Review
Played on: PC
Released: 2012
While we eagerly anticipate Alan Wake 2, scheduled for release later this year, I decided to give Alan Wake's American Nightmare a replay. I’ve previously played it on Xbox 360, but I decided to give the Steam version on PC a spin. This is a small portioned follow up to accompany the main Alan Wake game. It’s cannon to the story but set aside from being a direct sequel.
It takes place in Night Springs, a fictional town from one of Alan’s books. Here he must defeat the evil Mr. Scratch in order to save humanity, and his wife Alice Wake, from his darkness.
Released: 2012
While we eagerly anticipate Alan Wake 2, scheduled for release later this year, I decided to give Alan Wake's American Nightmare a replay. I’ve previously played it on Xbox 360, but I decided to give the Steam version on PC a spin. This is a small portioned follow up to accompany the main Alan Wake game. It’s cannon to the story but set aside from being a direct sequel.
It takes place in Night Springs, a fictional town from one of Alan’s books. Here he must defeat the evil Mr. Scratch in order to save humanity, and his wife Alice Wake, from his darkness.
While the original Alan Wake was set in mountainous, pine forests and lakeside inspired locations, American Nightmare sports a canyon and desert environment, greatly differentiating the two games visually. There’s more typical classic Americana locations, with diners, motels, gas stations and a huge outdoors movie drive-in.
Gameplay is completely identical to the first game, where light is used to take away the darkness shielding enemies, while guns do the actual damage after the darkness is removed. However, differentiating from the main game, American Nightmare focuses on frequent and larger amounts of combat. There’s a ton of ammo to be found scattered about and a lot more enemies showing up. At your disposal are guns like assault rifles, Uzis, shotguns and even a nail gun!
While combat at first seems a little slow moving, a lot of movement time is used on Alan's animation, the gameplay really clicks into place after a few encounters with enemies. There’s something satisfying and vulnerable about not being able to kill enemies before removing their darkness shielding.
Gameplay is completely identical to the first game, where light is used to take away the darkness shielding enemies, while guns do the actual damage after the darkness is removed. However, differentiating from the main game, American Nightmare focuses on frequent and larger amounts of combat. There’s a ton of ammo to be found scattered about and a lot more enemies showing up. At your disposal are guns like assault rifles, Uzis, shotguns and even a nail gun!
While combat at first seems a little slow moving, a lot of movement time is used on Alan's animation, the gameplay really clicks into place after a few encounters with enemies. There’s something satisfying and vulnerable about not being able to kill enemies before removing their darkness shielding.
Forcing the player to often dodge their attacks with knives and other sharp objects. Dodging is key to getting some space between Alan and the enemies, before further removing their darkness shielding and having an opportunity to shoot them down.
Along the path of searching for Mr. Scratch, Alan meets a few story related people, all slightly cliche, damsel in distress, women. This stereotypical depiction reflects Alan's questionable writing, emphasising his cheesy and dramatic style. Each woman is staying at one of the three main locations of the game. These require aid in some way, to help you track down Mr. Scratch. What’s funny, is that they mistake Alan for Mr. Scratch, he's Alan's doppelgänger after all, and are afraid of you.
Along the path of searching for Mr. Scratch, Alan meets a few story related people, all slightly cliche, damsel in distress, women. This stereotypical depiction reflects Alan's questionable writing, emphasising his cheesy and dramatic style. Each woman is staying at one of the three main locations of the game. These require aid in some way, to help you track down Mr. Scratch. What’s funny, is that they mistake Alan for Mr. Scratch, he's Alan's doppelgänger after all, and are afraid of you.
Fixing his ill doings and gaining trust is part of the story. Each of three areas in the game, feature a more open ended structure than the original Alan Wake, a sort of small sandbox to find hidden weapons, manuscript pages or traversing dangerous areas to complete your goals.
Sadly, the game stumbles somewhat in the way it expands it's lifespan. It forces you through the three locations, three times each. Explained by the repeating nightmare Alan is having. While the second and third playthrough are much shorter, it feels like a kind of time filler to stretch out the lifespan in this way.
Sadly, the game stumbles somewhat in the way it expands it's lifespan. It forces you through the three locations, three times each. Explained by the repeating nightmare Alan is having. While the second and third playthrough are much shorter, it feels like a kind of time filler to stretch out the lifespan in this way.
I know it’s part of the story, but it feels demotivating repeating areas, albeit with slightly different goals, just to progress the story. then again it couldn't really depict the sort of reoccurring nightmare, without doing so.
The action focus and less cohesive story is a less desirable approach than the original game. Again though, this is intentional as it tries to recreate one of Alan's books. You're playing one of his novels. That said, it's not a massive title by any means, so the repeating game structure doesn't linger for too long.
American Nightmare missed being included in last year's Alan Wake remaster, read my review here, as such I can highly recommend the PC version. Here you can crank the resolution and framerate up, as well as field of view, draw distance, textures and level of detail. Making it very close to how the remaster was done.
The action focus and less cohesive story is a less desirable approach than the original game. Again though, this is intentional as it tries to recreate one of Alan's books. You're playing one of his novels. That said, it's not a massive title by any means, so the repeating game structure doesn't linger for too long.
American Nightmare missed being included in last year's Alan Wake remaster, read my review here, as such I can highly recommend the PC version. Here you can crank the resolution and framerate up, as well as field of view, draw distance, textures and level of detail. Making it very close to how the remaster was done.
It's a fantastic PC port and works out of the box with an Xbox controller. Playing it at 1440p@120fps, all cranked up on the settings, felt smooth and responsive!
Visually it’s less interesting than the original Alan Wake, maybe a tad lower budget, but there’s still some unique lighting going one. Giving a cool atmosphere to the light from a diner or gas station, with the surrounding darkness. It's never breathtaking in any way, but it's a solid looking title from it's era.
For any Alan Wake fan, I’d say it’s a must play. Even though it’s a short and repetitive playthrough, maybe 3-4 hours, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had with the combat. Newcomers need to play the original game first though.
Visually it’s less interesting than the original Alan Wake, maybe a tad lower budget, but there’s still some unique lighting going one. Giving a cool atmosphere to the light from a diner or gas station, with the surrounding darkness. It's never breathtaking in any way, but it's a solid looking title from it's era.
For any Alan Wake fan, I’d say it’s a must play. Even though it’s a short and repetitive playthrough, maybe 3-4 hours, there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had with the combat. Newcomers need to play the original game first though.
