85%

Alan Wake is an amazing game, very well written and with a great ambience and characters, however that doesn't mean it's perfect.

First of gameplay, the basic combat mechanic for fighting is very interesting at first, basically you need to use a flashlight to drain the enemy's "shields" until you are able to take him down with a gun, but over the course of the game it grows a bit stale and repetitive, with little to no change at all. Trying the different weapons and traps whoever is pretty fun, you'll spend a lot of time trying to find creative ways to take down your enemies, although sometimes it is better to run. Ammo is scarce, which is nice for a thriller game and the way the story develops in game is pretty interesting (like finding the pages).

Now for story, this is where the game truly shines. It's incredible, worthy of a book even. Wake's story place nicely as a psychological action thriller that is well paced and keeps you engaged, the game also features some pretty interesting plot twists, making even the chapters in between battles pretty thrilling. The dialogue and characters are very well written, I can even recall several quotes now.

If you are a fan of Stephen King esque novels than this is the game for you, sometimes it may grow repetitive but that can be easily forgiving by the engaging story and amazing atmosphere.

Alan Wake is a game that proves to be more than what it seems, truly defining that "It is not a lake, it's an ocean".