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Amnesia: The Dark Descent
PC (Steam)
Dark Times You Won't Forget
3.5/5 stars
Finding a decent "horror" game these days is like finding a gold - hard as hell but totally worth the effort when it pans out. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is all about atmosphere. The goal isn't to kill things - it's to survive and figure out just who you are (hence the title). When you start, the game says you should play this with the lights out and headphones on - and that is an excellent suggestion I highly recommend. When you immerse yourself in a game like this - it really ramps up the tension and makes it that much more enjoyable. Although I haven't played Frictional Games Penumbra series, I know I will be picking up the sequel to this when it comes out.
Presentation: This game is dark - and it's meant to be. Out of the few items you collect - two of them, Tinderboxes and Lantern Oil - help light the way. The game isn't graphics heavy but for being three years old now, it works out alright. It's a first-person adventure game - it doesn't support a controller, but the movements are simple enough you really don't have to worry. Aside from a few other keys opening up menus and the like, there isn't much beyond walking about. The music is suitably dark and creepy as well. There are plenty of groans, creaks, screams, muttering and the like coming through the speakers to keep you one your toes - the game also relies on an insanity meter and the more crazy stuff you hear, the lower it goes. All in all, while it won't win any awards, it worked for me.
Story: You play Daniel who, upon waking up, doesn't remember much about himself. However, a note he finds instructs him that he is in a castle and must kill a man named Alexander in the Inner Sanctum and also that a Shadow is hunting him and cannot be stopped. The rest of the story is unlocked by various diary pages found scattered throughout the game. In a nod to H.P. Lovecraft, the game is about a mysterious org (that changes color and shape seemingly at will) - an orb that is key in unlocking a gateway to another dimension. Of course using it without knowledge unleashes an otherworldly force (the Shadow) and shortly after, death.
Daniel has sought to discover information on the Orb (leaving a trail of bodies in his wake) and finally thinks he is going to get some answers when a man named Alexander invites him to his German castle. He gets answers, yes, but also is consumed by madness as, in an effort to rid himself of the Shadow, turns to violent methods. By the time he realizes what he has become, it is nearly too late - he drinks a concoction that will help him forget - and also, just maybe, set him free. Of course, getting to the inner sanctum isn't at all easy, requiring him to go through tunnels, sewers, prison cells, a morgue and cavernous areas. All the while, the Shadow grows closer.
Gameplay: Typical first-person adventure. The detection could have been better (picking up items, especially the Tinderboxes becomes a hassle). No enemies can be killed - you must either run or hide from them. This, I think, is an excellent mechanic, as it ramps up the tension whenever a so-called Brute comes bursting through a door (or you find one randomly wandering the halls). As mentioned earlier, the game revolves around light and dark. Darkness increases your insanity while light reduces it. While you can't die from going insane, if your meter gets too high, it will render you nearly immobile - you will either stagger or crawl along while the screen turns red.
There are various puzzles throughout the game. Most are simple (find a key, combine items, fix things, move levers and pulleys in the right direction) and pretty straight-forward. To get the best ending, there is a multi-tier puzzle at the end that, depending on your choice, can make you backtrack. But even that puzzle isn't too bad. It might be a bit too easy, but since the game is supposed to be about immersing yourself in the experience, tough puzzles would have been a poor choice. These are just right.
Replayability: The game itself doesn't lend much to replay (there are three endings, but you can simply load you last save to get them all - provided you solved the extra-long puzzle at the end). The real replay comes in the ability to play custom maps designed by other people. I haven't done that yet, but I did read up on a few and it seems like a worthwhile endeavor as some of the content is rated nearly as high as the original game itself. If you're super ambitious, you could even design your own story.
Overall: A worthy entry into the horror genre. If you take the advice given and play the right way, it may just even give you a few nightmares. An eerie endeavor worth checking out.
Presentation: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replayability:4/5
Overall (not an average): 3.5/5
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