry, a classic I'd say. One where storytelling, and gameplay are at a fine balance, but at times blurred just as our protagonist experiences his life in Bright Falls.
In the span of a weekend (a day and a half) I was able to begin my adventure, and see it come to a close in that short period of time, that I had trouble digesting what I had been through.
The psychological action thriller, from Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment, is a unique and inspired game with cinematic pacing, that is satisfyingly short and sweet. It draws heavily from the world of episodic television, and film with influences from the Twilight Zone, to The Shining, but most obviously from the Lynchian-style of the Twin Peaks series. The developers have put together a game that is an ode to small town Americana, populated with quirky characters, and set in the Pacific North West.
(Though personally I think Bright Falls looks more like Lake Tahoe. The grey, gloomy, rain soaked skies of the Pacific North West, Washington State, or for that matter British Columbia, Canada, seem to be missing, but I suppose that is a note on the art direction. )
The opening area to the game establishes the trip to the town of Bright Falls. As players, we are instantly transported to this world which seems endless in every direction. Arriving on a ferry boat carrying our main character, his wife, and their car stuffed with personal belongings, they've packed up their city life, and headed for a secluded getaway for some relaxation. Both speak to each other like a couple in love, even posing for photos with one of the locals riding the ferry along with them. The surrounding hills, and beautifully rendered water shimmers, and as we approach the dock, the anticipation to explore gets greater, but so does the feeling of no turning back once in Bright Falls. A scene of normality, that I found myself longing for in the dark of the night, as the game got underway.
It's this attention to detail established in Alan Wake, that really kept me immersed throughout the game. Graphically and audio-wise immersion in the game comes naturally.
Details like 'Night Springs' -- the Twilight Zone/Outer Limits inspired in-game live-action show -- are a fine touch of genius playing on random television sets throughout the town. The episodic structure is fitting keeping the game feeling fresh, and the orchestral soundtrack is well crafted, which also features licensed tracks such as David Bowie - Space Oddity. The game kept me on edge and as the story progresses more characters are introduced. Characters in Wake are actually 'characters,' some ripped straight from Twin Peaks. Which makes me think that if Twin Peaks didn't exist, neither would Alan Wake. The screenplay and excellent voice-over work are also a welcome surprise.
For I felt all too disconnected with Resident Evil 5, a game which has deviated so far from what made this series appealing, and Final Fantasy XIII, a strange action RPG hybrid with one-dimensional characters, over-the-top cinematics, and not much else to care about. Two blockbuster franchise games that despite their big budgets, couldn't get me the player, to feel for the characters and the dilemma they face. Soulless and far less interesting than Alan Wake, these games were uninspired, I had almost lost hope for gaming in general until Alan Wake came along.
That is not to say that Alan Wake is a perfect game, though it comes close. It definitely has it's share of issues. Admittedly I was put off by the combat, which seemed to be overwhelming at first with the AI enemies, who after a few hits, leave the player dead. Alan's inability to use his fists and feet to punch or kick once out of ammo can be frustrating. He is only able to use guns, instead of branches, knives, axes, and whatever is thrown at him. I find it out of character that this writer from New York, is so well acquainted with guns, it's hard to believe he's a writer and not an ex-marine. Also, what's up with the lousy battery life for the flashlights?
Yet in the grand scheme of things, the developers get more things right than wrong. When all is said and done, this is a game worth playing, and worth continuing to expand on. I want more!
I've been waiting for a game like this for a very long time. Alan Wake is a videogame, yet calling it simply a game just feels wrong. I can't remember the last time I sat at the edge of my seat weary of what lies in the dark, in a videogame. Game developers should take note of the passion that Remedy Entertainment put into Alan Wake, because as a gamer I can definitely see how these guys took what they loved, and made something special.
I am definitely looking forward to the downloadable content coming soon!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Bright Falls Alan Wake Prequel Twin Peaks Inspired
Live-action Short Film "Bright Falls," captures the small town eeriness of Twin Peaks, but lacks the quirky charm and depth of filmmaker David Lynch.
A friend recently introduced me to Bright Falls, a live-action episodic series released on Xbox LIVE, as a prequel film to the upcoming videogame Alan Wake, prior to the game's actual release. Described as "A Psychological Action Thriller", wrapped up in the survival horror genre, the videogame developed by Remedy Entertainment, doesn't shy away from blatant stylistic appreciation for 90's cult television favorite, Twin Peaks -- a style immediately recognizable as that of David Lynch (Lynchian), which is further exploited in the film, Bright Falls.
If you didn't know better, you'd would probably think this was a Twin Peaks fan film, or even an official spin-off of the series. It's THAT similar.
Filmed with the high-end RED One digital video camera, and directed by Philip Van, I was immediately impressed with the production values and engaging short form storytelling put into this film. With a total of 6 episodes, the film establishes the setting of the game, with some of the citizens of Bright Falls, characters which will no doubt appear in the videogame sequel.
The film has some sharp editing, and sound design, with enough to keep the viewer interested, though the director's choice in shots felt somewhat pedestrian at times, while a few of the lighting setups, and green screen comps, didn't blend so well together in certain scenes. (Perhaps due to production limits in post production.) The footage from the RED One camera though, is exceptional, and a good example of it's ability and range, that would make any indie filmmaker drool.
It is a very nice attempt at broadening the appeal and interest of the game, through the medium of film. Having built up the hype around Alan Wake, I can only go in expecting to be engaged by the mystery, and atmosphere lifted straight from a David Lynch production.
Though, the filmmakers of Bright Falls may have been superficial in their cherry picking of Lynch's style, it's a good effort that's worth a viewing for all fans of horror, and mystery.
The chilly formula of Alan Wake is a recipe for success.
