Neuromancer
Member
Yeah this is a big bummer from me. The light/dark and sanity mechanics were so good in Amnesia. I wonder why they did it. (Can't blame dumbing it down for the console audience for this one!)
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Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs Reviews Thread
- Thread starter dmr87
- Start date
jacksepticeye
Member
I think Machine for pigs will be better narratively but worse gameplay wise from these reviews
Also yeah Outlast is great, it's very heavy handed and repetitive at times but it's still awesome.
The AAA effect at work?
Im fine with TCR removing the sanity system and limited tinderboxes provided additional new systems take up the slack. I don't want to just play Dark Descent all over again in a new setting. I think it's bold of TCR to not just rely on Frictional's box of tricks. The warping environment and flickering lantern *could* work. Though if these initial batch of reviews are accurate perhaps not well enough?
Looking forward to GAFpressions.
Looking forward to GAFpressions.
PeterVenkman
Member
Huge bummer on the removal of sanity and light management. Not being encouraged to look at a monster who was chasing you in the original was a great source of fright - you had to run, hope you picked a good hiding spot and look away. They should have taken the old system and polished the effects by making sanity more pressing instead of throwing it out altogether.
I was tempted to bite at full price since the first Amnesia was so good, but the removal of good gameplay elements made this easy to move to "backburner" status.
I was tempted to bite at full price since the first Amnesia was so good, but the removal of good gameplay elements made this easy to move to "backburner" status.
Was just a little confused because statement sounded a little dismissive like it was just a copy of Outlast when this is a sequel and the original Amnesia was sort of an inspiration for Outlast.
FlyingSaucer
Banned
Gamekult : 7/10
http://www.gamekult.com/jeux/test-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-J114648t.html#pc (fr)
http://www.gamekult.com/jeux/test-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-J114648t.html#pc (fr)
GravityMan
Member
Reading these reviews, the consensus definitely seems that AMFP is a step back from The Dark Descent. I'm getting the impression that this game was dumbed down.
I already have the game preordered, so I'll judge for myself soon. Also I still haven't played through TDD...and now I'm considering playing Pigs first and TDD second. AFAIK the stories aren't connected in any way.
I already have the game preordered, so I'll judge for myself soon. Also I still haven't played through TDD...and now I'm considering playing Pigs first and TDD second. AFAIK the stories aren't connected in any way.
Let's all remember that "full price" in this case is merely 13 Dollars.
Hmm, not sure what to think. This is also the first time I've preordered a game sight unseen on the strength of its predecessor alone. (Well, that and I admired the artistry on display in Dear Esther.) Mixed reviews give me pause -- I loved the mechanics in the first Amnesia, but that doesn't mean the game couldn't work in its own way without them. I'm eager to play both this and Outlast -- they seem like great companion titles, in a way.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
I'm actually glad to hear that the story is good and creepy. That was the main reason I wanted to play it. Shame that the gameplay really took the nosedive (althought they warned us about it).
Hope my laptop can run it.
Hope my laptop can run it.
I'm fine with and actually look forward to sequels trying new things or taking a bold direction to their predecessors.
But I don't think just removing systems is that. What is A Machine doing differently other than cutting elements? If I look at Dark Descent and consider it without the sanity and limited tinderbox components, it too would be a lesser experience. And I'm not convinced that the narrative will be improved because of it or that the narrative couldn't handle other systems at play. Granted, I haven't played it yet, but this news makes me inclined to wait for it on the cheap(er).
PeterVenkman
Member
I'm aware. I payed 15 bucks for an expansion to Civ V the other week and I've already put more clock time in that expansion alone than I'd put into multiple playthroughs of Amnesia. In my mind the price has to be put into context. A game that takes out good gameplay elements isn't getting 13 bones from me.
Yeah, if a gameplay component proved to be flawed, removing them is not the answer. Eitehr you improve them or replaced it with something different, not just left it as it is.
I am sure that a ton of people will be disappointed but less game and more story is exactly what I was hoping for with AMFP. I have no doubt that Frictional is cooking up the next game to make me shit my pants, but Dear Esther was so good and I really wanted to see The Chinese Room expand their storytelling out with a horror game.
I'll take a better and more in-depth story over the sanity and lantern elements any day. Nothing is scarier than what man is capable of.
Just finished Outlast and while I liked it, it was incredibly shallow story-wise and its creepiness came from jump scares. Not my favorite type of survivor horror. Looking foward to some psychological horror in Machine.
Just finished Outlast and while I liked it, it was incredibly shallow story-wise and its creepiness came from jump scares. Not my favorite type of survivor horror. Looking foward to some psychological horror in Machine.
SkyTurnsRed
Banned
You'll get just that. I wanted the same thing and it delivered.
Fried Food
Banned
I'm kind of glad this plays differently than DD. I never played the first amnesia so if I play pigs first I won't feel as fatigued going back to DD
Bluemercury
Member
Well it's a chinese room game....the first one was 100% frictional...
indigo-cyclops
Member
This has me pretty fucking stoked. Not much more time; with Outlast a huge disappointment I just can't wait to see what The Chinese Room did...
DarkChronic
Member
Heavy on the story and removal of the insanity effects is good news to me. That insanity stuff was annoying and made me dizzy...I don't mind that they removed it.
bonexylophone
Neo Member
So excited to hear that. I actually did like the sanity effects, but I would gladly exchange it for a deeper and more engaging storyline.
Quoted for agreement. It was a shitty mechanic that didn't add anything to the game, I am glad to see it gone.
Holy shit that sounds incredible! Looks like I'm gonna love it.
Congrats to Kotaku for making me actually laugh out loud.
Couldn't finish the first game, too scary. :/
bahahahahahaha
I was expecting this to review a bit better, but I will still, without a doubt, buy and play this. The first Amnesia is in my all time top 10 list of games so of course I'm going to play the next in the series. If nothing else than to support the horror genre.
It's too bad they got rid of the lantern oil management. Worrying about whether you'll have light or not definitely increased the tension. Good riddance to the sanity system though. The sanity system is already inherently in my brain! As long as the same sense of immersion is in, I'll love it.
It's too bad they got rid of the lantern oil management. Worrying about whether you'll have light or not definitely increased the tension. Good riddance to the sanity system though. The sanity system is already inherently in my brain! As long as the same sense of immersion is in, I'll love it.
BigEvilTurtle
Banned
Limited light was cool at first in DD but it became kind of a hassle and interfered with my enjoyment of the game. So the new lantern is good news.
Removal of the insanity feature when staring at monsters is disappointing but I'm sure scary sound design will make up for it.
Removal of the insanity feature when staring at monsters is disappointing but I'm sure scary sound design will make up for it.
SlasherJPC
Banned
I haven't beaten the game yet I can point out and say that the two games in the series def stand out and being differnt from one another. The gameplay elements from one are mostly stripped, you can barely pick up/interact with anything unless the game wants you too, it's linear, no sanity stuff. So yes, some folks will see this as a step back.Then again when it comes to stlye, atmosphere and narrative, I think this possibly beats it. Now I can't speak about the ending, but I already care more to finish this game and see the conclusion then I did the first game (which I actually never did finish)
Being the sequel to what is known as "the scariest pc game ever" is a hard act to follow so in some regards, this will probably dissapoint people. Though for those wanting a interesting, scary, puzzle game you'd be hard pressed to pass this up. It's enemies and take on horror is def not as cookie cutter as the rest of the genre can be.
Being the sequel to what is known as "the scariest pc game ever" is a hard act to follow so in some regards, this will probably dissapoint people. Though for those wanting a interesting, scary, puzzle game you'd be hard pressed to pass this up. It's enemies and take on horror is def not as cookie cutter as the rest of the genre can be.
Playonix (Review by Adam Tindall)
4/5 Stars:
"What really shines here is the sound direction. The use of original classical music from composer Jessica Curry is just fantastic. Chris Carter once said, speaking about The X-Files, that there were more than a few times when Mark Snow’s compositions were able to save what he felt were weaker episodes, and it’s true here as well. There were several moments when I felt quite confident, only to have my calm shattered by a spike in the soundtrack – and a squeal or giggle in the distance. I highly recommend playing this game with your favorite headphones."
Noted occasional visual glitches as an interrupting factor, but also the forgiving system requirements as a plus.
4/5 Stars:
"What really shines here is the sound direction. The use of original classical music from composer Jessica Curry is just fantastic. Chris Carter once said, speaking about The X-Files, that there were more than a few times when Mark Snow’s compositions were able to save what he felt were weaker episodes, and it’s true here as well. There were several moments when I felt quite confident, only to have my calm shattered by a spike in the soundtrack – and a squeal or giggle in the distance. I highly recommend playing this game with your favorite headphones."
Noted occasional visual glitches as an interrupting factor, but also the forgiving system requirements as a plus.
eXistor
Member
Hmm, everything I've read sounds exactly like the game I don't want Amnesia to be. I don't want more story, I want more opressiveness and being able to form my own experience. Outlast was a giant disappointment, but this doesn't look much better at this moment. I already pre-ordered it, so we'll see I suppose.
PC Gamer 89 (don't see why they couldn't round it upto 90)
http://www.pcgamer.com/review/amnes...?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=emp&utm_campaign=us
http://www.pcgamer.com/review/amnes...?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=emp&utm_campaign=us
crap monkey
Member
I find it disheartening that they took out some of the gameplay mechanics from Dark Descent to focus more on story. One of the reasons that Dark Descent was so scary was because it was so well designed. Everything really came together to leave you constantly in fear. Not being able to have your lantern on all the time was ESSENTIAL. Not only did it make it more difficult to see and navigate the environment in the dark, but because of the sanity system, staying the dark had consequences. Your vision was hampered; your screen became blurry, it stretched and bowed, bugs crawled across your vision. And it was so brilliant because the game forced you into the dark in order to escape your enemies. There was this awesome back and forth not only in the gameplay mechanic, but also in player emotion. The game gave you tools to stay out of the dark, the lantern and tinderboxes. Tinderboxes were important because they were a way of saving your lantern oil. by smartly using your tinderboxes you could have certain areas lit and therefore you don't need the lantern to see, allowing for its use in more necessary areas. But at the same time, when a monster appears, you want to be out of the light and preferably in a nice corner, where the monster can't see you. But of course you can't stay, because of the aforementioned sanity effects. It creates this system where the game encourages you to be in the light for the sake of navigation and general safety, but the moment you need to escape an enemy, the dark becomes the only place you want to be. I constantly engaged in this waffling emotion throughout the game. I wanted to be in the light and have my lantern out as much as possible, because I felt safe that i could see what was around me, but as soon as I engaged with a monster I ran for the dark. This love/hate relationship is greatly enhanced and promoted by the sanity system, and adds to the atmosphere and general tension of the game. An integral part of a successful horror game.
Amnesia was so good because it didn't rely on jump scares to provide horror. Yes they were there, but they were most used in the early game before you ever see the monster, and a lot of them were empty. Doors slamming shut, or a sudden flash of light as you entered a room. Wherever there was a jump scare there was nothing behind it. Anything that could hurt you in the game was never a part of a designed jump scare. Nothing spawns suddenly in behind you or on the other side of a door as you open it to hurt you, it's usually just a hallucination that poofs as you run into it, and usually they appeared as a result of your sanity. Instead the game relies on the tension of the atmosphere it creates to provide a general sense of dread and terror. From the sound design to the incredibly disgusting abominations you encounter, everything is designed to make you fear for your life.
The sanity system and the consumable lantern oil/tinderboxes were, I believe, instrumental in providing that atmosphere and I'm sad that they were discarded instead of expanded upon. Even if you're completely stuck in the dark, with no lantern oil and no tinderboxes, the game still gives you a way to recover sanity, by advancing forward. Solving puzzles and entering new areas recovered your sanity, usually at a faster rate than just by being somewhere well lit. And by exploring more, in the search of a way to advance, you more often than not found more oil and tinderboxes to resupply, with sometimes finding story elements like pieces of paper, or flashback sequences that you normally wouldn't run into had you not explored looking for oil and tinderboxes. The sanity system not only provided a mechanic to enhance the atmosphere, it provided motivation to continue onward, even if you didn't want to because of the inevitable horrors you would face in a new area.
Sanity and the conservation of items were key to developing the horror of Amnesia and it doesn't sound like a flickering lantern cluing you in to enemies appearing and the removal of consequences for staying in the dark seem like a good replacement. Obviously we won't know for sure until we play it ourselves. But i don't think its a bad thing to be wary or disappointed about it.
Amnesia was so good because it didn't rely on jump scares to provide horror. Yes they were there, but they were most used in the early game before you ever see the monster, and a lot of them were empty. Doors slamming shut, or a sudden flash of light as you entered a room. Wherever there was a jump scare there was nothing behind it. Anything that could hurt you in the game was never a part of a designed jump scare. Nothing spawns suddenly in behind you or on the other side of a door as you open it to hurt you, it's usually just a hallucination that poofs as you run into it, and usually they appeared as a result of your sanity. Instead the game relies on the tension of the atmosphere it creates to provide a general sense of dread and terror. From the sound design to the incredibly disgusting abominations you encounter, everything is designed to make you fear for your life.
The sanity system and the consumable lantern oil/tinderboxes were, I believe, instrumental in providing that atmosphere and I'm sad that they were discarded instead of expanded upon. Even if you're completely stuck in the dark, with no lantern oil and no tinderboxes, the game still gives you a way to recover sanity, by advancing forward. Solving puzzles and entering new areas recovered your sanity, usually at a faster rate than just by being somewhere well lit. And by exploring more, in the search of a way to advance, you more often than not found more oil and tinderboxes to resupply, with sometimes finding story elements like pieces of paper, or flashback sequences that you normally wouldn't run into had you not explored looking for oil and tinderboxes. The sanity system not only provided a mechanic to enhance the atmosphere, it provided motivation to continue onward, even if you didn't want to because of the inevitable horrors you would face in a new area.
Sanity and the conservation of items were key to developing the horror of Amnesia and it doesn't sound like a flickering lantern cluing you in to enemies appearing and the removal of consequences for staying in the dark seem like a good replacement. Obviously we won't know for sure until we play it ourselves. But i don't think its a bad thing to be wary or disappointed about it.
PeterVenkman
Member
I had the same experience and especially agree with the bolded statements. I really was hoping Sanity would have been built on even more instead of thrown out. Sanity made sense to me in the context of the game and I wish it had been explored more in depth in Machine for Pigs. They could have evolved it past screen/sound effects and had it really change the gameplay - how the character handled, interacted with the environment, etc. Not being able to look directly at what was chasing you was crucial to the "scare factor" for me.
Unbound By Death
Member
Congrats to Kotaku for making me actually laugh out loud.
Couldn't finish the first game, too scary. :/
First Person Nope
10/10
I'm going to assume you never played Penumba Black Plague. It was a scarier game than Amnesia, IMO, and did so without any of these gameplay systems. I don't even know if there was a way to die in that game (I did see/hear an enemy at some point, but I was hiding in fear).
Soyongdori
Member
Penumbra series had none of those game mechanics from Amnesia and it was still an awesome survivor horror game. Not exactly sure why people are bitching about these insignificant changes in gameplay without even playing Machine for pigs.
SlasherJPC
Banned
The problem is expectations. Because I never beat the first game, I went into this one just seeing if it would keep my interest more then the first game. I has , the only reason I stopped was due to other game coverage and now moving. I'll be going back to it tonight. I feel as a sequel, it's not a garuntee that you will like it if you liked the first, saying that, people that had issues with the first might find more to love in this one.
crap monkey
Member
I absolutely have played all three Penumbra games actually. And I would disagree with your statement. I found Amnesia to be far scarier. I believe that the reasons for this were in part due to the sanity effects and the inability to stay in the dark forever. There were other things too, which I would gladly discuss if you would like, but I honestly think that sanity effects and not being able to stay hidden in dark areas for long periods of time enhanced the horror of the game, and that Penumbra's sense of horror did suffer for the lack of the sanity system.
This is just a result of thechineseroom not being interested in, like, actually making games. I knew this would likely happen with Amnesia : aMfP, but I held out hope that the mechanics already existing -- as well as the technology -- would inspire them to follow through with actually keeping it an Amnesia game and not distilling it into an Amnesia "experience."
Whatever. I still haven't played it so I can't judge the final product, but if they fucked this up royally they can kiss a sale of Rapture goodbye. I'm also going to be angry, just like how I was angry over Dear Esther being a shit-for-brains game.
Whatever. I still haven't played it so I can't judge the final product, but if they fucked this up royally they can kiss a sale of Rapture goodbye. I'm also going to be angry, just like how I was angry over Dear Esther being a shit-for-brains game.
Guess I'm going to post my rview in here as well.
It's a 4 out of 7: http://nerdsontherocks.com/amnesia-machine-pigs-review
I was pretty disappointed with it. The game has some cardinal design flaws which make the experience nowhere near as scary as the first game. Once you realize that after the first hour of play time you will no longer care about anything that is going to happen. Nothing will really scare you. This game is closer to Dear Esther than it is to the first Amnesia.
It's a 4 out of 7: http://nerdsontherocks.com/amnesia-machine-pigs-review
I was pretty disappointed with it. The game has some cardinal design flaws which make the experience nowhere near as scary as the first game. Once you realize that after the first hour of play time you will no longer care about anything that is going to happen. Nothing will really scare you. This game is closer to Dear Esther than it is to the first Amnesia.