Alan Wake's American Nightmare Critic Reviews

This is what I hope the future of downloadable games will be; top notch AAA production values in the form of small $12-$15 packages. Alan Wake's American Nightmare is an excellent game, which will surely whet the appetite of fans of the original for the sequel.

I loved Alan Wake, but American Nightmare makes me more optimistic for its future and I'd really like to see Remedy pursue future installments on a smaller, episodic scale like this.

If you are fan of Alan's painful journey, you've probably already downloaded this gem and know the greatness that continues to please fans again and again. If you have never played this title, I urge you to play the original to understand the story mode as this game does little to explain the past and expects you to already know the events that have happened.

Despite some repetition in the environments, the bigger arsenal of weapons, new enemies, easier-to-follow story, and the new Fight 'til Dawn mode make Alan Wake's American Nightmare a fantastic addition to anyone's arcade library.

Hats off for Remedy, who's made a daring move by releasing an Alan Wake game on Xbox Live. All our fears have been put to shame. This is the best Xbox Live Arcade game we've played yet.

With a great story, cool time-loop premise, interesting characters and exciting survival combat, I loved every minute I was trapped in Alan Wake's American Nightmare and look forward to more of this style of episodic content, and hopefully a full-fledged sequel sometime soon.

If this is the kind of improvements to the series that we can expect out of Remedy, then you can count me as waiting on baited breath for the next episode.

All in all, I'd say Alan Wake's American Nightmare is an easy pick for anyone looking for an action-heavy title with a horror twist. It's got the graphics, it's got the gameplay, it's got the diversity of weapons… all this plus a nice, dark story, for a very reasonable price. If pumping bullets into deadly, frenzied humans hasn't gotten old for you yet, be sure to check this one out.

Interesting and understandable plot, less running in a dark forest but more action. New Alan shows how XBLA games should be done.

Mr. Wake, welcome to the mass market: less demanding, more casual than the original. New players will be eased into the world of Alan Wake and fans will surely enjoy the new Fight till Dawn mode in addition to having some loving memories on the original game.

Having this much Taken-slaughtering glee in such a small, concise package makes Alan Wake's American Nightmare an instant "yes, please" for series fans. But what's more surprising is that its accessible approach to combat makes it an equally worthwhile experience for those who've never suspended their disbelief to wander Wake's dream-like world.

As close to a full console title as we've seen on Xbox Live Arcade to date. Its story mode is fun foray into the twisted universe of Alan Wake, even if some of what's going on won't always make complete sense to any but the most dedicated of fans. Remedy has admirably tackled the repetitive nature of the campaign in order to get the most out of the the content they had, although it does start to wear thin at the midway point. Thankfully, a strong final act and a ridiculously addictive Arcade mode more than make up for it.

In trying to please everyone, American Nightmare takes a small step back from what made the original Alan Wake an original and enthralling experience, but is still well worth the price of admission for old and new fans alike.

It would've been great to have multiple people battling the dark simultaneously, but this is the next best thing, very competitive and lots of fun. And with different weapons to upgrade to, it just keeps on going.

If you want a hard-core and challenging game this isn't probably for you, but if you're looking for a good story to be lived as an interactive movie with great graphics and sound, this is surely a good buy.

American Nightmare isn't just a fantastic game that packs a ton of content inside a budget price, it's also a look into the exciting future of Alan Wake. I hope this isn't Alan's only assault on the arcade, because American Nightmare is good fun, and the Fight til Dawn mode is a welcome addition to the series.

While not a true sequel, Alan Wake's American Nightmare does a fine job of expanding on the franchise's universe. It may not have the depth of exposition of the original game, but for 1,200 Microsoft points ($15), there's enough here to please fans and newcomers alike.

American Nightmare does some great tricks in telling the story but fails to deliver the same immersive and thrilling experience as Alan Wake. But as it offers far more interesting fights with (finally!) a lot more different enemies it still is a really good action game!

Fans of Alan Wake and the paranormal should immediately add American Nightmare to their download queue.

Heavy on action and light on survival horror: despite its shortcomings, American Nightmare is a must have for Alan Wake fans.