Alan Wake in one sitting, among other things

It's interesting, really, that whenever I say I'm back, I'm really not. That's thanks to school, I suppose. But now it's the summertime. I shouldn't say I'm back, because the only time I'm going to have to play video games is the weekend. So this will probably be my last blog post in a while. 
 
So I started up a small business a month or so ago, fixing computers for money, and I actually got paid in gift cards a couple times. I had 2 GameStop gift cards, both $25, and I decided I'd spend them on Microsoft Points. So, with 4000 points upon my account, I browsed the Games On Demand section, because dammit, I wanted to play something now. (I didn't actually play any of the games I got until a couple days later, but stay with me.) I chose Alan Wake, and Bayonetta. Two games I neglected to play last year. They stayed on my 360 until a few days later, when a friend came over, and while he was busy making a house on Sims 3, I started up Alan Wake.  

I started the game at around 3 PM, I think, since I finished at 1 AM. Raptr tells me that I played it for 10 hours, so I'll trust it, I suppose. It sure felt that long.  
 
If you haven't played Alan Wake, and you own a 360, you should pick it up. Especially at the price it is on GoD. The problem is, I don't even know where to start describing it. The 90 user reviews + one staff review on this site alone should be enough AW content, and I always miss the game reviewing bandwagon, so this isn't going to be a review. If you want to know what the game's all about, hit up Brad's thoughts.
 
Anyway, I really didn't know what to expect when I first started Alan Wake. I played through the first two chapters, and I really liked it! It was quite refreshing, actually. Especially after not playing many games, it was nice to see some innovation. Good on Remedy for making a story I could really get into, a likable set of characters, and solid gameplay mechanics. As of this writing, I still haven't played the two DLC chapters, so I have yet to see everything, but I am enjoying what I've played. I can imagine a lot of people find Barry annoying, but I actually think he's funny! One thing I will say that's slightly review-ish is about the effects. The sounds, particle effects and lighting all look fantastic. When you kill an enemy, you really feel the impact, and you get the sense that you're doing some damage.
 
I was somewhere in the middle of Chapter 3 when I realized that it was getting really, really long. I started wondering how much longer it would take me to beat this game. It didn't matter much to me, because I was enjoying it, but I couldn't stop playing it! The way Alan Wake is sectioned off into episodes like a TV show really adds to the suspense, and because you're pulled along to the end, wondering what's going on, you HAVE TO FINISH IT RIGHT NOW OMG 
 
So, I did. And I was genuinely confused by the ending. I mean, what? Admittedly, it was 1 AM, but when I woke up the next day, I bought the DLC because I was still confused as all hell.