Alan Wake has rough edges, but it never stops trying to make up for them with excellent storytelling and novel presentation of what's ultimately a corridor shooter like Max Payne before it, but with much less interest in reality. A short game packed from top to bottom with great moments
This game is a very nice thriller game that has some unique mechanics in its combat with the use of the flashlight. It has all the remedy marks of creativity, a protagonist that narrates the events as if it were a book and amazing atmosphere. I quite like it.
Alan Wake is a special experience.
You play as the titular Alan Wake, a frustrated writer on a retreat to the Pacific Northwest along with his wife.
Unbeknownst to him, he finds himself contending against an opressive darkness that has spirited away his wife. With a lantern and a pistol he embarks on a journey of self discovery against the stygian presence.
The game plays like a third person shooter with rudimentary survival elements. The controls are solid and the soundscape compliments well the counters against those possessed by the dark.
The plot, without going into spoilers, plays out like serial, with dedicated twists and turns among its 6 episodes with elements taken from the celebrated David Lynch epic, Twin Peaks.
Its visuals are on par for its time and encountered no technical issue. However, the navigation can be a bit clunky due to nature of how Alan Wake controls.
With that said, those interested in the 'Remedyverse', would do well to experience this game.
It is indeed not a lake but an ocean.