Alan Wake

I at first did not know about this game . It totally flew under the radar for me. But it surpised me. The graphics have aged well, so it still looks good. The atmosphere of the game fits well, feels like a horror movie that where you control the main character. Combat is pretty good, but can sometimes get repetative . But the story is what kept me going. First off, I was just browsing and found this game last year, prior to the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. I saw that there was a sale on GOG and saw this game. I watched some video reviews and thought why not. The game ran pretty well for my old Fx8370. Its very well optimized and I had no issues running it or crashing. So any modern system can run this. Gameplay is well done. You are presented with episodes, in a similar fashion to a show. And It made playing it smooth, as I cant spend more than an hour straight at a computer screen. The combat is engaging enough, having thrid person shooter elements mixed with puzzles and some exploration. Combat can be satisfying, but it can also be a huge chore. Enemies can sometimes spawn in the worse locations and overwhelm your character. Quick reflexes and planning for a defence is a must. You must always expect to get ambushed. It keeps you on your toes, but I felt it was wayy over done in some parts of the game. There are pages of journals scattered throughout the levels that give backround info on characters and the environment. Optional, but it gives you perspective about the universe. Characters are good. You get a good sense of people the MC encounters. Then you also have a lot of monolouges. The voice acting was also well done. The mood of the game is dark, but not so dark that its depressing. More of a horror, and some other reviews compare it to a Steven King book or film. Most of the game takes place at night, with heavy emphisis on Light vs Dark, Sanity vs Insanity. The DLC's were ok..nothing to brag about. Overall 8.5/10.

Deffo drags in some bits but overall had a rly good time w her despite sm annoying technical issues!!! Incredible setting nd writing. DLC is definitely the high point where they decide 2 get WEIRD with it. Basically establishes remedys whole thing following. Theres def this self referential feel going with how the game handles Alan Wake as the protaganist (he sucks, but hes writing the story).... Idk it was neat. Gameplay ws rly alright cldve handled better and some bits were kkinda bs. IM the person to play most games on hard so when i say play this one on easy I mean it. Certain bits kinda last too long and itll short the time u spend just waiting to get to the cooler story bits!!! Overall fun horror tinged action game.

Read the book instead. Yes, that's right. Read the book. It's fun, it's light, it's brain candy and most of all, it's several orders of magnitude more enjoyable than this horrible, hard-to-control wearisome game. Terrible console-itis controls and viewpoint, point torch and shoot repeat-a-thon gameplay. I've been told there's a good story here. Sure there is - but when does it start? Run to the light! Avoid axe-wielding ghost thingies! Play keyboard Twister trying to reload a gun, reload a torch, dodge and shoot at the same time! Blah....like I said - read the book instead.

Game continue to live in you while the game itself has come to conclusion. Absolutely awesome thrilling experience! Real thriller cannot come to an end - it con only be suspended. Thick atmosphere of nightmare with awesome (really awesome) sights and graphics would make a S. King himself proud! And the end is awesome! "You are terminater, f-r!" - it lacks only this frase! Really-really-really awesome experiense! Highly recommend!

Trying not to be harsher than I should because visually I'm sure it felt revolutionary at the time and there's a good number of impressive set pieces with excellent presentation (in fact, besides the faces, almost everything holds up really well), but I didn't really enjoy it. The two aspects I adored in 'Control', I nearly hated here. Combat peaked 2 or 3 hours in so they decided to throw more and more enemies at you. When it's to support a set piece or build momentum, it works, but most of the time it just exists to add filler. The story was equally disappointing. It heavily meanders and is not well paced at all. Characters are either dumb, annoying or just extremely flat. Alan has a good voice but only *one voice* so it becomes boring fast. Almost every dialogue is bad exposition, pop culture references that date the game and just expose how empty and unoriginal this world is, or just annoying banter with clichéd characters. Played this in preparation for Control's AWE expansion (and, allegedly, upcoming Alan Wake 2), but I also expected to find a diamond in the rough, a cult classic or at least a solid 7/10 game. What I found was none of these things, but a very middling game with counted moments of ambition.