Alan Wake is a game that its story is so strong, it carries the whole game by itself. I'm not an expert on narrative or its design, let alone this genre of stories, but the game always kept me interested and made me play the game more, even with its obviously flawed gameplay. The game also strengthens its already strong storytelling by using transmedia storytelling techniques, perfectly blending it into the game’s world. I cannot tell you anything else about the story, just have my unproven word that it's very good.
Gameplay, oh man. The game has unique and fun ideas, but the execution is far from perfect. Even though it is very flawed, it somehow works just enough to not be a thorn in your side. Gunplay can be fun, but the omission of a crosshair is really weird. Dodge mechanic is fun, but it's very clunky and works only half of the time. In some segments, the game starts throwing you objects so big that it's nearly impossible to dodge. The flashlight mechanic is a fun idea, but sometimes it takes too long for an enemy to be vulnerable. You can run out of stamina if you run for too long, but it adds too little while sacrificing so much by being outright annoying. Every mechanic you can think of has some obvious flaw that can sour your gameplay experience. Also, some mechanics just don’t suit the game in my opinion, such as driving. Even with all its flaws, it wouldn't be fair to say that I did not have any fun. Alan Wake has this good base for gameplay, and with a sequel that fixes all of these problems, it can be a really good game.
Not a lot else to say, the visuals are really strong and the atmosphere is really immersive. I do not have any memory of music or songs in the game, and I finished this game like 5 hours ago so I guess it's forgettable. If your main motivation in games is story, you should play this game, if it's the opposite do not waste your time. I’m giving it a 7/10, like I said the story is good, but gameplay is the not. Alan Wake II seems to be everything I have wanted this game to be, and I have been thinking about skipping American Nightmare and playing that instead. We’ll see.
Gameplay, oh man. The game has unique and fun ideas, but the execution is far from perfect. Even though it is very flawed, it somehow works just enough to not be a thorn in your side. Gunplay can be fun, but the omission of a crosshair is really weird. Dodge mechanic is fun, but it's very clunky and works only half of the time. In some segments, the game starts throwing you objects so big that it's nearly impossible to dodge. The flashlight mechanic is a fun idea, but sometimes it takes too long for an enemy to be vulnerable. You can run out of stamina if you run for too long, but it adds too little while sacrificing so much by being outright annoying. Every mechanic you can think of has some obvious flaw that can sour your gameplay experience. Also, some mechanics just don’t suit the game in my opinion, such as driving. Even with all its flaws, it wouldn't be fair to say that I did not have any fun. Alan Wake has this good base for gameplay, and with a sequel that fixes all of these problems, it can be a really good game.
Not a lot else to say, the visuals are really strong and the atmosphere is really immersive. I do not have any memory of music or songs in the game, and I finished this game like 5 hours ago so I guess it's forgettable. If your main motivation in games is story, you should play this game, if it's the opposite do not waste your time. I’m giving it a 7/10, like I said the story is good, but gameplay is the not. Alan Wake II seems to be everything I have wanted this game to be, and I have been thinking about skipping American Nightmare and playing that instead. We’ll see.