Not as scary as I hoped, but it's a memorable game, and one of 2010's finest
Story
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Alan Wake is a famous writer, having written 7 best sellers. Unfortunately, for the past 2 years, he hasn't been able to write anything. He and his wife Alice goes to Bright Falls for vacation, in hope of recovering his writing flow. During an argument, Alan leaves the cabin their staying at (knowing Alice won't follow, because she's afraid of the dark), he suddenly hears a scream from the cabin and rushes in, only to find out Alice's fallen into the lake (that's practically surrounding the small island the cabin is in). Alan jumps in and wakes up in a car crash a week later, having no recollection of how he got there; he continues to look for Alice. However when the darkness approaches Bright Falls, monsters known as "The Taken" appears and their chasing Alan where ever he go.
The plot might sound a bit familiar, and while some of its twists aren't the most surprising, it's certainly not a predictable story. Though a few character motives might be unclear, it's a good story that has some fresh ideas and a really intriguing premise. The ending could be better, leaving itself open to more downloadable content, but it's a story that's every bit interesting to follow and has some solid characters. The story earns extra marks for its story telling. Sure there's cut-scenes, but the game does let the story revolve around you, during the gameplay, which works really well and surprisingly, the many references to movies and novels makes the game's world seem more realistic, and it does have a lot of hectic, memorable moments.
9.0
Gameplay
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While the story might seem like a horror story, the game itself is just a action game. Alan is a writer by day, but at night, he's capable guy who's able to fend off the Taken by himself. You'll quickly find out that the light is your friend. When The Taken approaches you, you can only shoot them by exposing them to the light of your flashlight or other means of tools that produces light, for a few seconds and then you can shoot them, though you should converse your batteries, because they drain fast when you aim it at the taken directly. Yes light is certainly the most important thing in the game, it kills The Taken and Poltergeists, which is basically moving objects. And it's also used to save the game, though often that means you have to turn on a generator, often with several enemies behind you.
The game was originally supposed to be a sandbox game; however this was changed in favor of the story. Which means the game is linear, though there's still a focus on exploration. The game's environment is often big, with hidden chests scattered around and manuscripts. Manuscripts are basically pages from a book that Alan never really wrote, despite it using the same title has Alan's proposed next book, and that it has his name written all over it. These scripts are basically spoilers, as they generally explain what happens next, though it does add some things to the story, and works well considering the game's plot twist in mind.
There are a few driving sections, though these are very few and far between, but the car handling isn't too bad actually.
Despite it all being good, it is a bit disappointing that the game isn't scary, despite a really well done atmosphere, and while you do get to fight against poltergeists and the Taken, I do miss some variety in enemies. It doesn't break the game by any means, but by the end, it can get tiresome. Another problem is the game's structure. The game is split into 6 chapters or episodes as the game calls it. It plays out like a TV episode, complete with recaps and cliff hanger endings to every chapter. While I don't mind that the game is split up, I'm not a fan of the TV episode structure. It kind of pulls you out of the experience sometimes when the episodes ends, complete with licensed music and recaps, though it does result in a good pace.
The game's 6 episodes should take around 8-10 hours to complete (not 6 hours mind you). There's a few manuscript pages to go back for and there are the usual Remedy style radio and TV shows, but beyond that, there's not a lot to do after the game has been completed. There are a lot of references to keep an eye out for though, so if your into that sort of stuff, consider replaying the game a few times.
8.5
Graphics
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For the most part, the graphics are good. The lighting effects look really good and the environments are really beautiful, and the game doesn't suffer from visual glitches or frame rate issues. That being said, the characters could have looked better. The faces look a bit weird and the lip-syncing isn't the best.
8.0
Sound
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The voice acting is generally good, though Alan's voice could be a bit better at times. The script has some references to other novels, movies, etc. and while some may seem like their just being mentioned for the hell of it, it does make the game's world more believable and realistic. The music is really good though, even the licensed tracks.
9.5
Overall
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If this review seems a bit lacking, short and rushed, then it's because I had some issues just trying to explain the game. But bottom line, has Alan Wake been worth the 5 year wait? Yes. While the game isn't as scary as I'd want it to be, it's still a memorable game that's sure to be remembered for the years to come.