interesting story and gameplay, but a little repetitive
The gameplay to me is solid, can feel like your just going through section to section doing the same thing in order to get to the end at times but its not difficult or boring so its not so bad being repetitive. can be a tad frustrating at times when you get surrounded and dont have any flares or are saving them. it feels like the game could have used some kind of melee attack, just something to buy you some time to get to the next lamppost (which serve as checkpoints). Now onto graphics, the game looks beautiful. it really does, due to the great attention to detail the most tiny thing can look great. but its the vistas of bright falls that really stand out. im not really a graphics kinda guy but it does help immerse you in the world.
the sounds in this game are top notch, can make you feel on edge as youre walking through the woods at night. hearing the eerie hoot of an owl or the cracking of twigs behind you can deffinately make you freeze and go "what the hell what that"?
from the metallic bang of the revolver to the sizzling crackle of the flare, everything sounds real and part of the world. except the characters, the voice acting is a little hit and miss, its good enough to keep you involved but sometimes falls short of the drama that was intended. there are some interesting characters though that you will start to like, like barry for instance with his light hearted approach to the situation theyre in and the anderson brothers odin and tor which have some odd but amusing dialogue. Alan wake himself doesnt read his own stories very well, listening to him speak can sometimes make you fall asleep but hes more or less a likeable character which is useful considering you spend the game as him. overall the voice acting is decent unlike the other game i picked up in the same deal....
I havent touched any of the DLC yet but because "the signal" came with it, it will help prolongue the game a little bit further. the game starts off a little slow but if you like getting into the story a bit more its a welcome change to the fast paced FPS' we are used to. most of all, im glad i decided to give this game a try. i truly enjoyed every minute of it even if i spent most of it getting axed, wrenched and chainsawed to death by the mad locals. a very good distraction if you ever wanted one and easily one of the better releases this year.