GameCritics: Alan Wake Review

HIGH The external environments are beautiful.
LOW The player sees far too much of them.
WTF The amount of back-attacks and birds.

Five years (plus) in the making, Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake is finally upon us. Having gone through several changes and an unusually long development period, one of the biggest question marks in recent video game history has finally materialized. Billed as a psychological thriller and positioned to be one of Microsoft's biggest titles of 2010, this 360 exclusive has a lot to live up to. Though the game can justifiably boast a few successful elements, it ultimately ends up being a case of too little, too late.

[playstation_clan]

definition: too repetitive

[AnttiApina]

Wow! This site has some weird reviews:

Mass Effect 2 a 7.5
Assassin's Creed 2 a 5.5
Uncharted 2 a 7.0

ALONE IN THE DARK 9.5

[e3kehoe]

O_o

They evidently have no taste....maybe fishing for hits.. IDK.
Who does there reviews?

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

I was gonna say that I guess they didnt like AW but those first 3 games listed are all great IMO. Really a 9.5 for AITD? LOL

[HolyOrangeCows]

I'd love to speak highly of this site since you rarely see reviews address the Deaf & Hard of Hearing.....but wow.

EDIT: Actually, their SECOND OPINION review of U2 was 7.5/10, not their main one. (Main: 9/10)

[VoicesInMyHead]

I thought the website held pretty effin high standards to gaming....coz Mass Effect and Uncharted are at least 9s in my book....but then my eyes shifted to the last of "AITD"....straight up LAWL

[Kevin ButIer]

It seems to be a good game, its not perfect and maybe it doesnt justify the 5 years wait, but its a new IP and it will be nicely welcome in the 360 library.

[UP]

The two comments above me are terrible specially Chicken Chasers. You should read them and laugh.

[Syronicus]

The hype has been too much for this game. You could say that this game is the 360's Haze...

[Sunny_D]

I think that's a bit too much. That title goes to Too Human. Alan Wake is still good, nowhere near as bad as Haze. No way at all.

Edit: Holy crap! I didn't know this game was rated T!

[El Botto]

Not just any birds...

But GIANT_ENEMY_BIRDS!!!

Hit its weakpoint Alan! But first shine that flashlight on the bird so you can slow motion it down and so that the player can actually see the bird.

[UP]

i would not go that far it is not 360's Haze. I would call it the 350's Killzone 2 in terms of hype the only difference is it scored slightly lower than killzone 2. But it is a good game overall

[lagoonalight]

Yahtzee my ******* *** dude! The guy is a comedian nothing more and his schtick was cool for like 6 games.

KZ2 was a pioneering effort in Console FPS to say anything different you sound like an F'in tard. 32 player matches with absolutely groundbreaking graphics. Bullets and bots and particles everywhere with 32 players and hardly any slowdown. Where the **** do you see that outside of PC?

To sit there and Criticize U2 would be fine if you were talking the boring and redundant circle running multiplayer. But the single player?

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT!

[weazel]

If you had criticized the culture of trolling, and then gone on to say that "things like that don't matter to me....It's all about the game,etc,etc..." then you would have had a solid ground to illustrate the unfairness of metacritic focused gaming media, disparity of scores, etc.
As it is, you just coughed up some phlegmy nonsense, about the other kids toys, and how everybody else is s**t.
Look in the mirror dude.
You are a troll.
A hypocrite troll.
A mouth breathing angry spastic troll.
F. off and lurk somewhere else with your "my toy is better than yours" rants.

[Redrum059]

how many games have ripped off the alians invading earth stories? stop trolling dude. plus, how many games ripped off killzone2's Warzone mode(all match modes put in one)? Your bashing only makes you look stupid, go back to playing/hyping Alan Wake and shut up.

[Therealspy03]

how the ps3 fanboys only see what they wanna see. i simply said this constant bombardment from the ps3 fanboys in a 360 exclusive article (which happens thousands of times daily) has gotten stale. you make the same lame comparisons to the same drab games. nobody cares about your views/perspectives on games that only ps3 fanboys love.

i honestly do not care at all for your opinions. i don't care at all that you can gang up on neutral gamers and accuse them of being on the opposing side of you.

the facts are these...i hate fanboys on both sides...but the ps3 fanboys dominate n4g. you can't go anywhere without seeing their asinine remarks about games they know absolutely nothing about...or their blind support for exclusives that are complete crap. you are hypocrites...pure n simple.

don't address me personally unless you have a counter argument that pertains to the points of view that i'm making available. so far, all i'm seeing is the same childish behavior i've always seen the from the ps3 crowd, and it does nothing but add credence to the argument that i'm making.

you couldn't wait for one crappy reviewer to give an unfair perspective on a game they couldn't wait to hate on. any time one of the real sites says one of the ps3 exclusives sucks, they have no credibility. but when some garbage site that nobody cares about knocks a 360 exclusive, they are absolutely right??? nah..you're just hypocrites.
once more, alan wake is PROBABLY not a great game, but PROBABLY a good game. but that's still more than i can say for trash like killzone. that game has come and gone, and nobody plays it. ya'll just brag it up when it's convenient to talk about graphics. i don't care how great YOU think it looks...nobody plays it for it a reason...it sucks.

[weazel]

I take back what I typed about you being a hypocritical Troll.

" facts are these...i hate fanboys on both sides..."

"so far, all i'm seeing is the same childish behavior i've always seen the from the ps3 crowd, and it does nothing but add credence to the argument that i'm making"

"PROBABLY not a great game, but PROBABLY a good game. but that's still more than i can say for trash like killzone"

"nobody plays it for it a reason...it sucks."

You're a Schizophrenic hypocritical Self owning troll.

Get off your high horse son. With generalisations like these, you come across as badly as any of the "PS3 'tard trolls" that you seem to have a boner for.

[Therealspy03]

all i showed was that you fanboys only see what you wanna see. see how you picked apart my entire statement and focused on a few piecess and then called me a hypocrite? what was hypocritical? that i hate fanboys?

nah...only thing i can see is anotherfanboy trying to focus on a small percentage of what's said to support his argument. since this site is completely DOMINATED by you idiots, you get away with it. the rest of us know how the community works and we've come to terms with the fact that unless we shower praise on ps3 and condemn anything outside of the circle, we'll eventually lose our bubbles and have to make a new name.

if i walked into a room full of 4 year olds and one of them calls me a "poopy head" and i say anything to the contrary, i'll still lose the argument because all the other 4 year olds will point and laugh and continue to chant those childish sentiments. that's what n4g is...a kindergarten classroom. you can't win here when you try to be neutral...you have to choose a side...the side of the 4 years olds...otherwise they gang up on you. and since n4g decided to give the 4 year olds an equal voice here, the rest of us are left to eventually be censored by very immature, narrow minded idiots that can get away with murder for being the most biased, obnoxious members of the community. it makes me sick, and that's why i'm so cut throat when it comes to speaking out against it. there's a great proverb that goes like this: the truth is the truth even if nobody believes it, and a lie is still a lie even if everyone believes it.

[weazel]

I called you on your rant against fanboyism, which you then rendered void by reverting to fanboyish behaviour.

That's the dictionary definition of hypocrisy.

Why pander to the masses, and feel that you have to "dumb down" your arguments to win? Why even try to "win" at all. If you enjoy games on a particular system then fine. You don't have to debase your point by taking a polar opposite view to an immature vocal minority. Frustration is one thing, but contributing to the trolling crew is a catch 22 pal, and based on a large part of the rational sections of your posts, I'd have thought that you would appreciate that.

*edit - check my comment history voltaire. How is praising games on all systems fanboyish? Because I disagree with your FANBOY statements, then i'm a part of the mythical PS3 collective? Truth is subjectively influenced by the majority's perception, and by taking a negative stance you become part of the problem, so f. up with your sanctimonious preaching.
Using your argument, then please provide overwhelming evidence that "Killzone 2" is trash on a global statistical level, and not just in your opinion...
..can't do it?
you fail.

[thief]

I think it more like the 360's Heavenly Sword.
And to be honest, the scores arent the disappointment - after all Max Payne 2 scored the same (MID-80S).
Killzone 2 managed to surprise positively even after all the hype in some respects - the majestic AI, the multiplayer, the unique controls, the art design. As far as I can see, there is nothing in Alan Wake where reality beats or even matches the hype. From what I have seen, the combat and use of light is nowhere as creative and innovative as I had expected, and I had thought the story would be mind-blowing but again, doesn't appear to be the case.
This and Mass Effect were the two games on the 360 which I thought I would really want on the PS3, but no longer so keen on AWake.

[Arnon]

"KZ2 was a pioneering effort in Console FPS to say anything different you sound like an F'in tard."

I lol'd

[M-Easy]

gets a bubble for owning the troll.

[Official General]

You need to get a life man. I really cannot believe how some so-called gamers like you take this fanboy/console war stuff so seriously. Just take a look at how you sound on here - judging from what you've wriiten in your posts, one would think you were really upset and pyschologically traumatized by these PS3 fanboys on N4G. Just because Alan Wake did not get many of the scores it was hyped to get, it don't mean you should start taking out hateful vengence on PS3 fanboys that criticise it and gloat about it. This is N4G and people have a right to express their opinions and feelings and there is no reason for you to get butt-hurt about it as long as it's nothing personal against you. You more than likely do not know these people on here personally and most importantly of all it's just video games. Surely there are more important things in your life that you can get upset about? Realise your your more serious priorities, fix up and GET A LIFE!

EDIT: A little more on topic - to therealspy03 and all you other extremist 360 fanatics, a word of advice from me. Don't listen to reviews if you know you really wanted to buy and play Alan Wake. Ok fair enough it did not get a ton of 9-rated scores across the place but this should not deter you at all, you need to make decisions based on your own judgments and instincts, not next opinion of ONE other person! I'm a PS3-only owner and Sony gamer but I admit I like the look of AW and if it was on the PS3 I'd still buy it regardless of the reviews. I bought a game called The Saboteur, it got mostly 7s and I still bought the game, and guess what? I really enjoyed it, it was mad fun. A good thing that I didnt listen to just the reviews alone. You're humans not robots, make your own minds up. I'm sorry AW was not the AAA mega title you hoped for - but forget about that and just simply enjoy it for what it is!

[FACTUAL evidence]

It's not A lake...It's an ocean!!

[MNicholas]

are exceptionally bad. There's also a remarkable lack of per-pixel lighting.

The only logical explantion for the poor texture quality is that they were designed for an open-world game where extra memory was needed to buffer more parts of the map. When they decided to place limits on player movement they may not have had time to maximize texture quality with the additional memory that should have become available.

Perhaps significantly improved texture quality is the one thing we can look forward to in Alan Wake 2.

However, the relative lack of per-pixel lighting (compared to even multiplatform games like batman) is probably not an area in which we should expect significant changes but there should be some improvement here as well.

[masterofpwnage]

how is plastation_clan trolling.
he is right.
it means its to repetitive

[The real killer]

"HIGH The external environments are beautiful"

I like that :)

[akaFullMetal]

wow, the reviews are everywhere with this game, i wonder if some like it and some don't, I wonder why.

[Rhythmattic]

akaFullMetal

Yeh , I've been wondering that too. Having not played it yet, Maybe its different, I havent played Heavy Rain, but I believe being so story driven (multiple endings) and not really having shoter type mechanics put alot of gamers on the fence.

Maybe AW has the same issue, that it has a Story, It has atmosphere and Gun play type mechanics... Maybe people dont know how to pigeon hole it... Possibly a very different experience to what people are used to.

Anyhow, I'll wait for my friend to finish it, and then I'll be booting my 360 for the AW Dimension.

[ALFAxD_CENTAURO]

Didn't expect that.

I think is more for a rent than buy, besides of not much replay value and SP Mode, I'm not rich to buy every game in every week.

[The real killer]

I think that some reviewers different taste about the gameplay and story.
I think also, people who like this game will buy this game, just as i gonna buy this game becouse i love the atmosphere of the game :)

[FadeToBlack]

I will trust IGN's 9.0 thanks...

[Erotic Sheep]

After IGN giving a 9.4 to Prince of Persia... it's pretty hard to take them serious.

[Mc Fadge]

Granted I never played the others, but I felt it was fun for what it was

[Solidus187-SCMilk]

Then I guess you agree with this site on their other review scores too:

heavy rain a 4.0
mass effect 2 a 7.5
assassin's creed 2 a 5.5
uncharted 2 a 7.0

Ohh im sure you were saying this site cant be trusted either when they gave some of those reviews. But now give AW a bad score and you completely forgot.

In the case of IGN, I find it more likely that someone could give POP a 9.4, than the people who did this AW review thinking that uncharted 2 deserves a 7, or ME2 deserves a 7.5.

A 5.5 for AC2 is just moronic even if you hated the game.

[Erotic Sheep]

"Ohh im sure you were saying this site cant be trusted either when they gave some of those reviews. But now give AW a bad score and you completely forgot."

Wtf is wrong with you? Easy with those tight panties there, I never go with reviews untill I played the game myself. Which is exactly what I did when I got Prince of Persia and was utterly stunned by the ammount of repetetive gameplay. I personally would give it an 8, mainly because of the story and the last part which were surprisingly good.

And to answer your question, no I dont trust IGN with any review because nowadays every big gaming site becomes a victim of game hype, with big hitters receiving a free pass. Yeah I dont agree with the reviews of the game you listed either but who gives a flying crap? Just because the reviewer doesn't like it doesn't mean the game blows, same reason I believe Alan Wake is a great game and the game shouldn't be justified on this single review. You are calling out reviewers who don't agree with YOU, not everyone shares the same taste in gaming you know?

[Obama]

IGN likes to give out high scores to every high profile game. Just saying.

[thor]

Finally someone else who realises this. IGN makes fanboys happy by scoring high-profile games highly. Whether it's Alan Wake, Resistance 2 or Halo 3: ODST, they'll score the graphics unreasonably high and the overall score will be great.

[BattleAxe]

IGN does the "Cash for clunkers" review system.

[badz149]

how can you trust them? MW2 = 9.5 LOL!

[lokiroo420]

The story makes you scratch your head even after the ending. Enemies can be counted on one hand. Environments can be counted on the other. All wrapped in a 10 hour experience that you wont want to play again. Score is spot on.

[chanto23]

you nailed it right on the head

[Gambit07]

Gamecritics are always hard on games, but their reviews are usually well written.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

I'm enjoying it.. Rent it if you want to believe this guy.. What is the problem with clearly marking the score on the review? I mean where is 6.5? in some hidden text on the page? I'm using the latest Mozilla so can someone point it out?

EDIT: Thanks. Wow, so it is invisible text.. Is there a way to make that visible? It makes it hard to look at the track record of how they've scored other titles.

[- Ghost of Sparta -]

Last paragraph, right before the disclosure. Hit Control + F and search "6.5". You'll see it.

Edit: No idea why they hide their own scores like this. I agree with you, it's pointless.

[The real killer]

This game gets mixed reviews, no need for worry.
It will sell, just wait and see, the most 360 users don't have good games to choose about it ;)

Some people don't like it and some people like it, take your pick and get happy :)

[Gambit07]

They gave Alone in the Dark Inferno a 9.5, wtf?

[captain-obvious]

i wonder why didn’t NFPS3G posted this one
maybe he only post the ones with high scores
or maybe he is still looking for some PS3 games reviews with bad scores

anyway im renting this
no replay value

[Sunny_D]

the story is quite peripheral to the gameplay and poorly-told in general. That much is easy to discuss without any fear of spoilage.

Wow, man I was really hoping for a good mind f*ck game in a good way that's told in an amazing way. I guess I won't buy this for my friend then. He's a shooting type guy and with this little amount of ememies, I don't think he'd like it.

[Socomer 1979]

At thier disgust for this expensive waste of time.

Obviously, it's a game we've all played before. Remedy basically bled money from thier publishers for 5 years based on "BuZZ".

Some fans will recieve another rude awakening after trying to play this simplistic mini game.
For some strange reason people believed remedy would be as influential as max payne but nobody remembers the downward spiral of suck with max payne 2.

Maybe next time. Yet it's due time the 360 creates or revolutionizes a genre the way Sonys passion shines through with it's games. Breaking barriers, causing contraversy, surprising & exploding genres wide apart on ps3, it seems the 360 is just a 1 trick pony & were all bored with it already.

Alan Wake is a Limp Dud that Remedy has already cashed in on.
Very sneaky remedy. Very sneaky. It's like what the villian in Iron man 2 has done to hammer industries. "No Problem".

[mookins]

Giant Enemy Crab, I'm sure that 'SDF' is a concept that shouldn't be used on n4g.

[Whoooop]

Alan Wake atmosphere and story are so spot on that I've been able to give a pass to basically everything else, which is lacking.

The game story holds this game together pretty nicely.

[deno]

I could care less about any review from any website. I liked too human, haze and kill zone. That means I will enjoy alan wake, I will judge it for myself. That's a real gamer.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Exactly! I find myself enjoying the lower scored games more than any other.
IGN gave WKC a what? 5/10 or something? Yet i have 300 hours into it and loved every moment of it so far.

I doubt anyone who was planning on buying Alan wake will be put off by any reviews.

[lovestospoodge]

Hmm, i just read on the new N4G's terms of use, and it says no:
- Offensive language, name calling and personal attacks on other members
- Pointless comments like the classic “I am first” post
- Trolling
- Immature language
- Posting lies and spreading disinformation
- Posting in all CAPS.

But, from what i have seen on the old N4G, what the hell are people gonna be able to write about now?

[Redrum059]

you make a good and funny point. +bubbles

please +bubbles me back, lol

[boysenberry]

LOL so much for Alan Wake being GOTY 2010.. all that hype for nothing.

[mittwaffen]

Trolling there Tex.

"DURRRRRRR DA GAME SUX CUZZZ DURRRRRR SHODDY SITES POST IT FOR HITS. DURRRR ^^^"

[Biggest]

I'm pretty sure he is just saying that games with such up and down reviews aren't usually Game of the Year material. And many of the N4G denizens already proclaimed it as such. Not that it matters. Game of the Year never washed my laundry.

[DelbertGrady]

That spot has already been reserved for Halo Reach.

[Chucky2003]

after finishing the game its exactly the same way i feel about it,he said the game in 10 hours while i finished in 7-8 hours,but i don't see this score in the review

[mittwaffen]

This is one game you need to play on the hardest the first time though; it'll tack on some more hours as you'll take a slower pace though the game.

I'm a huge horror game fan; and this will top all the crap we've been getting since Silent Hill 3.

[Chucky2003]

The game its not frightening,Silent Hill3 is 10 times scarier then this,there is only one moment in the beginning of the game when a guy gets axed but they never show it,the camera moves to Alan's face to see his expression,it was lame,well the game is supposed to be a thriller not a horror but that because of the story,the problem is you don't get the story,because everything is messed up,i don't know why everybody's comparing the story with Twin Peaks(that show was awesome),its nothing like it

[Socomer 1979]

Look at scores???

Sorry pal, I've been reading reviews.
It boils down to the same element everytime.
I see it with my own eyes in videos.

After you're done with Alan Wake I would LOVE to read your review.
You can be as generous as you like or as Real as the Hardcore Gamers I represent who Need Challenges. This ain't no PS3 Vs 360 thing. This is Hardcore Vs Casual Crap of dumbed down simplistic $60 rip-offs of rehashed Garbage.

You can play both sides of the fence if you want to but there is a gap as huge as the San Andreas fault between okay games, Great Games & Hardcore Games talor made for Us.
Alan Wake falls under... SMH MEH & you know it. It gets no sympathy from a hardcore gamer.

Don't just take my word for it. The Aftermath is coming soon & people will remember your name sponsoring Alan might as well bake a cake.

[mittwaffen]

Look at them PS3 fanboys sucking the blood from this article.

[aviator189]

I don't understand why Ps3 fanboys come in these posts if they're going to bash it no matter what anyways. It's not as if they have any interest or any hopes for the game, so why even comment let alone unfairly disagree with posts that are just and agree with posts that are just plain anti-360. They see one seriously bad review out of a batch of great reviews, and get all over it.

[masterofpwnage]

i guess is just teasing the 360 fans for hyping it so much.
remember they were like this is going o be goty or is going to get straight 9s or this kills uncharted graphically oh and this will kill the ps3

[mookins]

That's what you get for hyping the damn game.

You rag on PS3 fans for hyping their games but of course when it comes to you guys, the hype's okay.

This game has been in development for all this time and it's getting a crapload of mixed scores.

Not AAA material I'm afraid.

[bjornbear]

remember that? guess not...

i do, and i still disagree with all this trolling because AW and HR are both amazing games in their own right

but karma is a b!tch and if you bash something a lot of people like (even love, like in my case and HR) then you will get people coming back and smacking you in the face when something like AW does NOT meet the expected hype

still, this trolling is all stupid and AW is def. superior to 6.5