OMGJeremy

Spooky Gaming: Amnesia

Submitted by: Tony

Rarely does a game, or any form of media for that matter, come along that invokes true and genuine fear. Although the survival horror genre has a number of mainstay franchises such as Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark as well as action horror games such as F.E.A.R and Doom 3, never has a game inspired such absolute terror in me as did Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

When you start the game for the first time the developers (Frictional Games) give you a few tips for how to best experience its masterpiece of terror: wear headphones, turn the lights off, and be alone. Despite having had my doubts I obliged and holy fuck I am glad I did.

The visuals are smooth and detailed with a physics engine to match. But the thing that really makes the experience is the audio. Similar to Deadspace, the audio reminds you that no matter how safe your current situation may seem, an ever lurking presence of evil is constantly present. It is apparent that a lot of thought went into every creak of ancient wood and stone, every gust of wind, and every drip of water to really create the sense that you are there.

Frictional also has created one of the most engrossing and overall creepy story lines I have ever encountered. Your character Daniel awakens in a dilapidated castle with no memory of how or when he got there. As you progress through the game you find notes from yourself which fill in the back story as well as provide you some clues as to what may be coming or how to solve the next predicament you find yourself in.

The gameplay, although simple, is absolutely brilliant. Being an ancient castle, there obviously is no electricity, and lighting plays a huge role in the game. The longer you venture into the darkness, the more your sanity meter depletes. As you venture further into insanity the walls begin pulsating, hallucinated cock roaches swarm the ground and screen, and eventually your motor functions become sluggishly impaired. Needless to say it becomes difficult to navigate through the maze of corridors and solve puzzles when you are bat-shit insane. To maintain your grip on reality you must stay in the light as much as possible; this is achieved by lighting some of the thousands of candles and torches spread throughout the castle, or by lighting your oil lamp. Both techniques come at a cost: lighting candles and torches cost tinderboxes, and your oil lamp runs on, you guessed it, oil. Both tinderboxes and oil are commodities that absolutely must be strategically rationed.

Another engaging and unique aspect of Amnesia is that you have no weapons throughout the entire game and encounters with enemies are to be handled with stealth, cunning, and, in many cases, straight up running and hiding. This inability to go Rambo on your enemies dramatically increases the fear factor of encountering the demonic baddies that inhabit Castle Brennenburg. Instead of charging into a room with a crowbar or knife, you are forced to extinguish your oil lantern and run for the nearest wardrobe closet or crouch in a dark corner, weeping quietly until the danger has passed.

Frictional Games obviously took their time and really thought about the nature of fear and what inspires true terror, rather than a simple “pop-around-the-corner” startling. The ambiguity of your enemies and the evil that inhabits the darkness of the castle only enhances the fear of the unknown because you are unable to point and say, “This is what is scary and now I will stare at it and admire its scariness.” Instead you are overwhelmed by the FEELING of evil presence. This essential element has been utilized in many of the great horror movies such as the Shining and the Exorcist because seeing the reflection of evil is sometimes scarier than facing it directly.

Although the game is relatively short (only about 15 hours at even a slow methodical pace) it sets a new standard for how absolutely terrifying a video game can really be and provides a new take on the somewhat stale genre of survival horror. All this greatness comes from a relatively unheard of developer without a multi-million dollar budget. Next time you have $20 to spare and you want to have nightmares for weeks to come or you’re yearning to soil some fresh underwear, I highly recommend picking up Amnesia: the Dark Descent.