Dear Reader,
You may hear that “Alan Wake’s American Nightmare” is impressive for a DLC title, but don’t let such a backhanded compliment fool you; at the core, this is a pretty disappointing experience. If you liked the original “Alan Wake,” you might have some fun revisiting an old friend, but for those on the fence, Remedy’s new title will do nothing to convert you.
The first problem here is the incomprehensible story. If you’re new to the series, you could be forgiven for thinking you had missed something crucial in the first game, but even “Alan Wake” veterans have been scratching their heads at this one. “Nightmare” simply drops you into a series of events with no explanation, then acts like everything should make perfect sense. Add distracting live-action cut-scenes (can’t we stop making these now?) and mediocre-to-bad voice acting on top of that, and the result is a game that fails to bring you into its world.
As far as gameplay goes, “Nightmare’s” functional combat is eclipsed by Remedy’s laziness with level design. After completing three stages, the game deposits you right back at the beginning again, and demands you re-complete the same levels with only minor changes to your objectives. I understand that there are space constraints on DLC, but that doesn’t excuse padding the game’s length with repetition.
As for the combat…there’s a reason “Alan Wake” wasn’t a pure action game. The series centers around a simple mechanic: use flash-light to knock out darkness shields, then finish off with guns. This works great in the original in a supporting role, but “Nightmare” tries to move action front-and-center, and the mechanic just isn’t deep enough. Remedy keeps throwing new baddies at you, but each is quickly mastered without discovering any new wrinkles in the formula or encouraging player growth. Add to that a seemingly limitless supply of ammo and health, and the shootouts quickly become stale.
The new game mode is the only true victory here, offering a fun spin on the “Alan Wake” gameplay and some much-needed challenge. However, you should bear in mind that it’s basically just Horde mode with flashlights, so whether or not a purchase is justified is a decision you’ll have to make yourself.
If you were a die-hard fan of “Alan Wake,” “American Nightmare” might prove a pleasant trip down memory lane, but anyone without prior attachments is going to be left in the dark. The combat is nothing special, the campaign is repetitive, the story makes no sense. Why am I playing this again?
RATING: 6/10
_AA
i belong in the air
