Developer: Remedy Entertainment | Publisher: Microsoft Studios | Genre: Third-Person / Horror
Windows PC | Xbox 360
As a quick fix to fill the anxious wait for an Alan Wake 2, American Nightmare provides enough satisfaction but lacks key aspects that made the original so good.
Taking place neither before or after the first Alan Wake game, this time around players take control of Wake within the TV show; 'Night Springs' - those who played the original might recognise it. In this specific episode, Wake discovers he has an evil doppelganger known as Mr. Scratch - a violent and disturbed version of himself. Mr. Scratch has a mission to tear away everything Wake holds dear to his heart, quickly making him the biggest threat in the game. Naturally. However, with Wake's ability to alter history and reality, he plans to make use of that to defeat Mr. Scratch and other forces of evil once and for all.
Whilst by definition, this game should be as scary and eerie as the original, it's not - instead Wake is greeted with enemies that are way too easy to defeat, characters that promote humour instead of horror with the exception of Mr. Scratch of course, who is a complete maniac. To reinforce the fact you're playing through a television show, many cutscenes are real life sequences, namely showing off Mr. Scratch's evil doings. Gameplay feels similar to the original, however everything feels so much more casual - the amount of ammo scattered around is so much it often takes away any challenge of defeating The Taken, and whilst this is perfect for some, those looking for a genuine tough time will be disappointed. REVIEW1
The separate arcade mode, which serves as a timed survival onslaught of enemies, provides the most challenging gameplay, especially on Nightmare mode - this is a nice addition and gives you something extra to do upon finishing the main game. Speaking of which, this game is short - very short. There are 3 acts, which are replayed over and over but with different scenarios due to Wake's ability to alter history, and whilst this sounds like a great way of mixing up the gameplay, it doesn't - instead you go on the same fetch quests you just did but with a slight twist each time.
Wake's primary methods of disposing the Taken is through his trusty flashlight and pistol - "it's gonna be like that again, huh?", Wake says appropriately upon discovering those familiar weapons, which is also a nice nod to the original. Speaking of the original - you are once again able to collect manuscripts to expand the narrative or they can be used to unlock weapon crates, usually containing powerful weapons such as a shotgun or the fully automatic carbine. Also spread around each level are TVs and radio players, often consisting of strange broadcasts from Mr. Scratch as well everyone's favourite talk show; Night Springs Radio. It's nice being able to collect all of these things as it adds a depth of replayability and a further understanding of the events surrounding the game.
Once again, you can find refuge in numerous safe havens, giving you a breather from taking on the Taken, although most are generally easy to defeat. Apart from the usual type of Taken, you'll often be greeted with The Splitter - a newly introduced enemy that multiplies its presence upon being shot at, making for interesting gameplay in terms of how you take on this particular enemy. Other notable enemies include hordes of spiders who don't have any type of shield, making them easy to kill but can cause a minor challenge when a large group of them surround you at once - nothing a flash grenade can't sort out.
Overall, American Nightmare provides a further insight into the life of Alan Wake even though the narrative has nothing to do with the original - it's still nice being able to control Alan once again. A variety of enemies will keep you in the action long enough to forget about the repetitive fetch quests - a ton of replayability is available, especially with the arcade mode, which will truly test your skills. The length is the game's true downfall - reusing environments from previous levels doesn't really keep your interest long enough to be convinced this game is actually long, maybe with more original levels this would have been a much more satisfying experience. With that said, this isn't a full retail game so it can get away with being short in length, but it would be nice to have the same experience as the original - unfortunately, this game doesn't provide that.
6/10
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