I had to stop playing Alan Wake because it is bad.

Internet in general sucks.

Yeah, most weapons in this game will take out an unshielded enemy with one or two shots to the head. How is that underpowered?

Also, for your complaint about it being a 'corridor' shooter. What? It's got the widest corridors I've seen in ANY third person action game. Hell, some of the levels are HUGE.

The atmosphere and world building are incredible though. Sure it's hokey (and I'd say intentionally say based on what it's trying to riff on) but it's one of my favourite games this gen and I really can't sympathise with any of your complaints.

[Declarative statement of game quality based on personal enjoyment]

[Supporting arguments consist of poorly explained, single sentence summarizations of snap judgements]

I should just write reviews saying certain games are bad because, well, I said so!

"I stopped playing Half Life 2 because it sucks. The controls are awkward, weapons are underpowered. Shoot the bad guys with a gun? What is with this foreign concept of a game play mechanic? Also the jump button is dumb. I don't need to explain these conclusions, because they're fact. Game gets an F. "

Just sayin', man. Come on.

And you should learn that tight shooting mechanics do not make a game good or even decent. Good controls should be a standard anyway.

After buying the new Humble Bundle I finally jumped into American Nightmare. I remember really enjoying Alan Wake on the 360 even though it did drag on somewhat for the last hour or two. But American Nightmare reminded me how much I enjoy the basic combat in the game. The flashlight mechanic is an interesting way of handling combat in a horror-ish game and it's really satisfying when you'r able to hold off a large group of enemies using various light sources and gradually whittling their numbers down.

Also the storytelling and all the crazy video and radio stuff has always been fantastic in Remedy games. I can't wait to hear more about Quantum Break.

All this argument has done (for me) is make me want to replay alan wake (and I just beat it for the first time this year). Loading it up on steam right now

The only thing being discussed was the mechanics, not the overall quality of the game. Sorry you don't like the game? You don't have to constantly remind me about that.

I loved everything in Alan Wake. Except maybe the DLCs. Those weren't great.

You bring up some interesting points, my counter-point:

While I think the combat wears a bit thin, I've gotta disagree, I thought Alan Wake was a great game. Also, what's wrong with weakening enemies with a flashlight or having the story contain a lot of mystery out of the gate? Those feel like good things to me.

Nope. Alan Wake is great.

I enjoyed everything about Alan Wake except for the parts where I actually played it. Great atmosphere and environments, but damn that combat was poooop.

I will second this response. Alan Wake was designed with controller in mind. On KB/M, it can feel very awkward due to the "character model shoved to the side but still a reticle in the center" feeling. I would suggest hooking up a controller to play it.

As for the rest of your points, I don't see where the problem is.

1. You have to fight the darkness with light in order to destroy it. Simple concept, so what's wrong with weakening them with a flashlight? It's also a way to create tension in the game. When you get later into the game, it makes a big difference.
2. I felt like the guns are plenty powerful enough as long as you are aiming well. This isn't Call of Duty where you can just aim where-the-hell-ever and kill things with three bullets. Moreover, I would personally assume that something taken over by a foreign force might be a little harder to kill than that.
3. The dodge function definitely feels dumb at lower difficulties. Crank the difficulty up and you'll learn how much it matters.
4. The story is probably the best damn part of the whole game. At first, it seems convoluted and awkward. However, the deeper you go, the better it gets. I will also say that I've read pretty much every piece of supplemental material that has been released for the game (i.e. Alan Wake Files, every page in the game, and multiple other tidbits laying around the interwebs). It's fascinating how deep of a world they actually have created for Alan Wake, and it saddens me that Alan Wake 2 isn't happening (at least anywhere in the immediate future).

I'm sorry that you aren't enjoying the game, OP. I don't know what else to tell you.

To end this comment, I will leave this here...and probably listen to it 100 times after posting it because I love this fucking song...despite not really caring for the band.

Hmmm, well obviously the first and last -s are more admissions of your limited mental capabilities than negatives. What could harm darkness more than light, you tell me. And if you have a question about the story, just ask. Don't slam something just because you personally don't understand it...

I found the controls very easy to get used to, and what aspects of it that were "awkward" were probably intentionally shaky so as to add to the intended suspense. If your movement is too smooth, you have less to fear, yes? And I would like some elaboration on "awkward... animation".

How is the dodge button "dumb"? Could you not get the hang of it? Again, this is hardly a case against the game, more a case against the player.

I've never heard someone say the guns were under-powered. But once more, this isn't a bad thing in a game in which the protagonist is supposed to be afraid, not a badass.

"Too Bad Controls.."

How do you figure? I didn't have any problems with the controls at all...

"you dont kıll enemy wıthout gun,"

Well, isn't that common in shooters? Besides, you can kill the Taken with a military grade floodlight, flashbang grenades, vehicles, by boosting your flashlight at them while they're close to a cliff to make them fall and die, and by other indirect means (this is actually one of the Xbox 360 Achievements, 'Collateral Carnage'). All this in addition to the fact that the point is to get the heck away from the enemies ASAP! The gun and flashlight are only tools to aid you in this objective.

"to fınd gun difficult"

Are you kidding me? Both guns and ammo are presented to Alan quite generously throughout the game. It's what I would consider the game's only true flaw (too much ammo).

"and enemy dont kıll easy. you cant escape from enemy."

That's the point. Otherwise, there'd be no reason to fear the Taken at all, what with Alan toting guns and grenades and them only having melee weapons... If you practice a little and get better, you should find the enemies quite manageable.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LUMBERJACKS IN THIS TOWN???!! AHHHH!!!

Its story and characters were weak but I still enjoyed it because of the atmosphere and the dynamic combat.

You know, there's some who say pretty much the opposite. I thought it was all good, myself. But what do you mean "the story and characters were weak"?

Is this referring to the Taken? Most of the models are not lumberjacks, actually. Many of them are hunters, fishermen, joggers, campers, and park rangers (there are more but I can't think of them at the moment). My theory on the model repetition is the same as my theory on why they just disappear instead of falling over dead when they're "killed". The dark presence is simply recycling the bodies of a handful of people it's taken over the years. I do believe that if that many people had truly gone missing in this small town, everyone would be aware something is seriously wrong!

I love that someone made an account to necro this post and begin arguing with people about them not liking this game.

That's really funny.

Ya, Alan Wake is mediocre (especially in comparison to other Remedy games like Max Payne which were phenomenal). The mechanics are dull, the combat is kind of boring, the world was supposed to be open world but they had to remove that due to time constraints (and it shows), and the story is not some of Sam Lake's best work. It doesn't help, either, that the story went mostly unfinished (although American Nightmare at least gives a little bit more satisfying of a conclusion, but that's more content you have to pay for so that's... really shameful).

The use of lighting in the game really stands out as the best part of Alan Wake, but good lighting doesn't make a game.

The story wants to very much mimic things like Stephen King, but it never really does it very well. It relies way to heavily on finding pages (and therefore on narration) but all that tends to amount to is collectibles spoiling whats going to happen at some point in the game. The real world story is fairly simplistic and done before a million times without any attempt to mask it's simplicity. The characters are never really fully formed either, as issues they have have no meaning and never seem to fully serve a purpose. The acting is fine, and I really liked that James McCaffrey is in it (although under utilized). The amount of call backs to Max Payne is fun, not played out, and the Twilight Zone parody is as great as anything Remedy ever does. They still got small details like that very right, and American Nightmare capitalizes on that A LOT more.

I respect what Remedy wanted to do with this game, and I love the sound track, but in the end the game did not quite live up to what it wanted to be.

Ha. Fun. I ended up doing a short looking back review for Alan Wake on a necro thread. Today is weird indeed.

I thought it was terrible too, which is a shame because I really wanted to like it. I think if your sprint didn't run out pathetically quickly it might have actually drastically increased my level of enjoyable.

Alan Wake has neat ideas but it is very badly designed. While the "light combat" system is a really interesting concept, entire sections of the game can be skipped by dashing to the next checkpoint (which makes enemies back off and vanish). Although the game strives for atmosphere, there is extremely prominent product placement. There is a story, but it was eviscerated and thrown into the wind. Overall I didn't enjoy the base game.

American Nightmare on the other hand was a massive improvement in all respects. I enjoyed what little there was.

I wish that Deadly Premonition would take the "light combat" system for itself, it would improve the gameplay immensely.

Well your opinion is bad and wrong so

@cornbredx said:

"I love that someone made an account to necro this post and begin arguing with people about them not liking this game."

Are you talking about me posting two months ago on a thread that "died" not even four months before that, or about the poster who replied just yesterday and brought it back from a two-month old death? Oy, so dramatic.

"Ya, Alan Wake is mediocre (especially in comparison to other Remedy games like Max Payne which were phenomenal)."

That is your opinion, and you are welcome to it.

"The mechanics are dull, the combat is kind of boring,"

Well these are subjective judgement calls. I disagree, of course, and that is my right also.

"the world was supposed to be open world but they had to remove that due to time constraints (and it shows),"

Hmmm, not according to the three links used in Wikipedia's article for the game:

"Originally, Remedy planned Bright Falls as a free-roaming, sandbox-style open world city, similar to those seen in the Grand Theft Auto series. After trying this idea for six months, the team decided to scrap it, because it interfered with the pacing and storytelling they intended to deliver in a thriller game."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Wake

And I agree with their decision; horror/thriller games and open world do not mix.

"and the story is not some of Sam Lake's best work."

Also subjective; I think it was one of the best stories ever featured in a game.

"It doesn't help, either, that the story went mostly unfinished (although American Nightmare at least gives a little bit more satisfying of a conclusion, but that's more content you have to pay for so that's... really shameful)."

Of course American Nightmare is a spin-off, and so it isn't meant to be a conclusion or any sort of closure on the official storyline (so much for the "shame" of its release, eh?) It was a means of giving the fans more of the intense atmosphere and addictive combat they had been craving (same as the DLCs) and therefore perfectly fine that they charged extra for it. After all, it was an entirely separate game.

"The story wants to very much mimic things like Stephen King, but it never really does it very well."

They borrowed from many authors and directors in the making of this game. I wonder just how many you can name, as it would either lend credence to or discredit the claim that they failed to "mimic" said inspiration... Either way, the meat of the game (from the story to the combat to the atmosphere) is actually quite original. I think it should at least be given some credit for that!

"It relies way to heavily on finding pages (and therefore on narration) but all that tends to amount to is collectibles spoiling whats going to happen at some point in the game."

My friend and I looked into this particular criticism on our last playthrough, and found that the vast majority of manuscripts don't contain spoilers at all, and those that do really don't spoil much. But the game actually explains the apparent attempt at this, with Thomas Zane revealing that he's trying to inform Alan of what's ahead by leaving the manuscripts in his path (which he knows because it's presumably written in the manuscript itself).

That being said, most of what your told outright is merely the surface of the story. Most of it remains hidden, some of it even after the ending.

"The real world story is fairly simplistic and done before a million times without any attempt to mask it's simplicity."

In reality, the simplicity is the mask ;)

"The characters are never really fully formed either, as issues they have have no meaning and never seem to fully serve a purpose."

You mean, in helping Alan find his wife, uncover the mystery, or...? Either way, I think it's obvious Remedy wanted to keep Alan (and the player) feeling essentially alone and desperate, even when he had someone physically with him. They did a good job of painting that sort of isolation, both external and internal, in my book. So the NPCs purpose is to essentially be another source of frustration and hopelessness for Alan, which is all you should come to expect from any horror/thriller game or movie.

"I respect what Remedy wanted to do with this game, and I love the sound track, but in the end the game did not quite live up to what it wanted to be."

And what did it "want to be", in your opinion?

SO FUCKING GOOD.

But then it would be too easy. Just look at American Nightmare. They gave the player more stamina and a host of other training wheels and the result was a bit of a failure (as compared to the original anyway, it was an okay game in general).

Besides, it's believable! A writer (not a marine) who's been out of work, possibly drinking way too often and feeling depressed/sorry for himself. I'm surprised he has any get up and go at all!

I'd prefer it to be easy and fun than hard and annoying. And I haven't actually played American Nightmare, the original turned me off of that franchise completely. I might actually give it a go later..

One of my favorite games from this generation... also this thread is like... old isn't ??

In most genres, I'd be right there with ya, but I really think the "annoying" decisions they made for this game were best for a thriller type game. Here is what critics of the original game may consider improvements in American Nightmare:

1. You can run farther without getting tired.
2. There's a greater variety of weapons.
3. More variety in enemies too.
4. It's kinda sorta a sandbox game, meaning you get a medium-sized map to roam around in for each "level" and can often decide which of two or three tasks to take on and in what order. It's not open world, though.
5. "Fight Til Dawn" arcade mode. In addition to the story mode, there's one much like Horde mode in Gears of War, where you defend yourself against waves of Taken until morning breaks. It's pretty fun, but could've been made better with multiplayer and the ability to unlock all weapons in all maps.

A nice addition to the franchise. Worth a playthrough especially if you can get it cheap.

I would have enjoyed Alan Wake if it was a cover-based shooter or an adventure game. Instead it was a sort of bad shooter with no cover and a mediocre adventure.

Disagree after playing through it on the 360 & bought it again on the PC which I've been slowly chipping away at it. While the combat isn't the best feature in the game, once you get used to the dodge/flashlight then the guns help out a little better. It will make more sense later but if nothing else just knock the difficulty down to the easiest setting & should be able to get through it as it does get quite good with a really great moment after a while with the metal band that shows up.

All horror/thriller games are "bad shooters", because that's not where the emphasis is. Shooting is a means of survival only, not a way to be a badass. Same for the action. The original Resident Evils were great even though they weren't exactly action-packed, because they were survival horror games.

But then, if you want to see the AW concept made into an action shooter, American Nightmare's "Fight Til Dawn" mode can satisfy ;) I'd like to see this sort of thing in every sequel from now on, but that may not happen.

This is most games. Just replace "light source" with objective, or checkpoint.