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[Matlock]

Just bought the Suffering today for $10: very early impressions follow.

Once you start, you're thrown straight into the story. Your character, Torque, (maybe?) murdered his wife and kid and is in the nastiest prison around. It's sort of like Alcatraz, in a way, only really dirty and dilapidated.

Apparently, this is the last stop for your character--he's said to have killed in other prisons, even going as far as taking out an entire aryan segment of his former. Jail gossip or fact, I have no idea. You're surrounded by dirt and grime...and the scum of the earth. Foul language is thrown around quite a bit (BABYFUCKER! is an exclamation used within the first five minutes, seriously), and helps to deliver the fact that this is going to be real dirty.

Shortly after, people start...dying.

Fun stuff, really. You're now stuck inside what seems to be a haunted prison, with visions abound that make for some really scary shit. Combat's a breeze, if nothing special...but it's really the atmosphere that makes the game. Point in case: I was looking through some security cameras, saw one of myself...someone coming up behind me. Took a second, but I realized it was me in that camera. Flipped it off, turned around...

Nobody there.

Shocking things, voices here and there, and a lot of fucked up imagery are all around. Some interaction with other characters in limited instances makes it a bit deeper, and it seems as if there's a good/bad system in play (although I'm not sure how yet--it seems Suffering 2 will take that save data and go along the path you went in the first).

Either way, the first hour or so of playtime is excellent for atmosphere, but flawed in combat. I dunno if it'll get much better combat-wise, but here's to hoping everything can catch up with the overall feeling.

 

[Mrbob]

I hear this game is pretty good. Maybe I'll pick it up and then check all the fixes when the sequel comes out this fall.

 

[impirius]

The combat never really evolved after the first couple of levels, so I lost interest after a while. There was never much reason to use your 'powers', either. I can play through the beginning again and again, though. Here's hoping that the sequel will build on some of the excellent ideas and presentation of the first part of the game and introduce more gameplay variations than OMG DUAL WIELDING~.

 

[Patrick Klepek]

:lol

 

[Dead]

ok ok thats insane!


But tell me this, is it... PSI OPS good???!!?

 

[demi]

Aw christ, not another freaking game he'll ramble about!

 

[Truelize]

The Suffering was ok. But because the combat never got any better and the pace of the game is semi-fast due to it really being an action title, the scariness factor disappeared after awhile. It's too bad too. Cause the first couple of hours were kinda creepy.

 

[Matlock]

The Suffering was ok. But because the combat never got any better and the pace of the game is semi-fast due to it really being an action title, the scariness factor disappeared after awhile. It's too bad too. Cause the first couple of hours were kinda creepy.

Damn, that kinda sucks... :-\

 

[Fantasmo]

The Suffering was ok. But because the combat never got any better and the pace of the game is semi-fast due to it really being an action title, the scariness factor disappeared after awhile. It's too bad too. Cause the first couple of hours were kinda creepy.

Agreed. This happens with RE4 also. Lots of action has the side effect of killing the scares/suspense.

However the game is worth a playthru anyway and has a few neato concepts you'll wish others copied.

Also, it has some outstanding unlockable enemy concept art. I remember specifically looking to see who did the concept art which is not usually my bag. If that [concept art] look was preserved in-game the game would have had a lasting horror effect on you.

 

[Fantasmo]

Can someone spoiler tag the ending for me?

Spoiler

I remember the climax of the story being quite startling although I can't remember why!

 

[Fatghost]

Can someone spoiler tag the ending for me?

Spoiler

I remember the climax of the story being quite startling although I can't remember why!

Spoiler

depending on the ending you get, Torque either finds proof that he didn't kill his family or finds out that he did in fact kill his family

It wasn't a terrible game I thought, but I don't think it can hold a candle to the Fatal Frame or Silent Hill games this gen.

 

[demi]

Can someone spoiler tag the ending for me?

Spoiler

I remember the climax of the story being quite startling although I can't remember why!

Spoiler

Torque is innocent. The person who actually killed his family was the "general", hired for the deed. Torque actually DOES transform into a monster when angered, and actually DOES black out because of it, which is why when he wakes up everyone points the finger at him, because it makes for a great Alibi! Depending on how you use your monster form, and who you kill during the game, you can get several endings. One of them has Torque killing the boatsman and running back to the island as a monster, and another has them sailing off, with a brief interlude from his wife saying to live on, yadda yadda.

 

[Truelize]

Don't worry Matlock it was totally worth the money you paid for it. You'll have fun with it.

The only thing I didn't like about the game is the pointless swearing. I can remember one NPC almost got a bullet in his head cause his mouth was so bad. First game I had to lock my daughter out of our entertainment room to play. Sad moment in history for gaming.

 

[Fantasmo]

Matlock do NOT read mine or Demi's spoilers!

Spoiler

wait, you reminded me of the game in that paragraph... but i remember it completely different. I remember it that Torque was always normal and the monster was actually a demonized alter ego of him. Forgive me for not being a master of language.. what I'm trying to say is that Torque's monster form was actually a graphical depiction of his rage and split personality, but in actuality he never switched to an actual monster. And during his "rage" and "split personality" he somehow managed to kill his wife and son. I interpreted the end boss as him "killing the monster that lives within him" in the same vein as killing the Brad Pitt Tyler Durden alter ego in Fight Club.

You said in your various endings that he did NOT kill his son or his wife and that it was someone else. I'm wondering if we saw two drastically different endings, or if one of us got really confused along the way!!! If it's me, then LOL, I need to go and play again!

EDIT: Wow Fatghost!

Spoiler

Upon reading your post... I can't believe the endings were polar opposites! What do you do exactly to change the ending like this?

 

[Sysgen]

Check out the documentary of the ghost prison in Pennsylvania in the extras. I liked The Suffering alot.

 

[demi]

Matlock do NOT read mine or Demi's spoilers!

Spoiler

wait, you reminded me of the game in that paragraph... but i remember it completely different. I remember it that Torque was always normal and the monster was actually a demonized alter ego of him. Forgive me for not being a master of language.. what I'm trying to say is that Torque's monster form was actually a graphical depiction of his rage and split personality, but in actuality he never switched to an actual monster. And during his "rage" and "split personality" he somehow managed to kill his wife and son. I interpreted the end boss as him "killing the monster that lives within him" in the same vein as killing the Brad Pitt Tyler Durden alter ego in Fight Club.

You said in your various endings that he did NOT kill his son or his wife and that it was someone else. I'm wondering if we saw two drastically different endings, or if one of us got really confused along the way!!! If it's me, then LOL, I need to go and play again!

EDIT: Wow Fatghost!

Spoiler

Upon reading your post... I can't believe the endings were polar opposites! What do you do exactly to change the ending like this?

Here are the 3 endings according to GameFAQs:

Good

Spoiler

You get a flashback of your family getting killed and the killers tell
you that someone wanted only your family dead and not you. Then the boat
arrives and picks you up. The guy tells you that you'll be getting a
retrial. A picture of your family appears with a message.

Bad

Spoiler

It shows Torque killing his wife and kids. Torque kills the boat driver then
runs away as a monster into the island.

OK

Spoiler

Torque accidentally killed his wife, and his son killed his little brother
and himself. Then when the rescue boat picks him up, he knocks out the
driver and drives off.

Basically what determines these endings is

Spoiler

how often you use your monster power, and how many innocents you kill

.

Obviously, I am talking about the good ending in my post.

 

[Fantasmo]

Wow, very very cool!! By the way,

Spoiler

I can't speak about the others, but seeing the OK ending was shockingly wonderful to me, and even though for the most part the game fell somewhere between mediocrity and quality... the ending put it squarely into sleeper hit and "must experience to appreciate" for me.

 

[kaching]

The game peaks about halfway through. By then its thrown most of its best surprises at you and then it felt like you coast through most of the rest. Still a fun romp though and certainly shouldn't be considered a disappointment at $10 entry price.

 

[demi]

I will say I am interested in the second one at least, just to see how bad they ruined it.

 

[Matlock]

I will say I am interested in the second one at least, just to see how bad they ruined it.

I dunno, if they improve the combat a bit in the second one...it might be really damn good.

 

[demi]

I dunno, if they improve the combat a bit in the second one...it might be really damn good.

But it won't so go pee on a plate and stare.

 

[Matlock]

Got a bit farther, still kinda cool. Spoilers, of course.






I was looking around, saw that other black prisoner...walked up to him, and got that scare scene. I was like "holy fuck" for a second--nice one, you bastards.

A little later was the shootout with the mexicans, kinda disappointing because I wish I could have lead them with us to take on whatever the hell's going on. And...those lethal injection victims...yikes.

Scary stuff so far, and the sound of those blades ticking gets me all paranoid. :-|

But now, I stopped right at the electrified floor.

So far it's still quite solid--and switching from FPS to TPS mode helps it along quite a bit.

 

[Truelize]

Yeah I can remember the sounds getting to me a bit. There are some parts in the game that are definelty freaky.
I can remember running down a hallway in the dark and hearing that scraping sound from one of the big dudes with knives for legs and had him pop up right behind me. Yup I probably screamed a bit there.

It's funny that so many people complain about the fog that some horror games use (Silent Hill series) but I've always thought that they helped with the suspense cause I coudln't see that was ahead.

 

[Matlock]

Also, is it just me--or do some of the enemies make Predator noises?

 

[Uter]

Also, is it just me--or do some of the enemies make Predator noises?

Have you noticed yet that people seem to respond adversely to your rambling commentaries?

 

[Matlock]

Have you noticed yet that people seem to respond adversely to your rambling commentaries?

demi is people?

Check out the documentary of the ghost prison in Pennsylvania in the extras. I liked The Suffering alot.

! Interesting, I'll have to give it a look--Psi-Ops also employed a "documentary" of sorts on the topic matter in its extras, and it was a pretty nice touch.

 

[Matlock]

Update, of course. Spoilers, most likely.

Got through most of it...it kind of hit the metaphorical wall of retarded around the point that I was fighting exploding rats on a pirate ship.

Then, you know, I got back to prison...

Walked around a bit...

And fought a guy who came out like cyclon b, and had to be tossed in a furnace to be burned and killed. There's a poorly formed joke somewhere in here.

Christ, make this game stop.

 

[demi]

demi is people?

SHUT THE FUCK UP


By the way that gas guy was a retard, it took me like 4004040540350 tries to get him in and for the damn thing to even go to the next scene! I was playing PC version.

 

[Matlock]

SHUT THE FUCK UP


By the way that gas guy was a retard, it took me like 4004040540350 tries to get him in and for the damn thing to even go to the next scene! I was playing PC version.

Spoilerific!


It took me that long, too...Until I closed the final trap door, and he only had two to get between. :lol

I finished the game...Lightning dude called me the wildcard, I laughed at that.

Spoiler

The end boss segment was fairly neat--fight yourself twice, then the personification of your anger (I guess?)...but the whole charge-fire-into-guy thing reminded me way too much of Psi-Ops' ending.

A complete mindfuck that didn't make much sense along the way, but I somehow didn't care. Pretty fun throughout, except those fucking exploding rats. Probably around a low/mid B range.