Alan Wake's American Nightmare

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 192 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 124 out of 192
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 192
  3. Negative: 23 out of 192

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  1. cman12314
    Feb 26, 2012
    7
    This is not a sequel to Alan Wake, nor is it a prequel, or really even a spinoff, for that matter. No, American Nightmare is more of an Alan Wake 1.5, a halfway point between 1 and 2. Because of this, the story, disappointingly, doesn't really deliver. While Alan hunting his evil double Mr. Scratch is an interesting idea, Mr. Scratch himself isn't really all that menacing. Also, to makeThis is not a sequel to Alan Wake, nor is it a prequel, or really even a spinoff, for that matter. No, American Nightmare is more of an Alan Wake 1.5, a halfway point between 1 and 2. Because of this, the story, disappointingly, doesn't really deliver. While Alan hunting his evil double Mr. Scratch is an interesting idea, Mr. Scratch himself isn't really all that menacing. Also, to make up for the limited amount of areas they can put into an arcade game, the developers recycled the same three areas in a story about a time loop that really doesn't make much sense. So the story is a little lackluster, but not all is bad. The combat has really been revamped, with more weapons and more varied enemies. This keeps your encounters with the darkness from getting stale like they did in the first game. On a side note, the new, open setting of Arizona isn't quite as interesting as the creepy woods of Washington. Something completely new in this game is the Fight Till Dawn mode, in which you are put into an arena and tasked with surviving against ten minutes of nearly non-stop taken. This mode mode is actually way creepier than the campaign, and the fast arcade action is a nice change of pace. This is by no means a bad game, despite my complains, and is arguably the most impressive game on the arcade yet in terms of presentation. For $15, Alan Wake's American is definitely worth the buy, especially for Wake fans, just don't expect something quite as special as the first game. 7/10… Expand
  2. DarkKnightG4
    Oct 30, 2012
    7
    A serviceable, but somewhat disappointing, journey into the world of Alan Wake. American Nightmare is more of a fan service than a step forward in the tale of writer Alan Wake. If you haven't played the first game, the story will be somewhat incoherent in this. If you are playing this for simply a game-play standpoint, then you are much better off playing another 3rd person shooter.A serviceable, but somewhat disappointing, journey into the world of Alan Wake. American Nightmare is more of a fan service than a step forward in the tale of writer Alan Wake. If you haven't played the first game, the story will be somewhat incoherent in this. If you are playing this for simply a game-play standpoint, then you are much better off playing another 3rd person shooter. That's not to say that the game-play is bad in this game, it is actually much improved and more fluid over the original Alan Wake, however it is neither the strong suit nor main attraction of Alan Wake. Story, the main pull of the original game, is not quite up to par in this iteration. It is more of a cannon story versus a sequel. While it is nice to see into the character of Mr. Scratch (the main antagonist), the remaining characters are pretty lackluster and bland compared to the original A. Wake. The other big disappointment with this game is the re-use of levels. There are only 3 levels in this game and you retread them 3 times. All of these levels take place in the desert climate of Arizona, so there's not much diversity in the scenery. I didn't find the atmosphere to be anywhere near as creepy as the original game either. Despite these complaints, it is still more Alan Wake and players of the original will appreciate the details that are squeezed out of the story and provide some extra insight. At 1200 MS points, this game is a so-so buy, but if you can pick it up at a discounted price (its been on sale numerous occasions) then it will be a great value. Outside of the single player campaign is a horde mode, however I found this to only hold my attention for 1 or 2 nights. So, overall, if treated more as a dlc versus a full blown game, American Nightmare holds its weight and is a worthy experience. If you haven't played the original, I wouldn't invest in American Nightmare. 6/10… Expand
  3. XxJoseManuelxX
    Aug 25, 2016
    5
    Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a action-adventure psychological horror third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft.

    - Bland Story
    - Timed Objectives
  4. kevinbiohazard
    Aug 14, 2022
    7
    Story: 8/10
    Gameplay: 7/10
    Graphics:7/10
    Music: 6/10
    Replaying Advice: Medium
    Buying Advice: Medium
  5. arash7201
    Dec 1, 2021
    5
    More action than the previous version and a mediocre game.
    It is worth playing once.
  6. Burzyk
    Aug 10, 2023
    6
    Just finished it in 2023 on XSX and I gotta say thst the base game was better IMO. Expansion is locked at 30 fps which makes gameplay less fun. You'd do better if you play it on PC or Steam Deck where its clearly 60 fps.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
58
#58 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
76
#76 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 72 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 72
  3. Negative: 0 out of 72
  1. Worth Playing
    May 30, 2012
    85
    While not a true sequel, Alan Wake's American Nightmare does a fine job of expanding on the franchise's universe. It may not have the depth of exposition of the original game, but for 1,200 Microsoft points ($15), there's enough here to please fans and newcomers alike.
    Read full review
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Apr 12, 2012
    70
    The combination of light-hearted side-story and new ideas results in a title that is fun to play, even with the repetition of stages. [May 2012, p.64]
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Apr 2, 2012
    60
    It's sadly spoilt by a lack of content and too much repetition. [Issue#83, p.98]
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