#if your game looks like amnesia the dark descent i know exactly what to expect | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

aion-rsa · 4 years ago

Text

Amnesia: Rebirth Review – Tasi’s Dark Descent

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Amnesia: Rebirth can be absolutely terrifying at times, which should come as no surprise since it’s the sequel to one of the greatest PC horror games ever made. It certainly helps that Frictional Games, the studio behind the original horror masterpiece, is back at the helm for the sequel. This alone might be enough to make gamers run to the Steam store.

Indeed, when Rebirth is at its best, it can unsettle and scare you as effectively as Amnesia: The Dark Descent did in 2010. But it doesn’t always hit the mark. Rebirth sometimes confuses tension with poor puzzle design and can feel a bit dated. For better or worse, the sequel plays quite a bit like its decade-old predecessor.

Amnesia: Rebirth begins with a literal bang, as your plane crashes in the Algerian desert in the 1930s. You play as Tasi Trianon, a young French woman who survives the crash with only fractured memories of her past. She sets out in this unforgiving land to find any other survivors, uncovering a few mysteries along the way.

Without giving too much away, I will say that Tasi’s journey is a deeply personal one, exploring themes of family, trauma, and loss. Early in the game, we learn something really important about Tasi that really raises the stakes, making her journey all that much more dire. Tasi is a very different, more relatable character than Daniel in The Dark Descent, and learning more about her story is a major motivator to keep playing.

While I initially found the desert setting intriguing, Rebirth never seems to take full advantage of it. In your first few minutes after escaping the plane crash, you’ll be told that you need to stay in the shadows to keep your fear meter low, but these outdoor areas rarely come into play later in the game, with Rebirth quickly trading them in for caverns and claustrophobic indoor areas.

It’s here that the traditional gameplay that made the original Amnesia a classic is on full display. In Rebirth, the dark is just as dangerous as the monsters that dwell within it. Spend too much time in shadowy areas, or look too long at the more gruesome parts of the world, and you’ll quickly find your fear increasing, leading to a game over. Though Rebirth replaces The Dark Descent’s concept of “sanity,” with “fear,” the mechanics essentially work exactly the same, although letting your fear get too high does result in some cheap jump scares, which feel somewhat out of place for the series. Matches and lanterns help keep the darkness at bay and your fear low, but those quickly run out, and then it’s a mad dash to figure out what to do next to make it back to the light.

Between The Dark Descent and SOMA, Frictional Games now has more than a decade of experience developing first-person horror games, and they’ve put all those skills to work creating an incredibly unnerving experience in Rebirth. The most effective horror movies are the ones that show you the least but always make you wonder what’s around the next corner, and that philosophy is at work throughout most of the game.

Running through the ruins of the Algerian desert world, I could rarely see more than a few feet in front of me. Objects would regularly move, nudged by something just out of view, and when ghouls did start to appear, they would quickly scuttle into other rooms rather than confront me head on. Maybe I’d run into them right away, maybe I wouldn’t see another monster for a half an hour. It’s that toying with expectations that so effectively creates a constant feeling of dread.

Adding to the tension is some fantastic sound design. Rebirth features a wonderfully creepy soundtrack that knows exactly when to kick in. And the constant, low chatter of voices while exploring the darker areas of the world adds so much to the overall creepy atmosphere of the game. Thankfully, voice acting is also much improved from The Dark Descent.

As great as Amnesia: Rebirth is at invoking fear, it still suffers from one of the main problems that plagued The Dark Descent: needlessly obtuse puzzles. When you’re fleeing from monsters or exploring creepy environments, Rebirth is a top-notch horror experience, but when you’re running around poorly lit areas trying to flip levers or find random objects with little direction, it’s a slog. Confusing level design can help make a game feel more unnerving, but some of the puzzles in Rebirth just feel like filler.

Another legacy issue is that Rebirth’s enemy AI is sometimes shoddy. Yes, the ghouls are very scary when you first encounter them from afar, but when forced to face them up close, there a little too easy to evade. But if they do catch sight of you, you can expect some truly scary chases sequences to ensue.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Between its engaging story and fantastic atmosphere, Amnesia: Rebirth hits all the right notes that made The Dark Descent an instant classic. Just don’t expect anything quite as genre defining as the original. Rebirth is a good horror game to get lost in this Halloween season, but this bout of amnesia feels much more familiar the third time around.

The post Amnesia: Rebirth Review – Tasi’s Dark Descent appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3dHKi8d

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

0 notes

deskcoin64-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Thirteen of Third Coast’s Favorite Scary Gaming Moments

As Halloween weekend comes to a close, you might be feeling a bit of sadness at the prospect of all the spooky fun fading. Don’t fret though, because Halloween isn’t over yet, and neither is all the scary fun. Here at Third Coast, we’ve compiled a list of the scariest moments we’ve had playing video games, and we’re here to share them with you. So grab some Halloween candy and explore our favorite frightening game moments. Then, if you dare, scout the Halloween sales on Playstation, Xbox and Steam’s Halloween sale (starting today) and spend some time reliving the horrifying moments we mentioned. Third Coast gamers Antal Bokor, Marielle Shaw, James Brod, Matthew Bucher and Allison Manley share their favorite scares below.

Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture (via igdb.com)

Penumbra: Overture

I came across Penumbra a few years after it came out, and I’m not sure exactly what drew me towards it. It immediately gave me an eerie, found footage sort of vibe, like I discovered something forbidden, or even cursed. Penumbra’s inherent jankiness really helped drive that impression home, but if you’re willing to suffer through some clunkiness you’ll find a truly unsettling, extremely atmospheric and compelling game about a man trying to find his long-presumed dead father in a remote underground facility in northern Greenland. Brave creatures, fight your deteriorating psyche, solve physics-based puzzles, and uncover horrific mysteries. Developed by Frictional games, known for Amnesia and Soma, Penumbra is a survival/psychological horror that will haunt you.

-Antal

Screenshot: Tomb Raider III

Tomb Raider (Series)

I may have already mentioned I was hooked on Tomb Raider from the very first game, but what needs mentioning in a list of scary games is that there are some truly terrifying moments in those first three Tomb Raider games. Some are by design—like the incredibly creepy last two levels of the original game, where the walls pulse and strange aliens abound—but others happened more organically. I remember being engrossed in a complicated puzzle in the midst of a lush jungle in Tomb Raider III only to nearly die of a heart attack when a tiger would suddenly ambush me, destroying my moment of quiet contemplation. Perhaps the scariest thing I remember happening in any Tomb Raider game I’ve played though was during Tomb Raider III, when a giant Shiva statue came to life in what had previously been a peaceful puzzle room. The legacy continues, too, as Shadow of the Tomb Raider turned out to have some very frightening foes in the depths of its cave systems.

– Mariel

Screenshot: Subnautica

Subnautica

Not a conventional horror game, Subnautica is perhaps the game that scared me the most on this entire list. When I reviewed it last year (link to review) I mentioned its scarier moments, and even after putting about fifty more hours into that game since I reviewed it and even knowing all of its secrets, I still feel uneasy in its depths. There’s an extremely primal fear throughout as you are introduced to an underwater food chain that places you somewhere in the middle. Star Trek-like technology helps surviving under the oceans possible, but not necessarily easy as uncovering its mysteries puts you closer to some of Subnautica’s more terrifying creatures and environments.

-Antal

Screenshot: Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear is great because it’s a first-person psychological horror game featuring classic works of art mixed with grotesque uses for body parts… but it’s also got a LOT of great jump scares. Throughout the game (set in an artists’ manor), a lot of the paranoia comes in constantly-shifting hallways, many of which have words written on the walls and over the doorways. In one of those hallways, the wall above the door says “DON’T LOOK BACK.” When you see that, you just have to turn around, right? Let’s just say that if you play the game, you probably don’t want to. Unless you want to change your pants.

-Allison

Screenshot: Dead Space

Dead Space

I’d heard of the Dead Space games for years, and I’d always been interested. Resident Evil 4 in space, and gorier? Sign me up. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Dead Space is a horror game for people who don’t like feeling completely defenseless, without sacrificing the teeth-grinding anxiety that horror games give you in spades. It has plenty of satisfying weaponry, which is perfect when you’re going up against some of the most disturbingly scary creatures in any horror game I’ve played, because when every enemy you face looks like it was ripped right out of The Thing (which is a must watch for horror movie fans), you know you’re going to have a bad time. All of this is brought together with a setting that feels like Alien but scarier makes Dead Space a must play for fans of the horror genre.

– James

Screenshot: The Evil Within

The Evil Within

Legendary director and developer Shinji Mikami, best known for his work with Capcom and the Resident Evil Series, helped not only create the modern survival horror genre—but he also helped redefine it with Resident Evil 4 in 2002. When Evil Within came out, I think people were expecting another genre defining game. Instead, we got a mind fuck that is worthy of cult status. Gritty and rough around the edges, Evil Within is like playing through a horror hodgepodge. Taking cues from Silent Hill and the Resident Evil series, The Evil Within plays like the nightmare you would have after binge playing as many games in those series as possible. With a story that jumps from setting to setting without much explanation (until the end), increase the sense of hopelessness. And if that wasn’t bad enough, even on “Normal” difficulty The Evil Within can be pretty difficult, and checkpoints can be pretty sparse adding another layer fear in the form of lost progress. The sequel (see our review here) is a lot more conventional to modern horror standards, and while it never felt as gritty as the original, is also worth a look.

-Antal

Screenshot: The Forest

The Forest

I went into The Forest preparing to be scared. I knew it was a sort of Descent-esque survival game, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much horror would be involved. Try as I might to convince myself that the terrifying mutations that exist in the forests where my plane crashed weren’t real, the sounds they made, the way they hunt in packs, and the particular combination of twisted body parts they’re made up of had me legitimately terrified for almost the entire first half of the game. Adding to the fright factor, the monsters’ attack patterns are erratic��sometimes they’ll charge straight for you in groups, but sometimes they’ll fake you out, letting out a crazy sort of laughing sound as they do. Once you start exploring the caves, you’ll find newer and deeper horrors, with bloody limbs you’ll need to brush past, empty camps where things went terribly wrong, and the knowledge that just around the next bend you may encounter something you can’t get out of. While I eventually conquered my paralyzing fear of The Forest’s citizens and was better able to face off with them, I still can’t shake that uneasy feeling every time I load back into the game.

– Mariel

Screenshot: Bloodborne

Bloodborne

Not strictly a horror game, its risk/reward mechanics can create some stressful moments—but more than that, Bloodborne is absolutely chock full of horror style. Werewolves, giant insects, and even eldritch horrors abound in a game that is just as horrifying as it is difficult. Arguably the best game in the Souls series, Bloodborne reinvents as much as refines the Souls series in a way that even Dark Souls 3 couldn’t completely match

– Antal

System Shock 2

When you think of evil video game AIs you might think of GLADoS, but the first think I think of is Shodan. While GLADoS had a sort of plucky wackiness to her evil, Shodan was ruthless and terrifying. Not satisfied with sending her zombified, mutated and cybernetically enhanced minions after you, Shodan also enjoys taunting you as you fight for your life, as seen in the above reveal rant from the original System Shock game. While the original System Shock is a cult classic that has been re-released over the years (with Nightdive Studios even working on a complete Unreal engine-based remake) I personally found System Shock 2 to be the scarier of the two, but they’re both great atmospheric games—and the spiritual predecessors to the Bioshock series.

-Antal

Screenshot: Bioshock

Bioshock

Going into Bioshock, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d picked up a PS3 a year or two after its initial release and was going back and trying to play the games I’d heard everyone raving about. I didn’t expect to be taken in by the game, but as soon as I emerged from that initial bathysphere ride into Rapture I was hooked. And scared. The lonely corridors paired with the cheerful 50’s dance classics set the mood perfectly, and it was all downhill from there, from the terrifying masks on the bunny splicers in their bloodied dresses to the Scripture quoting, hymn singing others gone mad and waiting to tear you apart. All this without even mentioning the terrifying stomping and hissing of Big Daddies lurking nearby, or the inherent scariness of the Little Sisters who accompanied them and their high-pitched shrieks. Bioshock had me so entirely immersed in its world that I still think of those frightening depths today.

– Mariel

Screenshot: Raw Data

Raw Data

Raw Data is one of the few VR games that really manages to feel like a “full” game. It can also be really terrifying. Sure, we’ve seen a lot of horrible things in games, as evidenced by the stories you’ve read in this article so far alone. But when you’ve got the headset on and you’re in a dark laboratory corridor where there’s been a containment problem and robots in various stages of disrepair start attacking, it’s a whole new sort of fright. The worst ones for me were the ones that slowly slithered on the cold tile floor only to leap into your face at the last second. Even with weapons at the ready, I felt ill-prepared for their glowy red eyes and cold metallic skin so close to my face I could almost feel it.

-Mariel

Screenshot: Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2

One of the scariest moments I remember from a video game was in Resident Evil 2 for N64. One of the most memorable things about early Resident Evil games for me was simply opening doors. The creak of the door and the darkness inside served as a loading screen, but was also nerve wracking. Would something pop up? What was waiting for you in the next room? After playing through Resident Evil 1 and growing used to that loading screen, RE2 made it scary again. Opening doors was business as usual until one door opened to reveal a horde of zombies coming into your area.

– Matthew

Screenshot: Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation

When Alien: Isolation came out to rave reviews, I was super psyched to wash my mouth of the bitterness that was Aliens: Colonial Marines and finally embrace a truly good Alien game. And then it was so scary I couldn’t beat it. I played it for several hours, reveling in its retro-futurism and its recreation of a 1980s Alien world—one that believably sat between Alien and Aliens. But then I ran into that damned xenomorph, some primal childhood fear reared its head, and I was paralyzed. My mom used to warn me that watching the Alien franchise would scare me, but I certainly did not listen. After imagining there was a slickly oily, acid-blooded creature waiting to kill me with its razor claws and extending, stabby jaw for the majority of my life, facing a moving and thinking manifestation of my childhood fear was too much. I never beat Alien: Isolation—because it scared me too much. But I vow to return someday…just not today.

– Antal

We hope you’ve had fun with this list of our favorite scary game moments. If you’ve got your own favorite moments to add to this list, leave them in the comments!

Hi! If you made it down this far you must’ve liked what you’ve seen. If you did, consider donating to our Patreon. Your donations enable us to continue to provide this type of content and more. Check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/3CR. Thank you for your support!

Categories: Game, Games & Tech, Round-Up

Tagged as: Alien: Isolation, Bioshock, Bloodborne, Dead Space, gaming, halloween, Layers of Fear, Penumbra: Overture, PlayStation, ps4, Raw Data, Resident Evil 2, scary gaming moments, shadow of the tomb raider, Steam, Subnautica, System Shock 2, The Evil Within, The Forest, Tomb Raider, Xbox, XBoxOne

Source: https://thirdcoastreview.com/2018/10/29/eleven-scary-gaming-moments/

0 notes

beamheat2-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Thirteen of Third Coast’s Favorite Scary Gaming Moments

Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture (via igdb.com)

Penumbra: Overture

-Antal

Screenshot: Tomb Raider III

Tomb Raider (Series)

– Mariel

Screenshot: Subnautica

Subnautica

-Antal

Screenshot: Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear

-Allison

Screenshot: Dead Space

Dead Space

– James

Screenshot: The Evil Within

The Evil Within

-Antal

Screenshot: The Forest

The Forest

I went into The Forest preparing to be scared. I knew it was a sort of Descent-esque survival game, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much horror would be involved. Try as I might to convince myself that the terrifying mutations that exist in the forests where my plane crashed weren’t real, the sounds they made, the way they hunt in packs, and the particular combination of twisted body parts they’re made up of had me legitimately terrified for almost the entire first half of the game. Adding to the fright factor, the monsters’ attack patterns are erratic—sometimes they’ll charge straight for you in groups, but sometimes they’ll fake you out, letting out a crazy sort of laughing sound as they do. Once you start exploring the caves, you’ll find newer and deeper horrors, with bloody limbs you’ll need to brush past, empty camps where things went terribly wrong, and the knowledge that just around the next bend you may encounter something you can’t get out of. While I eventually conquered my paralyzing fear of The Forest’s citizens and was better able to face off with them, I still can’t shake that uneasy feeling every time I load back into the game.

– Mariel

Screenshot: Bloodborne

Bloodborne

– Antal

System Shock 2

-Antal

Screenshot: Bioshock

Bioshock

– Mariel

Screenshot: Raw Data

Raw Data

-Mariel

Screenshot: Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2

– Matthew

Screenshot: Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation

– Antal

We hope you’ve had fun with this list of our favorite scary game moments. If you’ve got your own favorite moments to add to this list, leave them in the comments!

Categories: Game, Games & Tech, Round-Up

Source: https://thirdcoastreview.com/2018/10/29/eleven-scary-gaming-moments/

0 notes

weekegg2-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Thirteen of Third Coast’s Favorite Scary Gaming Moments

Screenshot: Penumbra: Overture (via igdb.com)

Penumbra: Overture

-Antal

Screenshot: Tomb Raider III

Tomb Raider (Series)

– Mariel

Screenshot: Subnautica

Subnautica

-Antal

Screenshot: Layers of Fear

Layers of Fear

-Allison

Screenshot: Dead Space

Dead Space

– James

Screenshot: The Evil Within

The Evil Within

-Antal

Screenshot: The Forest

The Forest

I went into The Forest preparing to be scared. I knew it was a sort of Descent-esque survival game, but I wasn’t prepared for just how much horror would be involved. Try as I might to convince myself that the terrifying mutations that exist in the forests where my plane crashed weren’t real, the sounds they made, the way they hunt in packs, and the particular combination of twisted body parts they’re made up of had me legitimately terrified for almost the entire first half of the game. Adding to the fright factor, the monsters’ attack patterns are erratic—sometimes they’ll charge straight for you in groups, but sometimes they’ll fake you out, letting out a crazy sort of laughing sound as they do. Once you start exploring the caves, you’ll find newer and deeper horrors, with bloody limbs you’ll need to brush past, empty camps where things went terribly wrong, and the knowledge that just around the next bend you may encounter something you can’t get out of. While I eventually conquered my paralyzing fear of The Forest’s citizens and was better able to face off with them, I still can’t shake that uneasy feeling every time I load back into the game.

– Mariel

Screenshot: Bloodborne

Bloodborne

– Antal

System Shock 2

-Antal

Screenshot: Bioshock

Bioshock

– Mariel

Screenshot: Raw Data

Raw Data

-Mariel

Screenshot: Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2

– Matthew

Screenshot: Alien: Isolation

Alien: Isolation

– Antal

We hope you’ve had fun with this list of our favorite scary game moments. If you’ve got your own favorite moments to add to this list, leave them in the comments!

Categories: Game, Games & Tech, Round-Up

Source: https://thirdcoastreview.com/2018/10/29/eleven-scary-gaming-moments/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

0 notes