This is what I hope the future of downloadable games will be; top notch AAA production values in the form of small $12-$15 packages. Alan Wake's American Nightmare is an excellent game, which will surely whet the appetite of fans of the original for the sequel.
If you want a hard-core and challenging game this isn't probably for you, but if you're looking for a good story to be lived as an interactive movie with great graphics and sound, this is surely a good buy.
Two years later of the apparition of Alan Wake on Xbox 360 appear this "spin-off", and is amazing, Alan is most "wild", the story is epic, and obviusly because Alan Wake is a fantastic game. This is a great game.
A great direction for the franchise, although I do I hope that we get to see Bright Falls again! The story was amazing and I was very satisfied with the ending.
Despite the complaints that I mentioned above if you are a fan of Alan Wake then you should really play this game. It is a beautiful looking title and Remedy has raised the bar for XBLA games going forward. You really should play the original first though so that you can properly grasp what is going on and what Alan is fighting against.
For as great as Alan Wake's American Nightmare starts out, it ends in an unsatisfying, cliffhanger fashion. I loved the setting, loved the action, but felt Remedy didn't tell their story to the best of their abilities; confounding story twists, half-ideas and a quick resolution hold this game back from making an impact.
Strange in that it straddles the line between traditional DLC and a stand-alone game. While it's not a direct continuation of the original's story, fans of the first game may find some value in reading through as many manuscript pages as possible, though the lack of any real answers may also be frustrating. On the flip side, those new to the franchise might feel lost, thanks to the surprising absence of any backstory or exposition.
A downloadable spin-off that, while reasonably good value for money, manages only to underline how shallow and repetitive the combat was from the first game.
The Remedy is right to say that Alan Wake's American Nightmare is not the sequel to the first game of the franchise. After all, much more than a new scenario, the game offers a style of play fairly different from the original experience. Fans should not be afraid of changes, because American Nightmare offers a plot of quality in the midst of action sequences and an exquisite ambiance. Something that not all titles for download are able to offer. All this, along with loyalist graphics and Arcade mode experience, makes American Nightmare one of the main titles of LIVE Arcade.
A serviceable, but somewhat disappointing, journey into the world of Alan Wake. American Nightmare is more of a fan service than a step forward in the tale of writer Alan Wake. If you haven't played the first game, the story will be somewhat incoherent in this. If you are playing this for simply a game-play standpoint, then you are much better off playing another 3rd person shooter. That's not to say that the game-play is bad in this game, it is actually much improved and more fluid over the original Alan Wake, however it is neither the strong suit nor main attraction of Alan Wake. Story, the main pull of the original game, is not quite up to par in this iteration. It is more of a cannon story versus a sequel. While it is nice to see into the character of Mr. Scratch (the main antagonist), the remaining characters are pretty lackluster and bland compared to the original A. Wake. The other big disappointment with this game is the re-use of levels. There are only 3 levels in this game and you retread them 3 times. All of these levels take place in the desert climate of Arizona, so there's not much diversity in the scenery. I didn't find the atmosphere to be anywhere near as creepy as the original game either. Despite these complaints, it is still more Alan Wake and players of the original will appreciate the details that are squeezed out of the story and provide some extra insight. At 1200 MS points, this game is a so-so buy, but if you can pick it up at a discounted price (its been on sale numerous occasions) then it will be a great value. Outside of the single player campaign is a horde mode, however I found this to only hold my attention for 1 or 2 nights. So, overall, if treated more as a dlc versus a full blown game, American Nightmare holds its weight and is a worthy experience. If you haven't played the original, I wouldn't invest in American Nightmare. 6/10
This is an example of someone who has a decent story idea and then implements it so poorly with game design.
Horrible camera, very annoying combat, graphics don't utilize any modern graphics enhancements (kind of caps out at mediocre 1080p-ish), and poor character control too.
The atmosphere is good and the story is decent, but it definitely isn't worth the supreme annoyances from so many of the other parts of the game.
What a disappointment. I really liked Alan Wake and was excited to play the sequel game but this was just a very low effort from them. The story was passable, only because of the main character having a back-story to play with. The game play was simplistic and the missions recycled themselves over and over with very little variation.
Overall a passable game for the low price but NOTHING comparable to the original Alan Wake and I feel glad that i played the original game first because the sequel would likely have made me not bother.
SummaryAfter the events of Alan Wake, our eponymous hero finds himself embroiled in a new adventure in Arizona, where his own words again hold the key to defeating his evil twin, the malevolent Mr. Scratch, who spreads darkness where he goes. Now more experienced at dealing with the weird and horrific, Wake is determined to turn the tide. [Micr...