Alan Wake's American Nightmare - XBOX360

Basically, you start off in a map that has various tools and weapons scattered around it, and a timer that immediately begins counting down. Your goal is to survive the full ten minutes while racking up the largest score possible in the short amount of...

Excellent Gameplay ; Great production values in a small package

No boss fights ; Reusing levels over and over

Alan Wake was a game that, before its release in 2010, I figured I would never play. It’s not because I wasn’t very interested in the premise, but because I figured it would go the way of Duke Nukem Forever (yes, I am aware that it finally came out,...

It’s more Alan Wake!; The various manuscript/television/radio interludes; Combat is still a lot of fun; Fight Till Dawn mode; Pretty cheap, for what it is

Far less variety than the original; Way, way too easy; Lazy design decisions that you can only excuse because the game is cheap; Lacks awesome set-pieces

Light, self-referential tone ; Entertaining interplay between Alan and Mr Scratch ; Lots of collectables ; Arcade mode is a lot of fun

Too much ammo diminishes the challenge and intensity ; No "Previously on Alan Wake" for new players ; Fetch quests feel like chores

Alas, while American Nightmare is technically a stand-alone story, those unfamiliar with the underlying mythology and backstory of the series won't get nearly as much satisfaction out of it as those who completed the first game. It's a shame because a...

A couple of stand-out moments break up the monotony ; Combat is entertaining and weapons fun to use

Alan has the personality of a wet sock ; Plot is too complicated and pretentious

Whilst ambitious, the promise in Alan Wake's American Nightmare never materialises. The elementary combat system is entertaining, but ultimately overshadowed by a hopelessly contrived plot. Mr Scratch's presence could have been something special, and...

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is an extremely impressive experiment, created with the aim of releasing an essentially fully-fledged retail game through Xbox LIVE Arcade. American Nightmare absolutely succeeds in this regard, with action-packed...

Despite some repetition in the environments, the bigger arsenal of weapons, new enemies, easier-to-follow story, and the new Fight 'til Dawn mode make Alan Wake's American Nightmare a fantastic addition to anyone's arcade library. There's enough...

A better pacing progresses the franchise ; More streamlined and action oriented ; Same fantastic narrative ; Audio work a highlight...for the most part

Not a lot here will convert those who didn’t like Alan’s first romp ; Some character interact felt a bit disjointed

American Nightmare may not be a true sequel, but it is something that Alan Wake fans shouldn’t miss. The stellar narrative, a more streamlined and action-focused structure, better pacing, and more peeks into Wake’s subconscious make it a fine addition...