Don't believe the hype is how I classified this game. I found the game lacking in several areas.
As each game chapter begins the player will not have any ammo or weapons previously acquired. Instead the player must find what items the developers feel they should play with. There is no points a user can save the game. Instead it is auto saved at various checkpoints. The lack of control is extraordinary in this age of gaming.
The game is mostly very dark. Turn down the brightness on your television and play any game. That is all that was done for this game. This is an example of how developers use the lack of a players sense to make the game seem harder. It can lead to frustration until the player again finds the predetermined path laid down for them. The strategy becomes quite simple head from light source to light source. The player will duck and run until you need to catch your breath. As you wait for the character to get his wind back you will shine a flashlight then shoot. This same strategy is the entire game. It becomes boring and very repetitive. The game features a pistol, shotgun, flare gun and bang sticks. That's it. Oddly there is no melee weapons Alan Wake uses only hatchets and chainsaws used against him.
The chapters contain televisions and radios which play but don't add much to the story. They seem to be placed only to help lengthen game playing time. The player will need to stand in place and listen to each as the sound fades out if you move away. The player also will find manuscript pages. Each are shown on screen and slowly read to the player. Again it seems to be done only as a way to lengthen game play. The manuscript story itself is the most horrific thing in the game. This lack of a quality story makes It appear to have been written by a high school student not a best selling author. The game has a serious problem with pacing itself. Instead the game has a spasmodic blend of boredom mixed with the same repetitive blackened scenery. When the player reaches a place bathed in light there is nothing to do but wait for the lights to go out again.
This game has little to any replay value. It is far over priced and contains advertisements for products. The game play is repetitive and is quite easy. It is the darkness of the game scenes which give any difficulty for the player. There is little to any strategies needed. Many will finish this game in ten hours then place it on the bookcase never to be played again. I recommend renting it over purchasing a used copy. Alan Wake could have been much better but it failed completely. I feel the game is heavily over rated so do not believe the hype.