I feel insane because I don't understand how this game was nominated for GOTY, and why its rated so highly.
I'm a big Remedy fan, having played all their games (except Quantum Break...). I loved the original Alan Wake and was looking forward to this, but I just couldn't get into it.
I was hooked at the start, with the atmosphere and the premise and the visuals, but I ended up losing interest a few hours in and then started to realize just how boring the gameplay loop is.
Overall,
+ Amazing visuals. I played on PS5 and it looked amazing, I can only imagine what it looks like on a beefed-up PC
+ Incredible sound design. Felt great playing this with a 5.1 surround system
+ Unique, compelling atmosphere. The "vibe" of this game, of Bright Falls, of the Dark Place, is impeccable.
All that being said, the game itself is SO INCREDIBLY BORING. Its a walking simulator 90% of the time, and the combat (whatever little there is) feels like a chore every single time. I dreaded playing this game for more than 30 minutes at a time. It's just not fun.
I'm all for cinematic games, but they have to be games at the end of the day. They need to have engaging gameplay elements and give players some agency in their actions. There was none of that here. Even the really cool Mind Place concept is nothing more than the illusion of control - the game doesn't let you actually deduce anything, you just point and click at all the options until something sticks.
I'll watch any movie or tv show directed by Sam Lake, but please stop trying to turn video games into something they're not. Blending things together is great (see recent Naughty Dog games for example), but not like this.
Alan Wake 2 could have been a fantastic 2 hour movie instead of a tedious 20 hour game.
I'm a big Remedy fan, having played all their games (except Quantum Break...). I loved the original Alan Wake and was looking forward to this, but I just couldn't get into it.
I was hooked at the start, with the atmosphere and the premise and the visuals, but I ended up losing interest a few hours in and then started to realize just how boring the gameplay loop is.
Overall,
+ Amazing visuals. I played on PS5 and it looked amazing, I can only imagine what it looks like on a beefed-up PC
+ Incredible sound design. Felt great playing this with a 5.1 surround system
+ Unique, compelling atmosphere. The "vibe" of this game, of Bright Falls, of the Dark Place, is impeccable.
All that being said, the game itself is SO INCREDIBLY BORING. Its a walking simulator 90% of the time, and the combat (whatever little there is) feels like a chore every single time. I dreaded playing this game for more than 30 minutes at a time. It's just not fun.
I'm all for cinematic games, but they have to be games at the end of the day. They need to have engaging gameplay elements and give players some agency in their actions. There was none of that here. Even the really cool Mind Place concept is nothing more than the illusion of control - the game doesn't let you actually deduce anything, you just point and click at all the options until something sticks.
I'll watch any movie or tv show directed by Sam Lake, but please stop trying to turn video games into something they're not. Blending things together is great (see recent Naughty Dog games for example), but not like this.
Alan Wake 2 could have been a fantastic 2 hour movie instead of a tedious 20 hour game.