this game is just straight up not fun to play, and i usually am an advocate for games where people really hate the combat (like Scorn). every single encounter is essentially the exact same, the usage of slow motion every two seconds is grating, and sometimes the checkpoints are frustrating.

the story is... okay. it really really wants you to think it's well written. havent played through the dlc chapters yet but i probably will.

i feel like Control was an improvement in every single way over this game, which makes me still excited for Alan Wake 2.

every area in this game, just visually speaking, is incredible. each area is very distinct and it was always a treat to push forward and progress just to see what was next. so many unique little things in this game too. so much character. as others have said, the combat is a bit annoying but it also feels good occasionally. some of the weapons, though, dont make much sense to me. the weapon you get as a reward at the end does a crazy amount of damage, but it takes >10 seconds to load one shot. i can output more than its damage in about 7 seconds just by throwing a bunch of axes. other than that though, i really loved this. excited for this dev's next project!

makes me sad that some people truly can't see the reason why this game took so long to make. every single room and hallway can be stared at like a painting, every animation is so incredibly detailed, and the "story" is something unlike anything i've seen told in game form.

people were obviously somehow expecting a shooter despite ebb software making clear multiple times that, while this game has guns, it is NOT a shooter. (i personally like the early silent hill-esque combat.) what we ended up getting was essentially everything i hoped it would be for the past like 6 years. i didnt expect the game to be long, but if i had one complaint it would be that it couldve used maybe one more act.