Ripten Review: Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (XBLA)

Alan Wake is probably one of my favorite games. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means. It could get tedious from time to time, the combat was rough and repetitive, and the thermoses – oh God, those stupid thermoses. But, whatever faults it had, it more than made up for with a stellar atmosphere and gripping narrative. And the story is exactly what I loved. I love Bright Falls, Cauldron Lake, and Night Springs. I love the dark presence, and I especially love Mr. Scratch, who happens to be the lead antagonist in Alan Wake’s American Nightmare.

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare falls somewhere between a spin-off and a sequel. It’s not really a direct follow-up, as it’s not a continuation of the first game’s storyline. It tells the story of Alan having a different encounter with the dark presence in the Arizona desert. I wouldn’t call it a spin-off, simply because the series’ protagonist is back. Like I said, it’s somewhere in between.

Any fears stemming from American Nightmare being a downloadable title can be dismissed. Yes, it’s a little more action-oriented than Alan Wake. And, yes, it doesn’t necessarily continue the narrative from the first game. These are changes Remedy made specifically for Xbox Live Arcade, to make the game more accessible and enticing to that crowd. While that may sound less than ideal, these “constraints” resulted in Remedy telling a terrific tale that beautifully complements the series’ narrative.

Fans of the original are no doubt familiar with Night Springs, the Twilight Zone homage that Alan Wake wrote for early in his career. In American Nightmare, Alan finds himself trapped in an episode of Night Springs in which Mr. Scratch is relentlessly trying to kill him, all while the Rod Serling-esque figure narrates. This falls right in line with Alan’s continuous struggle with the dark presence, and just like in the first game, he finds himself in a story of his own creation. The manuscript pages are back, scattered all around the world. They tell bits and pieces of the story Alan is currently living, as well as fleshing out his backstory, which will no doubt be beneficial to newcomers. The pages come with an added incentive this time, as finding them allows you to unlock more powerful weapons. Not only that, but I actually found myself enjoying the pages more. This is absolutely subjective, but in the first game I found that they somewhat deflated tension. In American Nightmare, I thought they did just the opposite.

While the combat has been improved, it’s still the weak point of the title, though not bad by any means. I love the slow motion effects that occur when you narrowly dodge an enemy’s swing or when you blow someone away with the shotgun, but it’s still repetitive and slightly clunky. Now there’s more of it, which just adds to the repetition. There are a few new enemy types, but nothing that feels radically different.

The game’s one major flaw—and this is ever-so-slightly spoilery—is the recycling of settings. There are three major areas, and they’re all used multiple times within the campaign. It all makes sense within the confines of the story, but I can’t shake the notion that the real root of it all is an XBLA limitation. I could be wrong. Whatever the case, the game’s scale is still very impressive for an Arcade title. If it is due to a size limitation, Remedy must be commended for making it work so well. Regardless of how well it fits into the story, it’s unavoidably tedious, though Remedy does find little ways to avoid lessen the problem.

In addition to the story, there is Fight till Dawn; the arcade mode born from the game’s original concept. I was passionately, stubbornly opposed to this, and when this mode was originally supposed to be the entire game (or at least that’s what was thought), I wanted nothing to do with it. As a secondary mode, I can’t be upset about it. I could still play the fantastic campaign and pretend like Fight till Dawn doesn’t exist, like it’s a lesser child who I’m not very proud of. Surprisingly, though, once I got my hands on it, I enjoyed Fight till Dawn quite a bit, though for very different reasons.

As I’ve stated ad nauseum, Alan Wake’s narrative is the highlight of the series, and Fight till Dawn is without a story. It’s an arcade mode that pits you against wave after wave of Taken for ten minutes, at which point the sun rises and the level is over. It doesn’t need a story to be scary. The dark, atmospheric maps, the scarce and scattered ammunition, and the ever-increasing difficulty of enemy waves is more than enough for a tense experience. Fight till Dawn manages to capture the mood of the series, which is enough to make it a worthwhile experience.

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, while not the full-blown sequel that I desperately want, is a fine continuation of the series. Completing the campaign with a little under half of the manuscript pages took roughly four hours and was plenty satisfying. The story is brilliant, creepy pulp, and the writers at Remedy clearly know what they’re doing. The game isn’t without its flaws, but it will satisfy both returning fans and newcomers. Fight till Dawn is a pleasant surprise, and I’ve already gone back to it more than a few times since completing the game. American Nightmare is a fantastic little package and truly impressive for an XBLA title.

Here’s the Rundown:

+ Fantastic Companion Story to the Alan Wake Saga
+ Every Bit as Atmospheric and Creepy as Alan Wake
 + Fight till Dawn is Fun and Challenging
- Combat Still Leaves Something to Be Desired
- Repetitive Environments are Repetitive, Despite the Reason

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare was developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on February 22nd for Xbox Live Arcade. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher. The main campaign was played to completion and Fight till Dawn was played plenty. Plenty, I say!