Revisiting Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, 10 Years Later
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare sits on a lonely pedestal within the connected universe of Remedy Entertainment’s games, which include Alan Wake, Control and Quantum Break. It was well-received, but somehow not as revered as the original Alan Wake; it was heavily action and combat-driven, toning down its psychological thriller roots; and was considered more of a standalone title, rather than a sequel to Alan Wake. When Remedy remastered Alan Wake, American Nightmare wasn’t included. At times, it’s almost as if American Nightmare was an Alan Wake title Remedy did not want to acknowledge.
If true, it would be a pity; American Nightmare is a fun, pulpy take on Alan Wake’s largely brilliant, if morose and self-indulgent ambience—a breath of fresh air in an industry that is wont to release similar versions of the original title and market them as sequels. In essence, American Nightmare is a Twilight Zone episode come to life. You play as Alan Wake, who’s sizing off against his doppelganger, Mr Scratch, while attempting to break free of a vicious time loop that surprisingly doesn’t feel too repetitive. Rather than traversing the dense forests of the original, American Nightmare takes place in the Arizona desert, ripe with sights that are quintessentially Americana: abandoned diners, dingy motels, and empty drive-in theatres. Even its name is a subversion of the idea of the “american dream”.
Related: The Alan Wake Remastered DLC Is Too Tedious To Experience
Wake, in this iteration of the game, is also much less of an insufferable, self-absorbed hero than he was in the original. His flashlight, used for shattering the supernatural armour that protects his shadowy enemies, is a significant upgrade from the first game thanks to a
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