See, I don't have to play on the highest difficulty to experience good game design. That's a crutch.
Does Alan Wake ever change up?
- Thread starter Prime crotch
- Start date
See, I don't have to play on the highest difficulty to experience good game design. That's a crutch.
I played Alan Wake on Nightmare difficulty off the bat and had good fun with the combat. Playing on Nightmare gives combat that extra oomph that keeps you on your toes.
While finding standard ammo still isn't really a problem (which is one of my beefs with the game), enemies hit very hard and take notably less damage from both guns and flashlight, so you really need to keep aware of your surroundings and be more tactical in how you take them out. Dodging becomes absolutely crucial and in some cases the best tactic is take a couple out, duck under other enemy blows, and just haul ass to the nearest light source as your wheezing Alan Wake is being chased mercilessly. Gives it a bit of that extra survival horror flavor.
I thought it all worked together beautifully with the general ominous atmosphere the game sets so well. Every time the screen got dark and the inky shadows surrounding you started to dance and waver, you knew that it was on, and every pool of light from a car or lamppost was heaven-sent (a similar feeling in some ways to getting to a bonfire your first time through Dark Souls).
What I would have preferred in Nightmare difficulty is for ammo to be more scarce, so that it'd lean even more towards survival horror, but you still hardly feel like some superman.
I've never actually played Alan Wake below Nightmare difficulty so I don't have a concrete basis for comparison, but I imagine it's naturally just more prone to feeling repetitive when there's no real tension to the fights and you're just going through the motions.
While finding standard ammo still isn't really a problem (which is one of my beefs with the game), enemies hit very hard and take notably less damage from both guns and flashlight, so you really need to keep aware of your surroundings and be more tactical in how you take them out. Dodging becomes absolutely crucial and in some cases the best tactic is take a couple out, duck under other enemy blows, and just haul ass to the nearest light source as your wheezing Alan Wake is being chased mercilessly. Gives it a bit of that extra survival horror flavor.
I thought it all worked together beautifully with the general ominous atmosphere the game sets so well. Every time the screen got dark and the inky shadows surrounding you started to dance and waver, you knew that it was on, and every pool of light from a car or lamppost was heaven-sent (a similar feeling in some ways to getting to a bonfire your first time through Dark Souls).
What I would have preferred in Nightmare difficulty is for ammo to be more scarce, so that it'd lean even more towards survival horror, but you still hardly feel like some superman.
I've never actually played Alan Wake below Nightmare difficulty so I don't have a concrete basis for comparison, but I imagine it's naturally just more prone to feeling repetitive when there's no real tension to the fights and you're just going through the motions.
Would you tell me playing Ninja Gaiden is as satisfactory playing on hyper easy than Master Ninja?
I don't think so.
In Alan Wake the combat is excellent, varied AND difficult, normal is dumbed down, if you want challenge and be scared and run for your life to look for the next light source, play on Nightmare.
dragonbane
Member
Ya. Publishers are unbelievably stupid when it comes to release dates. Why so many games in October and zero in Summer? Why is it so important to release on Tuesday, especially with other big games releasing on the same day? The Last of Us did so well partly because there was nothing else to play. Heavy Rain did amazing because it was delayed from October to February giving it more room to breath. Then they released Beyond in October resulting in only decent sales. I don't get publishers at all. Apparently they want certain games to die (and then continue to blame xy).
As for Remedy and MS, I suppose it's still better than closing shop though. Second party studios tend to be pretty safe (most of the time at least).
Katze mit Hut
Member
I couldn´t make me finish the game. I rly like this kind of games but it was so boring. Gave it several tries but ultimately i gave up.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
I first played it on Normal and loved its good game design all the same. However, if you're bored on Normal, it's rather logical to try a harder difficulty.
American Nightmare feels like they're taking the piss of how repetitive and boring the game is.
You think the gameplay is repetitive? Well, you get to do the same things again! And again! Over and over!
You're taking it to an extreme; playing on Normal should be good enough to experience good game design, and Ninja Gaiden's normal difficulty kicked my ass.
There are some driving parts and some more exploration-driven sections. Plus some cool set pieces later, such as one involving a stage. I suppose if you're not enjoying the core mechanics yet, then you're probably not going to find much more to like about it.
I love you ♡
Yeah, the "combat" is probably the weakest part of the title for me. Which is weird since you know Remedy knows combat/gunplay thanks to Max Payne. :/
I wouldn't say it's a bad or boring game, though. I do think the "mystery" is compelling, thanks to Sam Lake but it is a step-down from Max Payne. Hopefully Quantum Break fixes these missteps.
I wouldn't say it's a bad or boring game, though. I do think the "mystery" is compelling, thanks to Sam Lake but it is a step-down from Max Payne. Hopefully Quantum Break fixes these missteps.
killer rin
Member
The combat is more or less the same the whole game, though I found it got much better in the last few chapters when your pretty much swarmed by what seemed to be hordes of enemies.
Chance Hale
Member
Alice took me something crazy like 25 hours to beat. Was playing on the hardest difficulty, and looking for collectibles until near the end when the length just sapped me of the will to do so.
Red Blaster
Member
nah breh
moron protag + junk story badly aping twin peaks/stephen king + dull, monotonous gameplay that never changes + product placement out the ass
sounds like hell
i played a lot of games and i have impeccably good taste
"Oh boy, I have to flash my flashlight at them for 2-6 seconds longer before I can pop them with a gun!"
Only time it's "hard" is when the enemies are surrounding you, that's pretty much it.
DemurOnion
Banned
Very true. I thought it was just fine on whatever I played it on, which I'm pretty sure was hard. I never wanted to be dying too much as it takes the tension out of the game as an experience for me. But combat required a lot more intense behavior at harder levels where easier ones provided no scares at all.
That is something almost any horror fan should know to do: play the game on hard or don't complain about the combat (unless it is broken, and it is not here). IMO of course. Same thing can apply to even Witcher 2.
LowEndTorque
Member
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.
of course everyone who hates it is wrong, but that's OK
You're making a pretty big leap from valid criticism to "hate." I thought the game was okay at best. Doesn't mean I hate it.
There's hyperbole on both fringes ("worst game of the generation" and "omg sooo good GOTG") and both are wrong.
NoMoreTrolls
Banned
Nope, it's a fairly one note experience, though when it finally breaks away from that, it's spectacular (for twenty minutes). I enjoyed the story and atmosphere, but it certainly wasn't the gameplay that kept me going.
spacemonkeynation
Member
It's way better on harder difficulties. The difference in AI of the enemies becomes more meaningful, forcing you to think more tactically while trying to conserve ammo and batteries. It also becomes genuinely suspenseful.
Alan Wake is a fantastic game hampered by the low default difficulty. It robs it of any real scare factor and makes it seem mundane. You still get the great story telling, tight mechanics, and beautiful graphics though.
Alan Wake is a fantastic game hampered by the low default difficulty. It robs it of any real scare factor and makes it seem mundane. You still get the great story telling, tight mechanics, and beautiful graphics though.
I enjoyed the story and atmosphere, and really wanted to finish the game due to so many peoples recommendations and my love for Remedy's work with Max Payne, but my god do I hate the combat in this game. I gave up after yet another section in the woods where i got ganged on by a bunch of shadow guys and have just refused to finish the section mainly due to the fact every time I come back I fight more with the controls than the enemies on screen.
Great game, and interesting ideas, but I just can't with the combat.
Great game, and interesting ideas, but I just can't with the combat.
Repetitiveness... The worst offender this game had. I finished it because the atmosphere and mystery of the story had me quite involved, but the moment the main gameplay kicked in, the game felt like you were playing the same area over and over again.
However, the concert section was quite awesome and gave the game a much needed break from its repetitive gameplay.
However, the concert section was quite awesome and gave the game a much needed break from its repetitive gameplay.
REMEMBER CITADEL
Banned
We can debate our reasons, but as far as personal opinions go, both of those are perfectly valid. The only thing that is wrong is your presumption that you are the one who decides what is right and what is wrong when it comes to those things.
LowEndTorque
Member
Looks like the reference went over your head.
read the spoiler tagged part of his post
NOTaStalker
Banned
no, it doesn't. I remember being super disappointed at how linear and repetitive the game eventually turned out, a real shame.
I can think of very few games last gen that were not just an anolog stick a trigger and a reticule game over. Games that introduce an actual mechanic come under more scrutiny I would argue. As the game goes on, people become use to the mechanic and feel that it can become repetitive. If there is more to it than point shoot but an actual gameplay mechanic to evaluate. Opinions seem to form that it gets repetitive.
If in Alan wake the character just used guns and shot shadowy figures the whole game. We would be saying it's just Max Payne without the bullet time. In fact the game is much more than just point shoot. It is a not too complex tactic of light battery power, timing, weapon choice and reload time, positioning and agility. I can't think of very few games that juggle such gameplay choice but Alan Wake does and it does a pretty good job of it too!
Hey O.P. like others have said before. Play the game on nightmare other wise it is insanely easy. Then you will see the meat of the gameplay and the difficullty curve that keeps the combat fresh and exciting !! Difficulty can make or break a game.
Could Darksouls be the game it is today without the rewarding challenge in combat. I would argue that it would not even come close..
One final thought is, I see these same critiques given to games like Crysis. I question how a game that gives the player so many choices in combat can be labeled by some as having bad gameplay or it was boring ? I feel like such an outsider sometimes and am completly blind to what people are actually looking for or what is missing in a games combat for games like this?
If in Alan wake the character just used guns and shot shadowy figures the whole game. We would be saying it's just Max Payne without the bullet time. In fact the game is much more than just point shoot. It is a not too complex tactic of light battery power, timing, weapon choice and reload time, positioning and agility. I can't think of very few games that juggle such gameplay choice but Alan Wake does and it does a pretty good job of it too!
Hey O.P. like others have said before. Play the game on nightmare other wise it is insanely easy. Then you will see the meat of the gameplay and the difficullty curve that keeps the combat fresh and exciting !! Difficulty can make or break a game.
Could Darksouls be the game it is today without the rewarding challenge in combat. I would argue that it would not even come close..
One final thought is, I see these same critiques given to games like Crysis. I question how a game that gives the player so many choices in combat can be labeled by some as having bad gameplay or it was boring ? I feel like such an outsider sometimes and am completly blind to what people are actually looking for or what is missing in a games combat for games like this?
Bump the difficulty, really. And I think it's a game that is worth to try to finish because in the last 3 chapters they mix up things quote a lot.
Also, the story is great. Try finding pages and termos and all that, there are so many hidden secrets!
I loved the game and I can understand the complains (I stopped playing in my first playtrough) but I think it is really worthy.
Ground control to major tommmmm
Also, the story is great. Try finding pages and termos and all that, there are so many hidden secrets!
I loved the game and I can understand the complains (I stopped playing in my first playtrough) but I think it is really worthy.
Ground control to major tommmmm
CrackPebbles
Member
ye
I played this only at night with headphones on. I love reading all the side bits and only wish they had more investigation stuff to do in the day. The scary shadow stuff does get a little boring but being immersed in the world using the sound is really amazing. People should give it a shot!
Need more Alan Wake!
Need more Alan Wake!