Superb storytelling, memorable characters, and a dark but yet gorgeous atmosphere that will stick with you long after you are finished Alan Wake. I need to address one thing first...

This is not a scary game...it's not meant to be. It's a psychological action thriller (check the box art if you don't believe me...) Unfortunately people have rated this game based on "scare factor" and that's not fair. Although this game has the makings of "horror" game, it's not. That's like trying to call the movie "Se7en" a horror movie. It has the atmosphere and aesthetics of one but its a psychological thriller all the way through.

Alan Wake puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you coming back for more. The game plays out like a thriller/mystery TV show with "Chapters" and "Previously On..." segments. You play as a best selling author who is having difficulties writing his next book. He decides to take a vacation with his girlfriend up to a town called Bright Falls. Located in the pacific northwest, Bright Falls shares many similarities with the fictional town of Twin Peaks (the TV show from the 90's). It's a small, cozy, honest working mans town where everybody know everybody. When your just about settled into the cabin, your girlfriend goes missing. You must then try and track her down while avoiding the darkness that plagues the town and the evil that lurks within.

The game has several key features. The atmosphere by far steals the show. You can tell a lot of attention to detail went into crafting this beautiful northwestern landscape. The lighting and particle effects are excellent as well. The sound design is well done and the narration from the main character adds to the tension and mystery.

I do have a few gripes though... One being the character models and stiff animations. The character models look a little dated. I guess from a distance they don't look to bad but once you see them up close you can really notice the lack of detail. The characters seem to move around in the most simplistic ways possible. Also, the lip syncing is some of the worst I have seen in years. It's like watching a poorly dubbed kung fu movie. The driving mechanics, although short, are poorly done. You never feel like you have full control over the vehicle. Too far to the left or right and you swerve out of control and into a ditch.

My last complaint would be the lack of replay-ability. Once you complete the game...that's it. Your not awarded any bonus missions or free roam. Sure you can go back and collect some coffee thermoses (no seriously there's like 100 to collect) but what is that going to get you? Seeing as how the game was first designed as an open world game (and still feels much like one at times) they could have left that in tact and let you roam around freely after you beat the game.

All that set aside, the games pacing, characters and location are more than enough to draw you in. Like a good book, you wont want to put this one down once you've started.