Amnesia: The Dark Descent – Review

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Without knowing what the danger is, without being prepared for it, we cannot control the situation. We have neither the tools nor the leverage to curb our own panic if we don’t know what we have to fight. 

Remember, but it’s Better not Everything is Remembered

Our hero in Amnesia comes to his senses in an old and very strange castle. Surprisingly, he has amnesia. Perhaps he also has schizophrenia and paranoia or just a very subtle mental organization. The poor man is afraid of any rustle, is afraid of darkness, absolutely helpless from a physical point of view, and in general, is on the verge of complete insanity. As Daniel came to life like this, we will find out in the course of the play, the benefit of himself, being still in sober memory, kindly scattered around the castle his old diaries, and left himself notes with valuable instructions. In addition, in some places in the archives, there are still documents that shed light on what happened earlier. 

From these disparate fragments of the past, we will collect the plot of the game as a puzzle. After all, in the present, we have only a hostile castle with its eerie inhabitants and disgusting secrets. And the goal. More precisely, two: the first is to survive. The second is to get to the inner sanctuary and kill Baron Alexander, the owner of all the local lands, the ideological mastermind of all the abominations that were happening in the basements of the castle. There is, however, a nuance: Daniel may not have a moral right to revenge and punishment. The hero does not remember what part he took in Alexander’s projects.  

The game was developed by a Swedish company. It should be said that upon its release the game enjoyed huge popularity in Scandinavia and then became known in the whole world. Especially in Norway a lot of games tried this game because of its uniqueness. It is considered to be one of the first horror-based games in Scandinavia and gave inspiration to local developers to focus more on this genre. The impact was very huge and not only Norwegian game developers but also casino game developers started making games based on the horror genre. Indeed it was a perfect achievement for a Swedish company that quickly spilled in neighboring countries. Some of these games can be seen featured on Norwegian gambling outlets. Primarily on those focused on local clients. For example, if we take a look at the casino guide section at Gratis-spinn.com we can see some of these games being at the top of their lists and having their own tutorials due to added features. And right now Norway is undergoing some reforms regarding the gambling industry and you can find more information here on this website and if everything goes according to plan local companies are looking forward to enhancing the features even more. 

Are you Afraid of the Dark?

Swedish developers recommend achieving the greatest effect to play with good headphones, at night, alone. We do not advise you to scrupulously follow these recommendations if you have heart or nerve problems. Even if you pass Amnesia in the light of day, without sound, constantly reminding yourself that you are not afraid – hardly even for a minute you will be able to feel safe. Although in reality, Frictional Games does not use any new, revolutionary techniques of inflating the atmosphere. 

What scares us in the end? First, loneliness. For the entire game, we will meet only two relatively living people. Otherwise, the castle is clearly inhabited by anti-human entities. Secondly, a first-person view with all the attendant circumstances in enthralling. The cursor in the form of a palm shamefully comes out only when we need to perform some action with the subject. The rest of the time nothing disturbs the wholeness of the picture, nothing prevents completely dissolve in the oppressive atmosphere of constant tension. Thirdly, the balance of silence, half-silence, and terrifying rustling are perfectly maintained. When Daniel, frightened by something once again, begins to breathe intermittently, like a cornered beast, or, being already on the verge of madness, suddenly says “Someone is coming!”, you have to put a lot of effort. 

But the main horror story is still darkness. Game mechanics are built in such a way that we can not afford a lot of light. Chasing candles are lit with the help of drones, which are always small. The hefty lantern should be constantly filled with new portions of oil. It’s not going to last long. At the same time, the dark drives the hero crazy. We feel his madness as his own: when Daniel’s mind is out of order, the image becomes blurred, the world is distorted, the reality is replaced by hallucinations. 

Monster – Friend, Comrade, and Brother

The presence of a variety of monsters in the castle is intricately intertwined with the complete absence of fighting. We have the role of an ordinary person whose nerves are shattered, health is undermined, and basic physical data – more than modest. He can’t fight. Faced with a monster, Daniel falls into a stupor, loses the remnants of the mind, and dutifully allows himself to be killed. 

Therefore, the only way to deal with them is a game of hide-and-seek. Golems, cadavers, and zombies will most likely not notice us in total darkness. But in the light, they fly like insects. More precisely, they are, but that’s not the point. It is worth noting the suspicious silhouette nearby or to hear the characteristic sounds accompanying the appearance of the “company”, we immediately put out the lantern, hammer into the farthest corner, and pray: let the creature pass by. The developers have done everything to limit our direct contact with monsters. Sitting in a dark room and shaking with fear, we can not see anything but the general outlines of the enemy. And if you approach the monster closely, Daniel is so scared that the whole area of his visibility will be covered with a thick ripple. We still don’t get a clear image of the horror. We are kept in constant obscurity. 

In this regard, the game with movements is very invigorating. After the death of the hero, there is a restart. We’re being brought back a little bit. Now we know exactly where this cadaver goes, the second time we won’t run into it. And nothing like that. It is quite possible that nothing will happen at that very place. And the afterlife will appear in a completely different room. However, direct collision with monsters is actually more sobering than atmospheric. They’re not that scary. Most of them are ordinary zombies. In addition, when Daniel is killed by some monster, the carefully constructed illusion of presence inevitably collapses. The character is there, dead. And we’re here. In a cozy chair and in complete safety. 

The Main Thing is not to Stop

One of the most amusing findings of the developers of Amnesia is the effect of puzzles on the mind of the hero. When Daniel manages to solve a problem and move forward, he begins to feel better. Well, yes, that’s right: in order to somehow distract from the hopeless reality and gradually awakening memory of what should be forgotten forever, it is important to occupy the mind with simple, momentary things. 

For example, the elevator broke. We have to fix it. Ugly red biomass closed the passage. So we need to get rid of it. Or here for a good cause will have to inject into the vein the blood of a dead man from the torture room. Although no, it is just better to do without unnecessary thoughts and, preferably, turning away. The puzzles are very similar to Penumbra in many ways. Not that they were easy to solve, but they are not talking about wild difficulties. Thanks to flashbacks and notes, we almost always know what to look for and what to do with what we found. Sometimes, to find the necessary object, you have to carefully examine every corner in the room, which in the realities of the game can be very difficult. 

Not all actions and prohibitions are logically justified. Why not, for example, bring a small candlestick with charcoal instead of being rammed by drones in industrial quantities? By the way, many problems can be solved in several ways – thanks to advanced physics. It is a pity that the physics itself this time was not up to par. When a clay pot in a fall from a decent height bounces like a rubber ball and remains intact – it coolly destroys the atmosphere. And the iron saw should not, in theory, behave like a piece of paper in the wind.

Another disappointment is the quality of the graphics. The stunning effect of getting used to the darkness is spoiled by insufficient detail of textures and elaboration of shadows. Although the atmosphere largely overlaps these defects. In the end, in the process of passing a normal player will somehow not up to the analysis of visual beauties. 

There’s plenty of light here. At last. Evil is enough, too. 

Conclusion 

From the game in the genre of survival horror, by and large, requires only one thing: to be scared. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is very, very scary. 

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