If you're a fan of horror and story games and you haven't played Alan Wake and it's smaller follow-up Alan Wake: American Nightmare, you should do so now. Both are worth it and should be played in Order.

Alan Wake blends a nice mix of creepy storytelling in the vein of the Twilight Zone and other horror influence to tell a fun tale of a man drawn into a dark story in the town of Bright Falls. Within the game world the light is your ally, and straying into the darkness of the night can be dangerous. But doing so can also be rewarding at times.

One of the best parts about Alan Wake is the way it foreshadows some events. All I'm going to say about that is that there are in-game manuscript page collectibles. In most games you would be compelled to collect this sort of thing and move right on. But take my advice, you should read each one of these as soon as you get them.

Gameplay wise, you'll often make use of a flashlight as light is one of you're key tools in surviving the world of Alan Wake. But fear not, there are guns, flares, and an assortment of other things at your disposal as well. The light, quite literally, is your friend here.

The story is pretty good but is a bit deep so you'll not really understand all of what's going on until later. And even then, it can be a bit of a mind-bender.

One last thing to keep an eye out for as you make your way through the game are television sets placed in various spots. Clicking on them can sometimes reveal some story elements, but more often than not you can watch an episode of the fictional television show, "Night Springs", which is a bit of a Twilight Zone show for this world. They're short and filmed as live action shows, so they can be a bit amusing and a bit creepy. A nice little bit of side fun if you want it. ;p

I'll wrap up by saying this. If you have yet to play Alan Wake and you're a fan of both horror and story, buy this. It's got great story, good fun, and is a must-have for horror game fans. It's a classic that has most certainly stood the test of time and at it's current price it is more than worth it.