Amnesia: The Dark Descent

- Reviewed on PS4 -

Amnesia: The Dark Descent released on September 8th, 2010.

My first experience with this horror classic, was with the Amnesia: Collection released in 2014.

There were plenty of things to like with this game but I could tell, even with this being my first experience / time playing the title, that this game did not age well in terms of being scary (at least for me).

This review WILL have Major Spoilers so keep that in mind before continuing...

Though this game was not as scary as I would've liked, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is still a horrifying experience for everyone to enjoy. 

Having limited resources like health and oil (for your lamp) made you feel helpless when you eventually ran out, as light source in this title is very important and crucial to your survival. 

Taking place in an old castle (in 1839) was a very interesting location for a horror game and it really was a different experience compared to previous horror games I've grown to adore. 

Possibly my favorite game mechanic of Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the screen tricks (mind games), Frictional Games put in the title. 

For example, there will be times where you are close to an enemy and your screen starts getting blurry or fake bugs would crawl across your screen as it symbolized your character (Daniel) suffering while inside the castle and it's haunted corridors. 

Stealth is a major pillar of the experience in Amnesia: The Dark Descent. 

Going back to the light source conversation, stealth is combined with light in this game, as the main enemy can very easily spot you with your lamp on, or even if your near light in general. 

There are sections of the game where you have to play with stealth components in order to proceed and this means there are places where you are safe from the enemy and this was a good mechanic by Frictional Games but I feel like there should've been way more enemy encounters or even just have the enemy wonder around 24/7. 

I love the way Frictional Games presented their story about Daniel and how even he didn't know who he was, and that forced you to make your own story about what happened as you played along collecting the hidden messages, notes, diaries, etc. 

The controls felt very basic and easy to understand but the tiny cursor to collect any and all items I felt was to small and hard to collect, especially in tight spaces / chase sequences. 

The final boss / level was absolutely horrible. I felt they missed everything they could've potentially done with the final boss / level (Alexander). 

I was disappointed when (SPOILER) I made it to the end of the game and all I had to do was push over three pillars as Alexander talked. 

The game itself was filled with nice puzzles and they (Frictional Games) could've had a great, big, hard to complete puzzle at the end to stop Alexander, but instead all Daniel had to do was push over three pillars. 

Music had that good ambience feel to it, not really ramping up the volume unless you were close to the enemy / enemies. 

The horrific music that plays when the enemy is close is so stress inducing and that truly adds a lot to the overall feel of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. 

Whether the story truly interested you or the game itself was scary to you, Amnesia: The Dark Descent kind of saved the horror genre back when it first released and a lot of people have grown to adore this historic horror title. 

Pros: 

    - Great Music to Match Scenarios / Location

    - Fun & Easy to Understand Puzzles

    - Good Controls

    - Good Story to Follow (Uncover)

    - Interesting Screen Effects (While Suffering in Game) 

Cons:

    - Bad Ending to Game

    - Enemy only Shows Up Partially

    - Tiny Cursor (To Collect Items)

My Rating for Amnesia: The Dark Descent (on PS4):

3 / 5

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Disclaimer

All Reviews, Ratings, Pros, Cons, and Opinions Shared on this Blog (Press A Reviews) are my (Connor Butler) own Thoughts and Feelings.