"No! Al, you fool! Don't go down there!" Alan Wake sure makes you feel like the audience member watching a thriller at the movies. Unfortunately, you can't just close your eyes or look away. You are Alan Wake. And you have to get him through whatever self-inflicted horror he will get himself into next. Remedy's game following their excellent Max Payne series succeeds at bringing the scares without the over-use of purposefully clunky controls to do so. But, it doesn't mean Alan Wake is perfect...the episode format, while refreshingly original, could use a bit of work in making chapters shorter and Remedy sure seems happy to throw you into frustrating situations that turns the frightening moments into gameplay disaster at times. Small annoyances aside, don't be afraid to jump into Bright Falls. The water's just fine...

Grade: A-