Alan Wake's American Nightmare

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 443 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 155 out of 443
  2. Mixed: 227 out of 443
  3. Negative: 61 out of 443

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  1. czerro
    Jun 4, 2012
    7
    This is a pretty solid release. The real game is the 'survive til dawn'. Remedy was awesome enough to include a somewhat meaty single player campaign as well. Essentially, this is two different games mashed together in a single release, so I'll review them both seperately:

    Survive til Dawn: Awesome, fun, challenging, many levels to unlock. Keep you busy for many many hours.    This is a pretty solid release. The real game is the 'survive til dawn'. Remedy was awesome enough to include a somewhat meaty single player campaign as well. Essentially, this is two different games mashed together in a single release, so I'll review them both seperately:

    Survive til Dawn: Awesome, fun, challenging, many levels to unlock. Keep you busy for many many hours. Definitely worth the 10 bucks.

    SP Campaign: Ungh. I wasn't a huge fan of the Alan Wake story. It was absurd and hokey, but the presentation and the characters made it work and kept me engaged throughout the games run time. Ironically, the biggest failing of Alan Wake for me was the WRITING in the manuscript pages. The prose was abysmal. The monologues, cringe inducing. I thought this was an intentional jab at King and Koontz's increasingly sloppy prose...but as I progressed through the game, I don't think this was the intention. Fast forward to the tacked on American Nightmare SP campaign. All pretense in a plot is completely abandoned. Wake's invented characters not only break the 4th wall from Wake's perspective...but then Wake and his characters break the 4th wall from OUR perspective. It's not clever. Characters even say things like, "I don't really get why this is happening either, all I do know is it IS happening, and I can fix it." I don't mind linear games, but I would like there to be some sort of actual meat to the story telling. The plot in the SP campaign is strictly a pantomime of absurd unexplained contrivance upon contrivance. The time loop was an interesting idea. I thought perhaps there was some game mechanic in there for the player to take advantage as to influence what happens in subsequent loops. Nope. You just play the same three levels, three times, slightly more abbreviated with every iteration.

    Buy this game for the survival mode, which really feels much more developed than the poor SP campaign. If the survival mode does not interest you, I would recommend giving this game a pass as the SP is pretty dull, the story is beyond stupid, and the writing nauseating.

    Survival Mode: 8
    SP: 5    … Expand
  2. mirimar
    May 22, 2012
    7
    It does'nt have the bite of the first one; the scary feel. It just turns into a fetch and step with a mediocre storyline. Not as immersing; but o.k. I guess.
  3. Panther117
    May 29, 2012
    7
    Great,addicting,suspenseful.-Dima Voronovich russian amateur reviewer.
    Alan Wake:American Nightmare is a spin-off to original game.You play as Alan Wake who is a writer and you must fight your way through darkness using light and firearms. While itâ
  4. dumle
    Sep 17, 2012
    7
    Alan Wakes American Nightmare is just as good as the original. The presentation is amazing, the action is great, the soundtrack is great and the narrative is splendid. The game is more action oriented than the original but i do think it works pretty well. That is partly since the enemy and weapon variety is a lot better than in the original. The game do however have the same problem as theAlan Wakes American Nightmare is just as good as the original. The presentation is amazing, the action is great, the soundtrack is great and the narrative is splendid. The game is more action oriented than the original but i do think it works pretty well. That is partly since the enemy and weapon variety is a lot better than in the original. The game do however have the same problem as the original, it gets repetitive. At the beginning of the game i thought that the developers had managed to fix it by adding a more varied combat but they do manage to ruin that later in the game by certain plot twists that shall remain a secret. The game is still great though and if you have an interest in the genre you should definitely pick it up since its gameplay, style and narrative is really something out of the ordinary. Oh and the game should take you around 5-10 hours to complete depending on how you play the game but because of its low price point i don't think that is a problem. And there is also an arcade survival mode in the game that should entertain you for a couple of hours.… Expand
  5. fhouse
    Sep 7, 2012
    7
    I liked that the story gives some explanations to the original game. The new weapons are good, and there are more kind of enemies. Arcade mode: I never liked arcade modes in similar survival horror-like games, i don't really like it here either. However, it's nice that the creators actually created new arcade levels instead of remixing the story levels. Another advantage is that it'sI liked that the story gives some explanations to the original game. The new weapons are good, and there are more kind of enemies. Arcade mode: I never liked arcade modes in similar survival horror-like games, i don't really like it here either. However, it's nice that the creators actually created new arcade levels instead of remixing the story levels. Another advantage is that it's cheap, so whenever there is a sale, pick it up, you can't really go wrong with it.… Expand
  6. csabber
    Aug 19, 2013
    7
    American Nightmare is a fun combat focused episode set between the original game and the not-yet-if-ever-released sequel. In this chapter Alan is trying to escape from the Dark Place by writing a script of a twisted TV show, where he can alter reality and defeat his doppelganger, Mr. Scratch as he tries to take over Alan's life in the 'real world'.

    The game brings some fixes of its    American Nightmare is a fun combat focused episode set between the original game and the not-yet-if-ever-released sequel. In this chapter Alan is trying to escape from the Dark Place by writing a script of a twisted TV show, where he can alter reality and defeat his doppelganger, Mr. Scratch as he tries to take over Alan's life in the 'real world'.

    The game brings some fixes of its prequel. The horrible and non-reactive controls are fortunately things of the past. It's a much more combat focused game, which is proven by a wast array of weapons you can find, from UZI to combat shotgun. The game introduces some though not many new elements and mechanics. There are new enemies like the Splitter, who splits into two when your flashlight is pointed at him. The area map and HUD are reworked, where scripts and points of interest are indicated. It's a nice addition since on the contrary of the first game, here you are encouraged to find those "damn" sheets of papers. You can get better weapons and it is fun, too.

    While Alan Wake's story was controversial but well written, the same can't be said about this chapter. It sometimes feels rushed and underdeveloped. At least the ending is much more clearer now. The part where the game disappoints the most is the level design. There three only three levels non of which are large to say the least. In addition to this, each of the levels are reused 3 times. In the frame of the story it is understandable but still disappointing. To make it clear, it is not a full fledged game, but neither is a rip off DLC. It's something between, a full game with arcade length.

    Alan's newest script shouldn't take longer than 4 hours to finish (6 with all the collectibles). Be aware though that normal in this game is easy compared to the prequel, so if you are up to it, try Nightmare difficulty. This can be explained by the combat focused nature of the game. You'll never have to roam trying to find ammunition and your flashlight recharges a lot faster than in the first game. There is a new game mode called Arcade Challenge. It's a simple addition where you have to survive until dawn and score as many points as you can with limited ammunition. You can squeeze a couple of extra hours out of this game mode, but don't expect dozens of hours of fun. On one side this game mode should have been in the first game, but with those horrid controls nobody would've played it.

    Alan Wake's American Nightmare is not a propel sequel to Alan Wake but it's a nice side story which every fan will enjoy. The game falls short in some places to the prequel (story, level design) but bests it in other areas (controls, combat).

    Rating: 71/100; Replay Value: 2/5; To Beat: 4 hours; Played on: normal.    … Expand
  7. Tomle1202
    Dec 30, 2019
    7
    Alan Wake's American Nightmare does not have enough material to justify its quality, but at least it is able to offers a couple hours of fun, albeit repetitive, action.
  8. Sandweech
    Jan 23, 2015
    7
    The first thing I will say about 'American Nightmare' is that this game is extremely short and can be beaten in a few hours. Which I imagine isn't what you were hoping to hear. However, if you're a huge fan of the 'Alan Wake' series, much like myself, then 'American Nightmare' is definitely worth picking up during it's next sale. Why wait until it's next sale you might ask? Well, becauseThe first thing I will say about 'American Nightmare' is that this game is extremely short and can be beaten in a few hours. Which I imagine isn't what you were hoping to hear. However, if you're a huge fan of the 'Alan Wake' series, much like myself, then 'American Nightmare' is definitely worth picking up during it's next sale. Why wait until it's next sale you might ask? Well, because this game really doesn't offer anything that the original didn't. The story-line is nothing special and the game is told through narrations that feel a little too close to old episodes of 'Twilight Zone' mixed in with what appear to be live action cut-scenes. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

    From what I could gather, you are fighting an evil version of yourself, or something. Like I said, the story isn't anything special. In fact, the best thing this game offers is one more chance to step into Alan Wake's world. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, hey, if you like shining flashlights at spooky demons and then blasting them with shotguns and other weapons, then this game is without a doubt for you. And if you don't, then maybe you should go play something less frightening. And don't forget your flashlight.    … Expand
  9. dandalis
    Oct 29, 2016
    7
    Its downloadable game and it feels every bit like it. Its main purpose is to expand upon original game's ending and it does it fairly decent. Alan having an evil doppelganger which he must face is cool idea. Too bad game itself is strongly repetative, whole storyline takes place over 1 chapter which you need to replay 2 more times where Alan carries what he learned forward to the next oneIts downloadable game and it feels every bit like it. Its main purpose is to expand upon original game's ending and it does it fairly decent. Alan having an evil doppelganger which he must face is cool idea. Too bad game itself is strongly repetative, whole storyline takes place over 1 chapter which you need to replay 2 more times where Alan carries what he learned forward to the next one to accomplish his goal. Thankfully you dont need to do everything 3 times, some of it is done for you while you go thru storyline to save you frustration. Horde mode is fun, but not for long. Graphicly its less impressive than original which makes it easier to run thankfully. Gameplay also feels bit improved over the original.

    Overall solid expansion, if you loved Alan Wake you should consider getting this.    … Expand
  10. SaintMSent
    May 22, 2017
    7
    Not bad game at all, but a little bit worse than original Alan Wake. Never played American Nightmare, but bought with 90% discount and wasn't upset. Play this if Alan Wake is what you liked in 2010.
  11. aralath
    Aug 7, 2018
    7
    Average game compared to the original one. Still it is a playable game.....
  12. Kelen
    Oct 9, 2021
    7
    7 / 10 - Good
    (after 11 hours of playing & completing the game)

    Short, addictive storyline.
    There is also an "arcade mode" - boredom.

    Technically everything slightly improved.
    More freedom, cutscenes with real actors, better graphics.

    A better, less coarse fight, although the basic assumptions remained unchanged.
    Opponents more diverse.
  13. Yakuzet
    Sep 7, 2023
    7
    It doesn't have the scary feel like the first one. It just turns into a fetch and step with uninteresting storyline. Not as immersing; but ok I guess.
  14. kezzyhko
    Jul 26, 2020
    7
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  15. gotterpotter56
    Aug 4, 2021
    7
    Проблему с оружием и с противниками, по сравнению с первой частью исправили, только вот сюжет и задания забыли сделать такими интересными как в первой . А про повторяющийся локации вообще не буду говорить. Было очень скучно и проходил дополнения только ради сюжета.Проблему с оружием и с противниками, по сравнению с первой частью исправили, только вот сюжет и задания забыли сделать такими интересными как в первой . А про повторяющийся локации вообще не буду говорить. Было очень скучно и проходил дополнения только ради сюжета.
  16. petrkozak13
    Dec 13, 2021
    7
    Yes, in comparison to the original Alan Wake game, this one is pretty weak. But it's still fun and I enjoyed more time with the protagonist.
  17. Serkan0
    Nov 20, 2022
    7
    Oyunun hikayesini sevdim fakat oyunda bir sıkıntı var . Görev yerlerine gittiğim halde senaryoya girmiyor. Belki benden kaynaklıdır diye ayarları düşürdüm ama sadece birkaç görev ileri taşıdı sonra yine aynı oldu . Silip tekrar yüklememe rağmen fayda etmedi.
  18. intruder313
    Feb 16, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A very disappointing pseudo-sequel: completely unchallenging, no exploration required (due to the minimap) and somehow inferior graphically.
    Worst it's three small levels which you just play through three times EACH and they barely change from visit to visit.
    The new wepaons are not just overpowerful but you get an absolute surfeit of ammo so never come close to running low on rounds or batteries.

    If you do play it I recomment using the Nightmare difficulty because Normal is actually insultingly easy.    … Expand
  19. Dethstar
    Jun 1, 2012
    6
    OK. This is a cheap version of Alan Wake in every sense. Really really short. Very few locations and less developed in terms of atmosphere, character and plot. It is cheap. Its short enough to be a DLC but sold on it own which is niether good nor bad in my opinion.

    For me, while it was worth the low price, it was very unsatisfying as it was over in one gaming session and didnt last a    OK. This is a cheap version of Alan Wake in every sense. Really really short. Very few locations and less developed in terms of atmosphere, character and plot. It is cheap. Its short enough to be a DLC but sold on it own which is niether good nor bad in my opinion.

    For me, while it was worth the low price, it was very unsatisfying as it was over in one gaming session and didnt last a full evenings gaming but balancing it out, it was nice to see Alan and his world again, even such a very very small part of it. Personally, I dont like these shortened low price games so having bought this one I wouldnt buy another follow up like this but nor does it put me off buying another full Alan Wake game either. I like the first very much indeed. Slightly disappointing even for the low price.    … Expand
  20. Pampalini
    Dec 30, 2014
    6
    Basic principles are same as in original game. Which is good, and action scenes are fine.
    Story is not so strong but what is nice is that you meet some old friends through radio broadcastings.
    Main enemy is pretty sick.
    What is getting this game down is repetitve levels. You have to actually go through same locations three times and do almost same things. So there is not much new content. Pity
  21. Baenlynn
    Dec 25, 2012
    6
    Not as good as the original. I LOVED the original Alan Wake, not even a horror fan but the game rung so many bells for me that I was left deafened by the overall performance. But, a few hours into this "sequel" and I'm already enjoying myself less, plodding through this game like so many others, and that's precisely how it SHOULDN'T feel. The original Alan Wake (even the special episodes)Not as good as the original. I LOVED the original Alan Wake, not even a horror fan but the game rung so many bells for me that I was left deafened by the overall performance. But, a few hours into this "sequel" and I'm already enjoying myself less, plodding through this game like so many others, and that's precisely how it SHOULDN'T feel. The original Alan Wake (even the special episodes) had a sense of danger, of the hostile environment all around, but with American Nightmare it's as though they've taken all the teeth out of the enemy. There's too much ammo, killing enemies is too easy, and the story and immersion suffer as a consequence of that. Also: American Nightmare breaks its own rules set out at the very start of the original with Alan's opening Monologue: 'Keep the audience in the dark, don't give too much away, make them wonder, don't rely on logic, don't make sense, do the unexpected, challenge the audience's expectations and especially their hope.' The opening few minutes of the game give us all of these things, and it is too much. It kills the dark magic, OVERkills it with a flare-gun to the face. The beauty of the storytelling in the original lay in its uncertainty, until the big reveal in chapter four we were never entirely sure if Wake was sane, and even after, the ending felt like a theft but also RIGHT. But in American Nightmare the cat's out of the bag the first time we see a TV. We know the who, what, when, and where, and from there, the WHY is obvious. All of this could have been fixed with the villain NOT taunting wake, simply teasing him SILENTLY, or even giving him Amnesia again. Granted that would be clichéd by now, but still not as bad as the alternative. And it goes without saying the opening sequence DEFINITELY could have done without the TV show (HINT, HINT). Because of this we know the result even without spoilers because in every way possible the horror in this story has absolutely no teeth. I don't think one can blame the Narrative failings of this game on the scale of the production when the original was so tight. What American Nightmare needed was a second draft, with a stronger focus on keeping us guessing, keeping us confused and scared and looking for movement in the shadows until the very end. It's a worthwhile game if strictly run of the mill, and also if you want to follow the franchise, but we've seen much better work from Remedy in this regard, so I hope they lift their game on the sequel.… Expand
  22. taintedbloop
    May 25, 2012
    6
    American Nightmare simply doesn't have as thrilling a plot as the original. Its extremely tedious and they LITERALLY make you replay the same 3 objectives over and over while giving a half-assed answer as to why. Its obvious they are trying to stretch out the game as much as possible without actually having more content. By the time I was nearing the end, I just wanted it to be over and itAmerican Nightmare simply doesn't have as thrilling a plot as the original. Its extremely tedious and they LITERALLY make you replay the same 3 objectives over and over while giving a half-assed answer as to why. Its obvious they are trying to stretch out the game as much as possible without actually having more content. By the time I was nearing the end, I just wanted it to be over and it was boring. The plot itself really doesnt make very much sense at all, and you are just thrown in there. As for the gameplay, they introduce a new mechanic where gathering manuscript pages rewards you by being able to unlock new guns after a certain amount. However, I felt this was actually quite a downside - within the first 15 minutes you already have 3-4 automatic weapons. I think that they took away the iconic revolver that alan had, and instead they turned it into more of a run n gun with tons of weapons rather then having you feel somewhat vulnerable with your revolver. Also, with the automatic weapons you cant reload faster by tapping the reload key like you could in the first, which makes it less suspenseful. The enemies themselves have no voice acting, unlike the first which had their creepy morphed voices which added atmosphere and creepiness to it. The little televisions which show mini videos to you are kind of cheesy and the voice acting isnt great. Its a bad attempt at being scary. The flashlight seems to run out at least doubly as fast as the original game which is extremely frustrating. It recharges much faster, but all this accomplishes is more interruptions in the fighting. I didnt like the change. They also made some changes to the UI, which I think looked worse then before. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with how this turned out. Some of the best parts was listening to the soundtrack, but there were only 3 songs or so. some only playing for 30 seconds while you fight. I finished the game in about 4-5 hours, however due to them making you replay everything, theres probably only 1-2 hours of real original content. If you are a big alan wake fan, its still decently fun, but certainly doesnt hold up to the plot, gameplay, or style of the original.… Expand
  23. Rossjudas
    Oct 1, 2012
    6
    It has few stages but in my opinion this is way better than the original because gameplay has improved a little with new weapons, Alan movements are a lot better and he doesn't seem drunk when walking like in the other title but It always a tedious and repetitive game the developers in my opinion should try some new stages for Alan maybe with puzzles and not always run away from monstersIt has few stages but in my opinion this is way better than the original because gameplay has improved a little with new weapons, Alan movements are a lot better and he doesn't seem drunk when walking like in the other title but It always a tedious and repetitive game the developers in my opinion should try some new stages for Alan maybe with puzzles and not always run away from monsters or kill them, boring.… Expand
  24. Garian
    Jun 26, 2020
    6
    It's not quite as deep as the main game, however the live-action scenes do give the game a little more depth. Overall it was a pretty mediocre addition to the series with one major flaw in that people do not like repetition, no matter what plot point it'll ultimately unravel.
  25. Rem
    Jul 7, 2015
    6
    American Nightmare's biggest triumphs and sins lie solely on how it utilizes its gameplay to serve the story. On one hand, combat is vastly improved over the original game, opting for a more action oriented experience rather than a survival romp through the darkness. It becomes immensely fun wielding a flashlight on one hand and blasting away Taken with an assault rifle on the other. ThisAmerican Nightmare's biggest triumphs and sins lie solely on how it utilizes its gameplay to serve the story. On one hand, combat is vastly improved over the original game, opting for a more action oriented experience rather than a survival romp through the darkness. It becomes immensely fun wielding a flashlight on one hand and blasting away Taken with an assault rifle on the other. This in addition with a scored and ranked arcade mode encourages the already fun combat without the need to spill blood (or darkness in this case). But pertaining to this game's sins, the story continues the mysterious and quirky Twin Peaks vibe that the original nailed. However the differences are night and day, the antagonist this time around, your evil twin, fails to really spark an incentive to do much around the semi open world of Night Springs. Also what really checks off as a smack to the face is SPOILER ALERT: the use of time loops to repeat the same game THREE TIMES. I'm not even kidding. They had the opportunity to really utilize the already creative gameplay of American Nightmare by using its semi open world for extra doo dads, but instead opts to send you to do the same task three times, albeit with different enemies. The selling point of this game would be its fun factor and vibe, and even then the fun only got me three hours out of this downloadable content, and I had to repeat the game three times mind you.… Expand
  26. braeden
    Jun 25, 2013
    6
    Basically Alan Wake's American Nightmare is the same Alan Wake game all over again. Only with weaker storytelling and weaker character design.

    The plot is again the same Stephen King stuff as with the original. This might be good or bad thing depending on your preferences. Personally I dislike far out horror stuff that doesn't connect with reality in any way. It's just random stuff that    Basically Alan Wake's American Nightmare is the same Alan Wake game all over again. Only with weaker storytelling and weaker character design.

    The plot is again the same Stephen King stuff as with the original. This might be good or bad thing depending on your preferences. Personally I dislike far out horror stuff that doesn't connect with reality in any way. It's just random stuff that happens, which makes me loose interest.

    To sum up, I found this game quite boring and didn't bother to play it through. Maybe some day, if I have nothing better to do, I'll look it again. Unless you really liked the original Alan Wake or you're a horror buff, I wouldn't recommend buying this.    … Expand
  27. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    6
    Although the combat seems to have improved on the predecessor, not much else really has… This may be more of an arcade style title, but the campaign is pretty much the same three small areas replayed three times; each time made slightly different… So it often feels like a very lazily slapped together game! The arcade ‘horde’ mode although fairly entertaining isn’t particularly good enoughAlthough the combat seems to have improved on the predecessor, not much else really has… This may be more of an arcade style title, but the campaign is pretty much the same three small areas replayed three times; each time made slightly different… So it often feels like a very lazily slapped together game! The arcade ‘horde’ mode although fairly entertaining isn’t particularly good enough to warrant return visits or to even offer a great deal of extended game-play… I guess, buying American Nightmare in the sales on Steam for a quick action experience is fair enough but I’d avoid this game at standard price, there just simply isn’t enough content to justify it!… Expand
  28. gimus
    Dec 23, 2014
    6
    I was very disappointed. Continue of Alan Wake the game looked at first pretty good, but then, you had to visit the same three locations three times and it was really boring. Everything was saved by good story narration, but in the end, I an not rate the game more than 6/10. Maybe it could be 5/10, but it depends...
  29. jelikey
    Sep 10, 2015
    6
    When I started to play AWAN I was ready to see the continuation of Alaln's journey not through real forests and real ppl, but through the place which won't let you go so easy, the place filled with darkness and evil, the place for which Alan's suffering as a loving husband who lost his wife, friend and normal life is the best food. I was ready to see his struggle, and I saw it. He's aWhen I started to play AWAN I was ready to see the continuation of Alaln's journey not through real forests and real ppl, but through the place which won't let you go so easy, the place filled with darkness and evil, the place for which Alan's suffering as a loving husband who lost his wife, friend and normal life is the best food. I was ready to see his struggle, and I saw it. He's a writer, so his best weapon is his mind and typewriting machine.
    I think that the action that we've seen in AWAN is only his first attempt to run away from darkness, I'd even say - we've seen a draft of his new novel "Return".    … Expand
  30. AbeMC
    Feb 21, 2018
    6
    Alan Wake returns, sort of. A short, 4-hour story accompanies a decent (but solo) arcade experience. But will players survive the re-used assets to complete the single-player campaign? That is the real question. Worth a purchase when discounted if you enjoyed the previous game, but there just isn’t a lot of content here.
    Total size on my hard-drive: 2.4 GB
    + Alan Wake is back. This    Alan Wake returns, sort of. A short, 4-hour story accompanies a decent (but solo) arcade experience. But will players survive the re-used assets to complete the single-player campaign? That is the real question. Worth a purchase when discounted if you enjoyed the previous game, but there just isn’t a lot of content here.
    Total size on my hard-drive: 2.4 GB

    + Alan Wake is back. This takes place after the second “Special” episode of the first game.
    + Excellent (if occasionally low-res) graphics. Well-optimized.
    + New weapons. An assault rifle, sub-machine gun, auto-shotgun, crossbow – in keeping with American Nightmare’s focus as an arcade game, there are a number of new weapons that all handle and feel different. A big improvement over the first Alan Wake game, which only had a small number of weapons to choose from.
    + New enemies. Again, a by-product of the arcade focus, but the new enemies look nasty and fit right in with the world Alan Wake. Some don’t respond to light in the way you’d expect, so be careful.
    + Great sound design. Sometimes the tap-tap of footsteps is all you hear before you are attacked.
    + Short but great soundtrack from Petri Alanko once again. More great songs from Poets of the Fall as well.
    + The story is more of a pulp-style adventure, with garish over-acting from the villain and a Twilight Zone-style voice-over. A departure from the Stephen King-inspired first game, but it works well enough – especially in conjunction with the collectible manuscript pages, which supply a large amount of backstory.

    +/- Collecting manuscript pages is required to unlock the more advanced weapons. Bad news for people who don’t want to be bothered with collectibles.
    +/- Arcade mode is simple: fight hordes of “taken” and survive until the sun rises. The new guns and weapons, plus some well-designed arenas make this decent (if solitary) fun. Only five maps, and unlocking advanced weapons depends on how many manuscript pages you collected in the single-player story.

    - The looping nature of the story results in reuse of the same three levels for the entire single-player campaign. Not only the levels, but Alan’s actions and most of the events are repeated as well. It’s a Groundhog Day / Source Code / Edge of Tomorrow style narrative gamble that might work on the first playthrough, but only hard-core fans will want to replay it.
    - Though set after the events of the first game, not a proper sequel. More of a glimpse of what is happening with no time to go into detail.

    I was (and am) happy to get more Alan Wake, but with a proper sequel being forever put off by Remedy, American Nightmare is a sad, short epilogue to what promised to be a unique suspense / horror franchise. Buy it (at a discount), enjoy it, and hope Alan Wake 2 will happen someday.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

56
#56 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
94
#94 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    86
    There's something vaguely heroic when you have set your desperate, one-in-a-million trap and you pull the lever, just when Kasabian's 'Club Foot' crashes in and you witness the satellite plummeting from the heavens, while oil-rigs explode all around you and the Taken scream for your blood. American Nightmare is a journey that you can't abandon, until you have reached its end. [August 2012]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 29, 2012
    70
    We all had hopes American Nightmare would be more of a "full-featured" title. Though it's more like a stand-alone DLC. Nevertheless, fans of the original game should not avoid it. [July 2012]
  3. Absolute Games
    Jul 28, 2012
    55
    If American Nightware were an episode of an actual television series, I would have switched the channel long before the end of the first act.
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