Alan Wake's American Nightmare

this game is cool some point but some part same . i rate 7/10

I had kind of an interesting experience with this game. Because on paper, this game is just more Alan Wake 1. And that's not a bad thing if you like the first game, and I personally really love the first game. So while playing it and knowing that this game is standalone, I was waiting for it to do something different enough from Alan Wake 1, but it doesn't really do that at all through its story. There's no real reason I can see here pointing to why this wasn't just another DLC.

Spin-offs usually do something different than their predecessor. Good examples of this are Persona's - Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, etc. Or Pokemon. Mystery Dungeon is a Roguelike, Ranger has you drawing loops on the screen, you get it. Change up the gameplay enough to be different from the source material.

American Nightmare doesn't really feel like that. It's like they really needed to expand on the story some more, and made more of an Alan Wake 1.2 or 1.5 entry here, which for some reason couldn't have been another DLC. As said before, it really is JUST more Alan Wake 1 - and again, it's not a bad thing at all! However it's hard for me to say anything about it as a result - especially since it's so short.

It's rare for me to experience HowLongToBeat being 100% on the dot with its hour projections, but it was on the dot here, 4 hours exactly is what it takes to beat this game. Part of that is because the game follows less of the structured story beats of Alan Wake 1 and shoves you into combat more often - yet the combat isn't really any different than Alan Wake 1.

I do like the weapon variety, like the Crossbow, the Combat Shotgun, and more. This game attempts to encourage you to find more of the manuscript pages by scattering weapon cases that are only able to be unlocked by gathering a certain amount of cases. Fair way to get me to grab the collectables, so it kinda worked, I'll give them that. I still didn't get them all, but I did enough that I felt rewarded for doing them.

Beyond that, there's not much more to say. While it is solid to good since it's more Alan Wake 1, I can't give it too much credit, especially when it felt like little more than a DLC.

What I did find interesting about American Nightmare is how it made me appreciate Alan Wake 1 more. There's something so unique and interesting about Remedy's writing in Alan Wake and American Nightmare that I love. The metaphor, in my eyes, being about creative blocks and/or depression is really relatable to me. I can't help relating to it as a creative writer from New York who has also struggled with those things. It really touches me.

And it's written in a way that weaves in this very cheesy parody of Survival Horror tropes. Alan Wake and American Nightmare feel like they're making fun of Survival Horror games, Thriller novels, and Thriller/Horror shows. It somehow manages to parody those things while also being profound in its own right, and it's simply brilliant to me.

So while American Nightmare is a solid enough game that didn't really do anything to impress me, it's a bite-sized little experience that I can't be mad at (it really should've just been a DLC). It definitely improved my opinion and score of Alan Wake 1 so there's that as well.

Score: 79

Mr. Scratch is the only reason you should play this, it's not a bad game though just could have been better.

7/10

Not the best, but still a solid expansion from the developers of Alan Wake. I haven't played Alan Wake for a long time, so the story was a little weird at first, but I kinda pieced it together just before the end. Gunplay feels smooth and the amount of weapons to choose from and enemy variety is plenty for a game that can be completed in 4-5 hours. However the abundance of ammo and the overpowered flashbangs and flareguns make it way too easy in normal. I recommend trying it on nightmare difficulty if you've recently played Alan Wake or if you're looking for a bit of a challenge.
Conclusion; Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a passable Alan Wake expansion if you're looking to kill time for a couple of hours, get in on sale ( 7/10 )

If only Scratch in Alan Wake 2 had the same personality of Scratch in this game.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Alan Wake: American Nightmare feels like an interesting experiment but doesn’t quite live up to the original. While it retains the core elements that made Alan Wake memorable—atmospheric tension, eerie settings, and the flashlight mechanic—it struggles to recapture the same magic.

The story in American Nightmare is more focused than its predecessor, following Alan as he faces off against his dark alter ego. It’s a bit more straightforward, but it also feels less complex and engaging. Compared to the mysterious narrative of the original, this one feels more like a standard action thriller with fewer twists and much less emotional depth. It’s more “action-focused” than the psychological horror, which takes away from the sense of dread and suspense.

Gameplay-wise, it’s more action-oriented than the first game, with a greater emphasis on combat. You get a decent variety of weapons, and the gameplay loop is fun for a while with the usual flashlight and weapon combo. However, the encounters can get repetitive pretty quickly. The enemy variety is lacking, and the wave-based combat sections can get tedious pretty quickly. The level design also feels a bit more limited compared to the first game, as you're often stuck in the same areas, which can make the experience feel a bit more like a “spin-off” rather than a full sequel.

The graphics are still solid for its time, with the typical eerie desert landscapes and night settings. The soundtrack and sound design are also fine, but nothing stands out in the same way as the original game’s atmospheric tension.

In terms of replayability, the game offers an arcade mode with different challenges. It feels more like a short diversion.

Overall, Alan Wake: American Nightmare is a decent enough follow-up, but it feels more like a side project than a true sequel. It’s enjoyable, but if you’re hoping for a deeper or more refined experience that continues the psychological horror of Alan Wake, you might be disappointed.

Just a simple extra mission of the original game, play it if you are a hardcore fan of the original.

I finished AW1 a few years back and recently stumbled upon American Nightmare while scrolling through my backlog. With AW2 currently on sale, I decided to give this game a shot in preparation for part 2.

As light and darkness are the theme of this game, so too will my review consist of both light and darkness.

The light

I really enjoyed the visuals which beautifully depict the Arizona desert landscape. The lighting is cinematic and dripping with atmosphere. Character models are nice with a scanned, realistic quality to them. Cutscenes are done using video capture which really compliment the ‘B movie’ vibe of the franchise.

It’s not all aesthetics however, fun gameplay mechanics and weapon variety keep the game feeling engaging and fresh. The flashlight is critical in slowing down waves of enemies—just as it was in AW1 but everything feels a bit more refined. Timing dodges is important and works like a parry system. The guns feel good to use and include a pistol, nail gun, revolver, shotgun, rifle and flares among others. Additionally, you find notes scattered across the world which allow you to unlock chests with special weapons available both in the story as well as the ‘Arcade’ mode. This provides replayability once you finish its 4-6 hour campaign. It’s a neat leaderboard style mode which has you shooting waves of enemies before the sun rises.

The darkness

The game is only 3 levels. Now get this, you must replay them 3 times in order to complete the game! I literally thought my game had glitched the first time it had me restart from the very beginning after level three. I decided to slog through despite this and eventually noticed some minor changes to the story, enemies and objectives. To the developers credit, the levels are much more concise than the first play through and you can get through them faster. Enemies are also much more difficult. There is a larger chainsaw enemy introduced as well. I played on nightmare mode and the final section had me yelling profanity and cursing the developers. I kept thinking of how Alan’s gait is too bouncy and why he seems more like a sissy than a badass.

In conclusion, you should only pick this up if you haven’t played part 1, care about Alan Wake as a franchise and plan on playing part 2. It will give you some insight into Alan as a writer before he loses his mind. The villain ‘Mr. Scratch’ is also the personification of Evil and will drive you to slog through the same three levels thrice. Godspeed.

It's okay, but after the main story, I couldn't really get into this one.

I wouldn´t say this game is all bad. But it confuses me.
The gameplay is improved from the main game. It has better enemy variety. It has more weapon variety. It even looks better. However the story mode is mediocre at best and the arcade mode gets frustrating very quickly.
This is only for hardcore remedy fans. Not bad, just uneccessary

Good Upgrade from Alan Wake, combat feels much smoother and the story was interesting. If you enjoyed Alan Wake this is a step in the right direction.

Yeah, this wasn't great.

Sure, the graphics are more glossy, but the story was short, boring, and so repetitive I felt like I was just constantly replaying sections. Combat was laughably easy and ammo was way too common. It just feels like a bad spin-off and lacks the charm that made Alan Wake 1 so great.

It's a 3/10 from me. Doesn't hold a candle to Alan Wake 1.

I love it but I think that AWAN works better as a companion piece to Alan Wake 2 than to 1. If you're coming straight from the first game, the tonal and gameplay differences are just a tad too strong imo. It's after all not a grim and solemn survival horror, it's a snappy TPS that showcases its arcadey nature proudly, even in a horror setting.

When played with AW2's context in mind however, I believe that it offers a neat (even if not super in-depth) perspective into how we ended up with Alan's psyche in such shambles. Additionally, if you already know what it's like to play through a Night Springs episode, AN's vibes should be familiar to you in their horrific whimsy, instead of feeling jarring.

Gunplay is fun and tight. Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta are having the time of their lives portraying Mr Scratch, and damn, is he the definition of a "love to hate, hate to love" villain.
Definitely grab and play this sometime if you have any interest in the Remedyverse.

To be honest, I don't think the original Alan Wake is a very good game. Narratively I think it's fine, but the combat, encounters, and enemy design were really rough around the edges. While there were times the combat did shine, getting railed by birds and possessed objects wasn't my idea of a good time.

So I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed playing American Nightmare. Feels like they dialed in on what worked and what didn't in the first game. Your battery recharges a lot faster, encounters are better designed, the 'bird' enemies have been redesigned, and the few poltergeist enemies that do show up aren't the same light sponges they were before. Combat has a bit more of a cinematic flair as well.

The writing may not be as 'strong.' But there is a camp and silliness to it that is a bit more to my flavor than the original game. I personally found the story to be a pretty good time, and I enjoyed Mr. Scratch whenever he was on screen.

As someone who almost skipped this game to move on straight to 2, I'd recommend playing this first. I think it is a pretty good time, and has me looking forward to Alan Wake 2 a bit more whenever I actually get around to it.

While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first game, it's still a great entry in the franchise and bridges some of the gaps between Alan Wake 1 and 2.

Gameplay is fun, aesthetics, atmosphere and setting is great, music is great, story is mid but I'm not fussed about that personally. I think it's overall just a pretty great game. Wish it was on Playstation

good side alan wake game fun little story good new guns the normal difficulty is way to easy beat the game without dying once play on the other difficulty it will be more challenging and fun

Gunplay is extremely solid and the story has a really engaging pulpy feel. A weird offshoot Alan Wake adventure that's well worth checking out.

In Conclusion,

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is both a step up, and a stumble for the Remedy Connected Universe. It replaces Alan Wake's dull villain with a superior threat. Mr. Scratch exudes character and panache. He is despicable, maybe too much so. But he is an idiot that never threats Alan. Nor does he advance the plot. Alan starts and ends in the same place, stuck in the Dark Place. The setting is less engaging, less clear why the player is here, and its three areas are vacant and bland.

The movement around the areas is similar, but everything looks better. The combat barely improves, with similar enemies. Because of the lack of ax throwers, unlimited ammunition, and few enemies, American Nightmare is a much easier game. I didn't die a single time. The three NPCs are less engaging than the previous allies. Alan Wake contains crucial characters like Barry, Alice, the Sheriff, Emil, and the Old Gods. American Nightmare has the one person at each location. Unlike the others, they lack character. It feels as if they are there to compare Alan to Mr. Scratch. They are of no interest, except as a tool for Alan. The dialogue veers between compelling and contemptible. Mr. Scratch terrifies from the TV screens, but spouts bad banter when he appears to threaten Alan with Taken. The conversations between Alan and the NPCs is to the point, and meticulously obscure and repetitive. But find the Phone Booth Easter Egg and listen to the pathos of Alan describe a horrifying real life event, or just enjoy the steady voice of the narrator. Remedy can write, except when it can't.

What does the Universe have in store, on the next stop, Control?

Alan Wake's American Nightmare: The First Ride In Night Springs

Alan Wake's American Nightmare: The Merry-Go-Round of Mr. Scratch

A cool little expansion that is good if you really are left wanting more of Alan Wake 1, but not really a great game on its own right. Gameplay is a bit improved, story is a lot worse, but with Alan Wake's strength being in the story it was not a worthy trade off.

Unless you are a super-fan of the Alan Wake/Remedy-verse thing, don't bother. It's a painful collection of cliches that is not worth your ~4 hrs of time. It's a combat-focused extension Alan Wake 1, except the combat is easier. Everything felt meaningless from the very beginning, the only exception being the final cinematic. No effort was put into this game, so don't fund it.

Gameplay is way better than in the original, story is pretty good too

Scratches the Alan Wake itch left from playing the first game for sure.

I would like to thank you so much for this. Really needed it today. And from one of my favorite series, wow.

Sam Lake took a huge dump / 10

If you enjoyed the story and gameplay of Alan Wake, I would recommend playing this, as this does provide a good redesign of the combat and improves the visuals a bit more. But this is this is only a DLC in it's size. The story is set down from the first game, as this was the last part of development and wasn't intended to be in the original game, but does get into itself halfway through.
Overall, buy this in a sale, and if you don't enjoy it: stop playing, this game doesn't matter that much for the Control: AWE DLC or Alan Wake 2.

A really nice addition to the Alan Wake series.

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The original Alan Wake game was a an 8 or 9 for me. I was really happy to have played it not only to get some background in preparation for Alan Wake 2, but also because Alan Wake 1 is a great game in itself.

American Nightmare was a 6. The story kept my interest, but didn't captivate me. The combat was too easy--way easier than Alan Wake 1. (I wish I had played on Nightmare difficulty). Finished it in 4 hours. Fun but didn't live up to the first game.

2 to 3 hours of fun. A Great short story in the Remedyverse.

Is it the american dream? No, read the title.
Is it an amazing game? Yes.
Are you wasting your time reading this instead of playing the game? Yes.

Its short but still fun

skip this. has little to do with main story and very repetitive.

Scratch is very funny. 10/10 game would buy again

Waste of time

I like the presentation, the smoother character models and smoother gameplay but American Nightmare is really just DLC sold as a seperate game and it's awful. The storytelling is uninteresting, the characters are boring, the gameplay is still the same but worse because it's not as thrilling as in the original where you felt the tension of being chase by the possessed and everything was dark and gloomy. American Nightmare is not even remotely scary.

In this game you get fetch quests, a couple of new guns with similar gunplay and mostly the same enemy types from the original game. I get that the game is canon but i'm not playing through this slog just to find out what Alan is doing while trapped in the dark presence i'd rather watch it on youtube and spend my time playing something else.

Please add sex with Big Tiddy Goth Chicks

a short and enjoyable game you must try even once if you like alan wake games

I've lived long enough to have seen some truly awful writing and acting in my life. I'd say that this is some of it, but that'd be an insult to good writing and acting. I'm surprised I endured two hours of it. It's a serious letdown after the first Alan Wake, and doubly so after playing Control. Don't waste your money or your time.

I don't understand how this is not a DLC / expansion for the original alan wake. If you have not played the first game the story of this game will make no sense, and I think it will in no way be enjoyable. I would say it's worth playing if you're interested in seeing how the story of the original game continues, but not really for any other reason.

Must-play for fans of the Remedy Connected Universe. I played the original Alan Wake for Xbox 360 way back when it was first released but never got around to this one, simply because it seemed like an unnecessary addition at the time.

Boy, was I wrong! This is a nice little gem that goes deeper with the lore. The switch from Bright Falls to Arizona deserts may seem like a big leap but it absolutely works. Took me about 6 hours to polish this one off, a perfect length IMO. If you like the original and you like Control, I'd recommend this one as well!

This is a fun little mini game with arcade shooting unlike the first game and I like that it pushes the lore forward with the crazy story and Mr. Scratch. it is a shame he will never come back or be mentioned again most likely. The weapon variety is very cool and locations are alright. It has a similar vibe to the first game. They tried to add some new enemy variety and I liked that. The first game sorely lacked enemy variety and I hope that in a hypothetical sequel we see more enemy types and variety.

Alan woke up! ...Today to find that we are caught in a time loop. I think that! We are in Arizona, somehow.

good

Good game if you want more Alan Wake story, but not necessary to enjoy the Alan Wake franchise. It has the same combat mechanics as the original Alan Wake game, but there are new enemy types as you progress.

The game is pretty short. I was worried about each time loop being a tedious repeat of the exact same sequences, but thankfully each loop gets shortened due to character knowledge of the prior loops.

It's a good spin-off, nice graphisms, more enemy diversity, and still the manuscript pages that explain more about the story. Recommended

Fun game that isn't nearly as fleshed out as the first game but still a very enjoyable experience!

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Alan Wake's American Nightmare does a fine job of expanding on the franchise's universe. 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. If You loved the Alan Wake 1 story, and want to know more of the lore like me, give it a go. 8/10

If you plan to play Alan Wake 2 or just want more context about Control, then try this game out. Take note, however, that this is probably the worst incarnation of the Rule of Three that you would encounter in a video game.

Scratches my spots

Plays like a fever-dream / or an alternative route Alan has made int he dark place looking for a way out. The game-play here is really fun. It takes the slow-hybrid shooter/survival combat of the first game and really hammers down on making it a fun action-shooter. Really good time. Loved the story. Mr Scratch is chilling in this - really manic Villain. A great draft/hint towards what eventually becomes Alan Wake 2