<PC GAME> Amnesia

[Ford Prefect]

I just watched the preview for this game, that was scary enough as it is.

Did you spend the entire time watching the trailer going 'oh Jesus, imagine if I was playing this shiiiiii' too?

[Stark]

That, and more precise indication of sanity levels.

Frankly, there shouldn't be -ANY- indication of sanity levels outside the blur and other ingame effects. Gaming the stats is entirely counter to the intention of them game.

[Oskuro]

From what I've read about this game, it makes me feel like Penumbra was a prototype, since it still gave you guns. I looks like they have realized what the strengths of their game are, and have moved in that direction, further polishing the immersion and creepyness, and forgetting about combat. Won't be for everybody, and that's OK.

Now, to buy or not to buy?

[Stark]

It's $20. Can you lose?

[Oskuro]

Woah, turns out you-know-who reviewed Amnesia.... And liked it.

[Stark]

Is he even relevant anymore? Seriously.

[Oskuro]

Relevant? I just watch it cause he's funny. But I'm glad to see Amnesia getting more exposure.

Looking forward to his column next week, maybe there'll be some fanmail whining about the game not including enough rocket launchers or something.

[Stark]

Oh yeah, I was just wondering if he still had a fanbase. I guess nerds are creatures of habit.

[Oskuro]

Heh, the antics of his fans (and his shameless fanbaiting) are quite fun. Like how they were demanding a sequel to that book he's written before even finishing it and realizing the ending is not open to sequels.

[Drooling Iguana]

It's $20. Can you lose?

It was $10 for me (I pre-ordered it when they were having a sale) and I still feel ripped off. Did the designers completely forget how to make a decent puzzle before making this? The Penumbra games did a great job of using their physics engine to put some clever puzzles together, but Amnesia seems to consist entirely of tedious exercises in key-hunting.

I suppose the designers thought that by putting said keys in dark rooms they could get away with having no challenge in the puzzle itself by forging you to burn lamp oil the entire time you're trying to solve it, but that was just annoying (especially since the character you're playing is a miserable shit that freaks out whenever he doesn't have the equivalent of a 1000-watt halogen shining in his face, which completely undermines any legitimate scares the game might, in theory at least, have had.)

I just got into the machine room and I'm ready to give up on it. Which is too bad, since I really liked the Penumbra games and generally like to see independent developers succeed.