User Reviews

You wake up in a medieval castle. Shambling around, trying to shake the confusion(seen through gradually switching Dutch angles and filters), you can say with certainty only two facts - your name is Daniel, and you live in Mayfair, London. Finding the first of many notes(that, along with the flashbacks which are done via red tint, voice-over, without taking away control, evoking the feeling of recalling a memory, make up the storytelling - you are not hand-holded through, you get hints, and piece the whole together, yourself), you find your former self imploring you to do one thing... kill Alexander, the politically powerful Baron of the vast Castle Brennenburg in Prussia, which you currently find yourself in.

Immediately, we have questions. Why? For both the murder(which you get to make up your own mind on - is it deserved or not?) and the distance between what you call home and where you are now. What's happening? Clearly, something supernatural is going on(a gust of wind will blow open a door, for example... inside!), is spreading through the creaky, near-abandoned(sections in disrepair, cobwebs, maggots...) fortress, the foundation of which will shake, threatening to bury you in the rubble of this centuries-old building. These will be answered, by you paying attention and applying yourself, without culminating in any easy conclusion or removing all mystery. This uses your own imagination.

The elements that are not of this world are made all the more terrifying by the contrast(something uses well, in general - open/closed areas, shadow/brightness, etc.) between them and the clearly natural world around you. Eerie and murky though your surroundings may be, they behave as you'd expect. This is similar to the Penumbra series, also by Frictional Games, and is in many ways an upgrade. The physics engine makes a triumphant return - nearly everything is interactive. Pick up, rotate on both Z and X axes(by pressing R - I wish it would allow locking one of the two, and using the keyboard is slightly awkward, as is the "sometimes yet not always working" quality of using Right Mouse not only to push/throw/slam, that goes fine, no, when you attempt to use it for the opposite direction... if they just decided that it could only go "away" from you, that would be fine), move, pull open every door and drawer, etc. Everything has weight, glass can break, and so on. Need to mess around with all these objects? No. You can, and sometimes it'll help, not always(it might hurt! Fire=ow, as you might imagine).

This won't remind you that it's fiction, or what medium it belongs to. When you take a break, it's as if coming to from a nightmare - you spend a little time reassuring yourself that no, that wasn't reality. The closest this comes to a HUD is brief bloodied wounds when hurt, and the centered cursor, which changes to let you know when and how you can use something you're pointing to. Auto-saving whenever you cross between loading areas(always accompanied by two context-free lines, that you have to place, deduce the meaning of) means you don't think about that aspect; and whenever you stop playing, you can store progress, as well. Sadly, their efforts towards such does lead to some loss of consequence; I won't detail it, I mention it merely as one of the only criticisms of this as a whole. The opening asks you to lose yourself to this, and I concur. Let go. Play alone. In a pitch black room. With headphones. You can thank me later.

Having already explained how this, like its spiritual predecessor, breathes life into point and click adventure(in addition to puzzles that require you to break/lift etc. objects around you, there are the traditional, inventory-based combine/get key/bring to other place and use ones), a genre dead since 3D became prevalent, let me tell you why this stands out as survival horror. There are no weapons, and the well-designed, monstrous enemies are few in number as well as variety. Conflicts are rare enough that you never get used to them or feel safe(yet without leading to frustration), and are driven by the prevalent disempowerment of the player. You can't fight back, and have to hide, and failing that, run. As fast as you can. You can be obscured by the dark, and crouch around a corner and/or behind something. They will "patrol"/search if they don't know where you are, and if they spot you, they will chase you down - at same or greater speed as you can muster, killing you with two blows. Buy yourself seconds with debris and putting a door between them and you... get your bearings while they tear through it to get at you.

The thunderous score makes you incapable of "missing" that one is near, and they always feel like they could come by, in spite of the scripted spawns(not outcomes, those are up to you!). Ah, so, avoid the light, I hear you say? No, you will have to balance it - static sources that can't be turned off(!) such as candelabra and torches with the plentiful Tinderboxes(matches) or the carried rare-oil-consuming lantern that you find early. Why? Because that's how you manage Sanity. And if not, you will start hallucinating(blurring, seeing dead bodies, hearing a consistent, sharp note etc.), and you will be of no use. Acting is average. Writing, story and multiple endings(conclusive, yet leaving room for interpretation) are satisfying, based on setup and pay-off.

The 9 and a half hour length and lack of replayability is helped by being mod-friendly, and the free(at least on Steam) DLC of "Remember"(five short stories by Mikael Hedberg, the writer of this) and "Justine"(a 1-2 hour independent level, with a Portal-esque approach, testing your strength of character). There is a lot of disturbing content and some brutal, bloody gore in this. I warmly recommend this to any fan of Edgar Allan Poe, Clive Barker and The Haunting of 1963. 8/10

Every so often, I like to try a horror game to see if my palette for them has changed at all. This years was a long awaited go at "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" with the PS4 re-release that was a Playstation Plus game a few years back. Though I can see the quality of the game, it's just not one for me.

Awakening in a seemingly abandoned stately home, you play Daniel, who has amnesia and must explore, finding notes that fill in the details of what has occurred there. Solving simple puzzles along the way, Daniel is increasingly psychologically attacked by unseen noises and movement in the dark - with only candlelight or a lantern to provide the release of the truth. Soon though, Daniel discovers that he is not alone in the catacombs.

There was a lot to like about "Amnesia: The Dark Descent". Though I didn't play it as the developers intended, i.e in the dark, with headphones on, I did get a sense of the superlative sound design that makes the game so compelling. Visually the game was fine, using a basic engine to generate the house and its contents and with enough physics to allow you to throw the items around. I liked the visual effects that occur as Daniel takes psychological damage, with the screen becoming blurry and distorted until you can find some light, it reminded me of seminal Gamecube game "Eternal Darkness". The puzzles were basic stuff, mostly fetch quests or combining items like in a point and click adventure.

Where the game lost me though, was in the encounters with the creatures. I gave up at the second major one, which I understand is about halfway through the game. The first, using water to show where the creature was at least made sense, (as in, I could see where my goal was). The second just ended with me blundering into the creature over and over again and getting killed. It wasn't fun and soon moved from scary to frustrating. At my age, I don't have enough free time to not make progress with a game, each time I play.

Undoubtably well-made and atmospheric, I feel like the problems are more with me than with the game.

The horror genre is truly one of the underrated genres of gaming, but that's because the gaming industry is running out of ideas for this particular genre. You get a lot of idealistic "Hollywood story" horror games every year, it's getting annoying. Same old plot. Same old weapons. Same old frights. Nothing really standing out (except maybe a few rare gems which have come out the last few years like Dead Space and Penumbra) This time around, it's different... Completely different... Redefined horror... REAL horror... The one that gets your adrenaline pumping... The one that makes you sweat as if you were there... The one that lets you live the character... The independent Frictional Games (The one behind the awesome Penumbra series) shows the big gaming companies how to do it right. The 5 genius minds behind Frictional Games are really all it takes to get you to watch your back. You start out as an amnesia infected Daniel, who can't remember anything but his name. You're in a castle and you just have to know how you came here.

The darkness deep within this castle hides great horrors and terrors that are just to good to be spoiled... You'll just have to "run for your life" yourself... 10/10 *Highly recommended for horror fans*

WARNING: This game is NOT AT ALL for the weak-heart, easily scared, easily fainted ones... You have been warned...

I'm not really sure how to begin...

I've played all the classic horror games, the Silent Hill games, Penumbra, FEAR, Condemned, System Shock, etc. Not one of them comes close, although Penumbra deserves second place and bears some similarities - it was, after all, made by the same team.

Amnesia isn't typical in any way. You don't fight, you have no guns or explosives. It's raw survival that drives the action. The elements that make the game so uniquely terrifying have more to do with what you hear and feel, and less to do with common gimmicks like monsters jumping out of the shadows (not a bad tactic, but one that grows tiresome over time). When you create a new game, on-screen text advises players to experience the game, rather than win it.

Before playing, make sure that you are in a dark room, adjust the brightness as per the game's specifications, and play with headphones. Since so much has to do with mood, and since the atmosphere is so compelling, it would be a disservice to the game and yourself to play it any other way.

The story itself is fairly simple - a man has lost his memory and is trying to put the pieces together. But there is something.... wrong. As you progress through the game and begin to see the whole picture, the sense of "wrongness" increases to a nearly hysterical level.

I enjoy watching good horror movies with friends, it might make me a bit sadistic but I do enjoy sharing their fear and giving them a bit of a scare. I can't think of a film or game that I would tell an adult friend not to watch or play. But in the case of Amnesia, be warned - this game is DARK. Some of the themes and scenes are extremely disturbing. It's the only game I've ever had to take breaks from because my nerves were so frayed I wasn't even having fun anymore.

Furthermore, if you're a parent considering purchasing this game for a child, please don't. There are some things you really don't want in your head, and some of those things could be potentially harmful to a child. Some of them could be harmful to adults as well, I suppose.

Anyway, if you love horror games and are looking for more, pick this up immediately - it's the best one yet.

The Dark Decent is currently one of the best horror games I've ever played. Throughout the entire game I was terrified but I had this motivation to keep pushing on. That motivation was from how interesting and fun the game is.

The gameplay stands out a lot in the horror genre. You could say it's a simple walking simulator, but as it gets more in depth it really shows off how unique it is. One of the mechanics is sanity, if you don't keep your sanity high enough you may start experiencing problems with the mind, causing hallucinations and an inability to see. As you can tell, it can get really scary if your sanity isn't high enough. Light plays a major factor here as well. You need to make sure to manage light, if you don't your sanity will fall and dangerous consequences may stop your path. The enemies are also an interesting factor, sometimes you're just relying on sound, with the option of seeing them. Each type of enemy has its own sound, so you'll be able to tell if you can hide or outrun it. There was one sound that I never saw the enemy that matched it, it sound a lot heavier and I'm glad I never poked my head around the corner.

I didn't quite understand the full story after I finished it, but from what I played I could gather the basics. The story is presented through collectable notes and voices inside your head, so if you are not paying attention you'll miss the plot. It was interesting enough to keep me playing till the end. It's probably something I'm going to read and watch a lot about.

There were a few technical problems, like audio randomly being in my left ear only or me falling out the map. However, it doesn't really make the experience worse but kind of adds to it. When I feel out the map I thought it was a feature and crapped myself in the process.

To conclude, Amnesia: The Dark Decent is an amazing and unique horror game that has left an impact in the horror genre, possibly inspiring many more games I haven't played yet. It's a master of visual and audio immersion, which in combination creates one of the best horror games of all time.

I really wished there was a good sequel to this game becouse i wonder when are we gonna get a good amnesia sequel and we got machine for pigs that Meh alright...but man i always wondered when are we gonna get a amnesia sequel or remake to make me satisfied anyways back to the point.

This game is just a masterpiece no other horror game as achieved its level, sure there is outlast,resident evil 2 remastered and etc but man in 2010 how can u see these types of games i sure havent anyway i am not giving 10/10 becouse some parts like are not as scary as some and some puzzles are hard to players to get through but anyways 8/10 solid game

What else can I say? This game has it all. Atmosphere, music, gameplay and a legacy. The story is just amazing and has it's twists and moral questions. The gameplay is also amazing, using physics and freedom of grabbing objects. The game is already getting quite old, but the graphics have aged well and the game's custom story system still gets new creations every year from fans of the game. The devs haven't forgotten the game either and added new content in 2018. And the soundtrack, it's beautifully done. A work of art. I give a 10/10 and a great applause to every writer, composer and programmer of this game. Good job.

This is the quintessential 'haunted castle' experience. Scary enough, but in a restrained way, without as much depravity as some other horror games. Pacing is deliberately slow and focuses more on the suspense and what you hear around the corner. No other game manages to make me feel so helpless - you can't fight, you can only hide or run. The controls are refreshingly simple and work very well. The graphics and level design are a bit mediocre, and gameplay may lack a bit of variety, which prevents it from being truly great. Still, I can easily recommend this. The mod scene is one of the best around, with some great single-player custom stories that compete with the base game for quality.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is undoubtedly the most terrifying gaming experience i've ever had. This game is a masterpiece.

In this game you play as Daniel. A man stricken with Amnesia and on a quest for answers. The story in this game isn't the best thing ever but i was intrigued the whole time and it deals with questions of guilt amongst other things. The voice acting is very good and the game has multiple endings so you can conclude the story in the way that fits you.

In the game, you complete a series of tasks/puzzles to progress the story and you must hide from enemies whilst managing your sanity and light resources. The levels are very well designed hub levels that remove the feeling of linearity because you have to do a lot of exploring if you want to find resources and things to progress. The interaction involved in opening doors and moving objects its great because it adds that physical immersion to the game. The stealth works well and its utterly terrifying when the enemies see you and give chase. The puzzles are solid too.

The best thing about this game is definitely the atmosphere. There is constantly this crippling sense of dread produced by incredible music, sound design, terrifying environments and enemies and just well paced gameplay. It was so scary that i had to stop every 20 minutes because I honestly thought i might of had a heart attack. It builds up the tension so much that when an enemy does appear and attack you it utterly shocks you to the core. I have never before or since had such an intense fear playing a video game.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a special game that most other horror games have tried (and failed in my opinion) to encapsulate. What an amazing experience that i will never forget.

10/10.

I had heard things about this game and I wanted to play it and got my opportunity when it was given away free with a Playstation Plus subscription. I was not sure what to expect as the only footage I had seen was this weird Youtube show where a guy pretending to be Bane from Dark Knight Rises reviewed the game, but really did nothing more than scream and such. I thought the game was okay overall, but was not really a fave because at times I felt it was almost a chore to keep continuing. Still, it was pretty fun and though you cannot fight back at the enemies, there are only a few here and there to worry about.

The story, you are Daniel and you have amnesia. Still unsure as to why Daniel drank the stuff that made him have it, but we get to explore a creepy castle so this should be fun! Daniel descends the castle looking for Alexander and throughout the game you get notes that begin to piece together the mystery as Daniel is being pursued by a shadow and he must find away to stop it or it will consume him!

The game play consists of walking around and exploring. You cannot fight though you can pick up objects and throw them, you can only use this to your advantage to distract enemies. Most of the game you have to look in rooms for various items to proceed to the next section, I would have preferred a bit more exploration and piecing together the mystery rather than constantly going here to get pipe, going there to get this, so many fetching to do!

So it was alright, though it could of been a lot better had the place been a bit more interactive. Running into enemies was a pain, but not too bad due to the lack of them. At least in normal mode, I would think the harder mode would have the things be a bit more prevalent. The game also came with two other games, Justine and Pig Machine or something, have not played though, but I have not heard great things about them so I am in no rush. This one was alright, but should of been a bit better.

The atmosphere of this game. It is great. The game is really tense and creepy. The game is effective and it is a satisfying experience. The location the game takes place in is awesome. The voice acting is well done. The game is a good looking game.

Don't be thrown off by the fact this game plays about 10 years older than its release date. It does have some clunk to it, but for the most part, it is dated in a positive way taking the aspects from older generations of horror games that fans of the genre appreciate.

It pretty much ticks all the boxes a survival horror fan might look for with the exception of combat. It has a deeply immersive atmosphere powered by a darkly captivating world, an eternal darkness-like sanity system that warps POV, and a fantastic soundtrack. The puzzles are creative and challenging without being frustrating for the most part. I also appreciate that some of them have multiple solutions including working the game's physics system into the puzzles. The level design is solid with a nice combination of linearity and non-linearity despite the confined spaces.

However, I do believe it is held back slightly on a few fronts. While, I am fine with minimal combat, they should have been more creative with the "action" around that idea. More sequences like the aquatic (leaving this intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) one early in the game could have elevated my rating. The variety is left lacking due to the designers not being imaginative enough with these interactions. Additionally, the ending, while satisfying for my playthrough on a narrative level, was anti-climactic in my opinion.

Overall, it's a damn good game that deserves the cult-classic label it has. While it is not near the top of the genre for me (LOU, Evil Within, Multiple REs, etc. Are better), it will most likely enter into the back end of my top 100 games after I've thought it over.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is not only the spookiest title I've ever had the pleasure to experience but it's also an absolute nostalgic masterpiece. The game is 13 years old some might say it has outdated gameplay and graphics but the raw looking graphics & gameplay are part of what makes this journey so special.

You play as Daniel who's had amnesia after trying to forget about his past. What happened previously to this character is completely unknown but the only goal he has is to kill this baron that convinced him to work at a castle in Brennenburg in England. From there he's piecing his mind together by getting flashbacks of what has happened and what also happens is extremely intense psychological horror that plays with your mind, soul and heart.

Frictional Games built up such an incredible atmosphere for this title that the players won't forget what a chilling feeling they get when they are trying to survive as Daniel through this mysterious Castle that causes him to hallucinate all the time and drains his sanity. I would also like to point out that there are almost zero jump scares. Don't want to get into spoilers because when you play you immediately get a sense of what's going on and purpose it has.

In Outlast for example the whole game relies on you to be scared over boo type of old school cliché writing which frustrates me more than anything instead of just having this unsettling atmosphere like Amnesia perfectly masters. The soundtrack is extremely memorable it gives you a thought of terror, fear, silence, peace and cosmic.

One of the soundtrack that's called Back Hall is most likely the most beautiful piece I've ever heard in a video game. It's basically this choir like it's from Heaven. It feels as if it is this otherworldly setting.

What makes Amnesia such an amazing ride is that it never loses its appeal. The whole story keeps you invested and makes you want to learn more about the history of this Castle and just overall what happened previously to Daniel working with Alexander it leaves a lot mystery to the player.

The voice acting is so fantastic and believable mostly from Daniel & Alexander they feel like real people. The sound design is terrific too it keeps you on the edge. Storytelling is very good usually collectibles all over the place that gives you an idea & knowledge of this haunting place.

There's also a lot of puzzles in this so if you are not a fan of those maybe this isn't the game for you, you might find it boring because there's hardly a lot of gun shooting action, melee or anything in terms of combat you are pretty defenseless against the enemies of this game. All you have to do is run and hide if you get spotted. The chase sequences are some of the scariest ever.

Overall I think Amnesia: The Dark Descent is best horror game ever created simply because it creates such a vast memorable deep lore along with tons of anxiety inducing moments. This game has been criticized for being "too disturbing" but I don't know any solid horror game that hasn't been a little bit disturbing on the surface. There's going to be blood like in most other horror games.

I feel like Amnesia: The Dark Descent caved way for future horror games like Outlast copies Amnesia a lot the mechanics of it and just gameplay structure. Alien: Isolation is another title that's similar to this. I remember playing this when I was only 14 but it was damn spooky that I was mind blown how scary it was. I couldn't sleep through the night when I had school the day after.

If you haven't played this you have to. It's so good and well made. I wouldn't recommend the other Amnesia titles that's been out there none of them have had the same level of excellence and I only count this one as canon. I think anyone who enjoys a well told story who's not super reliant on gameplay or graphics is going to appreciate this game for what it is because I sure as hell did. The art design is beautiful it creates such a poignant feeling for the areas. Of all of the areas I found Storage & Prison the scariest ones.

Playing with headphones is a must in dark light and have brightness setting correct just have it in the middle otherwise it will be way too bright or way too dark and ruins the scare the factor. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the most interesting cosmic horror experience I've ever had. It's spooky, claustrophobic, terrifying, beautiful, scary, peaceful and just everything you could wish in a masterpiece of a game. It's got many different connected elements to it.

Absolutely legendary title that influenced and changed the genre for a lot of future horror games. 13 years old but still easily the GOAT of the horror video game genre. Simply unforgettable. Just make sure you have taken your heart pills so you won't have a heart attack while playing it though. It can have very stressful encounters.

10/10.

Taking into consideration I played this on PS4 in 2018 and this game is now 8 years old.

The deep engaging story is let down by false immersion with the old torch with limited battery life mechanic. No game should have you squinting the entire time. There are better ways to induce fear.

The endings are a huge let down, or lack of ending. Not so much as a text on screen to engage you, just credits. Very poor after going to the effort to get the 'good' ending which really makes no difference.