Follow up thread/2nd worst ending this year

About a week and a half ago I was a third or so through this game and heard some bad things about the ending/dlc already and asked for advice.  I asked if the ending was a scammy to sell DLC/a sequel, and if it provided a satisfying conclusion.  Most of the thread said yes.  Well fuck you.  The story was pretty weak the whole game and then that ending? I want my 6 hours back.
 
Also I find it hilarious that the two games (this/heavy rain) that people slobbered over for years because they would be "revolutionary" and "mature" ended up being below average to bad gameplay, with awful writing, even worse voice acting, and hilariously bad plot holes all over the place.
 
TLDR version:  If you're on the fence don't touch this game.

Probably a dumb question, but: What if I don't care much for the story anyway? Still worth getting?

" Probably a dumb question, but: What if I don't care much for the story anyway? Still worth getting? "

"Also I find it hilarious that the two games (this/heavy rain) that people slobbered over for years because they would be "revolutionary" and "mature" ended up being below average to bad gameplay, with awful writing, even worse voice acting, and hilariously bad plot holes all over the place."

I also disagree.  The ending was fine.  The games story is set up like a TV show, not a movie.  Because of this, the end leaves it open for a "second season".  I don't get what most people expected from the ending of the game.  Would it really be better if it ended with Alan just living happily ever after?  I personally love endings that are open to interpretations and make you think a little.  Not saying this was the best game story ever, but it was well told and fits the theme it was going for perfectly (Stephen King meets Twin Peaks).   
 
Also I am conflicted on how to answer the question about not caring about the story.  The story itself I enjoyed a lot but can see why it is not for everyone.  It is ham-fisted and a little corny and that is EXACTLY how I wanted it to be.  The atmosphere of the game on the other hand is just top notch across the board.  The darkness and fog effects are great in making you feel like you are really in a place that an axe murderer can pop out any second and take a swing.  
Alan Wake's gameplay is not its strongest point.  If you don't care about the story OR the atmosphere, then it is probably not worth picking up.  But seriously if all you care about in games nowadays is gameplay, then why would you even play anything but like online shooters, puzzle games, and nintendo games? 

Lol did you finish Dead Space? For me it had a much worse one. A complete antithesis of the whole game.  
 
In Alan Wake the game till the ending explains everything that happened in the story with Alan, and leaves an ending open for interpretation, although you know enough from the ending to give closure. I personally liked it a lot, as although Alan and Alice didn't live happily ever after, the main goal was reached through a darker ending, and i don't personally like happy endings in horror games.  

" Lol did you finish Dead Space? For me it had a much worse one. A complete antithesis of the whole game.   In Alan Wake the game till the ending explains everything that happened in the story with Alan, and leaves an ending open for interpretation, although you know enough from the ending to give closure. I personally liked it a lot, as although Alan and Alice didn't live happily ever after, the main goal was reached through a darker ending, and i don't personally like happy endings in horror games.   "

" @Jeust said:

" Lol did you finish Dead Space? For me it had a much worse one. A complete antithesis of the whole game.   In Alan Wake the game till the ending explains everything that happened in the story with Alan, and leaves an ending open for interpretation, although you know enough from the ending to give closure. I personally liked it a lot, as although Alan and Alice didn't live happily ever after, the main goal was reached through a darker ending, and i don't personally like happy endings in horror games.   "

Deadspace could have had just about 0 story and i'd still be happy because the gameplay for top notch.  I'm not the biggest happy ending fan, but not silly ones like this. "

" @bhhawks78 said:

" @Jeust said:

" Lol did you finish Dead Space? For me it had a much worse one. A complete antithesis of the whole game.   In Alan Wake the game till the ending explains everything that happened in the story with Alan, and leaves an ending open for interpretation, although you know enough from the ending to give closure. I personally liked it a lot, as although Alan and Alice didn't live happily ever after, the main goal was reached through a darker ending, and i don't personally like happy endings in horror games.   "

Deadspace could have had just about 0 story and i'd still be happy because the gameplay for top notch.  I'm not the biggest happy ending fan, but not silly ones like this. "

I hated the ending of Dead Space. There isn't nothing silly in the ending of the game.  "

OK now I have the whole comparing Alan Wake to Dead Space thing going through my head.  Both games have story elements of psychological thriller and horror, but  I agree with Jeust that end of Dead Space was a big letdown and silly while I personally liked the end of Alan Wake.  But why was the ending of dead space so bad?  I think it is because they tried to explain too much. You find out exactly why everything happened the way it did.  But the problem is that pretty much any explanation you give for why a spiral pillar is making people into killer freaks of nature is going to be pretty dumb. Alan Wake on the other hand does not really explain what the main enemy is.  The darkness is still pretty much as mysterious at the end of the game as it is in the beginning.  You find out a few things about how it can manipulate our world  and how it operates, but no origin is given and its motivations are still completely unknown.  I prefer the Alan Wake route myself. 
 
One other things.  Both games end with the protagonist seeming to overcome the enemy only to be pulled back in at the very end.  Dead Space uses this as mostly one last cheap scare and it worked OK but did not really make me keep thinking about the game after I put it down.  Alan Wake's ending on the other hand feels more earned.  Alan himself states multiple times during the game that protagonists in horror stories usually don't end up well and he chose his fate. 
 
Just FYI, I freakin' love Dead Space.  It's gameplay is awesome and the horror atmosphere is better then pretty much any game I have ever played.  This thread just got me thinking about the differences in storytelling styles between the two games. 

OP sounds like he didn't understand it.

The ending of Alan Wake, I thought, was good. It's open to interpretation and the story and atmosphere are whats best about this game. 
The ending provides a mix of emotions which I thought was fantabulous.
 
I just wish you got:

I loved Alan Wake and I loved its story. I cannot wait for the DLC.

" OK now I have the whole comparing Alan Wake to Dead Space thing going through my head.  Both games have story elements of psychological thriller and horror, but  I agree with Jeust that end of Dead Space was a big letdown and silly while I personally liked the end of Alan Wake.  But why was the ending of dead space so bad?  I think it is because they tried to explain too much. You find out exactly why everything happened the way it did.  But the problem is that pretty much any explanation you give for why a spiral pillar is making people into killer freaks of nature is going to be pretty dumb. Alan Wake on the other hand does not really explain what the main enemy is.  The darkness is still pretty much as mysterious at the end of the game as it is in the beginning.  You find out a few things about how it can manipulate our world  and how it operates, but no origin is given and its motivations are still completely unknown.  I prefer the Alan Wake route myself.  One other things.  Both games end with the protagonist seeming to overcome the enemy only to be pulled back in at the very end.  Dead Space uses this as mostly one last cheap scare and it worked OK but did not really make me keep thinking about the game after I put it down.  Alan Wake's ending on the other hand feels more earned.  Alan himself states multiple times during the game that protagonists in horror stories usually don't end up well and he chose his fate.  Just FYI, I freakin' love Dead Space.  It's gameplay is awesome and the horror atmosphere is better then pretty much any game I have ever played.  This thread just got me thinking about the differences in storytelling styles between the two games.  "

The gameplay was great but got a bit boring near the end but the story was solid throughout. An overall enjoyable game. The ending was what I expected to be honest. Wanna talk bad endings? How about Halo 2 or Crysis?

I loved Alan Wake, and I thought the ending was great.  I was drawn heavily into the story, and these "plot holes" will probably be addressed in the sequel.   
 
Personally, I thought RDR's ending was bullshit but that's me.

I loved the game, loved the story, but honestly I didn't get the ending. I don't know what happened.  It was also very late when I finished the game, and I was very tired.

Ending was decent since it fit the narrative well. I could have done without the lead up to the final encounter however. It was less challenging and more grindy/trial-and-error. 

" Ending was decent since it fit the narrative well. I could have done without the lead up to the final encounter however. It was less challenging and more grindy/trial-and-error.  "

" @bhhawks78 said:

"Also I find it hilarious that the two games (this/heavy rain) that people slobbered over for years because they would be "revolutionary" and "mature" ended up being below average to bad gameplay, with awful writing, even worse voice acting, and hilariously bad plot holes all over the place."

I disagree completely if that's how you feel about Alan Wake. The ending isn't as bad as you're making it out to be either. "

" About a week and a half ago I was a third or so through this game and heard some bad things about the ending/dlc already and asked for advice.  I asked if the ending was a scammy to sell DLC/a sequel, and if it provided a satisfying conclusion.  Most of the thread said yes.  Well fuck you.  The story was pretty weak the whole game and then that ending? I want my 6 hours back. 
 
Also I find it hilarious that the two games (this/heavy rain) that people slobbered over for years because they would be "revolutionary" and "mature" ended up being below average to bad gameplay, with awful writing, even worse voice acting, and hilariously bad plot holes all over the place. 
 
TLDR version:  If you're on the fence don't touch this game. "

The entire game was awesome, IMO. The story (especially the ending) was very well-thought out and written. I call BS! on your claim that there are any "plot holes" in the game at all. I also find most of voice acting pretty good, for a video game. And the combat is addictive! At least for me. It's nice to see something out there besides "Duck. Shoot. Duck. Shoot." all the time.

And the DLCs are even better than the original game, especially 'The Writer'. I'd say the only less than amazing facet of the Alan Wake franchise is American Nightmare.

But that's me.

@vic2point0: The DLC was a bit underwhelming. It had some neat moments, but playing them immediately after the main game just didn't mesh well.

@theht: Maybe that's what it was for me. I didn't play them until I had played the game twice. I found a few parts of 'The Signal' genuinely unnerving (what I was expecting from a DLC set in "the dark place") and several parts of 'The Writer' just short of epic. It was one memorable experience after another, unlike the main game and the first DLC (though they had some great parts too).

I better finish alan wake huh.

EDIT. WHY NECRO A 3 YEAR OLD THREAD?

Cause Alan Wake is the shit!!!

Sir, you are arguing with a corpse.

Truth.

"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof." - V, V for Vendetta.

"Until they meet my flashlight, beeyotch!" - Alan Wake.

@greggd: it's a bad sign when average gameplay with a below average narrative and a basically non existent ending pass off for "the shit" these days - although it does explain why people love Skyrim so much.

omg, i luv Skyrim!

This didn't need a necro.

Alan Wake was alright but not as good as Remedy has proven themselves to be in the past.

American Nightmare was better but still not that great.

They do kind of get a pass from me on this game, though, as I love what they have done and hope to see what they can do in the future. If it wasn't made by remedy, this game would be more balked as generic- which it kind of is.

@humanity: woe is me, people like Alan Wake. the industry is doomed.

@humanity: Some people like the overall experience of Alan Wake, especially those who get into the story and atmosphere. I think Remedy did a fantastic job putting it all together. And as I said before, I really enjoyed the combat. I play the game over again just to scratch that itch no other game seems to be able to reach.

But it's not for everyone, obviously.

It isn't about the conclusion, it's about the journey. The original conclusion is fine, and the one added in DLC really is pretty forgettable. I like Alan Wake because of its style, sense of humor, and its choice for influence (twin peaks and steven king), not for the ending. It's just one of those weird almost AAA games that gets away with some very un-AAA type stuff that makes it super interesting. Definitely one of the few xbox 360 exclusives I enjoyed (good thing it got ported to PC)

EDIT: God damnit, I need to get into the habit of checking thread dates....

No way you meant to say that. AWAN was Remedy's half hearted (and half manned) attempt to appease the more superficial would-be fans. "More guns!" "More types of enemies!" "I wanna play in the sandbox!" "Alan gets winded too quickly! It's almost as if he's supposed to be a writer instead of a Marine, wtf?" If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was the makers of Alan Wake trying to prove the point that incorporating all those things that make the gameplay less "repetitive" into the concept of the original game would be a failure as anything but just another shooter.

NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Alan Wake's a superb game in my opinion; couldn't disagree more with some of the negativity in here. That being said, damn this is old and I just contributed to it.

I think the fact that people still have something to say about it sort of kind of warrants the necro. Possibly.

Nothing wrong with liking Alan Wake, after all plenty of people really liked FF-13 and the world hasn't ended. I personally didn't enjoy any of the characters, including Alan Wake. The story hints and teases at what's going on for so long that by the end of the game you've run out of time to get an actual explanation and instead are treated to a cliff hanger, introspective musing inviting you to find out more in the next episode. Maybe this would be fine if the gameplay managed to stay fresh throughout the experience but it's very one-note without ever evolving past the very basic concept of shine your flashlight at this to weaken it. You run through identical stretches of forest between story objectives and witness the exact same little cinematic for enemies materializing out of the darkness for the entirety of the story.

The atmosphere was pretty good and I was curious to see what happens in the end. I'm not advocating that all stories need to have a neatly tied off plot with a bow on top but I do need more than what Alan Wake gave me and the gameplay simply wore me out despite some of the cooler set pieces like the rock concert, the tunnel of light or the tornado.

If you think it's an amazing game then good for you, taste is very subjective obviously, just know that you're probably a horrible person that shouldn't ever recommend games to other human beings.

FF13 was a disaster. It looked good... that's the extent of its pros. And what wasn't explained for you in Alan Wake? The only thing I can think of that wasn't explained was why Agent Nightingale had it in for Alan. I mean, sure, it added a few things at the end to make you want to ask NEW questions, but I thought the story being followed throughout the game was wrapped up nicely, for a "horror" type game anyway.

Your point about the combat isn't entirely unfounded. But I guess I didn't mind this because I knew that in every single one of those areas where the combat was repetitive, I was supposed to be concentrating on getting out of there, not hanging around to see more enemies. That was the general feel of my first playthrough. Besides, it's not like most shooters aren't repetitive. You still get a lot of those enemies that look or at least behave the same as you're mowing them down with an automatic weapon.

I also was pleased with the ever-changing environment. I was expected to see more of what you're claiming there was, "identical stretches of forest". In reality, this is almost non-existent. You spend most of your time in some truly varying settings.

@humanity: Well that's all completely fair. I disagree, but whattayagonnado.

Haven't played the DLC. But Alan Wake is a pretty good fucking game. The gameplay gets really repetitive towards the end, but the writing is really good. From the plot to the TV show that you can see in-game.

The story isn't revolutionary or anything, but it's hell of a lot better than the one in Skyrim.

To be fair, though, there are two factors that make Alan wake stand out amongst 360-exclusive shooters. It is both fun and interesting.

@vic2point0: that's the magic of opinions right there. I played FF13 to completion and thought it was far from the travesty the Internet makes it out to be. I won't go into details apart from simply stating that, hey, I liked it.

I suppose I'm just really surprised that out of all the games out there, Alan Wake has such a strong defense force. There are plenty of other mediocre games that deserve backing up - like for instance Bionic Commando (the 3D one) was a pretty fun game that people love to shit all over.

So god speed Wake Lovers.

Real talk, Deadly Premonition is the best Twin Peaks based game of 2010. I'll even throw in Heavy Rain and Puzzle Agent, and I love me some Puzzle Agent.

Alan Wake is fine. Its narrative falls apart as a result of those manuscript pages. It's really hard to buy that he's an incredibly successful writer when most of my high school creative writing class wrote with better prose. They could have at least hired a half-decent creative writing major from a college. Whoever they got was either a truly bad writer or a bad fit for writing fantasy or horror. If you think Alan Wake's prose was similar to Stephen King's, you've not read any Stephen King. (The themes and content are a mild match, I'll grant.)

That manuscript stuff is used to convey an embarrassing amount of the story, and it completely detached me from Wake as a character. Barry was probably a better writer; he at least came up with the idea to call his headlamp the "glowing eye of Mordor" or whatever. So by conveying a significant portion of the story through that stuff, they lost me.

(and, as most have noted, I agree that my interest in the gameplay dries up towards the ending as the encounters get longer)

Sam Lake is purposely verbose and cheesy in his writing. It's what made Max Payne so great.