Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

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CrazyBernie
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Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by CrazyBernie »

I'm not usually into Mystery-Puzzle-Survival Horror games, but these guys have it going on. I downloaded the demo for Amnesia: Dark Descent on Steam, and was pleasantly surprised... or is that pleasantly frightened?? :shock:

The 3D engine has slick graphics, and nice physics. It wasn't as free-form as I originally thought... you can't move everything that isn't nailed down, but there's certainly enough "special effects" candy to keep me interested. The gameplay is such that you are unable to fight... all you can do is run and/or hide. This adds a whole new level of tension to the traditional horror suvival element. Light plays a big factor as well... the darkness has a negative effect on your sanity level - although I'm not 100% sure what that does. It has a non-standard health system; you're only good for a few hits before you go down. There are no cutscenes in the traditional sense... things take place in-game and on the fly, although you don't always have control as the developer suggests. There are also area transitions that interrupt the gameplay somewhat, but they sneak notes and story bits into them to prevent a complete breaking of immersion.

Just from the demo (which isn't long, but it could be depending on your playstyle), I'd be throwing the game a solid B+. For a lazy slacker like me, a B+ is a crowning achievement. :mrgreen: If I had used headphones like they suggest, and turned out the lights, I'd probably have jumped clear out of my seat on more than one occasion, and the demo isn't really all that revealing.

I'm pretty tempted to pick this one up, but I may actually jump on their previous series - Penumbra. You can get all three games (1,2 plus an expansion) for only twenty smackeroonies... and it looks like there might actually be a little bit more "freedom" in the gameplay. Then I would just need to find the time to play them. 0_o

Oh, and their games work with all three Major OSes... a bonus for you Mac/Linux junkies!
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by Novfanaion »

They're definitely good at what they do. I especially love the creepy atmosphere their games have, which no other games can create.
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by Evnissyen »

In the closet! Hide in the closet! Yes... nothing can get me here... !

Nice immersion, though, and: physics! (Stuff on table.) I love details.

The lantern looks annoying. I'm really not enamored with FP-perspective games... . Not my thing, though the game looks interesting, nonetheless.
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by sirdilznik »

I like this game so much I had the cover art as my avatar for a while :wink:

A truly unsettling survival horror game. Frictional are truly exceptional at creating a really immersive and flat out creepy atmosphere and can build tension and terror without cheap monster jumps out of a closet scares. It should be the horror game of the year and possibly the adventure game of the year.
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

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Evnissyen wrote:In the closet! Hide in the closet! Yes... nothing can get me here... !

Nice immersion, though, and: physics! (Stuff on table.) I love details.

The lantern looks annoying. I'm really not enamored with FP-perspective games... . Not my thing, though the game looks interesting, nonetheless.
Lol. You have to understand a little more about the game to comprehend the "hiding in the closet." The lantern is a tad annoying, especially when you run out of oil.... :shock:

The physics are a huge part of the gameplay.

I ended up pulling the trigger on Penumbra... so far so good. Amnesia definitely has a better atmosphere, but the former is still a good game. There's still some annoyances with the engine... most items can be moved/picked up, but there are some things that should be movable and aren't. The same can be said for destructables... some things that are less sturdy end up being invulnerable to damage. I understand the limitations, but it does break the immersion somewhat. Overall though, I'm happy with my purchase. Of course, Now I'm going to have to get Amnesia too.... 0_o Hopefully it'll go on sale while I'm workin' on Penumbra.
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by CrazyBernie »

Oh no they didn't!

Steam has Amnesia on sale for 9.99... I guess that clinches it. 0_o
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by sirdilznik »

CrazyBernie wrote:Oh no they didn't!

Steam has Amnesia on sale for 9.99... I guess that clinches it. 0_o
At that price you have to buy it. Amnesia is everything the Penumbra games were (I own all the Penumbra games BTW) but better but with a more advanced engine and graphics. I bought Amnesia when it first went on presale for $16(20% off for preorder) and I felt (and still do) like I got away with highway robbery. I almost want to purchase the game again just to support them some more and show them how much I appreciate their work. If they ever release a boxed copy I will DEFINITELY buy it again at whatever price. Anyway, at $10 bucks you absolutely have to buy this game. Then if you have the stones, play it like they suggest; at night, wearing headphones (or with the sound turned up), and with the lights off. I will freely admit I can only play Amnesia under those conditions for about 30 minutes before I lose my nerve and have to take a break. It's that intense if you truly let yourself get sucked in. For real, no lie. When you step away from a game telling yourself "It's only a game.", you know they did horror right.
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Re: Frictional Games - Indie Survival Horror

Post by CrazyBernie »

Well, Steam does have the ability to "gift" games... so get to it! It does sort of stink that you can't buy multiple copies in advance unless they're in a pack (for obvious reasons). But still... it works out pretty well in the end.

*not-so-ominous foreshadowing*

Which reminds me... there might be a little Christmas giveaway in the near future on this forum, hosted by myself.... :mrgreen:
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