For a standalone expansion, it's substantially well done. With low expectations and being well aware of it's general scope, not being a direct sequel to Alan Wake at all but instead a small detour, it does what it sets out to do pretty well.
It feels like the same old Alan Wake but with enemy types that are just really variations of what we already saw in the first, they don't actually expand much on the gameplay at all and are more so just bullet sponges than anything else. It was incredibly easy in comparison too and the puzzles weren't really head scratches.
But I think, overall, the narrative as lackluster it is definitely scratches the itch of an Alan Wake experience, even a dumbed down one at this size. You have to remember that it's a standalone DLC, not a full blown experience and with that in mind, I think it's very hard to actually be disappointed.
What made this worthwhile for me was the inclusion of Mr. Scratch, the worldbuilding/getting to know what happened to Barry Wheeler and Alice Wake, the overall interesting, laid back town vibe of what I assume is supposed to be Night Springs and being able to see what ideas were picked up, better developed and maybe even teased for Alan Wake II.
As an Alan Wake fan, it's a passable experience, a pretty decent way to spend 4 hours, but if you looked at this outside of the "I love Alan Wake" lenses, then I guess it wouldn't be too much of an experience at all.
It feels like the same old Alan Wake but with enemy types that are just really variations of what we already saw in the first, they don't actually expand much on the gameplay at all and are more so just bullet sponges than anything else. It was incredibly easy in comparison too and the puzzles weren't really head scratches.
But I think, overall, the narrative as lackluster it is definitely scratches the itch of an Alan Wake experience, even a dumbed down one at this size. You have to remember that it's a standalone DLC, not a full blown experience and with that in mind, I think it's very hard to actually be disappointed.
What made this worthwhile for me was the inclusion of Mr. Scratch, the worldbuilding/getting to know what happened to Barry Wheeler and Alice Wake, the overall interesting, laid back town vibe of what I assume is supposed to be Night Springs and being able to see what ideas were picked up, better developed and maybe even teased for Alan Wake II.
As an Alan Wake fan, it's a passable experience, a pretty decent way to spend 4 hours, but if you looked at this outside of the "I love Alan Wake" lenses, then I guess it wouldn't be too much of an experience at all.