Alan Wake

Anyone play this, it a very interesting game.
Lots of spooky stuff going on and completely messes with your head.
I only just completed episode 3.

It can be a little tedious walking around forests in pitch black but as soon as something happens you're completely involved again.

Is it true that on nightmare mode things get even more bizarre and more things come to life?

I played it a while back. I thought the effects and everything coming to life was awesome. It had a pretty good story, but I thought the gameplay got very repetitive. I wish it had more of a mystery aspect with more time exploring the town during the day. It seemed to me like everytime the story really got interesting, all of a sudden everything went dark and you had to kill things with your flashlight again. I think they could have balanced out the day and night scenarios a little better. I enjoyed the game, but after getting through it, I had no urge to replay it.

I played it was quite disappointed. I was hoping it would be better than Heavy Rain (which had a below decent plot) but Alen Wake seems to cater only to the main stream audience.

It's plot was simplistic and most if not all if it was an easy guess. It was average at best considering its built to be "story based" but its most intriguing aspect was the game-play.

Its an overall forgettable experience for people who have played some serious titles since the early 90's. People today would think otherwise, being that they haven't even at the least tried classic titles.

The thing that interests me most is that Remedy make the Max Payne games, I loved the first 2 and if this is anything to go by Max Payne 3 should be pretty sweet.

I'm clearly enjoying Alan Wake more than you guys but I do see what your saying.

By far the worst thing about this game is facial animations, absolutly no effort at all.

I played it for awhile and couldn't agree more with the above poster in that everytime things got interesting you had to whip out your flashlight again. It was entertaining...for awhile.

Wish there was a decent detective, mystery, thriller kinda game out there.

Originally posted by GambitVII
I played it was quite disappointed. I was hoping it would be better than Heavy Rain (which had a below decent plot) but Alen Wake seems to cater only to the main stream audience.

It's plot was simplistic and most if not all if it was an easy guess. It was average at best considering its built to be "story based" but its most intriguing aspect was the game-play.

Its an overall forgettable experience for people who have played some serious titles since the early 90's. People today would think otherwise, being that they haven't even at the least tried classic titles.

It is better than Heavy Rain, (I don't get this obsession with Heavy Rain, if I wanted to shave and go to the toilet , i'll just get up tomorrow, don't even get me started on pressing directional buttons for the entire game.), this couldn't be further from mainstream. COD is mainstream this is almost cult.

Simplistic plot, that is left ambiguosly open (at the end of the game and every single episode), yeah that makes no sense does it.


Serious titles like what?

reply to post by Chukkles


I sense a bit of hostility... but what of it? If it takes a challenge to wake gamers up then so be it!

If your looking for modern day titles that annihilate these so called "plot based games" in terms of plot, NIER and most especially 9 people 9 Doors 9 Hours (NDS) easily have a much more magnificently woven aspects of character development, plot execution, and overall depth. I'd say more but you asked for classics. Nier has some weak sides but the plot and the music is what makes it a classic.

If you want to TRUELY acquire wisdom from some serious titles, do your research on the following. And I assure you, fans of these games played hundreds titles before making their judgment. Quite frankly, people haven't stepped out of "mainstream" until they've experience titles of these caliber.

- XenoGears
- Planescape Torment
- XenoSaga
- Baldurs Gate 2
- Legacy of Kain
- Suikoden 2
- Silent Hill 2

And I'll stop here to at least give you some my favorite of the bunch.
These 'plot based' games are missing the substance that games before the 360 generation have delivered. Most of it surrounds Hollywood tactics that sell easy but they sacrifice substance in the name of profits. Much of that contributes to how games like Xenosaga fall hard but Xenosaga survived the carnage of "exiling" its most influential staff members including the director and producers for the sake of rushing the second game.

Once again, do your research. And don't get back at me without getting in touch with these titles. With all due respect: most people (in this case quite possibly yourself included) are too caught up with hollywood gimmicks to understand whats lacking in terms of substance for literally all forms of media today. (with a few exceptions of course)

Sorry dude wasn't really trying to be hostile, I just found your first post a little vague and wanted more info.
I don't get your point about simplistic plot, when it's so mysterious.

This is my son's all time favorite video game. I've watched him play quite a bit of it. It's like watching a movie. I'm sure it's a lot more fun to play than watch, but I'm definitely otherwise enabled when it comes to video games. Which is to be expected, when you spend about 10 minutes a year playing them, I guess.

We even went to Goodwill last October and got him the stuff to dress like Alan Wake for Halloween. I said, "You think anyone will even know who you're supposed to be?" Apparently, that was a typically dumb Dad question.

reply to post by Chukkles


Fair enough and I dont require any sort apology (no offense taken at all). Quite honestly I was looking forward to making some form of debate concerning the substance of games today vs games back then.

Alan Wake is fairly mysterious in it's own right but it fails to truly deliver the same amount of depth and the utilization of said depth throughout the plot.

**SPOILER**
I thought it was just me, but others whom I've conversed with have for-saw such as the 'coming of life" of his writings or how he would trade himself for his wife not to make the same mistake as Zane. Truthfully, if you simply ask the appropriate and fill in the blank with answers the plot unfolds itself quite simply.
**END SPOILER***


----Now bout those games having intricate plots...
I'll be a 'little' bit more detailed as to why that list of games I've chosen by illustrating it in the simplest form without spoiling it too much. Quite frankly, making a few spoilers here won't hurt any future expression since they are so minuscule compare to how far things truly get.

I'll pick two games.
- XENOGEARS
In Xenogears, you start off as a humble resident of a distant village. A set of circumstances lead to the destruction of the village, but it's destruction was a result of your efforts to save it. You learn quickly that the destruction of your hometown was a influenced by an external entity manipulating the events surrounding you so that you may forged into a threat against 'God'. (Now figuring out the truth behind that alone is a kicker).

Of course, as you progress through the game, you save occasionally to ensure you'll be able to continue your game as you please. Later on you run into an enemy "save point factory", and you'll quickly realize that all your save attempts were part of the means and methods for the enemy to observe your progress. mini spoiler.

You can't take my summery at face value, because the existence and purpose of everything you do and everyone your involve with has a purpose.

- PLANESCAPE TORMENT
Your an immortal who finds himself waking up in cell, and for some reason you have no idea who you are or where you are. Your then left with a journey of self discovery, only to find out that everyone around you purposely lied about you and what you've done. And why everyone did that? Your responsible for something you wish you were never involved in.

You can't take my summery at face value, because the existence and purpose of everything you do and everyone your involve with has a purpose.




Alen Wake merely uses Holywood tricks to create the feeling of mystery without any actually mystery behind it. They merely created open ended interpretations.

I personally enjoyed the game immensely. My problem with games of today is the replay value. Once you finish Alan Wake once there really isn't any reason to play again other than achievements or trophies. There are the DLC that add more to the game but again once finished are finished. I like to get plenty of replay out of my 60 bucks. I hate to say it but I get more than my money's worth out of most shooters since there is plenty of online play.

Hi! just started this game yesterday. looks good to me. I'm just arrived at the cottage with "my" wife.
The water (grafics) looks awsome to me, of course the rest also.
But my G-card is blowing like hell all the time when i play this game.
(System: 6870 Sapphire / AMD X6 1090t / 8GB RAM / SSD )
I don't know why?.., so i cranked the grafics a little back but that did't help sooo much at all.
Have to live with it, i think!

reply to post by D0MiNAT0R 1OOO



A patch may be required or you'll have to update your drivers. If further problems continue, accessing resources like the official forum will actually help you get this problem diagnosed. (At least, if the devs are active or if someone may has a similar problem & knows how to fix it)

reply to post by GambitVII


I'm using the latest Catalyst V12.1
BTW i switched to another game because i think the enemies and the fightsystem (Flashlight+Gun) sucks.
i can't acquire a taste for it. I didn't deinstal it but maybe play it some time later.
I now started "Kingdoms of Amalur "Reckoning" btw its my first try to play a RPG-Game.
Played it now for approx. 4-5h and still like it. I know its not comparable with Alan Wake just needed a good game to play.
We have a long weekend here (its carneval) in germany, but i prefer to stay at home.

reply to post by GambitVII


Xeno Gears sound interesting. Enemies using your saving habits against you, that kinda blows my mind.lol.

Anyway, the reason I have brought this thread back is to ask any of the AW fans how American Nightmare is?

I played the demo and it seems less linear and actually has a large area to search and backtrack and search some more.

I never done any of the DLC's for AW, main reason being the lack of replayability I found when I tried hardcore mode. I only done it to get the extra pages and realised I would have to get all the pages I got in the first place anyway (if I remember correctly).

But as a standalone story of AW American Nightmare may or may not be a step in a better direction.
What are your opinians of it.

To me it was a total let down. I read many reviews and they made me want to play it, however I have a few problems with the game.

Firstly, it relies solely on the story line for brilliance and although being interesting its a far cry from a good book or a good story, it doesnt really grab you and make you wanna continue playing even though you have work tomorrow and have to get some sleep.

Secondly, the gameplay is attrociously repetitive and requires no skill. Theres nothing to become good at. And it is the same thing over and over again.

Thirdly, although im not a graphics whore I must say I was very disappointed, especially since the game hinges on the story line. The voice acting is very bad and the animation even worse.

So ja very disappointed.

Games in general have become very stale rehashin the same concepts with no genuine effort to push the boundaries or be unique, maybe im getting old but there arent many games that grab me or are stimulating for more than a few hours of gameplay.

I mean F.E.A.R was brilliant, not only because of the gameplay but the story absolutely kicked ass and it is the best ending for a game ever. I remember when I finished I freaked out ran out of the house to my friends place and freaked out at my friend, It was just so epic.

Anyway, I wish they would bring out a proper strategy game again. Sigh