Review: Alan Wake: The Writer

JackRyan64

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May 22, 2010
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Finished it yesterday. The ending pissed me off SO bad. Damn cliffhangers, there better be an Alan Wake II!
 

aarontg

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Aug 10, 2009
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The only spoiler I saw was that the apparent annoying fat dude in the red vest dies but from what Iv'e seen the ass had it coming anyway. Good review by the way.
 

Ghengis John

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Dec 16, 2007
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I'm a little sad to hear this will be the end, but Alan Wake styled itself after an episodic sci-fi/fantasy drama in the vein of a lost/heores/invasion. And a lot of those shows, while they have their fans, die young. I'd hope a sequel is made that improves upon the original but all told, I'm happy there's an ending in the least.
 

Sniper Team 4

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Apr 28, 2010
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Susan Arendt said:
Sniper Team 4 said:
Quiet Stranger said:
Susan Arendt said:
Mr.Pandah said:
I haven't picked up the game yet, but when I do, are you trying to say I need to pick up The Signal as well and then this? Or should I just grab The Writer and tell The Signal to take a hike?
Well, The Signal is free, so no reason not to get it. And if you enjoy the combat of Alan Wake, then you'll probably have fun with The Signal, as it does have some very well-designed sequences.

The signal is free? it said it would be free when I entered the pre order code for Alan Wake but I still have to pay for it for some reason, you sure it's free? Also I hope they make an Alan Wake 2
It is possible that your code expired, as some games do that now. Forces people to buy the game while it's still full price.

On Topic: I had NO IDEA this was out! So glad I check this website every day. Thank you Susan, as I am currently downloading The Writer while I type this. And the fact that you like the ending so much gives me a lot of hope. I didn't care for the ending in the original game because it left so many things undone. I will be tearing through this the moment it's finished downloading (71%...72%...)
Let me know what you think!
I finished the episode just now. MUCH better ending. I sent you a message about what I think of it, as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who reads this.
 

lumenadducere

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May 19, 2008
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*sigh*

So I got both this and The Signal yesterday and beat both (my code for The Signal still worked, thank goodness). And...well, it definitely was a better ending, and it feels much less abrupt. But I had so many questions at the end of the main game and none of them were answered. There's that tantalizing conversation on the bridge, but then...that's it. So. Freaking. Frustrating.

Well, actually, I take that back. One of the questions I had was answered, but only halfway. All the others, though? Nope.

That being said, it was definitely a much better-paced DLC than The Signal, and I definitely think it's superior to that in almost every way. Not that The Signal was bad, mind you, but it was just one fight after another with a tiny bit of dialogue. I just dislike these types of endings, and I'm noticing that more and more games have them these days. And yes, I get that in this case it fits with a lot of themes from the game, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it.
 

Doclector

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Aug 22, 2009
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I loved alan wake all the way through, and whilst the signal was a slight let-down, the near constant onslaught of enemies was intensely frightening, and it also made you feel genuinely as if you were in "hostile territory" as such.

Which brings me to the writer. I must say, it's probabally the best part of alan wake so far. It's got alot (although not all) of revelations, insanely trippy enviroments and sequences, and the "words have power" gimmick being used to a truly great degree.

But the story's end...well...
(ruins only the nature of the ending, not the ending itself, but still...)
It's a damn cliffhanger! Of sorts...It answers the questions that exist in the now, but still leaves Wake's future in the balance. And what of the slight hints at the end of alan wake? Those still remain unanswered. As far as endings go, it's no "sir, finishing the fight", and after a bit of thought, it makes more sense than on intial impact, but still, it feels like a bit of a kick in the balls at first, especially considering Alan Wake's relativly low sales success meaning that it doesn't stand much chance at getting a sequal.

On a side note, one of the main things that made alan wake scary for me was the feeling of the dark presence in the world, through methods besides just showing taken and pools of darkness. When the wind suddenly picked up, blowing the mist around the trees as if the darkness was in the air itself, I often became instantly tense, setting me up for a bigger scare when the taken did make an appearance.

And BTW, Barry Burton for best "So annoying it's good" character, and Thomas Zane for best "Yoda-style cryptic advisor" character!
 

Antiparticle

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Dec 8, 2008
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The Writer was pretty cool. There was a fair bit of story development and the new environments were pretty interesting. But just like at the end of the main game and the first DLC, the important questions were again not answered. It's obvious they're saving it all for Alan Wake 2. That's ok, as long as that game doesn't get cancelled or something! The Alan Wake story really deserves a proper ending.
 

crotchdot

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Jun 11, 2010
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"...it's a very fitting ending to Alan Wake". Am I the only one here old enough to remember when games used to come with endings and you didn't have to pay extra for a conclusion?
 

D_987

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Jun 15, 2008
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crotchdot said:
"...it's a very fitting ending to Alan Wake". Am I the only one here old enough to remember when games used to come with endings and you didn't have to pay extra for a conclusion?
Times have changed - some stories are more interesting when told over a number of games; there's nothing wrong with this new system.