VGChartz’s Paul Broussard: “I was trapped, locked into the fight of my life. In my writing, I had constructed an awards article about the best action/adventure games of 2023. However, I had somehow become locked inside my own awards article, forced to compete with the best the genre had to offer in a do or die contest.
My first opponent? Resident Evil 4, a title so good it had already won game of the year once, now remade for modern intuitions with improved gunplay, revamped level design, and a slick new parry system. Next was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to the most critically acclaimed game of the last decade, with a vastly expanded Hyrule to explore and a wealth of deep construction mechanics to experiment with. Finally, there was Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which brought back its predecessor’s web-slinging action in style, with multiple protagonists and an expanded New York. And I, Alan Wake, had to stand up to these giants, after a 13 year hiatus. Could my critically acclaimed storytelling, dramatically improved gunplay, and excellent intrigue carry me through this gauntlet of opponents? Only time would tell.”
