Alan Wake`s American Nightmare Review (Xbox LIVE Arcade)

I’ll try to refrain from as many spoilers as I can in this review but it will be hard given the nature of Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, in which we again take on the role of famed author, Alan Wake, and pick up his continuing battle with the forces of darkness. I recently mentioned on Facebook that there are a handful of games that give me the creeps when I play them and Alan Wake is now two of them, and that remains true, even after I got through the whole game.

In Alan Wake’s American Nightmare you’re trapped in Night Springs, Arizona and you have to solve the puzzle that is a trap set by Mr. Scratch who is dead set on keeping you there and taking over your life. Since you’re not at all interested in any of that you will fight with your trusty flashlight and an array of weaponry to make sure you get free. The weaponry includes everything from revolvers to combat shotguns, assault rifles and sub-machine guns. There are also the standard flares and flare gun as well as the good old flashbang grenade, which will save your butt so many times you’ll constantly be on the lookout for them.

The gameplay in Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is standard third-person, over-the-shoulder camera view and it works quite well. Of course, you can’t see behind you or beyond your peripheral vision. Luckily, Remedy gives you some visual clues when danger is near. Alan will turn his head in the direction of the closest enemy you’re not currently engaged with. That will also save your butt many times as well.

The game has some things we’ve come to expect from Alan Wake like the flashlight burning off the darkness making the Taken vulnerable to your other weapons. If you’re good with the flare gun you can take out an enemy in one shot with that and it also affects nearby enemies because of the light it gives off.