I've noticed that people on this board like to short change Alan Wake. I can assure you, though Red Dead is fun, there are more things that annoy me about it than Alan Wake. Plus, this isn't really an apples to oranges comparison.

dp

I don't think I'm shortchanging Alan Wake, I just know a game that doesn't have a lot of replay value.  I think it's an absolutely fantastic game and much better than Red Dead, but if you're on a budget and you can only afford a single game for a while, I'd go with Red Dead.  In the mean time Alan Wake will go down in price and the DLC will be out in 1-2 months.  When the DLC does come out he can buy the game for cheaper and have the DLC already there waiting for him to download.

I think you will be better off with Alan Wake. The atmosphere and the way that it seems like it will draw you in will be much more fun. Red Dead Redemption can get a bit too tedious like all sandbox style games after time. You will get more hours of play out of RDR, but it won't be as an amazing of an experience.

BTW, I have not played Alan Wake, but am very intruiged by everything I see in it.

red dead hands down. by a mile

I had this very same dilemma, So I went with Red Dead because it gives you a more value for your buck

No Regrets.....I just beat it so now Im getting Alan Wake

Tell that to the OP - he's the one asking for a choice between the two.  All people are saying is that (having played both - or at least you'd hope they have, I have) if they had to pick just one to buy they'd buy RDR first then Alan Wake later.

I think they are both great games, and while I haven't actually played Alan Wake (the Special Edition is sitting about 1m from me, I just need to finish Crackdown first), I know Red Dead Redemption is incredible and it is certainly longer.

So, if you can only afford one game, go with Red Dead and as others have said, that DLC is worth waiting for with Alan Wake

Alan Wake is short and doesn't pack much replay value, Red Dead is long, with multiplayer and has a great replay value. Also Red Dead's critical acclaim is AAA, where Alan Wake struggles to be AA, the quality difference should be obvious.

Thanks for the input, i've decided to get Alan Wake; got if for quite cheap plus im in a mood for a dark game.