Some short notes about the first two episodes of Alan Wake:

1. Either it's very easy to get overpowered/outflanked by the Taken in this game, or I am very bad at doing anything. It's likely the latter, but I especially appear to have problems dodging. Flares are a rare godsend.
2. Ways in which the TV episode structuring is great
   • "Previously on Alan Wake"
   • Concrete stopping points
   • End of episode twists & stings
3. Ways in which the TV episode structuring is not so great
   • Lack of "B" plot or breather scenes with other characters makes the linearity more obvious and the game more oppressive & relentless. It's a pro and a con
   • Though vague, the "boss" fights break the illusion of a TV episode -- Jack doesn't punch the Smoke Monster at 9:50PM every Tuesday.
   • Not enough of a rad, deep voice reading "Previously on Alan Wake"
4. Pitch-shifted taken say the craziest things.
5. Repeated dialogue and voice-over from the manuscript pages isn't over-played - no music cues or flashbacks (so far) to something that happened earlier in the episode.
6. It's impossible to talk about the Darkness taking over Bright Falls without yelling like Rick James.
7. The voice acting is superb enough to overcome the jerky animation and lumpy facial modelling.

I hope to get though at least an episode a night, if not more. I'm starting to feel guilty about signing up to GameFly for it, though. I'm clearly enjoying it enough that I want to buy it, and the DLC is tantalizing, but I can't imagine I'll ever replay it. We'll see how my feelings change as I get closer to the end.