Alan Wake: The Writer is enjoyable, but it becomes so exceedingly surreal that it feels artificial for the wrong reasons
Contains: Strong Horror, Violence and Peril
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Alan Wake: The Writer is the second downloadable content pack that continues from where the first special feature episode The Signal concluded, and finds Wake in strange circumstances; now fully aware of the thing that opposes him, he must survive one increasingly nightmarish situation after another.
Still trapped in the Dark Place, Alan regains consciousness to find his memories of Bright Falls merging; after leaving an amalgamation of the Cauldron Lake Lodge and the Andersons' farm, Zane tells Alan he must make his way back to the cabin via a lighthouse. The environments start to become exceedingly surreal and Alan follows Zane's path, avoiding increasing numbers of Taken. Zane warns Alan that the unstable Alan is still inside the cabin, controlling the Dark Place, while he himself represents the rational part of Alan; the rational Alan must regain control of the dream for any chance of Alan to escape the Dark Place.
There is a lot of jumping around and room for thinking in puzzle-like sequences, aswell as using your flashlight to shine substance into floating words, which in the turn brings about substance to what the word reads. Combat is less frequent and features much more variety for setting up satisfying environmental kills, and this alternative to just shining the beam on enemies and then shooting them provides a creative edge to being aware in each combat scenario when the opportunities are laid in front of you. The gameplay is still largely satisfying, and there is certainly a proportion of it that is undeniably difficult in comparison to the main game, but thankfully the challenge is often fair enough so that it avoids any frustrations.
While this final story-driven, special episode actually brings a rational conclusion to the mysterious plot surrounding the protagonist, it doesn't follow along a sensible path to how it should have ended. The dreamscape you've been ensnared within by your own self is so weird, that it has got to the point where it feels artificial for the wrong reasons with a near-critical striking relation to fantasy fiction as opposed to horror fiction which you expect and crave having played Alan Wake. There's no denying it's a well constructed mix of conflicting fantasies, but this episode has drifted a long way from the realistic, sensible mystery that plagued the main game and only leaves you craving for that similar attitude to gameplay even if it takes away the imagination to surreal environment formation and combat creativity. It's a necessary episode to bring closure to the story, and contains a substantial amount of horror and violence, but sadly it lacks a lot of things that previously was already integrated for an unforgettable horror adventure in the main game, and its really only the fascination to how everything will end that keeps you pushing forward through the thick fog and persistent shadowy figures cloaked in evil darkness. Still entertaining to an extent thanks to the gameplay mechanics and atmosphere, but it doesn't include a narrative that holds proper purpose, and ultimately loses sense to what it does best.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 7.5/10
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Good Points: Many opportunities for creative environmental kills, Combat is still incredibly satisfying, The process of shining light onto words to bring the object into existence is enjoyable, Logical ending.
Bad Points: The setting transforms in a way so exceedingly surreal that it feels artificial for the wrong reasons, Story loses a lot of its sense of purpose.