VoteForPedro
Member
I will buy this game.
I will not play this game.
I will not play this game.
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Amnesia: The Dark Descent |OT|
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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
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
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"
and that finding out about the Shadow is a distant memory.
All 3 endings were damp squibs. I liked the
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.
. They originally had weapons, including a gun. More RPG elements as well.
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
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
been torturing
All 3 endings were damp squibs. I liked the
"I did the right thing"
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
wormstrangler
Banned
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
30-60 minutes if you don't get stuck.
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
30-60 minutes if you don't get stuck.
Joseph Merrick
Member
not very long. maybe half an hour. but it cuts to a couple of sections further in. the game isn't actually as linear as it appears in the demotrinest said:
Visualante
Member
Depends if you have the balls to finish it or not, took me about 20 minutes probably, died twice.trinest said:
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!
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!
drhankmccoyphd
Member
How does this game run on the Mac side? Pulling down the demo on my Macbook Pro 9600M Gt.
This is hilarious what happens to him at the
It happens at after around 11mins. http://www.justin.tv/wizardd52986/b/269741791
water monster after the heavy gate at the wooden door
It happens at after around 11mins. http://www.justin.tv/wizardd52986/b/269741791
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.
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.
wolfmat
Confirmed Asshole
http://www.frictionalgames.com/forum/forum-31.htmlTeppic said:
RocketDarkness
Member
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.Zeliard said:
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Started this late last night all alone with headphones on and total darkness.
Lasted about an hour :lol
Loving it, though.
Lasted about an hour :lol
Loving it, though.
Crescendo170
Member
The relief I felt when I reached the
is one of the most amazing moments I've had in gaming. I seriously never want to leave.
penis-statue sanctuary after the water-chase
RocketDarkness said:
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.
Government-man
Member
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.
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Are you playing in the dark with headphones? If not, give that a try. If you are... well, that sucks. :lolLM4sure said:
I'm loving this game. Probably the most intense video game experience I've had in a long while.
LM4sure 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.
Just finished it. Was so enjoyable, best horror game ever.
To everyone else who has completed
Edit: oh, its actually the beginning of the password, weird
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
"God's Beard!"
Member
Couple hours in now.
FUCK YOU MONSTER(...spoiler?)
But more importantly, FUCK YOU INVISIBLE CEILING!
Physics puzzles my ass.
FUCK YOU MONSTER(...spoiler?)
But more importantly, FUCK YOU INVISIBLE CEILING!
Physics puzzles my ass.
Visualante
Member
Made it through the prison. Died twice now.
Heard about two of the upcoming areas. I'm scared.
Heard about two of the upcoming areas. I'm scared.
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.
davonaytor
Member
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.
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
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:
Crescendo170
Member
Kill them how?LM4sure said:
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Yeah, really. Did you try to throw rocks at them or something?Crescendo170 said:
Well LM, that's basically the whole point of the game. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Hexadecimalt
Banned
6-10 hours long.
Anton Sugar
Member
BobsRevenge said:
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?
Anton Sugar
Member
BobsRevenge said:
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.
Joseph Merrick
Member
around 8-10 hoursDespera said:
They will actually get up in your face and kill you if you let them, however.Zeliard said:Well LM, that's basically the whole point of the game.
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.
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.