2008's Alone in the Dark can be summarized in two words: poor execution. The game was a technical mess, wrapped within a ridiculous story, but its ambition and attempt at innovation are impossible to deny. In fact, Alan Wake – which released last week to mostly positive reviews – shares many of the same ideas and concepts.
The one very distinguishable difference? Alan Wake is actually good, while Alone in the Dark is clearly not. Here's how two surprisingly similar games ended up so far apart in quality.
