Alan Wake has good storytelling, pacing, and script. As for gameplay, well, Sam Lake might have been better off making a movie with the same idea. It is not horribly bad, just repetitive, boring, and sometimes frustrating. Enemy variance is non-existent; you kill the same guy over and over again until the credits roll. I liked how the flashlight is used in combat, and gameplay, but that pretty much sums it up. The level and art design aren't bad though, just mid.

I love how it takes a lot of inspiration from Silent Hill, Stephen King, and H.P. Lovecraft and doesn't hide it. In fact, it pretty much straight-up tells you that it is based on those works, having a strong base in the real world. I like how the universe expands itself within its own world and uses its assets to be creative. The band Old Gods of Asgard is the perfect example of this, with Remedy’s secret weapon, Poets of the Fall, saving the day again.

Alan Wake has original ideas and is not afraid to be creative. It is a great take on storytelling, but sadly not fit to be a game.

I tried so hard to like this game, but simply could not. The gameplay mechanics are sometimes fun but eventually repetitive and boring. The guns are weak, and by the end, you'll be spamming launch around. The game is not challenging at all, either in gameplay, which is pretty easy, or in level design, as the game holds your hand and tells you where to go almost all the time. There are one or two puzzles which are nice, but again, the game throws in your face what you have to do right away. The only part I enjoyed was the labyrinth and soundtrack by Remedy's beloved Poets of the Fall. There is no denying it has amazing visuals; I played it in 4K, and it absolutely demolishes some of the new games that are coming out in graphic design. Also, the art and sound design are great, as well as an innovative story, but it is not actually captivating. Control could have been so much more than it is.