Alan Wake desperately wants itself to match its inspirations but fails to tell an engaging story with its insufferable characters and barebones plot. It really feels as though it's written by someone who loves the idea of writing a novel but hasn't ever really read one.

So much of the story is continously interrupted by ridiculous blockades the characters could very easily climb over. Oh no, a school bus just blocked the road. Can I climb over the 4 foot fence right next to it? Nope, gotta take this convoluted route down fuck knows where just to get to the other side! Not to mention, Alan's god awful running speed. I get he's an out of shape writer but jesus christ, my fat ass could sprint longer than he could even if my legs were dipped in cement.

Ultimately, there really isn't much of a plot despite being a narrative focused game. The blockades that artificially lengthen the story leave little room for much of a narrative to even be told. You'll spend an hour trudging through hills and shitty combat to meet up with a character only to be welcomed to a cutscene where said character just so happens to tell you "sorry buddy, I'm somewhere else!". How are you meant to tell an engaging story if you're constantly delaying the narrative in favour of action set pieces that aren't even fun to play?

The game has charm. It's just not enough to overcome its myriad of flaws.