Alan Wake: American Nightmare (XBLA) - Alan Wake 2 domain

In this brand new standalone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch! A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode make this a must for Alan Wake veterans, and the perfect jumping on point for new players!

Play the full-fledged Story Mode, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat as you fight to stop your murderous evil double to take back your life... and change reality itself! But there’s more to this nightmare – in the action-packed Arcade Mode, you’ll need to master the Fight with Light mechanic to stay alive until dawn and beat your friends on the Leaderboards. Can you survive until sunrise?"

Having this much Taken-slaughtering glee in such a small, concise package makes Alan Wake's American Nightmare an instant "yes, please" for series fans. But what's more surprising is that its accessible approach to combat makes it an equally worthwhile experience for those who've never suspended their disbelief to wander Wake's dream-like world.

Interesting and understandable plot, less running in a dark forest but more action. New Alan shows how XBLA games should be done.

In trying to please everyone, American Nightmare takes a small step back from what made the original Alan Wake an original and enthralling experience, but is still well worth the price of admission for old and new fans alike.

As close to a full console title as we've seen on Xbox Live Arcade to date. Its story mode is fun foray into the twisted universe of Alan Wake, even if some of what's going on won't always make complete sense to any but the most dedicated of fans. Remedy has admirably tackled the repetitive nature of the campaign in order to get the most out of the the content they had, although it does start to wear thin at the midway point. Thankfully, a strong final act and a ridiculously addictive Arcade mode more than make up for it.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is highly entertaining and has an interesting twist that ought to be fleshed out into a full-length game. In other words this is an excellent appetizer until we get the real sequel. Hopefully this won't take too long.

As he writes his own escape from the Dark Place, the tale ironically lacks the narrative punch of his first trek into the shadows. Even so, it invites us back into Alan's world, takes us on a new adventure and sheds new light on his predicament. The writer is correct: we love our characters, and if you love Alan Wake, you really don't have a choice. You must survive his American Nightmare.

Ends up being more inviting than ever to new players, with a clearer plot and goals. The game knows what it does well and highlights it instead of trying too many hit or miss concepts. Despite the sometimes limited scope of its world and objectives, it's a great downloadable that hopefully will introduce a whole new audience to one writer's unique world.

I didn’t feel as connected to Alan’s world or story, which were the main draws for me in the first game, but the gameplay is streamlined and improved in this sequel. American Nightmare is not quite as gripping of an experience, but I certainly got my mystery-laden, flashlight-burning fun out of it.

The character himself simply feels more at home in this shorter, punchier, less laboured and self-regarding form. Freed from the weight of expectation that accompanies a full retail release in this genre, the experience - while lacking the set-piece spectacle and spookiness of the original - is less forced and more comfortably pitched.

Feels like a deconstruction of the first game. The atmospheric plot and tense action segments have each been given their own separate treatments through the story and arcade modes. When at their best, both modes surpass the original in their respective areas, but as a whole their separation doesn't work in American Nightmare's favor.

The elementary combat system is entertaining, but ultimately overshadowed by a hopelessly contrived plot. Mr Scratch's presence could have been something special, and it's regrettable that his performance is throwaway. As with the rest of the game, a lack of cohesion and clear thought from Remedy ensures American Nightmare feels like a missed opportunity.

TheTurnipKing wrote:Does Alan Wake really need a followup?

of the game’s writers Mikko Rautalahti previously stated that the story is “bigger than one game”

TheTurnipKing wrote:Ugh, sequelitis.. Does Alan Wake really need a followup? (I should add that I never quite reached the end)

But it seems to me that creating another new IP using the same engine might be a good idea - just need to stick a "from the creators of Alan Wake" on the box.

TheTurnipKing wrote:Ugh, sequelitis.. Does Alan Wake really need a followup?

captain red dog wrote:and remedy the repetitive gameplay then they can win me over.

captain red dog wrote:I felt Alan Wake 1 just got far too repetitive. By the half way point I got fed up of just dodging the same enemies over and over and the trick of having them spawn directly behind you got old very fast.

It had some really great touches and some superb spooky moments but I just couldn't be arsed with it from a certain point onwards. Shame, as the story was really interesting. If they can do what Ubisoft did with Assassin's Creed 2 and remedy the repetitive gameplay then they can win me over.

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:So will this one take 5 years to make and still not be complete, too?

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:So will this one take 5 years to make and still not be complete, too?