Alan Wake is a title that could best be summarized through the phrase "growing pains". It's a game with great ideas, an engaging story and picturesque landscapes. It is also a game that has problems with level design, enemy behaviour and unsatisfying combat. Most of what I liked about Alan Wake was its approach to storytelling and focus on characters. I liked Alan's inner monologue, and the constant tongue in cheek references to literature and writing got a kick out of me (someone dumb enough to get a degree in writing.) The way the game leaves you wanting to know more, getting you to go onto the next episode like a TV show, is genuinely well done. The Twin Peaks influence comes out in droves, and like the show, Alan Wake is quirky and intriguing with its mix of people and supernatural. When the game has scenes set in the day, it looks great! It's just that 90% of the game takes place durring night, and after a while, you get tired of dreary dark forests that would be easy to get lost in if you didn't have the HUD compass guiding you. Guns are satisfying, but there's little selection, and it won't matter too much when you're getting pelted in the face with hammers from enemies you can't see behind you. It just feels clumsy, like a first draft of a story before you send it off to your editor and beta readers for thoughts. It sounds like Alan Wake 2 delivers on almost every one of these problems, and I will be picking it up when I get the chance.