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Amnesia: The Dark Descent |OT|

Zenith

Banned
Paint the man, cut the line.

Glad it didn't start out exactly like the demo.

Took about 6-7 hours to complete. Felt like same length as Penumbra.

Atmosphere it's most close to is System Shock 2.

Game takes place in 1839 for those who want a reference point.

There's full frontal-nudity in the game! You can even put your hands on it, figuratively speaking.

Definitely Lovecraftian, to the point where you could say he was the only inspiration.

I liked that the areas were relatively self-contained. All the puzzles can be solved by objects in the immediate area. No long back-tracking.

Less puzzles and considerably less emphasis on physics this time around. A lot of loose objects didn't even have physics attached to them and were permanently connected to the floor/shelves. All the focus was on scaring the player.

This game is TIRING (in a good way). Being scared uses energy. Having it maintained for the whole duration takes it out of you.

FUCK YOU to the person who decided to make the
Iron Maiden
suddenly spring open.

I hid in a fucking closet to avoid an enemy and prayed for my guy to stop breathing so loudly! Made more compelling than any MGS or Clock Tower game due to the immersion of first person viewpoint + pulling the closet doors shut yourself.

I consider the land enemy scarier than the water enemy. Casually opening a door to find one facing you and having the music cue start.

Sound was great and the music regarding enemies and danger was really good, but I wish they'd had something similar to Black Plague's main theme when reading key diaries or something. After being safe from instant death it would have made the plot developments really hit home.

Daniel's slow transition from
looking for protection to full-time hanging out in the dungeons and torturing without really noticing it
is something I've only ever seen accomplished in books. But the fact that the areas the player is in slowly transition the same way makes it feel like you've "always"
been torturing
and that finding out about the Shadow is a distant memory.

All 3 endings were damp squibs. I liked the
"I did the right thing"
one the most because whilst it doesn't come close to cancelling out everything he did, he made the right choice at a time it really mattered.

There were hardly any "mansion" rooms. It quickly went back to basements and stone tunnels. The Gothic mansion was one of the main draws. Disappointing. My favourite area was the wooden panelled corridor that let you step outside and view the forest.

There are meatcube physics. Later in the game in the kitchen where you get the vat of acid, there's a whole piglet and it flops about very convincingly when you pick it up.

Aside from the above and a few tweaks to lighting and such there don't seem to be any improvements to the engine. A company with resources needs to get behind them and boot them into the 21st century. Graphics are key to creating atmosphere and immersion. At the very least it'll allow for decent sanity effects.

Someone NEEDS to make a police/detective game using the interface elements. My favourite bit of all of Frictional's games is entering a new room, methodically handling every object and discerning the room's history and purpose.

I prefer Penumbra to this. More puzzles and slight sci-fi feeling.

The super_secret.rar is interesting and well worth reading. You get the password by combining the 6 character passwords for each ending into an 18 character string.
lke271tyr299odn314
. They originally had weapons, including a gun. More RPG elements as well.
 
Started playing the full game, about 30 minutes in, enjoying it.

I thought the demo was exceptionally dark - stupid me thought you had to brighten the screen until you could barely see the LEFT square...When I started the full game, I realised my mistake, suddenly it seems like the game is almost too bright :p

How long is the demo?

30-60 minutes if you don't get stuck.
 

stuminus3

Member
I really want this game, but I'm glad I tried the demo first... it seems to have some unexpected issues with AMD's X-series GPUs that they didn't know about.

You can get it running on an X-series card by turning off ImageTrails in the graphics options (and it still looks freaking great for an indie game, too), but you still can't open any menus, inventory, etc... they cause the game to freeze up.

I'm reserving the rage I usually direct to the big developers who release shit that doesn't work when it should though, you've gotta be more lenient with the indie guys... plus apparently Thomas at Frictional is buying himself an X-series card of his own this week so he can work on the issue, that's pretty cool. :lol

It's probably just a driver issue, anyway... AMD switched their DX9 cards over to legacy driver support ages ago, Amnesia uses OpenGL but that doesn't mean there's something missing or wrong with that part of the older drivers. Whether they're able to fix it or not (and I'm pretty confident they will), I'm putting some money towards a new rig in the next few months anyway so I'll get this when I can play it properly. What I was able to play of the demo was suitably terrifying... it gave me the cold sweats and I couldn't even play it properly!
 

Miau

Neo Member
mikespit1200 said:
How does this game run on the Mac side? Pulling down the demo on my Macbook Pro 9600M Gt.

My MBP also has a 9600GT and it runs pretty well on maxed settings. The Penumbra series also run pretty well on OS X and they are native ports, none of that Cider crap.
 

Ruuppa

Member
Just got to the 3rd hub last night, and wasn't especially scared.
The zombies are mostly bark and no bite.

Went to sleep, and woke up about 15 minutes later to some fantastic nightmares. This happened about 6 times during the night.

Awesome :D
 

wolfmat

Confirmed Asshole
Ruuppa said:
Went to sleep, and woke up about 15 minutes later to some fantastic nightmares. This happened about 6 times during the night.

Awesome :D
Nigthmares ARE awesome. High 5
 

Zeliard

Member
Man.

The game's minimalist design is so damn effective. The fact that there are so few actual enemies, but that you're always aware that something horrific might pop out, just makes the entire damn thing so tension-filled. This game is incontrovertible proof that in the horror genre, less is more. The sound! If you are not playing this game with headphones or a surround system, you are not doing it right, I promise you.

Fuck, just hearing footsteps that aren't your own is enough to get your heart racing. And random doors creaaaaaaaaking opening by themselves, beckoning you.
 
Zeliard said:
Man.

The game's minimalist design is so damn effective. The fact that there are so few actual enemies, but that you're always aware that something horrific might pop out, just makes the entire damn thing so tension-filled. This game is incontrovertible proof that in the horror genre, less is more. The sound! If you are not playing this game with headphones or a surround system, you are not doing it right, I promise you.

Fuck, just hearing footsteps that aren't your own is enough to get your heart racing. And random doors creaaaaaaaaking opening by themselves, beckoning you.
Is there any specific way to turn on surround sound? There were 3 audio options, but none of them mentioned 5.1/7.1, so I just left it on "Audio for Speakers", or whichever the first option was.
 

Max

I am not Max
In the sewer
METAL STRAPPED FREAKISH GUY COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND KILLS ME

Almost fainted. I thought that was a good time to take a break.
 
The relief I felt when I reached the
penis-statue sanctuary after the water-chase
is one of the most amazing moments I've had in gaming. I seriously never want to leave.
 

Zeliard

Member
RocketDarkness said:
Is there any specific way to turn on surround sound? There were 3 audio options, but none of them mentioned 5.1/7.1, so I just left it on "Audio for Speakers", or whichever the first option was.

I'm not sure. I'm using headphones and I have a specific option for them as a playback device. I don't know if the game itself has a specific surround mode, but it does use positional audio in a way that would likely only be greatly enhanced through surround sound, or a good pair of headphones. I'm using Sennheiser HD 595s myself and the audio design really shines.

It's like those times as a young kid when you're in your bed in the darkness and your house is making random, unsettling creaks and groans. This game basically transports me back to times like that. And the various things the devs combined from an audio/visual and game design perspective to achieve the sanity effect is, honestly, a stunning achievement. I haven't experienced anything like it in a game. Seems like it should be simple on paper - blur the screen, add mouse lag, intensify the sounds, and such, but the way they do it here makes for a great combined effect.
 
Just bought it, gotta support them Swedish developers. Really looking forward to playing it, Frictional Games are seriously pushing the bar in the horror-genre.
 

LM4sure

Banned
I guess I'm about an hour in thus far. So far it's okay. It's not exactly scary. I paid $20 for this?! Next time I'll try the demo before purchasing.
 

BobsRevenge

I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
LM4sure said:
I guess I'm about an hour in thus far. So far it's okay. It's not exactly scary. I paid $20 for this?! Next time I'll try the demo before purchasing.
Are you playing in the dark with headphones? If not, give that a try. If you are... well, that sucks. :lol

I'm loving this game. Probably the most intense video game experience I've had in a long while.
 

Zeliard

Member
LM4sure said:
I guess I'm about an hour in thus far. So far it's okay. It's not exactly scary. I paid $20 for this?! Next time I'll try the demo before purchasing.

Perhaps those $60 console shooters might be more your speed. ;)

You have to go into this game with the right mindset and environment and, to some extent, the right gear. If you're playing this in a well-lit room with sounds coming out of your tiny stereo speakers, you are missing out on a large part of the experience.
 

Max

I am not Max
Just finished it. Was so enjoyable, best horror game ever.

To everyone else who has completed
any idea what "lke271" is? It was at the end screen for me. It isn't the password for super_secret.rar which I first assumed.

Edit: oh, its actually the beginning of the password, weird
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
Would love to try this out but after watching some moments of the game I just can't do it. Can stomach the scariest things possible in reality and horror films, but when it comes to gaming I will escape away from it as quick as possible :lol
 
Couple hours in now.

FUCK YOU MONSTER(...spoiler?)

But more importantly, FUCK YOU INVISIBLE CEILING!

Iivv6.png


Physics puzzles my ass.
 

Yasae

Banned
Teppic said:
Yes, I know. I got some weird pictures in their test. Too bad you must register there to post anything.
I didn't get any weird pictures on their test, and I still can't play the game. It won't detect all problems.

Maybe I was just wrong about the journal thing. If I can get around any GUIs popping up, I could play the demo...
 

LM4sure

Banned
Zeliard said:
Perhaps those $60 console shooters might be more your speed. ;)

You have to go into this game with the right mindset and environment and, to some extent, the right gear. If you're playing this in a well-lit room with sounds coming out of your tiny stereo speakers, you are missing out on a large part of the experience.

I did turn off the lights, but yes, I have tiny stereo speakers and don't own a decent set of headphones. Are there enemies that will actually attack you in this game? I keep seeing them off in the distance and then I run toward them to try and kill them but they vanish.
 
The enemies walking animations in this game scare the shit out of me.

I was searching around for some key item or something, found it in a small room, went to head back into the main area ? (a long, dark room) and theres creepyman out there just creeping about.

He totally saw me, so I ran back into the small room, cried, listened to his moaning, waited a good 4 minutes before realizing that he wasn't going to leave until I progressed.

Heading back out into the main room was probably one of the scariest gaming moments I've experienced.

Awesome.
 

Stallion Free

Cock Encumbered
LM4sure said:
I did turn off the lights, but yes, I have tiny stereo speakers and don't own a decent set of headphones. Are there enemies that will actually attack you in this game? I keep seeing them off in the distance and then I run toward them to try and kill them but they vanish.
That is not the proper sound set up for any horror game. Horror games need a proper 5.1+ setup or a nice set of headphones to be appreciated.
 
LM4sure said:
I did turn off the lights, but yes, I have tiny stereo speakers and don't own a decent set of headphones. Are there enemies that will actually attack you in this game? I keep seeing them off in the distance and then I run toward them to try and kill them but they vanish.
Kill them how?
 

cbox

Member
All this talk, I think I'm gonna go out and buy a new vid card :( My x1950 is getting long in the tooth anyways :(
 

Zeliard

Member
Well LM, that's basically the whole point of the game. :p It's irrelevant how many enemies there actually are because the idea is that you're never supposed to feel very safe, and the game makes you feel like an enemy could pop up at any time. The actual amount of encounters are low and that's what keeps the sense of terror of the unknown high. The fact that they're rare means you never really know when they'll come up.

These don't work like the enemies in most games. Not only can you not fight them, but you can't even look at them without your character literally starting to go insane. They don't function like the enemies in 99% of games, in this case offering the player no sense of empowerment from dispatching them with big guns or whatnot. These things are meant to make you run the hell away.
 

LM4sure

Banned
Ok, you have convinced me that I need to give this another shot. My girlfriend is working tonight so I'll be sure to turn off all the lights and turn the volume way up to get the most out of the experience.

I think I'm just use to Borderlands because I've been playing that so much lately.
 

BobsRevenge

I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
haha, Borderlands is definitely not a good experience to precede Amnesia with. That game is way too lighthearted and Amnesia is all about soul-crushing fear striking your viscera as if it were a tuning fork and vibrating your entire body.
 
BobsRevenge said:
Yeah, really. Did you try to throw rocks at them or something?

That's how I used to kill the Penumbra baddies :lol

Really interesting how they progressed in game design from Penumbra to this. In Penumbra, I think you had to crouch and stay in shadows for a few second before you got your night vision--in this, it activates when you're in the dark, but staying in the dark makes you go mad.

I DO like the insanity effects...I just got the bug crawling across my screen, freaked me out for a second. Didn't Eternal Darkness do something similar?
 
BobsRevenge said:
haha, Borderlands is definitely not a good experience to precede Amnesia with. That game is way too lighthearted and Amnesia is all about soul-crushing fear striking your viscera as if it were a tuning fork and vibrating your entire body.

My game cycle usually goes:

Amnesia
STALKER: Call of Pripyat

And to take the edge off afterward....

Lord of the Rings Online

Three very atmospheric games, but strolling the hills of Middle Earth for an hour gives me enough time to wash all the underwear I went through in the prior two games.
 

Yasae

Banned
Zeliard said:
Well LM, that's basically the whole point of the game. :p It's irrelevant how many enemies there actually are because the idea is that you're never supposed to feel very safe, and the game makes you feel like an enemy could pop up at any time. The actual amount of encounters are low and that's what keeps the sense of terror of the unknown high. The fact that they're rare means you never really know when they'll come up.

These don't work like the enemies in most games. Not only can you not fight them, but you can't even look at them without your character literally starting to go insane. They don't function like the enemies in 99% of games, in this case offering the player no sense of empowerment from dispatching them with big guns or whatnot. These things are meant to make you run the hell away.
They will actually get up in your face and kill you if you let them, however.
 

Zeliard

Member
Yasae said:
They will actually get up in your face and kill you if you let them, however.

Of course, that's why you run!

Or, as I do, flail around in panic before slinking into some dark corner muttering to yourself that everything's gonna be okay.
 

Vaporak

Member
This game is so good. Basically every horror game isn't really a horror game, they're action games that use visual themes from the horror genre. This is how to actually do horror games, and it's GOOD. I really hope the developers do well with this release so they can stay in business. :(

I am never, ever, stepping foot in water again for the rest of the game.
 

Animator

Member
Just bought this on steam. Can someone tell me if the Penumbra games are any good? I realized there is a gold collection and penumbra overture or something at steam. Dunno which one I should get to play the first one.
 
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