Despite some dodgy combat and inconsistent pacing, Alan Wake is a phenomenal game with solid atmosphere and a gripping narrative.

What I enjoyed most about Alan Wake would be its setting and characters, with Bright Falls being a weird area with tons of fun moments and Alan Wake being the perfect protagonist to be placed in, an asshole author who's writing makes things even worse. Also feel that the atmosphere of Alan Wake is some of the best Remedy has done, keeping a very dark tone throughout with lots of light hearted moments or amazing set pieces (the concert being my favorite moment). Writing is also razor sharp, with incredible performances all around (Barry my beloved).

Biggest issues with the game I'd start with would definitely be the combat. In theory I love the idea of using light to weaken enemies and using conventional weapons to finish them off (or in extreme cases a flare gun or flashbangs). In execution the games variety feels way too limited in a game that lasts way too long, with the dlc in particular making me really wish it focused more on puzzles (which are in the game but are too sporadic). Some enemies also feel incredibly annoying to fight, with the teleporting ones and ranged in particular being absolutely frustrating to deal with, especially in cases where they are required to finish the section. Another issue I had was the pacing, in particular the later sections have characters that are required to move to a certain area for progress, making certain areas feel incredibly tedious and drawn out.

Despite that I still absolutely loved Alan Wake and can't wait to see how II improves on things. It's been a decade since so hopefully Alan Wakes story can conclude on a high note.

8.5/10