Alan Wake

First of all, I am a fan of Alan Wake and I'd play the sequel in a heartbeat if they ever made one. It's atmospheric, cinematic and rife with panicked encounters. At least, it is for the first two chapters. After that, it loses much of its magic for the simple reason that you become conditioned to it. There are only so many possessed humans jumping out of bushes and coming at you with an axe you can handle before it becomes laborious to blind them and then shoot them. Rinse and repeat over and over again for 6 full chapters. What the game desperately needed was a more varied backdrop than endless forests at night time and swarms upon swarms of the same enemy type. Despite this, it remains one of the better horror games out there, and for this very reason it is still that cult classic that people just can't seem to stop talking about. If you haven't had your hands on a copy yet, what are you waiting for?

This is the best game I have played in a while. Every detail and points in this game is extremely polished. The story is the most hard to put down plot I have seen in a LONG time. The character development are really great: Alan Wake is my favorite character so far in gaming. The gameplay is solid, it makes this character feel real and in danger; he's a writer not a action hero. The environments are detailed every inch of the way. It's like you are in the game. Just personally I love this game to the bone. This is definitely one of the best games I have ever played in my life time. Just go out and buy it full price. The compelling of this game is so intense that I was scared. This is a master piece! Please, give me a great follow-up to this.

10/10 Greatness

"Alan Wake" is to "Max Payne" like one thing is the same as the next thing but in a different direction.

This game in its core is similar to "Max Payne". Animations, Sounds, the fact that the story is told through a book just like in "Max Payne" the story is told through a series of comics, and the overall feeling and atmosphere that this game creates for you, all of that is like "Max Payne", and better.

The setting on the other hand is in the direction of "Alone in the Dark 5". You can drive cars, you can blow up flammables to kill your enemies, you are pretty much alone... in a darkness... a mysterious darkness.

The game has so many, so many... many, many gems.. diamonds.. golden hidden things in it. For instance, the original score, when you hear it, it just blows the mind. The sound effects, little things like that which makes the game in its overall package even more compelling. A complete comprehensive and compelling story, really, the story is what makes it so good, and the way the story is being revealed.

Alan Wake is a writer of horror novels.

You can buy his latest creation at video stores near you. Or you can wait for the movie to come out in a couple of years... :/ - Don't do that, BTW.

OK its not a gun fest, no mutants or screens covered with body parts....but it does not need it. It looks great (not bad now even today 2014) the acting parts are well done and the cut scenes are A+, there are no corners cut, they cover all the bases.

Sound FX and music are again A+, there is no driving score all the way, but they add what they need to just to keep it spooky and at times fun.

Story, well thats the big thing, all talking about its like this film/book/movie, and TBH there are a few that are close but there is more than enough differences to make it original.

I would say mix In The Mouth Of Madness (film) Twin Peaks (tv show) Shinning (book) =amazing story that draws you in, you do feel like you are part of the story....almost like you are reading it.

It has action but for likes of Resident Evil fans, they might find it lacking, but for me it was just right.

I really hope they do more like this, but seeing as how long this one took to get finished and final come out.....well I will not hold my breath....but there is DLC for it, which is next on my list of to do's.

Over 5 years in the making, the spiritual successor of Max Payne 1 is a very cinematic game with good narrative and atmosphere. The tutorial may seem lame, but it gets better. The combat mechanics combining firearms and light work well. The graphics are excellent, if not technically, then certainly artistically. This is an xbox port done right, with minimal consolitis, after using the following tweaks: add "-rigidcamera" (no mouse accel) and "-noblur" to the executable's launch commands, and max the FOV and "direct aiming" in the settings). Be sure to play this at night in a quiet room when there is no one else in the house - anything else does not do it justice.