amnesia: the dark descent Archives

A New Amnesia Horror Game, You Say?

Dec 022022

Yesterday, I was surprised by the sudden announcement of a new Amnesia game from Frictional Games.

To recap, I loved The Dark Descent, didn’t especially enjoy A Machine for Pigs, and wrote a full freelance review of Rebirth, which I generally enjoyed.

(No relation to the Amnesia otome games, funny though that would be.)

So the announcement of a new Amnesia from Frictional Games got my attention right away.

Amnesia: The Bunker is set in a World War I bunker and is due out in March. One surprise from the trailer is that there are weapons this time. As much as I loved the first Amnesia, some of the best survival horror games have elements of combat, so I think that’s fine.

What has me unsure, though, is the full press description provided by sites like Gematsu.

Amnesia: The Bunker has a semi-open world and includes “emergent gameplay and sandbox elements.” A later point highlights its “unscripted environment” where “objects, threats, and resources, change in every playthrough.” I’m not sure I like the idea of objects and resources in particular changing in each playthrough. That feels like it will take away from the carefully-crafted exploration I enjoy in survival horror games.

On the other hand, maybe it won’t be as randomized as that makes it sound and I’m worrying over nothing. What do you think?

Right now, I’m intrigued by Amnesia: The Bunker, but cautious. I’m sure more gameplay details will come out as we get closer to March, and that should help me make up my mind. What are your thoughts on Amnesia: The Bunker?

Amnesia: Rebirth Announced for Fall 2020

Video games 3 Responses » Tagged with: amnesia: the dark descent, survival horror

Mar 062020

Fictional Games has been teasing their next title for a while, and now it’s been revealed as Amnesia: Rebirth.

Described as “a new story set in the world of Amnesia: The Dark Descent,” it is set in the Algerian desert and follows a new protagonist named Tasi Trianon. According to the official description:

Retracing Tasi’s journey and pulling together the fragments of a shattered past will be the only chance to survive the pitiless horror that threatens to devour you. Time is against you. Still, you must continue, step by step, knowing that if you fail you will lose everything.”

(While it’s unclear if Rebirth will connect to The Dark Descent’s story or not, it’s worth pointing out that Algeria is where Daniel came into contact with the orb and set the events of the game into motion.)

Amnesia: Rebirth is planned for PC and PS4, with a fall 2020 release window.

In a Playstation Blog post about the game, Creative Director Thomas Grip says Rebirth will be “built on what [they] learned from the original game” and promises “an emotionally harrowing journey.”

So far, everything sounds great. I didn’t enjoy Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs a lot, but since Rebirth is being handled by Frictional Games themselves and the announcement specifically references The Dark Descent, I’m optimistic that this new entry will play more like the original.

Frictional Games is working on another project as well.

I’m excited for Amnesia: Rebirth, and I really ought to play SOMA before it comes out. How do you feel about the newly-announced Amnesia sequel?

Celebrating All Things Spooky – Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Celebrating All Things Spooky, Reviews, Video games 3 Responses » Tagged with: amnesia: the dark descent, survival horror

Oct 032018

I loved Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

It was terrifying, atmospheric, and Lovecraftian, and it told a delightfully disturbing story.

Despite loving it so much, it took me until this year to finally get around to playing its sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. This is mainly because A Machine for Pigs was made by the developers of Dear Esther, which I didn’t enjoy at all.

But this year, I decided to kick off the Halloween season by finally playing A Machine for Pigs.

A Machine for Pigs is very different from The Dark Descent. The Dark Descent focused a lot on survival, with the constant danger of darkness and your limited supply of light, the sanity effects, and the general sense that a monster could force you to flee at any moment.

Its sequel is more linear and focused on storytelling. You still play a character with amnesia exploring a mysterious location, but the exploration is more of a straightforward journey from one area to the next as the story unfolds through notes and flashbacks.

I felt like I’d played this style of game before, which unfortunately made some of the story elements predictable.

Click for A Machine for Pigs spoilers

The protagonist wakes up wondering where his children are, while their ghostly voices beckon him into the depths. I would have considered it a surprise twist if they weren’t dead.

And the nature of the machine / the protagonist doing terrible things in the past felt pretty routine for this sort of story.

However, the storytelling itself was pretty solid. It built up a grim, disturbing atmosphere and it didn’t shy away from the gruesome details. And while some aspects were predictable, other parts went in unusual directions. I enjoyed the slight links to The Dark Descent.

I also liked the industrial, steampunk-esque setting. It worked well for the game’s story.

The weakest part of the narrative was probably the children. You start the game looking for your missing children, and the reason the protagonist keeps pressing on into the depths of the facility despite all the horror is to find them. But they’re barely featured in the flashbacks, so I didn’t feel the compelling emotional pull to search for them.

Click for A Machine for Pigs spoilers

Them being obviously dead didn’t help. It just made it sadder to read every journal update from Mandus about how he had to keep moving forward to find them.

But I did enjoy the horror as it unfolded.

In terms of gameplay, A Machine for Pigs wasn’t as scary as its predecessor, although it did have a few good scares and some intense moments. I also missed the level of interactivity the original had. Everything fits together into this game’s more linear focus on telling its story.

I’m glad I finally played Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, but I don’t think it will leave the same lasting impression on me that The Dark Descent did.

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