Belsirk: Hello, just beginning to play Alan Wake, I'm starting chapter 3, and had a question, in the loading screens there are mention that is possible to use the environment for killing the shadows, but at this point I haven't be able to do it, not sure if because I haven't reach a point where is possible (plus the cars) or if the tip is for luring the shadows to light source.

Usually when I'm trying to lure the enemies to the light, they stop the persecution or kill me, and that is why until this point, if I saw a shadow, I shoot.

P.d. Very good game, is very unique.

hudfreegamer: Before you can kill an enemy, you have to burn off the darkness. You do that with light (you can use the flashlight, light posts, or headlights of cars). Only after you burn off the darkness can you kill them with guns or run over them.

There's a button that makes the flashlight brighter. You have to use that to burn off the darkness.

Guns will not hurt or kill enemies until AFTER you burn off the darkness.

groze: Alan Wake isn't as interactive as the in-game hints lead you to believe; in certain points -- the ones in which they give you those tips you mentioned --, it basically means you're next to a searchlight, a generator that lights up some light source for a few minutes or car's headlights that help you dispatch the enemies. There aren't that many environmental "traps" in the whole game, to begin with; you mostly just have to survive the hard way: remove the shadows that protect the Taken and then shoot them to death.

The only two examples that clearly spring to my mind are the abandoned cabin in which you pick a shotgun and start a cutscene with several Taken surrounding you, which is surrounded by generators and lights with which to easily dispatch your enemies with, and the huge searchlight near the dam (on the dam? I can't recall it all too well, it's been a while since I last played Alan Wake). I have the feeling you could also use some lights in the first levels as some sort of a shield, you could turn them on and retreat, then just let the enemies get vulnerable from those lights and shoot them.

But, aside from the huge searchlight -- that burns the shadow away and also kills the enemies, much like some headlights --, I can't think of anything you can use that *actually* makes you save bullets. You can use the environment to your advantage, but it's mostly just to remove enemies' shadow protection.

Belsirk: Many thanks!
I was fearing that, a little sad but at least the game is fun.