So I've never played Amnesia, although I watched @Piggy Chimp play through it. I'm pretty awful when it comes to horror games with jump scares and stuff like Amnesia, but "body horror"/gross out horror/whatever is something I can totally handle. I also loved Dear Esther. So, are people saying "AMFP isn't scary like the original Amnesia, LAAAAAAAME" just being overly loud because they want to show people how badass they are not to get scared by a slightly less scary game, or is the game legitimately not very jump-scary at all, and more about "oh god look at this terrible thing?" Because if it's the latter I might enjoy it. If it's the former I'll play for four minutes and pee myself and quit. Maybe in that order.
Well let me give you an example of how the monsters are handled in The Dark Descent VS Machine for Pigs.
Generally speaking, a monster is scarier the less you see of it. There are few things more frightening than a vague concept of a monster, with details mostly added by our imagination. Fear of the unknown is a huge element in horror, and seeing something more frequently and in better detail takes away from that element.
In Amnesia,
it's a pretty good ways into the game before you actually encounter any real monsters. Until you get late into it, you mostly only get a few glimpses, most of which are hallucinations brought on by the protagonist being insane.
Heck, the first real monster you run into is the water guardian, which is actually invisible and only attacks you in the water, so you only know that it's there and will hurt you, but can't actually see it at all.
However, the game is designed in such a way that, when you DO get a chance to see a patrolling monster, you don't want to look at it because doing so will drain your sanity, which makes it easier for the monster to spot YOU. Hence, part of surviving the game is refusing to even look at what few monsters are actually there.
Whereas in Machine for pigs, I encountered them much earlier, and more frequently, and I'm actually only a few hours in and already am stuck in a room with one that's patrolling around, perfectly visible.
And while having a monster nearby that can catch you is definitely cause for concern, it's a short-term scare that makes the monster less of a scary element and more into an obstacle that you simply have to avoid. And that's really not a good idea for a horror game.
How is Dead Space 3, the action game with jump scares in any way lovecraftian
Man, how stupid of me, I total forgot that essay that Lovecraft wrote on lack of player empowerment as a gameplay mechanic. I just meant it was Lovecraftian in terms of tone, subject matter and cosmic scope.
Just finished it. Game time was around 3.5 hours, which I felt was a bit too short. Non-spoilery impressions:
Story was very vivid and disturbing, but a few aspects of it (the ending being one) needed more explicit explanation.
Far, far less scary than Dark Descent. The monsters are scary exactly one time (the first time you encounter them) and then you just run past them, since there is no consequence to looking at them. They are slow and easy to avoid.
The puzzles were oversimplified since they got rid of the inventory and I miss the resource management.
Overall, it is a good, atmospheric, tense game, but a disappointment as a follow-up to the first game, which was unrelenting and oppressive in a way that this game simply isn't. I liked it quite a bit overall, but I'd still recommend the first game to anyone new to the series.
Man I can understand them getting rid of the inventory, and I can kind of see them getting rid of the awesome light vs dark risk reward mechanic, but getting rid of the stroke of genius that prevents you from even looking at the monsters just seems wrong on so many levels.
I just hope that Frictional involvement with this doesn't mean that they are going to gut all these brilliant mechanics out of their next game.
Just finished it. Game time was around 3.5 hours, which I felt was a bit too short. Non-spoilery impressions:
Story was very vivid and disturbing, but a few aspects of it (the ending being one) needed more explicit explanation.
Far, far less scary than Dark Descent. The monsters are scary exactly one time (the first time you encounter them) and then you just run past them, since there is no consequence to looking at them. They are slow and easy to avoid.
The puzzles were oversimplified since they got rid of the inventory and I miss the resource management.
Overall, it is a good, atmospheric, tense game, but a disappointment as a follow-up to the first game, which was unrelenting and oppressive in a way that this game simply isn't. I liked it quite a bit overall, but I'd still recommend the first game to anyone new to the series.
Man I can understand them getting rid of the inventory, and I can kind of see them getting rid of the awesome light vs dark risk reward mechanic, but getting rid of the stroke of genius that prevents you from even looking at the monsters just seems wrong on so many levels.
I just hope that Frictional involvement with this doesn't mean that they are going to gut all these brilliant mechanics out of their next game.
The Chinese Room made Machine for Pigs, Frictional Games is only the distributor.
Frictional is working on another game at the moment, but they've released next to nothing about it so no one really knows what's up.
Just finished it. Game time was around 3.5 hours, which I felt was a bit too short. Non-spoilery impressions:
Story was very vivid and disturbing, but a few aspects of it (the ending being one) needed more explicit explanation.
Far, far less scary than Dark Descent. The monsters are scary exactly one time (the first time you encounter them) and then you just run past them, since there is no consequence to looking at them. They are slow and easy to avoid.
The puzzles were oversimplified since they got rid of the inventory and I miss the resource management.
Overall, it is a good, atmospheric, tense game, but a disappointment as a follow-up to the first game, which was unrelenting and oppressive in a way that this game simply isn't. I liked it quite a bit overall, but I'd still recommend the first game to anyone new to the series.
Man I can understand them getting rid of the inventory, and I can kind of see them getting rid of the awesome light vs dark risk reward mechanic, but getting rid of the stroke of genius that prevents you from even looking at the monsters just seems wrong on so many levels.
I just hope that Frictional involvement with this doesn't mean that they are going to gut all these brilliant mechanics out of their next game.
The Chinese Room made Machine for Pigs, Frictional Games is only the distributor.
Frictional is working on another game at the moment, but they've released next to nothing about it so no one really knows what's up.
Oh I know but I thought frictional did have oversight with machine for pigs.
Also, I get the general idea of the ending, but the details are really confusing.
So he had his own heart ripped out? How did that stop the villain?
If he had to sacrifice his children to give life to the Engineer, then was it something else that showed him visions of the future? Was it the orb he found on that body in the casket?
What exactly was it that went wrong in Mexico? What was he even planning to accomplish there?
Also, was that body the engineer himself, given life via a fragment of Mandus' soul?
I understand that stories can be really interesting when you aren't given all the details, but there's just so many gaps that I don't quite follow.
Finished A Machine For Pigs, and generally liked it. I'm not a huge horror gamer. I didn't even finish the first one, so that should give a clue on it's sequels scariness.
But for someone like me, I was damn scared for just about the entire duration. I beat the game in 3 sessions. One and two I had to stop at around 45 min. The third session I forced myself through to the end. I was scared enough to keep it interesting, but not scared enough to make me turn it off repeatedly. Kind of a good level for me, tbh.
I liked the creatures and their backstory. I liked the very specific, flowery, industrial, insidious language. I did not like their version of the audio-book.
I thought they could have done more with the environments, given the incredibly evil nature of your surroundings. In a way the pictures depicting your location were often more sinister than the location itself. Though a few of the areas were still very striking.
The story was confusing, and (occasionally) disappointingly predictable/traditional, but still interesting. Expect to look for answers online.
If you liked the idea and atmosphere of the original, but found it too scary, maybe you will like AMFP. If you loved DD for how scary it was and want even more of a thrill, you might be a little disappointed. I hear Outlast is pretty freaking terrifying though, that might be a good alternative for your $20.
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Liquid GhostDO YOU HEAR THE VOICES, TOO?!Registered Userregular
finally got around to playing and beating this.
while i thoroughly enjoyed the dark descent, something about a machine for pigs resonated with me in a way that the first game didn't. both are pretty tense experiences, but i definitely liked a machine for pigs a lot more. to each their own.
i haven't tried much of outlast yet, but i feel like i should sit down and actually give it more of a fair shake, since my first experience with it was one of nearly persistent irritation and not so much horror or dread.
Also, I get the general idea of the ending, but the details are really confusing.
So he had his own heart ripped out? How did that stop the villain?
If he had to sacrifice his children to give life to the Engineer, then was it something else that showed him visions of the future? Was it the orb he found on that body in the casket?
What exactly was it that went wrong in Mexico? What was he even planning to accomplish there?
Also, was that body the engineer himself, given life via a fragment of Mandus' soul?
I understand that stories can be really interesting when you aren't given all the details, but there's just so many gaps that I don't quite follow.
The monsters did not even really register as a threat to me. Nothing like the pants-shitting terror of hearing that "GRAARGH" behind you, followed by the god-awful warble of your insanity meter ticking off the charts in dark descent. Here they were just sort of an inconvenience.
I honestly thought A Machine For Pigs was fantastic. I do think, as others have pointed out, that it was a misstep getting rid of sanity effects when you encounter monsters, but the experience was so good overall that I can forgive it. Even though they removed mechanics from the game, I thought that the story was way more compelling, creating a more resonant and satisfying game. That it was made by the same guys who did Dear Esther really shows.
I beat it, and loved it. Its true that its not as scary as The Dark Descent, but The Chinese Room does bring amazing writing, music and atmosphere to the table.
The game is less scary because there are far less threats. The game is linear, almost on the scale of Dear Esther, and is more about experiencing the amazing story. The creatures are less scary because unlike the Dark Descent mooks, they are a character in the story of A Machine for Pigs. They are given their own backstory and development (after the fact). Descent's monsters remain these unknown, horrible threats to you. You can pretty much figure out when you're in a "threat room" and when you're not. In The Dark Descent, you're never safe, and as soon as you hear a growl and music, you know a threat has spawn and you have to get out and hide until the music stops and its dark again.
Just starting the game now, the first thing I noticed is that I wasn't worried about having my lantern out. This made the first game super scary, in that vision wasn't a given. I'm a pansy when it comes to these games though, and it's scary as hell even without threats. I only play with headphones, and the sound design is excellent so far.
The Dark Descent team handed off MFP because they are working on their next big project, which has no name or release date yet. It does, however, have this concept art.
Dr. ChaosPost nuclear nuisanceRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
Almost done with the Penumbra series and about to move on to Amnesia.
There are a lot of things I lik aboute Penumbra but a lot of things that drive me crazy aswell. Combat, weird comedy relief sidekick, puzzles only episode, it was all over the place.
Dr. ChaosPost nuclear nuisanceRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
Something very powerful about the way Frictional Games make horror games.
Tried to beat Justine for the 15th time and my nerves still get shot to hell and back. I knew everything that was going to happen in Dark Descent and it still freaked me right the fuck out.
Was very tempted to just throw my headphones out the damn window in anxiety whenever I'm chased.
Posts
Well let me give you an example of how the monsters are handled in The Dark Descent VS Machine for Pigs.
Generally speaking, a monster is scarier the less you see of it. There are few things more frightening than a vague concept of a monster, with details mostly added by our imagination. Fear of the unknown is a huge element in horror, and seeing something more frequently and in better detail takes away from that element.
In Amnesia,
Heck, the first real monster you run into is the water guardian, which is actually invisible and only attacks you in the water, so you only know that it's there and will hurt you, but can't actually see it at all.
However, the game is designed in such a way that, when you DO get a chance to see a patrolling monster, you don't want to look at it because doing so will drain your sanity, which makes it easier for the monster to spot YOU. Hence, part of surviving the game is refusing to even look at what few monsters are actually there.
Whereas in Machine for pigs, I encountered them much earlier, and more frequently, and I'm actually only a few hours in and already am stuck in a room with one that's patrolling around, perfectly visible.
And while having a monster nearby that can catch you is definitely cause for concern, it's a short-term scare that makes the monster less of a scary element and more into an obstacle that you simply have to avoid. And that's really not a good idea for a horror game.
Man, how stupid of me, I total forgot that essay that Lovecraft wrote on lack of player empowerment as a gameplay mechanic. I just meant it was Lovecraftian in terms of tone, subject matter and cosmic scope.
Man I can understand them getting rid of the inventory, and I can kind of see them getting rid of the awesome light vs dark risk reward mechanic, but getting rid of the stroke of genius that prevents you from even looking at the monsters just seems wrong on so many levels.
I just hope that Frictional involvement with this doesn't mean that they are going to gut all these brilliant mechanics out of their next game.
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
I think they could have scaled it back to just having the avatar cry out in terror if he looked at an enemy too long.
A few thoughts
STOP FOLLOWING ME, ELECTRO-PIG
GOD DAMMIT, ANOTHER ELECTRO-PIG
Also, the dialog between Mandus and the Engineer is pretty great as you close in on the heart.
Also:
Grand Theft Marble Rye.
But for real, for youse who've beaten this:
The Chinese Room made Machine for Pigs, Frictional Games is only the distributor.
Frictional is working on another game at the moment, but they've released next to nothing about it so no one really knows what's up.
Oh I know but I thought frictional did have oversight with machine for pigs.
If he had to sacrifice his children to give life to the Engineer, then was it something else that showed him visions of the future? Was it the orb he found on that body in the casket?
What exactly was it that went wrong in Mexico? What was he even planning to accomplish there?
Also, was that body the engineer himself, given life via a fragment of Mandus' soul?
I understand that stories can be really interesting when you aren't given all the details, but there's just so many gaps that I don't quite follow.
Well
But for someone like me, I was damn scared for just about the entire duration. I beat the game in 3 sessions. One and two I had to stop at around 45 min. The third session I forced myself through to the end. I was scared enough to keep it interesting, but not scared enough to make me turn it off repeatedly. Kind of a good level for me, tbh.
I liked the creatures and their backstory. I liked the very specific, flowery, industrial, insidious language. I did not like their version of the audio-book.
I thought they could have done more with the environments, given the incredibly evil nature of your surroundings. In a way the pictures depicting your location were often more sinister than the location itself. Though a few of the areas were still very striking.
The story was confusing, and (occasionally) disappointingly predictable/traditional, but still interesting. Expect to look for answers online.
If you liked the idea and atmosphere of the original, but found it too scary, maybe you will like AMFP. If you loved DD for how scary it was and want even more of a thrill, you might be a little disappointed. I hear Outlast is pretty freaking terrifying though, that might be a good alternative for your $20.
while i thoroughly enjoyed the dark descent, something about a machine for pigs resonated with me in a way that the first game didn't. both are pretty tense experiences, but i definitely liked a machine for pigs a lot more. to each their own.
i haven't tried much of outlast yet, but i feel like i should sit down and actually give it more of a fair shake, since my first experience with it was one of nearly persistent irritation and not so much horror or dread.
I was under the impression that
Much less scary than the dark descent.
The monsters did not even really register as a threat to me. Nothing like the pants-shitting terror of hearing that "GRAARGH" behind you, followed by the god-awful warble of your insanity meter ticking off the charts in dark descent. Here they were just sort of an inconvenience.
The game is less scary because there are far less threats. The game is linear, almost on the scale of Dear Esther, and is more about experiencing the amazing story. The creatures are less scary because unlike the Dark Descent mooks, they are a character in the story of A Machine for Pigs. They are given their own backstory and development (after the fact). Descent's monsters remain these unknown, horrible threats to you. You can pretty much figure out when you're in a "threat room" and when you're not. In The Dark Descent, you're never safe, and as soon as you hear a growl and music, you know a threat has spawn and you have to get out and hide until the music stops and its dark again.
LoL: BunyipAristocrat
edit: the loading bar is moving at 1% per hour.
http://nextfrictionalgame.com/
Ants?
We're getting
...IN SPAAAACE!
Look at the screen there at the end...
There are a lot of things I lik aboute Penumbra but a lot of things that drive me crazy aswell. Combat, weird comedy relief sidekick, puzzles only episode, it was all over the place.
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
Also on a sidenote, ran into the water monster in Dark Descent for the first time. Thank god I don't have a heart condition..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eytOzwyfiCA
Excellent.
AI creating some sort of weird techno organic ecosystem as they begin to rapidly evolve on their own?
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Tried to beat Justine for the 15th time and my nerves still get shot to hell and back. I knew everything that was going to happen in Dark Descent and it still freaked me right the fuck out.
Was very tempted to just throw my headphones out the damn window in anxiety whenever I'm chased.