This game is Less than I expected; I'm going back to my Silent Hill games
At first the game shined from the immersiveness such as running through the woods and not knowing what to expect from the shadows. However, the formula began to repeat itself after a few hours- the taken repetitively came out from shadows and prepared to kill the main character while he made his way through logging camps and other places. Furthermore, some moments were actually annoying, such as dying in the same parts by getting killed from behind while shooting what is in front. Another example was fighting off a bunch of annoying crows with a flashlight; forcing me to turn off the game from frustration. The game was later played partly just for the sake of finishing it because it had to be beaten.
When hearing of this game coming out alot of hype was generated; I expected a "magnum opus" of a horror game which would rival and even surpass similar games like Silent Hill 2, 3, or 4. And, this game didn't surpass! Foolishly I bought the limited collector's edition and expected a high replayability and hit. This game will sit on my shelves for a week.
As for the good in the game, there were a few good perks: The graphics were great- the rolling shadows of the forest gave a sense of abandonment and danger. The sound was great- the sounds of the various weapons were some of the most realistic I had heard. Furthermore, the intermission music between chapters was great (especially in my opinion Poets of the Fall) Another good part of the game was driving the vehicles- it was fun exposing and then running down the Taken on the roads.
Therefore this game is a mixed bag; some things are monotonous while some are thrilling. That being said, this game definitely seems to borrow a lot of elements from the Silent Hill franchise and other games like Alone in the Dark. I would have given this game a 7.0 but instead a 7.5 for the collector's edition case which I bought for around $70. The case makes it a little more worthwhile to delve into the Alan Wake world- the book and the soundtrack in the collector's case is grand.