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[Miles Quaritch]

Yea. It's why I don't expect quantum break out for a good while. They took forever for Max Payne, they took forever for Alan wake. They aren't a speedy dev team.

It paid off in spades with Max Payne, but I think they had focus on what they wanted to achieve with Max. Alan Wake seemed to go through a phase where the developers weren't sure if they wanted it to be open world or linear and it shows in the game with some sections feeling like they would be right at home in an open world title.

Yeah MS must really like Remedy, not many Companies would put up with that. Plus they don't own them, and it didn't sell that well.

The game is amazing tho, I beat it at least 4 to 5 times

Yeah, I'm just glad that MS are still supporting Remedy. Would hate to see them end up having to resort to stuff like Kickstarter to get their games off the ground.

Fingers crossed QB sells really well and they decide to fund a sequel to AW before a sequel to QB...

 

[dragonbane]

I think Remedy just wanted the game out of the door and I expect MS weren't too happy with how long it was taking either.

Let's not forget the game was in development for five years...

Yeah. They are lucky MS is as supportive. Hopefully they advertise it this time as well. Weird mistake on MS's part.

 

[toastyToast]

That's the gist of it. Stop now

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Yeah. They are lucky MS is as supportive. Hopefully they advertise it this time as well. Weird mistake on MS's part.

If MS don't support Quantum Break, I hope Remedy walk away and focus on Kickstarting their games or something. There's really no point in sticking around with MS at that point...it's just not enough to fund a game, you have to be willing to market it as well.

Still makes me mad when I think about what MS did with Alan Wake. The lack of marketing was bad enough, but sending it out the same week as RDR? Who the hell thought that was a good idea? I'd love to know the reasoning behind that decision...

 

[sphinx]

Still makes me mad when I think about what MS did with Alan Wake. The lack of marketing was bad enough, but sending it out the same week as RDR?

maybe MS realized the final product wasn't strong enough and that in the end it didn't matter when they'd release it?

The game has 7/10 written all over it. I dont' think it deserved a special place in the release schedule.

 

[Condemned]

Not really. Maybe a tiny bit but its pretty much the same throughout.

I still enjoyed it though for the story, mood and setting.

 

[DemurOnion]

LOL I just gave up in Alice near the last world as I had seen enough. Wake kept me going over a couple visits though and is a great little showpiece for a last gen port. It changes setting up pretty decently. The forests are my favorite part though.

maybe MS realized the final product wasn't strong enough and that in the end it didn't matter when they'd release it?

The game has 7/10 written all over it. I dont' think it deserved a special place in the release schedule.

ONLY because it looked like ASS on 360 and absolutely! NOTHING more. This game did so deserve more even with the 360 version not being very good.

Had just as much fun playing this on PC as I did playing RDR. Fact.

 

[EGM1966]

Nope. Game was supposed to be much more plot driven open world title. Remedy couldn't figure out how to make that work. Years passed and money was spent and they doubled down with MS just to get it out resulting in a very simple rinse/repeat shooter with interesting concept/narrative that is never expanded upon.

It's not too long and there are a few moments where things switch up and a couple of moments when a hint of what could have been with some periods of downtime from combat.

Mostly thought it is playing through an identical series of encounters with bad guys using exact same method every time to defeat them.

 

[Scrooged]

Nope, it's a one trick pony in regards to gameplay. What made me finish the game is the crazy ass story, which is very good and intriguing. I'd suggest you change the difficulty to easy (if you can, I don't remember) and play through.

 

[Piano]

Nope.

worst game of last gen

Nope.

 

[Flambe]

Your question has already been answered so if you're not gripped by the story or setting it's not worth it. I recently played it for the first time last month and while the combat grew repetitive the other hooks were more than enough for me to finish and enjoy it.

 

[Barry Burton]

Unfortunately, it never really does. Loved the story, characters and atmosphere, and the combat was tolerable enough for me to get through to see more of the stuff I liked. It's easily the worst aspect of the game, and it's a shame that 2 of the 3 post-release DLC have been combat-heavy and story-lite.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

worst game of last gen

You can't have played many games.

 

[DemurOnion]

I played on hard and I thought the combat was fine for what it was doing. I was frightened enough with headphones at night. It could have been more and the plot could definitely have had more mature writing. especially toward the end.

But damn some of those places were awesome. The mill! The forests leading to the gas station! They did those so perfectly.

 

[Maligna]

DLC is totally bonkers and awesome.

 

[family_guy]

There is a part at the end where you have people helping you out and I'd say that's the only gameplay change.

 

[Piano]

Only Alice: Madness Returns is more repetitive. Unlike that game though, Alan Wake isn't 25 hours long so I still enjoyed it.

From what I remember Alan Wake took me about 12 hours and Alice was around 15 hours.

Also, yes, the last dlc chapter thankfully mixes things up in some interesting ways.

 

[LuuKyK]

No, it stays extremely repetitive. This is why I really question Remedy's cinematic ambitions. The entire game is pretty much the same few encounters...even the same method of ENCOUNTERING the encounters. You walk forward, the camera pans out to show the dark silhouettes, they attack you in the same exact patterns, you dodge, you do the same thing.

There are a few mix-up encounters in the late game but it is by far the most repetitive game I ever finished. It is fairly long, too.

It's like ASSET REUSE the game facilitated by the fact that everything is dark. Dark Forest Path becomes Dark Mountain Road becomes Dark Open Field. Over and over and over again and ALAN RUNS SO DAMN SLOWLY

I think this is the most accurate description of the game that I've ever seen.

 

[Courage]

For such an atmospheric game, you'd think the gameplay would be better. It's still a good game, and I love the weird turn the game takes.

 

[Cymbal Head]

This was one of the first games I played after building a new PC early last year. In retropect, I have no idea how or why I played this stupid game all the way through. I had been out of PC gaming for about 5 years at the time, so maybe I just didn't know any better.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Couldn't finish it for this reason. Great visuals and atmosphere, but dear god the gunplay is like someone copy pasted every encounter six times.

Hope they go back to the drawing board gameplay-wise on Quantum Break.

 

[dragonlife]

Not really, but the DLCs are good.

Also, American Nightmare's combat is a lot more fun.

 

[Dusk Golem]

I'd actually argue they switch-up the formula in episodes 4, 5, and the second DLC, The Writer.

Episode 4's first fourth of the chapter has no direct enemies and has a rather interesting other scenario, then the following scenarios change things up too.

Spoiler

Escaping a house being overcome by the darkness from the inside, maneuvering a hedge maze, a whole section where you have no weapon to kill the enemies with, the stage show, the battle against the harvester, exploring the Anderson's farm with the record player, and the first-person dream sequence.

Episode 5 completely changes the setting and pacing of the game.

Spoiler

You start off in prison, then get the Sherrif and later Barry as you maneuver through through Bright Falls city, with them using their flashlights and shooting enemies as well. Going through streets, festival stuff, church's, and more, until getting to a helicopter match as you make your escape. Following this is the section with the power plant and its electric hazards, then the bridge and the section with the helicopter defending you with its light, then the actual puzzle in the game at the dam, and the end section at the Dam as the tornado chases you.

And Episode 8: The Writer DLC changes the most things up in the game. I don't want to write them all, but the DLC chapter had a new unique mechanic for each combat encounter in the episode, had a lot of sections without enemies and other interesting twists to gameplay, and introduces a number of new ideas.

Episodes 4 & 8 were my favorite, both changed things up a lot in my opinion and were a lot of fun for me.

 

[CrazedArabMan]

I thought we also had a thread yesterday praising the game for being great and fun, and now we have one saying it's boring. AW is a game you either really like, or really hate it seems.

Spoiler

of course everyone who hates it is wrong, but that's OK

 

[Courage]

I thought we also had a thread yesterday praising the game for being great and fun, and now we have one saying it's boring. AW is a game you either really like, or really hate it seems.

Spoiler

of course everyone who hates it is wrong, but that's OK

I don't think most people complaining actually hate the game. The procedural "flash until the ring shrinks and shoot" mechanic just grew old 2-3 hours in. They could have easily included that with more horror elements that didn't involve any combat, and I'd enjoy it even more.

 

[Thrakier]

Not really, but the DLCs are good.

Also, American Nightmare's combat is a lot more fun.

Yeah, I bought the DLC because of people like you.

Just to find out that it was the exact same shit.

 

[Lord_Balkan]

I stopped playing Alan Wake after 5 hours in. I found it dull too. I enjoyed the story, but it was so 'gamey' that it ruined my fun. I remember one part, it arbitrarily took away your gun because it 'fell' so then you have to rely on some other guy shooting those ghost things (which he sucks by the way), and that pissed me off to no end. As well as the fact that after hours into the game, it still had the need to show a little cinematic ingame cutscene to let me know I will be fighting the exact same ghosts I've been fighting since the beginning.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

It changes up all the time. You get new weapons, new enemies, new combat encounter scenarios, several bosses, there are a few light puzzles interspersed throughout, a few driving sections, some hold your position turret sections, a stretch you need to cover without any weapons, a couple of flashbacks, a few NPC support sections, and a memorable and lengthy narrative-focused intermezzo halfway through the game. That's without mentioning optional exploration, collecting, video watching and radio listening. I honestly can't understand the complaints, do modern gamers expect every level to have drastically different gameplay and unique setpieces?

 

[Courage]

It changes up all the time. You get new weapons, new enemies, new combat encounter scenarios, several bosses, there are a few light puzzles interspersed throughout, a few driving sections, some hold your position turret sections, a stretch you need to cover without any weapons, a couple of flashbacks, a few NPC support sections, and a memorable and lengthy narrative-focused intermezzo halfway through the game. That's without mentioning optional exploration, collecting, video watching and radio listening. I honestly can't understand the complaints, do modern gamers expect every level to have drastically different gameplay and unique setpieces?

New weapons and new enemies doesn't change anything.

"Oh wow you're flashing at a FLYING CAR now? This changes everything."

 

[eternaLightness]

I used an ammo trainer for the whole game and the expansion. Takes the boredom/stress out of the repetitive encounters, speeds up the flow and you can still take in the environmental atmosphere and story.

YES I played Alan Wake with an ammo trainer. No regrets.

I did this near the end of the game. I started to get tiresome of the encounters and just use flares throughout. Enjoyed everything else about the game, but the combat kept it from being really great I felt.

 

[sphinx]

I remember one part, it arbitrarily took away your gun because it 'fell' so then you have to rely on some other guy shooting those ghost things (which he sucks by the way), and that pissed me off to no end..

and you probably missed the thermos in that area right there too ^_^

 

[dragonlife]

Yeah, I bought the DLC because of people like you.

Just to find out that it was the exact same shit.

Haha. That's too bad. I felt the DLCs were more experimental than the main game ever was; I enjoyed the different ways it let you dispatch enemies, like

Spoiler

the incinerators, the street lights, the lighthouse, and the rotating wheel section was really fucking cool, I thought.

 

[Lord_Balkan]

and you probably missed the thermos in that area right there too ^_^

Probably, the game just upset me for putting arbitrary gamey limitations on everything

 

[rosaceadude2112]

the final boss of alan wake is a boat you have to shine your flashlight at.

 

[shaowebb]

I got the game on steam at release day but still haven't finished it; basically, I find it dull despite really loving the setup, setting and mistery, but the whole shooting parts, which are the actual game, are freakin boring. So, does it ever change up?

Nope. I kept playing to see if it would and it didn't. Plot stayed completely transparent due to them not understanding how foreshadowing works and them just out right telling you what was about to happen with every found page. Spooky forest never really felt like much of anything. Only time I felt a thing was if I was out of ammo and then it wasn't panic...just frustration. It also kissed Stephen King's ass way too much. Guy is a great writer and all but we get it. Shut up already and let us play Alan's story.

Game is on my top list of close but so far titles that was almost something incredible. Bionic Commando is another one on that list...there aren't many that hold a slot on that list honestly, but Alan Wake...well I feel its close to a greatness it may never see.

 

[Marjar]

It changes up all the time. You get new weapons, new enemies, new combat encounter scenarios, several bosses, there are a few light puzzles interspersed throughout, a few driving sections, some hold your position turret sections, a stretch you need to cover without any weapons, a couple of flashbacks, a few NPC support sections, and a memorable and lengthy narrative-focused intermezzo halfway through the game. That's without mentioning optional exploration, collecting, video watching and radio listening. I honestly can't understand the complaints, do modern gamers expect every level to have drastically different gameplay and unique setpieces?

If by new enemies you mean a beefier version of the same enemy you've been fighting the whole game.

Also getting new weapons doesn't mean a lot when you arbitrarily lose them every chapter.

 

[speakerlog]

I didn't play Alan Wake when it first came out but only about 2 years after and to be honest after hearing all the bad things about the game I wasn't expecting much. But wow this game surpassed my expectations sure it was repetitive but the atmosphere was awesome and I loved the time between shooting.

I think if the game turned out the way they originally wanted it would of been amazing.

 

[Bulzeeb]

Very repetitive game. Worth playing only if you dig the story and the mood.

this, I really liked Alan Wake but only for the story and the theme, the combat was boring

 

[The Cowboy]

As weird as this may sound to some, i played the game as though it was a TV show due to how the "Previously on Alan Wake" episode thing worked. At the time when it came out i actually stopped playing the game as soon as i finished an episode and then went to the next a week later (i did this for every episode) to treat it just like a show that came on every week.

It works really well and i really enjoyed it like this, it made it very hard for it to become repetitive.

 

[NotSelf]

Some one made a thread about this game a couple of days ago saying how much they liked it my post.

 

[TP-DK]

I never finished the game. I tried picking it up again a few months ago, cause I wanted to see how it ends, but the combat bored me so much I started to just run past the enemies. Apparently as soon as you hit a checkpoint the enemies dissapear.

The setting and atmosphere is great, and I really liked the start, but those repetitive enemy encounters got too boring.

 

[Corpsepyre]

No, it does not. Besides the atmosphere and a semi-gripping storyline, the game was bollocks.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

No, and for that reason I think it's super overrated. It's super repetitive and the story is pretty half-assed. Remedy gets a lot of love for this game for some reason, I'm not entirely sure why.

 

[Dusk Golem]

You guys have inspired me to stream pretty soon a 'No Gun' playthrough of Alan Wake challenge run. There's only 4-5 enemies in the game you absolutely need to use your gun against.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

maybe MS realized the final product wasn't strong enough and that in the end it didn't matter when they'd release it?

The game has 7/10 written all over it. I dont' think it deserved a special place in the release schedule.

Seems like a terrible potential reason to send a new IP out to die, especially after you've just got finished funding it for five years.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

New weapons and new enemies doesn't change anything

I disagree, especially on the Nightmare difficulty. Fighting poltergeist objects is completely different from fighting regular grunts, which is completely different from fighting those quick shifting enemies. Fighting with your full arsenal is completely different from fighting with barely any ammo left, when you need to run from safe spot to safe spot, and use environmental objects like those exploding gas tanks or portable lights.

I mean, it may not be enough for some people, fine, but claiming it's a one-note affair is ridiculous.

 

[-SD-]

I've been thinking of attempting to finish Alan Wake. I played quite a number of levels on PC but got really tired of the gameplay's repetive nature.

Reading this thread made me sad. No desire to finish the game now.

 

[dragonbane]

I thought we also had a thread yesterday praising the game for being great and fun, and now we have one saying it's boring. AW is a game you either really like, or really hate it seems.

Spoiler

of course everyone who hates it is wrong, but that's OK

A thread title attracts certain audiences. You will find a lot more Alan Wake dislikers here than in the other thread for example. Just how this usually works.

 

[K' Dash]

Play on hard, let's see if you're still bored after that.

 

[MEsoJD]

I seriously hate this game. I played it when it came out on pc and had to force myself to finish. Really didn't understand the hype.... It's so boring.