Thursday 8 November 2012

Amnesia - Now, Where Was I...?



When I left you yesterday, I had progressed down a corridor. That's it. That was my entire journey through the game and into the warm embrace of cowardice. The video took longer to upload to YouTube than it did to record. However, bolstered by familiarity, I'm back, and ready to show the forces of darkness just exactly what I'm made.... OK, so, I last slightly longer this time.

Amnesia is very good at being scary. Amnesia is very VERY good at being scary. I mentioned in my last post about various little touches that make it so effective, and another of these is completely refusing to give you anything useful whatsoever. In my stunning completion of chapter 1 (there was a loading screen, but please people, I need a sense of progress here!) I have so far fiddled with a mop and fondled a rock. I have collected tinderboxes, but seemingly have nothing to use them on. I'm completely defenceless and this game knows it.

As I tread though the fancy Mayfair estate (I didn't know there were castles there) the script takes over, and starts trying to, and succeeding in, making me shit out. It takes the control away from my legs, blows doors open, invites me into lovely sitting rooms and then turns off the lights like a total demonic douche. All these things give it a genuine air of panic and helplessness and it works brilliantly. However, it's completely off putting.

The interaction is neat, the liberal scattering of not-weapons is effective, and there's signs of a great game here. For me however, it's just too effective for me to actually enjoy it. If you like having your bum cry whilst you play games, then this is by far and away, without a doubt, the most shittingist experience you can get your mits on. I'm thrilled with myself for how far I've managed to progress (CHAPTER 2 YEARGH!) but if this blog is to progress at any kind of pace, I need to get more than a few chapters under my belt at a time. In the meantime, here's my progress so far. The crackle in the voice-over isn't a technical problem by the way, its just the sound of utter cowardice escaping the vocal passage.

I PROMISE I'll get much further next time. I'm not going to lie though, if I can find a way to murder myself horribly in order to make it all stop, I will do it.

See? See how effective it is at making you feel insane! Also it's rubbish, don't buy it*. BOOOOOOOOO!!

*It's not rubbish. You should probably buy it, the developers are really nice. Which is ironic.


17 comments:

  1. Hmmm, considering System Shock 2 scared the mother loving piss out of me I really don't think this is the ideal companion for a winters evening when I'm bored of Battlefield and FIFA. However...I am now really intrigued...

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  2. Nice broom action!

    "Clean up Amnesia" would make an awesome mod. Go around wiping up the blood, adjusting the Picture Frames, relighting the candles.

    I would rather play that...than this...

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  3. That's the kicker, it's a brilliant game, so engrossing it's untrue.

    That's also the reason why it's absolutely horrible to play.

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  4. You're such a door noob! You can only right-click to slam a door in the direction in which it will open. If it's open it won't do anything unless you're on the other side of it.
    SORT IT OUT

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    1. So it turns out that kicking doors open just doesn't work. Apologies for the noob-call!

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  5. Can't you just 'Quake' it? :D

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    1. That's a consideration, I hear Ben is planning a speed run!

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    2. I'll probably post the video with some thrash metal in the background, that's what all the cool speedrunners do right?

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    3. Haha, yeah, but here's your chance to break the mould. Speed run Amnesia to Katy Perry - Firework. For the LOLs of course.

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  6. He's doing enough quaking as it is!

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  7. You're not in Mayfair, you're somewhere in... Eastern Prussia, I think. At a castle called Brennenburg, somewhere out in the woods...

    Love this blog so far!

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  8. Ah great, thanks Marten! Here's me thinking it wasn't all bad because just outside the walls the finest gentry in England were going about their business, but now I know I'm alone in the woods somewhere in Prussia? That REALLY helps! :)

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    1. Just remember that you've got Penumbra Overture to look forward too as well.

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    2. Haha, don't I know it!

      However, since it's an earlier game, I'm hoping they hadn't perfected the shit-em-up as well as Amnesia the first time out, so fingers crossed it won't be as harsh!

      Thank god it's in the P's!

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    3. Sorry, I got about as far in Penumbra as you did in Amnesia. The graphics aren't as nice, but it's still scary as hell.

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