Product ReviewsAlan Wake (Microsoft Xbox 360, 2010)

Remedy's Departure from Max

If you've played Max Payne (1 and 2), then you will quickly spot the similarities with Alan Wake's gameplay and environment. Even though Remedy tried to get as far from Max as they could, they only changed the food coloring and left the remaining recipe the same. That't not necessarily a bad thing either. Gameplay-wise, I think it may actually be incredibly close to The Evil Within. At least from the gunplay and mechanical fights perspective. Controls, animations, and (to a certain degree) writing is reminiscent of Remedy's earlier work. At any rate, Alan Wake is a fun game and its story is compelling enough. There are obvious parts of ridiculous overacting, but it's serviceable. The only real hit this game takes is in the action gameplay which did not age particular well. Alan Wake as a character controls like someone on the verge of falling over dead. Maybe it's due to all the coffee the guy consumes and then subsequently loses his mind. In the end, I'd recommend it. If nothing else, it stays somewhat true to Remedy's grittier and edgier past.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: brainbuilder

Good Game but not great.

After been a PS2,3,4 Owner for so long, I always wanted to play the best that the Xbox had to offer. That chance came when I bought a used cheap Xbox and Alan Wake. Man, after so many people comparing this game to Sony's The Last of US, I just had to try it. Don't get me wrong the game is fun and a very good one. But, it lacks in many departments. Graphic is good, I'll give it a 8. The game play is good but gets very repetitive. Same O same O backdrop. After playing it a few days, couple hours a day, I was looking forward to finish it. It doesn't come close to The Last of US.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jennbrkcx

Very good, has a drawback or two.

let me start off by saying that, while I enjoy FPS games, I also have a great respect for the third person RPGs. Alan Wake has an excellent premise, of using light as a weapon. the effects for even aesthetic lighting are above par. I also feel I should praise the use of the manuscript. while most games I've played have had to step away from the protagonist to show the purpose or actions of other characters, or to enhance certain plot points, Alan Wake uses the manuscript to accomplish this, meaning the camera never strays from our intrepid writer hero. the score for the game is also very well gone, both the instrumental mood music, and the songs performed by Poets of the Fall. The list of achievements are reasonable, not too easy, but not too demanding, either.
That said, there are some drawbacks. the logic in some parts of the story are a little fuzzy. I wish I could come up with an example off the top of my head. The lip syncing in the cutscenes is often off, and jars the player out of the experience. While I said the achievements are reasonable, I should also mention that there are VERY many types of collectibles: 100 canisters, 25 history/info signs, 106 manuscript pages, 14 TV shows, 15 or so radio broadcasts, and 30 supply chests. while the game play can be repetitive to some, in my opinion, the game provides enough twists and environment changes to keep things interesting. the most memorable moment I have, for example, is fighting through a group of common Taken, and two elite Taken, heading a little further up a hill, and finding myself about to be run down by a train car that has fallen from the sky.
Overall, I give the game an 8.8 out of 10, with most of those points going to originality, and a few good plot twists. And .5 of those are for good ol' Barry Wheeler. I recommend this game to dedicated sandbox RPG players.Read full review...

Alan Wake (Xbox 360)

The story spans six episodes, each made as a TV miniseries. After the first episode's exposition each that follows ends with a cliffhanger, fades to a title screen as songs plays, and then transitions into a plot recap as the next begins. Even if episodic gaming isn't particularly original at this point, the style of the presentation fits with what Remedy is trying to accomplish here; delivering a video game experience that feels like a novel presented as a TV show.
It has some Max Payne with Resident Evil Mixed in. The game play is good, the stop is strong but the camera angles and be off a bit.
All in all a solid title, a good graphics feel but nothing extraordinary.
It could have been a longer game, the game play is a bit short and replay value is moderate. Not worth full retail but if you can find it at a deal, get it.Read full review...

Not your typical adventure game

First off, I first heard about this game back when the xbox 360 came out back in 2005. I wasn't entirely sure about what type of game it was besides it being somewhat of a single player action/adventure game. Years later, I never really heard much at all about it wasn't even sure it was still in production. Then all of a sudden, 2009 E3 they had some news about the game being released only on Xbox 360 sometime in 2010.

I watched a video about the history on this game producer called Remedy Games who was responsable for the first Max Payne game and a few other titles. Alan Wake was a title they were working on but it took them a good 5 years to finish because of complications on the storyline and such, the question is... was it worth the wait?

The Game

I picked this game up mainly because of it being something entirely different than the normal 3rd person shooter or FPS game that comes out today, it looked like a very storyline driven game so I gave it a shot. When you first get into the game you will notice that it follows the plotline of the main character, Alan Wake, who is a writer as he is on vacation to a place called Bright Falls with his wife Alice. As the game progresses his wife becomes missing and it's your job to solve this mystery.

Most of the game feels like a straight storyline with some action sequences thrown in involving some shadowy figures following trying to kill you and some rather simple puzzles. It seems like most of the dialog portions are shown when it's daytime outside and all of the scary action happens when it's dark. The controls are simple easy to figure out with the regular Xbox controller and it's fun trying to get the next peice of the mystery solved. There's also different storyline peices you collect to form Alan Wakes next book and other items that give you more ammo or batteries for your flashlight to fight against the shadowy figures. The music is pretty soft but gets intense as the suspense hits through the moments where characters are after you. The graphics are alright, it looks a little better than a first generation Xbox 360 game but nothing spectacular. Acheivements can be granted for completion of certain chapters but as far as I can tell that's the only "special" unlocks you can get.

Overall for how much I've played of this game I really like it, it's challenging at times and does freak you out in certain situations. It's just something totally different and I really enjoy what Remedy Games did with the game, hopefully it will be a hit and they will make more of these.Read full review...

Alan wake

It's not the revolutionary product some may have hoped for, but it's still great entertainment. Remedy has built a world that, despite being a fantastical realm of twisting shadows and realities, is solidly anchored in authenticity. Outstanding environmental design and some brilliant visuals and sound make Bright Falls and its mountainous surroundings look and feel alive. Though the camera can cause issues and the supernatural story isn't as interesting as some of the questions it raises, it's a tough game to put down once you've started. Remedy's done a great job of mixing elements of written work, television, and videogames to create an experience full of scares, laughs, and thrills that's just as fun to play as it is to watchRead full review...

Alan Wake, 5 years in the make.

I have been waiting for Alan Wake to come out for a while now, and a game that was 5 years in the making, i feel like it was not worth the 5 year wait.

Here is the thing. I like how this game created an amazing atmosphere, the light vs. dark theme going on in the game is great, and the story is actually fun. I absolutely applaud this game for being original and spooky, with out gore and blood and other sick stuff like Fear or Doom.

And this is exactly what i wana talk about, F.E.A.R. and DooM. If you are a seasoned player like me with terrible grammar, that has played both Fear and DooM, your not gonna me jumping out of your seat, your gonna be entertained, but your not gonna be jumping. Your gonna like the game, but if your expecting to be scared out of your pants, this is not the game. This is a game with a great spooky feel to it, and it felt great.

But for a game 5 years in the making, i wanted more, much more. I think in the end though, that my personal problem, is that i compared Alan Wake's development cycle to that of Half Life 2. Where Half Life 2 blew us all away(being 6 years in development) Alan Wake was not that game.

Bottom line, set your fright bar lower, this is not a scary game, its a spooky game, and its a game that everyone should give a try. I like Alan Wake, but didnt love it, and wasn't too terribly impressed because i set the bar too high.Read full review...

SUper Scary Game Must Be Played At Night

In this long-awaited exclusive Xbox 360 title, fill the shoes of one Alan Wake, a man who makes his living from the terror of others as a best-selling suspense novelist. Trapped in the deceptively peaceful Washington town of Bright Falls, where he came to escape the trauma of losing his fiancée, Alan must piece together a mystery to prevent himself from being trapped inside a nightmarish world forever. An intense psychological thriller from Remedy, the creators of Max Payne, Alan Wake raises the bar for future games, creating a true cinematic experience. Explore an expansive world filled with missions, unique puzzles, intense combat, and horrifying enemies. Dig into a twisting and multi-layered story filled with suspense, engaging characters, and shocking revelations.Read full review...

Great game! Definitely worth the buy for the right money.

This game is pretty crazy it really keeps you on your toes. This game has sort of chilling feeling of what is going pop up next. I liked the unique idea of using lights to stun and kill your foes but what i disliked is that you find so many damn batteries for your flashlight but not much ammo, melee would of been nice with little ammo available. Ammo is a big issue when plaing on harder difficulties, even if your a crackshot some enemies wont go down easily, youll run out of ammo and have to run like hell out of there to avoid geeting killed. That's not very fun having to avoid enemies because it's impossible to kill them. The narration is pretty cool, you dont really say that very often especially when the voice acting is done right like here. the story is suspenseful makes you keep plaing until you find out what happens next. Overral I liked this except a few issues, I recommend this game for people that like a good Thriller/mystery game, plus the combat ain't bad either.Read full review...

5 years in the making, but no 5 stars

Anymore when a videogame is announced to be released in 5years followed up by alot of hype, you expect something remarkable. Alan Wake is a good game, but not remarkable. The story is good and it feels like watching a tv show that you play. The graphics are really impressive. The atmosphere of the game is pretty creepy, but I felt the game was too short, and fighting the same batch of enemies gets a little repetative. The way you fight the enemies is very creative, shining a light on them to weaken them, then shoot them. Anyway, the game is very much worth playing it, if you're into survival horror type games.Read full review...