Friday, October 22, 2010

Gaming Review: Amnesia: The Dark Descent






It takes a lot to scare me. Games nowadays provide cheap 1 sec scare tactics that aren't genuinely frightening after its over (aka Dead Space). Luckily a little independent developer from the creators of the Penumbra series has revived the true horror genre since Silent Hill.  Does the PC exclusive indie developer bring thrills and chills or is it a wash in the dark?

Of course playing any horror survival game has to be in the right conditions. It has to be dark, late at night, and nothing but the monitor on by yourself. Having my comp hooked up to a 5.1 surround sound system I could enjoy every inch of detailed sound. Having prepped myself I could not have imagined a more frightening game. This game is SERIOUSLY scary. You are enveloped in a world that can kill you through either monsters or paranoia. The worst part is you can't fight them. You have your wits, and your reflexes and thats it. If you're slow too bad you die. The atmosphere of the game is just as involving as the actions you do. During a particular scene where the ground was covered in water there was an invisible monster that you could only tell by the splashes. This seriously scared the living shit out of me as I was frantically running away. If you are looking for something that doesn't have cheap thrills this is the game.

The unique aspect of the game from obviously having no weapon is the physics engine. You pick stuff up and throw it against the wall to reveal new items. This is useful for solving puzzles and whatnot. Theres a paranoia system that literally causes you to go insane if there isn't any light. At one point of the game I had to actually had to turn on the lights for a little bit and I don't get scared easily. If you played the Penumbra series you will see many similarities. It is a shame this game isn't as widely known as I'd like it to be. Frictional Games created a truly unique and downright scary game that deserves AAA status. I look forward to hopefully another game from them in the future.

From beginning to end you are sucked in a world full of psychotic turmoil that you adventure through. Everything from the lighting to the music just adds to the eeriness that is Amnesia. If you are looking for a downright scary game that isn't cheap and watered to 2 second scares this is the game for you. Never have I played a game that truly scares you, something that even AAA developers have a hard time attempting. It isn't very intensive so as long as you have a moderate PC you can play this game with no hickups. Please support this indie developer and buy this game. It is available through their main website here:http://www.frictionalgames.com/site/ or on major digital distribution sites. It is definitely worth it ;)

20 comments:

  1. Sounds good to me, and it's the perfect moment to try it

    ReplyDelete
  2. never heard about this, i'll try

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice, I'll check it out. Keep it up, I'll be around.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I played the demo and was tripped out from the very start.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm a huge fan of SH so I will definitely check this out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. awesome review, keep em coming!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aw, man. I know exactly what you're talking about. I played Penumbra: Overture just a couple of weeks ago. The atmosphere is nerve-wracking. The way the developers pull you in and create this immersive gameplay.. It's amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. putting this on my list to try fer sure. also cant wait for the new star wars game to come out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sounds pretty mean man Ill check it out after my exams.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ooh good review, I'll be sure to check it out. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good review, thanks
    Very good post.

    ReplyDelete
  12. just saw it on youtube not that scary when playing with benny hill's theme xD

    ReplyDelete