Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

 PC
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 967 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 361 out of 967
  2. Mixed: 306 out of 967
  3. Negative: 300 out of 967

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  1. Ananas4
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    It has a good, gloomy atmosphere, great voice actors (except the kids) and good soundtrack. But that's about it. It's dumbed down from The Dark Descent and nowhere as scary. It feels more like an walking simulator or a bad custom story for TDD. There are jumpscares here and there and most of scripted scenes are just an enemy or kid running past the hallway and then disappearing. EnemiesIt has a good, gloomy atmosphere, great voice actors (except the kids) and good soundtrack. But that's about it. It's dumbed down from The Dark Descent and nowhere as scary. It feels more like an walking simulator or a bad custom story for TDD. There are jumpscares here and there and most of scripted scenes are just an enemy or kid running past the hallway and then disappearing. Enemies aren't scary at all and it's easy to run away from them. Game is pretty short, it may be worth to try if you like stories but nice it wasn't something like $60.… Expand
  2. Deadspacelover1
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    i've been looking forward to this game for years, and in the first hour it was very fun and creepy, but then it got so linier and was not even worth playing. i seriously just wanted to complete the damn game, and move on in my life. biggest disappointment in years! oh and it only takes 5 hours to complete
  3. Saffa_Kid
    Sep 11, 2013
    4
    What the hell happened here? I have been looking forward to this game for AGES, and it was probably one of the most disappointing games I've played this year.

    This game had the potential to be the scariest game this year, what were the developers thinking?!? There are no new features in this game, it actually downgraded from the previous game Amnesia: the dark decent. Did they add 1st    What the hell happened here? I have been looking forward to this game for AGES, and it was probably one of the most disappointing games I've played this year.

    This game had the potential to be the scariest game this year, what were the developers thinking?!? There are no new features in this game, it actually downgraded from the previous game Amnesia: the dark decent. Did they add 1st person full body awareness? NOPE. Did they add 1st person interactive animations with doors and objects? NOPE. What about jumpscares? NOPE, lets just make the entire place shake every 30 seconds, that'll scare the shiet out of them. Why don't we add some terrifying creatures? NAH BRO LETS ADD A PIG MAN that doesnt even look terrifying.

    This game isn't even a survival horror game anymore, no more tinderboxes, which is understandable because of the time of plot being in the 1800's where electricity started to develop. Yeah ofcourse you get a latern, but it will stay lit for an infinite amount of time! WOW what a good idea, the lantern will start flickering whenever enemies are nearby, meaning that you will never be surprised by monsters being in the area. What a way to go. It should be mentioned that you don't even have to use the lantern, because areas are so lit up even if the brightness is on its lowest.

    And also, you don't see other people in the game, it's as if they all just dissapeared! you'd expect with a better budget that they would add some additional characters that can acompany you in your journey. You hear people talking and screaming, but they are placed in cages with a big cloth over them so you cant even see them.

    You can't interact with each object individually, it's like they are glued to everything, where as in the previous game you can pick up any loose object and toss it around, in this game that is very limited to only "quest items". That being said, there is no inventory system, that got completely removed as well. The sanity system also got removed as well as the health system. You can't even open most doors or drawers anymore because they have locks on them that prevent them from being open. When you pick up documents and diaries, there are no more voice overs to read it for you. So basically they removed EVERYTHING that made Amnesia Amnesia!

    TO SUM IT UP:
    -No more health system or Sanity system
    -Rooms and areas are so lit up the lantern is useless
    -No jumpscares
    -Very limited objects to be interacted with
    -All doors and drawers are conveniently locked, that shouldn't be.
    -Same old things from the previous game, no added 1st person animations
    -Terrible character development, you dont even care about the guy you play as.

    This game is a rushed piece of cash in, your game is bad! and you should feel bad! I expected something better than this you could have done way better!    … Expand
  4. Dkashola
    Sep 10, 2013
    3
    I like a good story, and apparently The Chinese room does as well, the difference is however is that i like video games also. Before I get into A Machine for Pigs I insist on bringing up Dear Esther, the "non-game, game". As implied, their game "Dear Esther' isn't really a game, because games have game-play and 'Dear Esther' did not. You walked for about 50 minutes on an island while aI like a good story, and apparently The Chinese room does as well, the difference is however is that i like video games also. Before I get into A Machine for Pigs I insist on bringing up Dear Esther, the "non-game, game". As implied, their game "Dear Esther' isn't really a game, because games have game-play and 'Dear Esther' did not. You walked for about 50 minutes on an island while a story was being told to you in randomized bits.

    Now, to get to the actual game 'A Machine For Pigs', I was worried about how the game would turn out, due to the developers track record so far, but I decided to give it a shot since 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent' is my favorite horror game of all time. Unfortunately, my concerns were validated: they screwed up.

    The developers focus too much on story and not enough on actual game-play; It is as if they are pained to create anything that requires interaction and only have little in the game because Frictional was over their shoulders giving them menacing looks. There is no inventory menu, or sanity gauge, and hell you don't even have to worry about resources.

    In short when criticizing this game, I'm really criticizing The Chinese Room as developers. They seem like a talented group of people, but people who should be making films instead of video games.    … Expand
  5. Vixremento
    Sep 11, 2013
    4
    I've been super excited for this game for a long time now...sadly it was just barely a game (at least this time we could interact a little unlike with the Chinese Rooms Dear Esther) and instead felt more like an interactive story with bits of horror if you could even call them that (what the hell happened to having an enjoyable fun experience like one normally does in games withI've been super excited for this game for a long time now...sadly it was just barely a game (at least this time we could interact a little unlike with the Chinese Rooms Dear Esther) and instead felt more like an interactive story with bits of horror if you could even call them that (what the hell happened to having an enjoyable fun experience like one normally does in games with challenging puzzles and mechanics that force you to move carefully, use resources sparingly and to crap in your pants at the slightest shadow flicker in the distance?).

    I would seriously rather recommend that you replay Amnesia: The Dark Descent instead of buying this especially at full price.    … Expand
  6. black_pirate
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    They took out everything that I loved in first Amnesia. I was waiting for this release long time ago.. and now I feel empty, cheated and disappointed. I even enjoyed in Dear Esther, but this...this...what they did with machine for pigs, it is just not a good combination, a wrong move. It is an average game with cool atmosphere...nothing else, and nothing special.
  7. cstrang
    Sep 11, 2013
    4
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs not only proves that The Chinese Room can't make a powerful horror game, but that they also still struggle with the concept of game vs. interactive storybook.

    The gameplay gripes here are many: A Machine for Pigs takes away everything from the original Amnesia that made it such a tense playthrough. Gone is the inventory, limited amount of lantern fuel (I use    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs not only proves that The Chinese Room can't make a powerful horror game, but that they also still struggle with the concept of game vs. interactive storybook.

    The gameplay gripes here are many: A Machine for Pigs takes away everything from the original Amnesia that made it such a tense playthrough. Gone is the inventory, limited amount of lantern fuel (I use that terminology because the lantern in A Machine for Pigs is electric), coherent health system, and sanity meter. This means that not only are the "puzzles" one encounters simplified to the point were they entail player is simply dragging an item a few meters, but there is also absolutely no urgency to solve them. "Exploration" is largely linear to begin with, so the game itself devolves into a 3 hours (Yes, the game is about 3 hours in length) exercise of following the path, flipping a switch to solve a "puzzle", following the path, dragging a thing to another thing, flipping a switch, following the path, repeat.

    The monster encounters are few and far between and the AI appears to have the mental capacity of a 2 year old, making them not only completely trickable but also totally non-threatening. It won't be long in the game before you figure out that there isn't much to be afraid of in this "survival horror" game, which is certainly A Machine for Pigs greatest downfall.

    The story is decently done, though you will be able to predict one of the larger twists in the game before you even place your hands on the keyboard/controller to move your character, and you'll probably still be fuming over that the appreciate the rest the story has to offer since it is so short. Audio is probably A Machine for Pigs' greatest strength The voice-acting is well-done (though slightly sparse for a game that would be best described as story-driven), the music is haunting, and the sound effects try to build a tense atmosphere that is ultimately defeated by the fact that you will realize there is nothing there to hurt you.

    The price upon release in the US is $20, around $16 if you preordered. At a paltry 3 hours of gameplay, in a world that feels sparse, simple, linear, and as threatening as a new-born kitten, I can't possibly recommend it to anyone.    … Expand
  8. Max_Killington
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    By removing insanity mechanic and management of your light source (lamp oil, tinderboxes) and not replacing either with anything equivalent makes this version of Amnesia very dull and boring. There is no more insanity which provided a sense of urgency and no pressure to make progress anymore makes this version of Amnesia nothing more than a boring stroll; the horror element evaporates asBy removing insanity mechanic and management of your light source (lamp oil, tinderboxes) and not replacing either with anything equivalent makes this version of Amnesia very dull and boring. There is no more insanity which provided a sense of urgency and no pressure to make progress anymore makes this version of Amnesia nothing more than a boring stroll; the horror element evaporates as well. The Dark Descent was great Machine for Pigs was very disappointing.… Expand
  9. okamimiyazaki
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    I'm not sure how Frictional could have been satisfied with releasing this game. Maybe it was The Chinese Room's influence?

    First of all, it removes a lot of the mechanics of The Dark Descent e.g. lantern with limited fuel, tinders, inventory, sanity, picking up most objects, HIDING IN CABINETS... In return, we get nothing. Typically when a company develops another game in a series they    I'm not sure how Frictional could have been satisfied with releasing this game. Maybe it was The Chinese Room's influence?

    First of all, it removes a lot of the mechanics of The Dark Descent e.g. lantern with limited fuel, tinders, inventory, sanity, picking up most objects, HIDING IN CABINETS... In return, we get nothing. Typically when a company develops another game in a series they remove some features but add new ones that are supposed to be better. Not this time, apparently. The limited light fuel in TDD was great because it added another layer of suspense (the fear that you would run out of light and be stuck in the horrifying dark with monsters). Hiding in the cabinets was awesome.... I was expecting all of these old suspenseful features plus, ya know, NEW ones. Not the removal of the good stuff.

    Second, the game is NOT SCARY... When you see the first pig monster, you may think it is going to be frightening. Until you actually see it up close. WTF? Isn't this supposed to be a horror game? Then why did they take what looks like an undead dog with a pig head attached to it and call it a monster? There was so much freaky concept art out there with a lot of potential... The monsters also move slowly and behave predictably. They're not scary, just annoying to maneuver around.

    Last, it runs like crap. I can run nearly any game maxed out on my rig with no issues but Machine was giving me limitless problems (screen tearing, stuttering, etc). When I turned the graphics down, it got worse and ended up looking like the original Doom.

    The only positive things I have to say about Machine for Pigs are that the plot is somewhat interesting and that they (mostly) removed that blinding white light that kept flashing across the screen in The Dark Descent (which was hard on the eyes in the dark).

    Music is also nice. Kudos to the composer.

    Overall, not worthy of being called an Amnesia game.    … Expand
  10. EldritchW
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't believe how far Frictional has fallen.
    Amnesia:MfP is literally Dear Ester 2.0 2deep4u story jump-scares.

    It literally removes all valid gameplay from previous titles, There is no more resource management,
    no more insanity.
    At least 50% of the game in Penumbra was storing stuff in your inventory, using them for puzzels, this was slightly less focused on in Amnesia,
    and taken out completly in MfP
    There is no advantage to just staring at the monsters from
    your corner in the dark and look at them move around.

    The monsters themselves are so common their presence stops being scary at all (not that their modles are scary anyway), This was less of a problem in the original,
    also negated by the insanity mechanic.
    Chineese Room seem to have no concept of horror, and also seem to have just lazily mashed together FEAR (telephone calls? dead children spazing around?), Dear Ester (no inventory press W to win),
    and other horror concepts.

    The very first section is ALL jump scares, and its not like their uncommon. They happen almost every time you turn a corner, after the first it is no longer scary.

    Next, what is probably the worst part. The scripted events. There is a part where you get knocked down, you look up and see your children. What happenes next is the cheesiest, moment in the game.
    They reach into their chests and pull out their harts and hold them up, only its not even dramatic, there is no build up, it happens so fast and casually I almost laughed.

    Its like this game is shouting at you "ARE YOU SCARED YET HUH? WOW THIS SETTING IS SPOOKY!, ARNT LITTLE DEAD KIDS SPOOKEY?" "HEY LOOK ANOTHER JUMSCARE, BOY THAT WAS CREEPY WASNT IT?"
    "DUN DUN DUNN.... THEY PULLED THEIR LITTLE HEARTS OUT!" "INST THAT JUST 2SPOOKEY4U!!"

    Which brings me to the writing. Honestly the writing is worse than a B list horror film. It probably uses every trope in the book to mash together some sense of naritive.
    Compare that to the writing of Penumbra or Amnesia, which aren't perfect, but are actually interesting. They are much more original and nested in a lovecraftian genre,
    I can't even think of one time in either games I thought "hmm.. wow that looks just like the Shining" (I mean dead twin brothers? really?). In Penumbra and Amnesia the lovecraftian story, and accompnying themes drive the game, in MfP the Game drives the story, which is seemingly derived from the cess filled machine pits anyway.

    Seriously, creatures from beyond make for a more interesting narrative than "Ohmygosh it was my fault all alongs XD!!!!!1!"

    One last thing. The game last me 2 hours, start to finish. The puzzles were so simplistic, and mostly considered of: get item X to location Y.
    The puzzels in Penumbra and Amnesia actually require you to figure things out by searching for notes, and trying to make sense of them. Often they were also meaningful,
    and added to the story. Not once did
    I rely on any of the notes or mementos in MfP.

    So, if you want a 2 hour walking simulator, go ahead and buy this game. Don't worry! its not even scary.
    If you want an actual horror game with an actual story, that at least tries to be original, buy/play Penumbra or Amnesia:TDD (although at this point I
    no longer wish to support Frictional for allowing this turd to slip the bowls of The Chineese Room and onto their brand)

    PS: Remember this game was slated for Halloween 2012, its almost a year late....I guess you can polish a turd all you like....    … Expand
  11. kbrixx
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    Sad....very sad.I had such high hopes for this game.isn't as crazy scary as the original,not even close.good news is i only spent 15 bux for this game.so theres that.
  12. Muuvinki
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    After hour of playing i can definitely say that this is far from amnesia dark descent, horror element is almost completely gone from this game. They also have removed sanity and health meter.
    Enemies are stupid looking and not frightening one bit, i sure would like to know what happened to this game and how it became like this. I cannot recommend you to waste your money on this s***.
  13. Lanopo
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    Very disappointing, the removed several features without adding a single one! Yes! They are is no new gameplay mechanics! In-fact, there is no gameplay at all. This is what happens when you give creative control of a sequel to a beloved horror game to the 'Dear Esther team'; what where Frictional thinking! The horror relies on jump scares, shaking the screen, and making loud noises,Very disappointing, the removed several features without adding a single one! Yes! They are is no new gameplay mechanics! In-fact, there is no gameplay at all. This is what happens when you give creative control of a sequel to a beloved horror game to the 'Dear Esther team'; what where Frictional thinking! The horror relies on jump scares, shaking the screen, and making loud noises, something The Dark Decent never had to resort to. Very disappointed. The only thing notable in this 'game' is the story and atmosphere; Oh liked picking literally anything up in TTD? The only thing you can interact with in AMFP is chairs and drawers.

    The Chinese Room; stop making games, please, go make art-house films. Everyone will look back and scoff once technology advances and your 'art games' look like Banjo Kazooie.    … Expand
  14. Sithiuss
    Sep 10, 2013
    2
    Honestly this game was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Not only was the game incredibly easy
    the entire way through, but hardly scary at all. Not only was the fear factor lacking but I felt the story was incredibly predictable and dry as well. The writing shined in the notes in comparison to the former game but failed to add up to anything meaningful. They took out the    Honestly this game was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Not only was the game incredibly easy
    the entire way through, but hardly scary at all. Not only was the fear factor lacking but I felt the story was incredibly predictable and dry as well. The writing shined in the notes in comparison to the former game but failed to add up to anything meaningful. They took out the survival elements of the game entirely (No fuel, no lighting of candles/lanterns, no sanity mechanic) 90% of the time you can simply run straight past the monsters with no penalty.The monsters weren't scary, the game-play failed hard, and a few minor plot twists along the way which were easily foreseen 2/10 biggest letdown of the year.    … Expand
  15. blake0812
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    This game is bad. Now, before you discard this review as some troll post, let me tell you: I am a big Amnesia fan, since it first popped up on Steam I bought it and was hooked. When I first heard of the sequel coming, I was ecstatic, I was so excited came out my ass! I remember looking at the trailers for it, looking at the website, and everyday or so checking to see if there wasThis game is bad. Now, before you discard this review as some troll post, let me tell you: I am a big Amnesia fan, since it first popped up on Steam I bought it and was hooked. When I first heard of the sequel coming, I was ecstatic, I was so excited came out my ass! I remember looking at the trailers for it, looking at the website, and everyday or so checking to see if there was something different.

    Needless to say, this game is such a disappointment I can't even explain how let down I am. I'm so disappointed I feel offended. Let me try to sum up the ****tiness:
    -NO INVENTORY
    This was a big plow for me, because in the first it became a big factor in whether you live or die.
    -3 Hours long
    Now, this is debatable. Anyone can speedrun a game, but I didn't, and finished it in 3 hours, no less. The first game I finished in 6 hours, which then felt good. It was an indie game, but I got more out of it than I expected.
    -The lantern is infinite
    This too is debatable, but there were some things they could have made better with it, such as having to recharge the lantern if it went out. The use of a universal powered lantern is beyond me, this game takes place in 1899, they didn't even have electricity back then yet. Just barely.
    -A year too late
    The game was set to come out last year for Halloween, which would have made sense, it's a horror game and Halloween is associated with that. Makes sense and it works. But then, UH OH, WE HAVE TO DELAY IT. Some people will feel as though it was due to them added MORE content, which most ways is a good thing. I agree that more content is better. But what did they add? NOTHING. The only thing that was different was controller support, which would have taken at least a month to add. The rest of the gameplay is gone, it feels as though the game wasn't even finished yet.
    -The Chinese Room
    Let's talk about these people for a minute. Are you familiar with Dear Ester, a popular mod for HL1? If you've played it, you know what I'm talking about. It's a good mod, it was made by the Chinese Room, and they've been recognized as a great studio since then. More like a piece of dog I've played this game and felt that their presence was too much in this game, it felt WAY too much like Dear Ester rather than a survival horror game. You'd think that a respected indie studio wouldn't have been so lazy with it, it plays like Dear Ester too, with narrations out the ass, and the linearity that plagued this game.
    -It runs like dog ****
    This game uses the same exact engine that the first Amnesia game used, so you'd think that it'd run great if you ran the first one flawlessly, right? And it isn't my specs either, I'm using:
    An ATI Radeon 6870 1GB
    Phenom II x4 @3.01GHz
    4GB Ram
    all of this running at 1440x900 resolution.

    There is no excuse, you are a well respected studio. Do us a favor and never make a game again, Chinese Room.

    Chinese Room? More like a Chinese Sweatshop.    … Expand
  16. medip
    Sep 10, 2013
    2
    This was honestly the farthest thing away from what i was expecting from the second entry into the Amnesia franchise. Even though it was developed by the chinese room, surely i would imagine that at some point the people at Frictional at least had a brief look or perusal of what their most successful title was being turned into!
    They have simply taken out mechanics such as inventory and    This was honestly the farthest thing away from what i was expecting from the second entry into the Amnesia franchise. Even though it was developed by the chinese room, surely i would imagine that at some point the people at Frictional at least had a brief look or perusal of what their most successful title was being turned into!
    They have simply taken out mechanics such as inventory and sanity, and replaced them with.... it seems, they replaced them with nothing. Not to mention the total lack of an ability to manipulate any of the in-game environment, unless it is essential to some puzzle or progression.
    Besides all of this, the main problem with this "game" is that there is absolutely zero pacing with which to build tension and immerse the player in a world which feels lost and hopeless. The pig monsters are not only lackluster in design and implementation, but the fact that they have no hope of catching you if you simply run away completely takes away any unnerving effect that they may have had (if they did to begin with).
    There are so many comparisons which could be made, but i honestly just cannot be bothered wasting anymore time typing about a game that i have dreamed about for the last 13 months which has been torn asunder by a pretentious, mediocre studio which attained their 15 minutes of fame from an ambient environmental walk-through...
    Frictional honestly need to acknowledge that something went wrong here, or i will hold them just as accountable as i hold Blizzard for the piece of trash they call Diablo 3.    … Expand
  17. Brosman
    Oct 15, 2013
    4
    Interesting story condiluded by bad writing and an unclear narrative structure. It is too easy to miss important parts of the story. Gameplay has been to simplified and their are next to no monster encounters or scares. Its a boring ride most of the way, and i feel that this story would have been better told as a novel or movie. Anyone who gives this game over a 6 is either a fanboy orInteresting story condiluded by bad writing and an unclear narrative structure. It is too easy to miss important parts of the story. Gameplay has been to simplified and their are next to no monster encounters or scares. Its a boring ride most of the way, and i feel that this story would have been better told as a novel or movie. Anyone who gives this game over a 6 is either a fanboy or just hasnt played the original. Amnesia the dark descent is incredible and more worth your money than this. Sadly disappointed by AMFP.… Expand
  18. Kuszh
    Oct 24, 2013
    4
    This game is disappointing for reasons which a lot of reviews have stated: This is NOT an Amnesia game.

    If one were to look at this title from this perspective it makes the game look better: This is essentially a REALLY good community mod for Amnesia: Dark Descent. Which in this case it almost is. There are no major overhauls on the visual end of things. In terms of gameplay though,    This game is disappointing for reasons which a lot of reviews have stated: This is NOT an Amnesia game.

    If one were to look at this title from this perspective it makes the game look better: This is essentially a REALLY good community mod for Amnesia: Dark Descent. Which in this case it almost is. There are no major overhauls on the visual end of things.

    In terms of gameplay though, things have actually been pruned back. There is no interaction with the world, and less linearity to the story (no alternative endings, less notes to pick up). The amount of tension in the atmosphere is significantly reduced, and for me this also reduced the immersion.

    The story goes a long way to redeeming this game. It's philosophical, intelligent, and gets you thinking. Unfortunately it's not interesting enough to me to ever consider playing it again.    … Expand
  19. DJKrimson
    Mar 9, 2021
    4
    Huge disappointment, this game is basically Amnisia: the walking sim. The game is way more linear than TDD, there's one straight path from start to finish and you would never risk to go the wrong way because the correct path are always super obvious. Not that it would matter anyway I guess since you can't ever interact with any "wrong doors", there's actually very few things you canHuge disappointment, this game is basically Amnisia: the walking sim. The game is way more linear than TDD, there's one straight path from start to finish and you would never risk to go the wrong way because the correct path are always super obvious. Not that it would matter anyway I guess since you can't ever interact with any "wrong doors", there's actually very few things you can interact with in this game apart from the notes and the audio storytelling objects.

    They also removed all items, insanity meter, oil meter and basically all puzzle elements.    … Expand
  20. asdgqw23
    Sep 11, 2013
    1
    Dear Esther 2 aka Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. What an waste of potential. If this would be made same way as the original, but with its own layout, it would be a big hit. Unfortunately thechineseroom have no visions of pleasing loyal fans of original Amnesia and Penumbras. It seems that they didn't even want to make spiritual successor to original one. Frictional Games has put itself inDear Esther 2 aka Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. What an waste of potential. If this would be made same way as the original, but with its own layout, it would be a big hit. Unfortunately thechineseroom have no visions of pleasing loyal fans of original Amnesia and Penumbras. It seems that they didn't even want to make spiritual successor to original one. Frictional Games has put itself in place similar to as when down syndrome child gives you painting, you are just not allowed to say, that it's piece of This game should not have anything to do with Amnesia brand. One point for partially improved visuals.… Expand
  21. BigDrako
    Sep 11, 2013
    2
    Amnesia: A machine for pigs is a disgrace to the original Amnesia. Why the hell did they have to join forces with The Chinese Room? Dear Esther was a tech demo, not a game and they forced their way into this game basically ruining it. There are no mechanics: the game is just a scary tour. And the worst part is its not scary, not even close to The Dark Descent. The story is boring, youAmnesia: A machine for pigs is a disgrace to the original Amnesia. Why the hell did they have to join forces with The Chinese Room? Dear Esther was a tech demo, not a game and they forced their way into this game basically ruining it. There are no mechanics: the game is just a scary tour. And the worst part is its not scary, not even close to The Dark Descent. The story is boring, you don't feel like you are in the main character shoes, you just push WASD and avoid 2 or 3 ridiculous monsters, face the same water monster as in the first game, sprinting for like 5 seconds in a straight line, and just running through the game like its was a chore after half of it. Amnesia: The Dark Descent scared the crap out of me, challenged me with esploration, resources management and enigmas. I actually had to read the notes. Amnesia: A machine for pigs most amusing moment was grabbing pigs and throwing them. I cannot bother to read the notes and I am not scared or even interested in whats going on. This is a failure and I hope the guys at Frictional Games understand they will not be able to sell again many copies riding the hype that came with the name and the youtube abuse of the game. I hope they take the full brunt of our disappointment and change path if they intend to go for a third Amnesia. Don't dumb down your game, don't strip it of the mechanics that made it good. We are gamers and we want to play, if we wanted to watch a horror movie we would've gone to the damn movie theatre!… Expand
  22. DOSfan
    Sep 10, 2013
    3
    i'm sad to say this game was incredibly boring. no puzzles, no scares, a few chases?
    just felt like you walk around pulling levers and interacting minimally, picking up notes to read, and just making your way to the next section.
    the environment was pretty cool but the game was devoid of substance. the story was there but it doesn't really make up for removal of all the other elements    i'm sad to say this game was incredibly boring. no puzzles, no scares, a few chases?
    just felt like you walk around pulling levers and interacting minimally, picking up notes to read, and just making your way to the next section.

    the environment was pretty cool but the game was devoid of substance.
    the story was there but it doesn't really make up for removal of all the other elements amnesia had previously. the story was ok, but very short.

    i really enjoyed the first amnesia, penumbra games, and even found outlast way more fun than this.

    what a bummer.    … Expand
  23. playercz
    Sep 11, 2013
    2
    TDD= The Dark Descent
    AAMFP= A Machine for Pigs
    Okay, so, I was waiting for the game right when it was announced, I think it was a year ago, it sounded great, Frictionl games thechineseroom would work perfectly right RIGHT?! I will start now. Music The music is decent, its not a masterpiece, but fits the "atmosphere". Voice acting: Voice acting alone was "okay" but it takes    TDD= The Dark Descent
    AAMFP= A Machine for Pigs

    Okay, so, I was waiting for the game right when it was announced, I think it was a year ago, it sounded great, Frictionl games thechineseroom would work perfectly right RIGHT?!

    I will start now.

    Music The music is decent, its not a masterpiece, but fits the "atmosphere".

    Voice acting: Voice acting alone was "okay" but it takes away the main thing that the first amnesia had the feeling of being alone.

    Graphics: The first Amnesia had good graphics for an indie game in 2010- mediocre when compared with AA titles, but in the Machine for pigs the graphics are not even mediocre, theres a lot of recycled textures from TDD, that dont even fit in the industrial-like era of AAMFP.

    Gameplay: Okay guys, this is the worst part..
    I loved TDD for all the interactive enviroment, the inventory system, a light source the Lantern that always didnt have enough oil, but in AAMFP....YOU DONT HAVE AN INVETORY! No you dont, you just have a an upgraded version of the lantern with UNLIMITED "battery", you cant interact with the enviroment, only with chairs and some drawers, not even all the doors!

    The monster: This is a little spoiler so if you still want to play the game skip this paragraph.
    In TDD you were chased by a horrific human-like creatures, but in this game youre. chased. by. a. PIG!
    Yes, a PIG. It isnt even scary and everytime you meet it in the game it just squeels the all time same sound effect and runs away..

    Oh yeah, the story, I will summarize it in one sentence: You have to go turn on a scary machine.

    Verdict:

    Dont buy it, it isnt wort it, if you like a chllenging horror, go for The ol´silent hill games, but not this, its not even a little bit like the first Amnesia.

    2/10 For music.
    I am not even angry anymore, Im sad you fu**ed up thechineseroom.    … Expand
  24. Immun
    Sep 11, 2013
    0
    Where are the mechanics ?
    Everything that made the first Amnesia brilliant was removed. You are left with almost no mechanics.
    You can open doors, pick up notes ...and that's about it.
    It's a dull experience with little to no mechanics, awful puzzles and overcomplicated story telling.
  25. xPocketRavex
    Sep 11, 2013
    3
    Sorry about the low score but if you read you will know why

    Well what can I say, I was worried about this game and thought it would be Amnesia exactly the same as the first one, now i wish it was. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a game that has been streamed down as much as possible to give them a wider audience the puzzles are no longer puzzles, no sanity bar, regenerating health and    Sorry about the low score but if you read you will know why

    Well what can I say, I was worried about this game and thought it would be Amnesia exactly the same as the first one, now i wish it was. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a game that has been streamed down as much as possible to give them a wider audience the puzzles are no longer puzzles, no sanity bar, regenerating health and no inventory.

    The game lacks fear and suspense, you can now run around the enemies as long as they don't hit you 3 times your fine, you always know were your going as the game is so linear, so run forward and eventually a gate close on the enemies. everything is scripted, so no more random encounters which you had in the first game, which is sad. and the story is uninteresting you just wish it would end. fortunately the game is around 4 hours long and even less is you don't read anything

    I don't have a lot of good to say about this game as even the graphics are poor, very low polly textured static meshes. you like picking up glasses or any object you can see and smashing them against the wall, well its been taken out.

    overall i'm hoping this was just a spin off and this was just something just to keep us going until Amnesia 2 (if there will be) .

    I don't like giving out scores but how much the game is worth so i give it a 5 Gbp (Pounds) meaning bear minimal effort has been taken to make this game and if it does sell well its because it has the name Amnesia in the title.    … Expand
  26. John1337
    Sep 12, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs falls well below the standard set by Amnesia: The Dark Descent and it was not the experience that I was hoping for. I was hoping for horror like the sounds of torture victims being carried by pipes to prisoners cells that made The Dark Descent so memorable. I was expecting to see horrifying machines doing horrifying things to helpless victims but that is not what I got. I didn't get to see a human being turned into a Pigman which I thought would have been at least part of the climax of the game. Speaking of the Pigman I found this monster to be cute which is not a good quality you want in a supposedly terrifying horror monster. The story was average not great and left a lot to your imagination which like I stated before was extremely disappointing. There is nothing controversial about this game other than the mixed reviews it has been receiving. It is sad to say that Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a completely forgettable game.… Expand
  27. gimmedatsammich
    Sep 10, 2013
    3
    Handing this off to The Chinese Room was a HUGE mistake, and I hope Frictional never repeats it. Dear Esther was awful- one of the worst gaming experiences of my life- so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that their sequel to The Dark Descent isn't much better. Points about the butchering of the gameplay mechanics and the failure to even come close to matching the depth and emotional impactHanding this off to The Chinese Room was a HUGE mistake, and I hope Frictional never repeats it. Dear Esther was awful- one of the worst gaming experiences of my life- so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that their sequel to The Dark Descent isn't much better. Points about the butchering of the gameplay mechanics and the failure to even come close to matching the depth and emotional impact of the original Amnesia's story have been covered by other irate users, so I won't go there. I'd just like to express how profoundly disappointed I am by A Machine for Pigs (terrible, terrible title by the way- that should have been our first indication of how crappy this game would be.) The Dark Descent was my favorite game of the last decade. I'm just going to pretend like this game doesn't exist. All I can say is that Amnesia 2 better be developed by Frictional, and it better be really, really effing good.… Expand
  28. Musa3486
    Sep 10, 2013
    3
    Sad to say as an Amnesia fan, but this was terrible.Felt so dry and unfamiliar.Every element of a survival horror has been replaced by a Dear Esther story book. The core of the game has been removed with just the name that reminds.Best words to describe this is the final scene in Pleant of the Apes, "You manics,you killed it,you blew it up....etc"I so looked forward for this game.HeySad to say as an Amnesia fan, but this was terrible.Felt so dry and unfamiliar.Every element of a survival horror has been replaced by a Dear Esther story book. The core of the game has been removed with just the name that reminds.Best words to describe this is the final scene in Pleant of the Apes, "You manics,you killed it,you blew it up....etc"I so looked forward for this game.Hey Chinese Room, stay printings pictures in museums and like Fictional do their thing.… Expand
  29. Isabelbdn
    Sep 15, 2013
    1
    I was expecting something else ...
    1 the story of the game was good but too short
    2 the scenes were good but not too interactive 3 infinite lantern is a joke? 4 the puzzles were laughing, too simple 5 do not need the inventory because the game is too easy 6 do not you worry about your health or getting laudanum or find parts for a complicated puzzle is so easy that you will    I was expecting something else ...
    1 the story of the game was good but too short
    2 the scenes were good but not too interactive
    3 infinite lantern is a joke?
    4 the puzzles were laughing, too simple
    5 do not need the inventory because the game is too easy
    6 do not you worry about your health or getting laudanum or find parts for a complicated puzzle is so easy that you will not die even once
    7 The plot is very repetitive (but simpler) draining pumps to remove the water and was in the first amnesia ...
    8 NO SCARES, there are no moments of fear they promised to

    I expected a lot more They promised us many things and have not been complied The first amnesia with less money was infinitely better ...

    CONCLUSÓN: Do it again

    Make good use of the money collected because it was not worth what I paid for it    … Expand
  30. AColdOnion
    Sep 10, 2013
    1
    What people are saying is true for the most part...the "gameplay" factor is just not there.. This game has that feel of Gone Home to it and is not really that enjoyable.. I was a huge fan of Dark Decent I had sky high hopes for this game but was let down so bad.. If i would have known that this game was going to be more of a visual novel and not a video game I would have passed on it..What people are saying is true for the most part...the "gameplay" factor is just not there.. This game has that feel of Gone Home to it and is not really that enjoyable.. I was a huge fan of Dark Decent I had sky high hopes for this game but was let down so bad.. If i would have known that this game was going to be more of a visual novel and not a video game I would have passed on it..

    During the first 45 minutes I loved the atmosphere and was actually enjoying myself alot, But after awhile I kept waiting for it to get better (it never did) The game had amazing potential!! But it just seemed the more you dug into it the worse it got. I felt like i was playing a watered down version of TDD minus the fun..If you are going to buy I would 100% recommend waiting for a sale, could not insist anyone to pay $20 for this.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
69
#69 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 32 out of 59
  3. Negative: 1 out of 59
  1. Level7.nu
    Dec 12, 2013
    70
    A Machine for Pigs is a well made and impressive game with a thorough thematic design and atmosphere. As a horror game it is rather spartan yet brilliant in that it let’s your brain conjure most of its horrors. Unfortunately it comes with a rather numbing effect that makes later parts of the game feel more formulaic and not as scary.
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  2. GameOver.gr
    Nov 5, 2013
    50
    With problematic pacing and a complete lack of the horror element -that was the highlight of the first game- A Machine for Pigs didn't meet our expectations.
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  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    80
    A perfect clash of Dear Esther and Amnesia, focused on straining your nerves while easing - perhaps a tad too much - on the interaction and gameplay. [Issue#234]
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