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. MaxieZeus
    Sep 5, 2022
    6
    Excellent story but boring gameplay and easy puzzles. This would have worked better if it was a movie. Still recommend it just for the story.
  2. Wrathzo
    Mar 27, 2022
    6
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a survival horror video game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Frictional Games. The game features several interlocking storylines. Some take place in the past, some in the present, and some are overtly real while some may be imagined. Set in London on New Year's Eve, 1899, the game's protagonist is Oswald Mandus, a wealthy industrialist andAmnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a survival horror video game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Frictional Games. The game features several interlocking storylines. Some take place in the past, some in the present, and some are overtly real while some may be imagined. Set in London on New Year's Eve, 1899, the game's protagonist is Oswald Mandus, a wealthy industrialist and butcher who is implied to be the great grand-nephew of Daniel, the protagonist of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. At the beginning of the game, he awakens from a fever that has lasted for several months, after returning from a disastrous expedition to explore Aztec ruins in Mexico. He hears the voices of his sons, Edwin and Enoch, calling for him as they lead him through the different areas.… Expand
  3. oscarbjb
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    amnesia machine for pigs is a very fun game tho not as great as the dark decent mainly not as much is interactable this isnt a big deal since this is a horror game so lets get to that
    the horror also is not as great first the atmosphere is just not as tence plus having unlimited oil and there being no sanity makes the game lose some of its horror plus when you can get killed by the    amnesia machine for pigs is a very fun game tho not as great as the dark decent mainly not as much is interactable this isnt a big deal since this is a horror game so lets get to that
    the horror also is not as great first the atmosphere is just not as tence plus having unlimited oil and there being no sanity makes the game lose some of its horror plus when you can get killed by the monster it just isnt as intense but the story is very great again you explore while getting your memory back since it is a facotry your exploring (when you get to that point) the amnesia consept feels better executed but overal the game just isnt as great as the original one but still recomended    … Expand
  4. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    6
    К сожалению обрезанная, покоцанная версия оригинала, которая лишилась не только атмосферы, но и геймплея
  5. Erdbeere
    May 21, 2021
    7
    Its different but its still good I like Amnesia very much. Great series of games
  6. Awanka
    Jan 8, 2021
    7
    Despite the lukewarm reception, I found Machine for Pigs to be almost as good as the original Amnesia. The game shares many similar conceits, as you take control of a character with a dodgy memory who is revealed over time to have a dark past that he shares with the main antagonist, an enemy that periodically speaks to you over the phone or through telepathy to give foreboding warnings orDespite the lukewarm reception, I found Machine for Pigs to be almost as good as the original Amnesia. The game shares many similar conceits, as you take control of a character with a dodgy memory who is revealed over time to have a dark past that he shares with the main antagonist, an enemy that periodically speaks to you over the phone or through telepathy to give foreboding warnings or to mock you. The medieval/victorian occult settings of Dark Descent have been replaced by an ominous steampunk aesthetic, as you wander an enormous structure of pipes and machinery. My biggest worry was that they had toned down the dark part of this game, but it's almost as morbid and horrific in subject matter as the original. The main villian has a fascinatingly twisted psychology that marries a deep sense of nihilism about humanity with a savior complex. Monsters aren't as annoying or unavoidable as the first game. There's no sanity mechanic. Fewer moments of improvisational brilliance than the original. All in all, a strong effort.… Expand
  7. vaurne
    Dec 23, 2020
    7
    This game as failed to have any impact on me after all these years. I very easily would have forgotten it, were it not part of an amazing series. The story falls short, the content and atmosphere could be more consistent, and the gameplay is the worst part.

    It's a visually appealing game, with it's fair share of scary moments as well as scream worthy jumpscares (to be fair, some are    This game as failed to have any impact on me after all these years. I very easily would have forgotten it, were it not part of an amazing series. The story falls short, the content and atmosphere could be more consistent, and the gameplay is the worst part.

    It's a visually appealing game, with it's fair share of scary moments as well as scream worthy jumpscares (to be fair, some are quite cheap).

    I do think it is worth playing due to it being scary, beautiful and easy-going.    … Expand
  8. garygreen
    Sep 4, 2020
    6
    not great game,story is verry bad not written verry well,soundtrack is ok not great, but verry disappointment
  9. Norleft
    Aug 5, 2020
    6
    Un buen juego, eso no se lo quita nadie con una buena historia pero no cumple lo que promete como un juego de terror de su género, si lo comparamos con su anterior lanzamiento de Amnesia, da mucho que desear ya que muchas partes del anterior titulo como recursos (inventario, libertad, no lineal, estado del personaje, "monstruos", la posibilidad de morir, etc) hace que este juego dejeUn buen juego, eso no se lo quita nadie con una buena historia pero no cumple lo que promete como un juego de terror de su género, si lo comparamos con su anterior lanzamiento de Amnesia, da mucho que desear ya que muchas partes del anterior titulo como recursos (inventario, libertad, no lineal, estado del personaje, "monstruos", la posibilidad de morir, etc) hace que este juego deje bastante que desear.

    Después de lo bueno que fue el primer titulo y después transformarlo en esta especie de aventura gráfica sin diálogos... me ha defraudado bastante la verdad aunque se trate de un juego de terror flojo, porque realmente no quería pagar por esto.    … Expand
  10. Chubac
    May 13, 2020
    6
    Unlike the first one, this isn't scary at all and even the puzzles feels lazy compared to the first one.
  11. Zuber00
    Jan 8, 2020
    5
    A huge disappointment for me. This one isn't as scary as the first in the series and has a bit worse atmosphere overall. Rushed through on first playthrough out of disappointment, which I now regret, as I cannot comment on how good the story was.
  12. NightGeisha
    Jan 5, 2019
    7
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is, like is predecessor (Amnesia: The Dark Descent), a good example from what a horror game should be.

    The game is immersed in a mysterious story, with a lot of puzzles and scary moments. The game is intense and it is quite likely to have one or several scares especially if you play it with headphones with the volume at maximum. Graphically is nothing    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is, like is predecessor (Amnesia: The Dark Descent), a good example from what a horror game should be.

    The game is immersed in a mysterious story, with a lot of puzzles and scary moments. The game is intense and it is quite likely to have one or several scares especially if you play it with headphones with the volume at maximum.

    Graphically is nothing special, I highlight the "light and dark" effects that are sometimes quite well designed, once again nothing very different or improved compared to its predecessor.

    Overall an excellent experience, but a lot here of its predecessor, anyway deserves my OK because it is a good example of the genre and it kept me interested even though I am not a fan of this genre of games.    … Expand
  13. sft
    Nov 18, 2018
    7
    Snout wrong with it

    AMNESIA: A MACHINE FOR PIGS takes a lot of flak for not being Amnesia: The Dark Descent 2. Although I can understand this, given the use of the franchise name, it seems a little unfair to me. PIGS is a pretty good game in its own right and if you disregard the connection with the earlier title it stands quite well on its own. Having played both I can honestly say I    Snout wrong with it

    AMNESIA: A MACHINE FOR PIGS takes a lot of flak for not being Amnesia: The Dark Descent 2. Although I can understand this, given the use of the franchise name, it seems a little unfair to me. PIGS is a pretty good game in its own right and if you disregard the connection with the earlier title it stands quite well on its own. Having played both I can honestly say I enjoyed PIGS just as much as Descent, but for different reasons. There is less of a sense of impending danger here, and less tension (and frustration) too, mainly due to the fact that the mechanic of having to stay in the light has been dropped. Despite this, however, the game is immersive and very atmospheric. I was reminded, a little, of the Myst games (which I loved), mainly due to the Steampunk elements and the nature of the puzzles. Perhaps this explains why I enjoyed the game as much as I did. The writing is rather florid, as seems to be the case with all of The Chinese Room’s games, but it can be more easily excused here, given the Lovecraftian characteristics of the game, than it can in such titles as Dear Esther. The graphics are pretty good, and a lot of work has been put into creating detail within the environments. This may not be the greatest horror adventure game created but it’s a good enough effort for me to recommend it.    … Expand
  14. Gelaos
    Sep 18, 2018
    7
    Not as strong as it's predecessor, but it still can scare you. However if you played Dark Descent, then this game won't surprise you with anything.
  15. Rem
    Jul 5, 2018
    5
    Hopeful to ride off the success that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developer The Chinese Room’s A Machine For Pigs at many points feels genuinely unsettling, but this feeling washes away all too quickly when the game never does much more than that and instead opts to remove the elements that made the first Amnesia a classic without any substantial replacement.

    It’s easy to infer right    Hopeful to ride off the success that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developer The Chinese Room’s A Machine For Pigs at many points feels genuinely unsettling, but this feeling washes away all too quickly when the game never does much more than that and instead opts to remove the elements that made the first Amnesia a classic without any substantial replacement.

    It’s easy to infer right from the start that you’ll be playing a character who’s done something awful but doesn’t quite remember it, as is the case for any story featuring a protagonist with amnesia. In this story, you step into the shoes of Mandus, a wealthy industrialist and butcher in search of his two sons. While the mystery isn’t as deep as the first game, it manages to stay interesting for the most part until the huge plot twist that quickly loses its luster as the story progresses. It’s not that the plot twist was bad, it’s more so the resulting events that follow it become too complex for its own good. What I expected to be a small tale about a father in search of his young children turned into a philosophical hogwash about the end and rebirth of mankind that reeks more of pretentious than enthrallment. Yes I get it, mankind is evil (a direct comparison to pigs). It’s overall not a poorly told plot, but one that would have benefited more from a smaller scale story wise. While The Dark Descent’s story eventually became more complex as well, it did so at a much slower and deliberate rate making it much easier to settle in the player’s attention span.

    Despite the lacking story, Amnesia’s bread and butter has always been it’s survival mechanics that compliment it’s breed of horror, which is the explore-hide-solve puzzles brand in an oppressive and downright dreary setting this time being set in Victorian England. A welcoming return to form is the use of light in the form of electric lamp till you realize that it never runs out of battery. Soon after you’ll realize that many of the mechanics that made the original so unique is absent. Yup that means the sanity effect and inventory management, which were staples to the survival horror of the past game have been removed for the sake of streamlining to its detriment. Without said mechanics, the entire game really boils down to a whole lot of walking which erases much of the terror that was enabled by them. Even when it comes to enemy encounters, you can count on your hand the total number of times you run into an actual adversary. The monsters in this game don’t put up much of a fight and sneaking past them requires little effort. Puzzle solving also returns...if you can even call it that. All that’s required of the player is within their vicinity and are as simple as putting an item into a slot and activating something. With all these stripped away elements, A Machine For Pigs offers no challenge and a noticeably less terrifying experience.

    The aspects of this second entry which are commendable for the most part is that it continues the unsettling atmosphere and ambience. Victorian England serves as a good backdrop and the game looks quite nice. My major gripe with the visuals is that the color palette in addition to the game’s lack of true light sources regularly makes the game look rather muddy in darker environments. I will admit the score is of the same quality as the original that the audio alone can incite brief moments of fear.

    For what it is, A Machine For Pigs is a barebones Amnesia experience lacking the components that made it a hallmark survival horror game. Make no mistake, the game can be scary and shows the potential of it in its set up, but it never quite lives up to its predecessor while not making much of a name for itself. It’s not a particularly long game (4 hours in total), but even in such a short span it managed to engrave disappointment long before the credits rolled.    … Expand
  16. KARF4GEN
    May 10, 2018
    6
    Довольно интересный ужастик, но без геймплея.
    По факту больше похоже на интерактивный фильм, кроме довольно простых загадок и пеших прогулок делать вам больше ничего не придется.
    По сравнению с Amnesia: The Dark Descent скучновато именно из-за скудности геймплея. В итоге постановка сюжета и геймдизайн лучше инди хорроров навроде Slendera или Daylight, но слабее оригинала. Отпечаток    Довольно интересный ужастик, но без геймплея.
    По факту больше похоже на интерактивный фильм, кроме довольно простых загадок и пеших прогулок делать вам больше ничего не придется.
    По сравнению с Amnesia: The Dark Descent скучновато именно из-за скудности геймплея.
    В итоге постановка сюжета и геймдизайн лучше инди хорроров навроде Slendera или Daylight, но слабее оригинала.
    Отпечаток другой студии Chinese Room дает о себе знать.
    Для интересного путешествия подойдет, для тех кто ищет напряженной игры - нет.    … Expand
  17. Gracz-org
    Aug 8, 2017
    7
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs jest grą zdecydowanie mniej straszną od swojej poprzedniczki, nie oznacza to jednak, że jest produkcją słabą… Po prostu spodziewałem się gry o wiele bardziej rozbudowanej oraz przede wszystkim dłuższej - 3,5 godziny poświęcone na jej przejście to zdecydowanie za krótko, zwłaszcza gdy tak jak ja czekało się na ten tytuł od bardzo dawna… Warto również zwrócićAmnesia: A Machine for Pigs jest grą zdecydowanie mniej straszną od swojej poprzedniczki, nie oznacza to jednak, że jest produkcją słabą… Po prostu spodziewałem się gry o wiele bardziej rozbudowanej oraz przede wszystkim dłuższej - 3,5 godziny poświęcone na jej przejście to zdecydowanie za krótko, zwłaszcza gdy tak jak ja czekało się na ten tytuł od bardzo dawna… Warto również zwrócić uwagę na niski stopień integracji gracza z otoczeniem oraz mało przekonywujących przeciwników. Rozumiem, że twórcy poszli w trochę innym kierunku i próbują „straszyć” nas w odmienny sposób, ale… no właśnie - zabrakło tego „czegoś”, co wyróżniało m.in. wcześniejszą Amnesie. Grze nie można jednak odmówić niezłego klimatu oraz dobrej konstrukcji i wystroju etapów - jest to jednak zdecydowanie za mało, by przyciągnąć nowych graczy do serii, a szkoda - ponieważ liczyłem na produkt o wiele bardziej interesujący…

    Plusy:
    + klimat grozy
    + koncepcja etapów
    + niezłe udźwiękowienie
    + interesująca, aczkolwiek zawiła fabuła…

    Minusy:
    – mało przekonywujący przeciwnicy
    – zbyt proste zagadki logiczne
    – długość gry (3,5h to zdecydowanie za krótko)
    – nie straszy już tak jak wcześniejsza Amnesia

    Pełna recenzja dostępna jest na blogu Gracz.org    … Expand
  18. Detraxxx
    Feb 16, 2017
    6
    The sequel to one of the most iconic games of horror genre: The Dark Descent is quite a disappointment. The developers did not come with anything innovative and game gets boring after few hours, which is unacceptable for a survival horror. There are some scary moments, but significantly less compared to The Dark Descent. However, the game still has a gloomy atmosphere and good soundtrack.The sequel to one of the most iconic games of horror genre: The Dark Descent is quite a disappointment. The developers did not come with anything innovative and game gets boring after few hours, which is unacceptable for a survival horror. There are some scary moments, but significantly less compared to The Dark Descent. However, the game still has a gloomy atmosphere and good soundtrack. When we add those few jump scares, the result is s slightly above-average survival horror. 6,5/10… Expand
  19. MerodeTalks
    Dec 12, 2016
    5
    It's hard to look at this game without comparing it to the first installment or even Dear Esther. The game is different from the first Amnesia and this is the main reason fans are upset. Bearing that kind of logo you would expect somewhat similar experience. If this is the case with you dismiss your hopes or you will be disappointed. There are times you are almost fooled into thinking thatIt's hard to look at this game without comparing it to the first installment or even Dear Esther. The game is different from the first Amnesia and this is the main reason fans are upset. Bearing that kind of logo you would expect somewhat similar experience. If this is the case with you dismiss your hopes or you will be disappointed. There are times you are almost fooled into thinking that the game just got on the right track but the feeling soon disappears.

    Major changes are:
    -removal of inventory and with it tinderboxes
    -infinite lamp
    -closets are gone
    -sanity and health is gone

    The game feels and plays way different than the Dark Descent. You don't hide anymore in closets or rooms most of the latter are closed. When you perchance stumble into monsters, and that doesn't happen often, your best chance is to run and they quickly despawn.

    The worst part is made of a few very bad design choices. I'll give you just a few:

    1) The game is MUCH louder. Ambients are still in there but Chinese Room has also put into the game a lot of loud sounds and music. Even though it perfectly fits into the game's setting it spoils anxiety and feeling of being in danger. Why? Well, you wouldn't be able to hear monsters coming for you during these moments. Developers realized that too and therefore you are safe then. After you realize it, you can relax anytime you hear music.

    2) In the Dark Descent you expected monsters around every corner. If you met one you hid in a closet, room or shady place and preyed for it to go away. In Machine for Pigs you don't hide, you either sneak past monster like in Splinter Cell or run as fast as you can and that's by desig. I won't put spoilers in here but there's one major monster that is always aware of where you are and you have to run around the room like an idiot pressing switches to progress. It isn't scary. And don't mistake it for that runaway part in Dark Descent it's much different.

    3) Chinese Room uses cheap tricks on us. Don't be surprised if you enter the room at the end of corridor and then turn around just to find out that the path has completely changed. You'll find yourself turning around to find out that the doors you've just used simply disappeared and there's just bare wall behind you. And please keep in mind, the main character of AAMFP is much more sane than Daniel from the first game. In the Dark Descent the gameplay was also fluid and there were no jumps between certain places. Well, in Machine there are stupid situation in which you get "magically teleported" into places and sometimes you don't even know how you got into some place.

    4) The story is unclear and when you think about it it is absolutely rubbish. Also, there's no explanation for the hero's amnesia. The first game felt more realistic and by that more scary. Things absolutely unreal can't be scary by design.

    Overall the game isn't all that bad. Unfortunately I feel cheated by that "Amnesia" logo slapped onto the game. IT IS NOT AMNESIA. To sum up, I won't ever buy any Chinese Room games.    … Expand
  20. gloriouspotato
    Oct 4, 2015
    7
    A Machine for Pigs offers a different type of horror that I'm guessing doesn't really resonate with most Dark Descent fans. If you're coming to this game looking for entertaining scares that look good on Youtube, you'll probably be disappointed. The game is thematically darker than its predecessor, but doesn't carry that same sense of panic and terror that the original had. The game doesA Machine for Pigs offers a different type of horror that I'm guessing doesn't really resonate with most Dark Descent fans. If you're coming to this game looking for entertaining scares that look good on Youtube, you'll probably be disappointed. The game is thematically darker than its predecessor, but doesn't carry that same sense of panic and terror that the original had. The game does become somewhat stale because of it, but to call the game an absolute failure is a bit of an exaggeration.

    The game's strong points are the story and the sound design. Voice acting, soundtrack and sound effects are all excellent, unmatched even against multimillion dollar 'AAA' games, producing a satisfyingly dark atmosphere; an atmosphere that often smoothly transitions to a more mournful or sadder tone.

    The story is intriguing and understandable, so long as you're patient and attentive. Don't rush the game without pondering the metaphors, meaning and references behind some of the notes, otherwise you might find yourself in the dark with what's happening. There are instances where notes can become overly descriptive and elaborate, but for the most part the writing is reasonable, and does carry a certain poetic flair that makes A Machine for Pigs feel somewhat more polished and sophisticated in a sense. There is a predictable plot twist, but I'm fairly sure this was intended to be the Chinese Room's attempt at dramatic irony, which probably could've worked out better. The final monologue though certainly does seal the deal with the story, offering an ending scene that is melancholy, dark and very conclusive in a most gratifying way.

    The brunt of the criticism for this game is directed towards the lack of traditional gameplay mechanics, which I partially agree with. There's nothing inherently wrong with having no inventory or resource management, you just have to make up for it with something else. The story and 'puzzles' if you can call them that, weren't enough to reel me in completely though. Among the more story oriented segments should've been more stealth based sections and more engaging puzzles to really top off the suspense the game continuously builds, and also to introduce some more variation.

    In the inevitable comparison between Dark Descent and Machine for Pigs, this one comes second place. However it does remain an interesting experiment with what games could be and has a lot of potential.

    Overall rating - 6.7/10    … Expand
  21. jelikey
    Aug 18, 2015
    6
    this game's puzzle is interesting in my own way. but game play has no guns, no sword, so a little boring in latter part. mood is good. but storyline is too hard to enjoy.
  22. Klewer
    Jun 17, 2015
    7
    The strongest aspect of this game is the story, and the atmosphere that creates in the location setting. Voice acting, music and sounds make this a haunting and atmospheric experience.

    Only draw backs are the slight tweak to the mechanics from the first, such as no inventory and electric lamp draw from the atmosphere. The length is also quite short ranging from quick at 3 to long at 5.    The strongest aspect of this game is the story, and the atmosphere that creates in the location setting. Voice acting, music and sounds make this a haunting and atmospheric experience.

    Only draw backs are the slight tweak to the mechanics from the first, such as no inventory and electric lamp draw from the atmosphere. The length is also quite short ranging from quick at 3 to long at 5.

    Still for fans of the first and horror games not just counting on jump scares worth a look.    … Expand
  23. ave
    Jun 9, 2015
    5
    The sad thing concerning Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, is that your appreciation of the game might be entirely based on your previous experience of Amnesia: The Dark Descent (or lack of)

    I expected the second Amnesia to be a "same but different" kind of survival mystery / horror game. And it was not. No real pressure is put on the player in this game (except at the end). No oil or    The sad thing concerning Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, is that your appreciation of the game might be entirely based on your previous experience of Amnesia: The Dark Descent (or lack of)

    I expected the second Amnesia to be a "same but different" kind of survival mystery / horror game. And it was not. No real pressure is put on the player in this game (except at the end). No oil or sanity management. No terrifying enemies. It seems that many things has been toned down to lift up the story.

    So. Is the story good ? Well, it's decent. It's disturbing at best. There is so much foreshadowing that you can figure out the whole thing (but that's good planting nonetheless). Most of it is told though notes, voice recordings, memory recalls, voice over and telephone... Unfortunately, I did'nt relate to the character and the thin gameplay wasn't helping.

    Except the sheer size of the "machine", there is to few intriguing level design. The puzzle are not always related to the plot. All in all, I found myself cruising through the level and reaching the end. Hopefully, the game was short enough to let me enjoy another one.    … Expand
  24. slappycider
    Jan 28, 2015
    7
    Wow. It's definitely far from it's predessecor in atmosphere and story, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this 10 times more than I enjoyed The Dark Descent. The story in this game is phenomenal. It keeps you guessing until the very end.

    The scares are intense and far between, leaving you on the edge of your seat and right when you let your guard down, you're being chased down an    Wow. It's definitely far from it's predessecor in atmosphere and story, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed this 10 times more than I enjoyed The Dark Descent. The story in this game is phenomenal. It keeps you guessing until the very end.

    The scares are intense and far between, leaving you on the edge of your seat and right when you let your guard down, you're being chased down an alleyway.

    The music... oh man, the music. Just haunting... Scary ass discordant opera music.

    The gameplay itself is a little bit formulaic and dumbed down. No more sanity, no more oil... it's simplified. And as I did enjoy playing through this game, it did feel way too simple.

    Overall, it's a scary ass game with a cool story and a killer atmosphere with a final half hour that will leave you speechless.    … Expand
  25. Dune_Jumper
    Sep 25, 2014
    6
    They took out the inventory and sanity meter, you don't have to worry about oil, and you can hardy interact with ANYTHING.
    They removed everything that made Amnesia, Amnesia. Now it's virtually Dear Esther with Amnesia slapped in the title.
    What do you know, The Chinese Room has made another flop. Working with them was a HUGE mistake and I hope Frictional Games doesn't do it again.
  26. ns0l
    Aug 11, 2014
    5
    Why a pigs machine, it's not supposed to be an ordinary puzzle game. It is okay but I'm afraid the developers have already shown everything they have in The Dark Descent.
  27. GodOne
    Jul 20, 2014
    6
    Te first Amesia took the atmosphere of the first Alone in the dark with a modern gameplay, it was a good mix of action and story. This one is really boring, excluding the first part with nice earthquakes effect really scary thanks to the really good sound effects. After that the game become BORING with 4 or 5 monsters in the whole game resembling BEbop from ninja turtles grunting at you.Te first Amesia took the atmosphere of the first Alone in the dark with a modern gameplay, it was a good mix of action and story. This one is really boring, excluding the first part with nice earthquakes effect really scary thanks to the really good sound effects. After that the game become BORING with 4 or 5 monsters in the whole game resembling BEbop from ninja turtles grunting at you. The graphic is really bad also for a 10 year old game, i can accept lowpoly model but not so many lowres textures.
    There is no exploration part, you can walk around only to find few notes or sometimes a mechanic part for a stupid puzzle.
    The only good news is the sounds and musics create most of the scary atmosphere in the game.
    Next time could be better if The CHinese Room doesn't break the balls and makes his own crappy games.    … Expand
  28. Krizuwe
    Jan 22, 2014
    7
    Es un juego muy absorbente que te mantiene en constante tensión y enganchado a la trama. Sus puntos fuertes son, sobretodo los sobresaltos, la ambientación (bestial) y la trama (bastante mejor que la primera entrega). Sus puntos débiles serían: no es de terror (al menos no da la sensación total que yo buscaba), que no estuviera doblado en español (sepa o no ingles, me gusta enterarme bienEs un juego muy absorbente que te mantiene en constante tensión y enganchado a la trama. Sus puntos fuertes son, sobretodo los sobresaltos, la ambientación (bestial) y la trama (bastante mejor que la primera entrega). Sus puntos débiles serían: no es de terror (al menos no da la sensación total que yo buscaba), que no estuviera doblado en español (sepa o no ingles, me gusta enterarme bien de la trama con mi lenguaje materno) y por último que a pesar de ser corto en algunos tramos el juego se vuelve absurdo en el sentido de que no sabes a veces porque estas haciendo esto y aquello. En conclusión, Amnesia 2 es un gran juego de tensión y sobresaltos, pero que no llega a satisfacer lo suficiente, igualmente lo recomiendo mas que el primer amnesia.… Expand
  29. saintivan
    Jan 6, 2014
    5
    I had read mixed reviews on this game, so took the chance being that I enjoyed their last two games. You win some, you lose some; this was a loss. From practically the first moment of the game when I heard the horrible British accents with the ghostly echo effect, I suspected the game was going to be crap. At first I couldn't believe it: could it be THIS bad? So, I wonder about thisI had read mixed reviews on this game, so took the chance being that I enjoyed their last two games. You win some, you lose some; this was a loss. From practically the first moment of the game when I heard the horrible British accents with the ghostly echo effect, I suspected the game was going to be crap. At first I couldn't believe it: could it be THIS bad? So, I wonder about this tediously boring house with nothing but doors and more doors and still more doors, leading nearly nowhere to practically nothing. Finally made it out of the house...it will get good now, right? Nope. More of the same. Eventually I just gave up, realizing that if there actually was anything good to happen later on in the game, I was longer was willing to put in more bleh time to get there. The game had a couple of good things going: the atmospheric sounds were good, and there was a decent plot going with the mysterious caller, as well as a somewhat interesting log you read as you went along. All in all, a very poor showing; the next time they make a game like this with so many negative reviews, I will pay much closer attention to them.… Expand
  30. Trunks252
    Dec 30, 2013
    6
    Without going into long detail, i'll just say a few things. This game barely feels like an Amnesia game. I was disappointed with the enemies, of which there is a hilariously low number of encounters with. The game is short. I beat it in 4 hours.

    However, the story, gameplay (besides enemies), and environments were very good. I would recommend this at a discounted price. It was    Without going into long detail, i'll just say a few things. This game barely feels like an Amnesia game. I was disappointed with the enemies, of which there is a hilariously low number of encounters with. The game is short. I beat it in 4 hours.

    However, the story, gameplay (besides enemies), and environments were very good. I would recommend this at a discounted price. It was definitely not worth $16.

    To conclude, don't expect the true sequel to Amnesia: TDD. Instead, think of it as an experiment with questionable results.    … Expand
  31. SweetRollsAhoy
    Dec 29, 2013
    6
    This biggest mistake was putting "Amnesia" in the title. Though it did begin as just a custom story for Amnesia: The Dark Decent, it does not uphold to the standard The Dark Decent put in place. I feel I put unfair expectations on A Machine for Pigs simply because of "Amnesia". With that it mind, it does have it's own charm.

    With the removal of the inventory menu and a few other    This biggest mistake was putting "Amnesia" in the title. Though it did begin as just a custom story for Amnesia: The Dark Decent, it does not uphold to the standard The Dark Decent put in place. I feel I put unfair expectations on A Machine for Pigs simply because of "Amnesia". With that it mind, it does have it's own charm.

    With the removal of the inventory menu and a few other mechanics, AMFP focuses very much more on story than it's predecessor. Where it failed to scare me, it's interesting story and world had me absorbed throughout the entire game. Enough to where I played it all nonstop in one sitting. It is short and, as far as I know, lacks the custom story option on the main menu that DD had, but I feel that it's setting and story excuses that. I would recommend this game to someone who was too scared to play the first Amnesia game, but still wants to try. And to those who were Dark Decent fans, please approach this game with an open mind you would have with a stand alone game or custom story.    … Expand
  32. Pistolz4Pandaz
    Nov 19, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall this game had a pretty good atmosphere, but there were aspects that I felt it was missing that I enjoyed from the first Amnesia. There is no sanity meter, and there is no inventory. This means that there is no way to light up various areas other than the use of your lamp. It also means that there is no need to explore, as there is no running out of important tools, and there is very little that you have to look for. The Dark Descent definitely hit the nail on the head in terms of scare and suspense, and I think that MFP came up a little bit lacking, as there is none of the "How many tinderboxes do I have? Will I be able to make it through this area in the dark, while my sanity slowly goes down?". The game still has its moments, but there are fewer enemies on the map, and once you come to this realization, the game becomes less frightening. The ending of the games gives players something to think about as it has some insight into how our world may actually be, but I'll let you play it to find that out.

    Overall a good experience, but it was lacking some of the aspects that made Amnesia: The Dark Descent so good.    … Expand
  33. Outlander999
    Nov 16, 2013
    7
    Despite that this sequel denies some mechanics of the predecessor, it shows a scary atmosphere with an interesting story. It's not a "perfect sequel", but will satisfy you. VIRTUALINN.IT
  34. PeCCe
    Nov 8, 2013
    7
    I hesitated a little while giving this game a 10. I had eagerly waited for this game for about 1.6 years and I had no experience on what chineseroom was master at. The first part of Amnesia-series, 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent', was frictionalgame's way into the world of Amnesia. Chineseroom's way is more of a storytelling one. It's not gameplay, but the aesthetics they had created. TheI hesitated a little while giving this game a 10. I had eagerly waited for this game for about 1.6 years and I had no experience on what chineseroom was master at. The first part of Amnesia-series, 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent', was frictionalgame's way into the world of Amnesia. Chineseroom's way is more of a storytelling one. It's not gameplay, but the aesthetics they had created. The background story is incredible, but due to the missing feeling the first Amnesia-game was famous of, this game is a bit different. It's not as challenging, scary, disturbing or brutal as the first part. Therefore a rating of 7 should do well, because though it's a good game for my personal experience, it doesn't honor the first part of the Amnesia-series.… Expand
  35. Neveri
    Nov 3, 2013
    7
    When the first time world saw Amnesia: The Dark Descent, It got the best reviews and the best marketing program there is possible to get. It's a shame that Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs just can't handle the hype it got before release. I, myself waited this game 2 years to come and.. yeah! It is what it is. The Graphics are just magnificent, Story and storytelling is just pure awesomeness,When the first time world saw Amnesia: The Dark Descent, It got the best reviews and the best marketing program there is possible to get. It's a shame that Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs just can't handle the hype it got before release. I, myself waited this game 2 years to come and.. yeah! It is what it is. The Graphics are just magnificent, Story and storytelling is just pure awesomeness, but this game isn't scary enough and the atmosphere isn't the best possible. I don't want to spoil anything and I still think the game is worth of buying, so I recommend to experience it still. I think it might be better if you don't have that overhyped mind when you first time start it.

    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs truly is worth of money but sadly can't handle the hype behind it     … Expand
  36. Keychain
    Nov 1, 2013
    7
    Not what you expected. It lingers very far from the origins of Amnesia, less focused on horror and more focused on detailed story-telling. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes me question why this game was under the Amnesia name all this time. The non-scripted horror interactions are minimal, the overall ability to interact with the world around you is minimal, and there's noNot what you expected. It lingers very far from the origins of Amnesia, less focused on horror and more focused on detailed story-telling. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes me question why this game was under the Amnesia name all this time. The non-scripted horror interactions are minimal, the overall ability to interact with the world around you is minimal, and there's no sort of inventory or loot system. It's not like the first Amnesia, in many bad ways, but at the same time it feels like it manages to do well enough of a job on its own right as its own game.

    It's a good game, but it's not a good Amnesia game. If you expected a true successor to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you won't find it here. If you're looking for a similar, but different experience, then definitely pick this up.    … Expand
  37. Malchy
    Oct 30, 2013
    6
    A Machine for Pigs (AMfP) shows how badly can games end, if the original studio doesn't work on a sequel as well. Atmosphere and focus on enviorements and personal storyline of the main protagonist (antagonist?) is a great idea, but the lack of interaction, puzzles and any form of gameplay mechanics really turns this game into boring corridor stroller. It has much better enviorments andA Machine for Pigs (AMfP) shows how badly can games end, if the original studio doesn't work on a sequel as well. Atmosphere and focus on enviorements and personal storyline of the main protagonist (antagonist?) is a great idea, but the lack of interaction, puzzles and any form of gameplay mechanics really turns this game into boring corridor stroller. It has much better enviorments and interesting victorian London locations, but that is all. Fear and horror gets repetitive after while. I would much rather suggest investing in Outlast, but I have faith in the community. It shouldn't be hard to make more atmosferic story with better scenario, than the original made by devs.… Expand
  38. nymm
    Oct 28, 2013
    7
    While not being as great as the original Amnesia, it still keeps you immersed and manages to keep you scared and interested in the story. If you're an Amnesia fan, then this game should be able to keep you entertained, despite the 3-4 hour story
  39. ImJustaGlitch
    Oct 21, 2013
    6
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs has a fantastic story but falls short with it's monster encounters. The game's detail and music go great hand in hand. The scare fact of this game relies on you to listen with headphones in a pitch black room around 1-2 AM. The game only takes a few hours to complete so if you're interested in this game then I'd wait for a steam sale. All in all I still enjoyedAmnesia: A Machine for Pigs has a fantastic story but falls short with it's monster encounters. The game's detail and music go great hand in hand. The scare fact of this game relies on you to listen with headphones in a pitch black room around 1-2 AM. The game only takes a few hours to complete so if you're interested in this game then I'd wait for a steam sale. All in all I still enjoyed playing this game and suggest anyone to try it out.… Expand
  40. MLP_Gustavia
    Oct 14, 2013
    6
    This game is a HUGE disappointment! The environment is non interactive, the inventory is gone, you don't have to worry about sanity, oil and tinderboxes anymore, no custom stories and the monster is not even scary! The story is pretty strange and some of the textures look like
  41. Frast2013X
    Oct 13, 2013
    7
    Kontynuacja najstraszniejszego horroru ostatnich lat wychodzi dobrze, ale tylko pod względem fabuły. Pomimo tego że pierwsza część strasznie wciągała jeżeli chodzi o fabułę. Chęć czytania listów, notatek i dowiadywania się kolejnych rzeczy aby wreszcie zrozumieć o co w tym wszystkim chodzi nadawała grze świetnego klimatu. Tutaj jednak twórcy postawili na fabułę jeszcze bardziej. ZresztąKontynuacja najstraszniejszego horroru ostatnich lat wychodzi dobrze, ale tylko pod względem fabuły. Pomimo tego że pierwsza część strasznie wciągała jeżeli chodzi o fabułę. Chęć czytania listów, notatek i dowiadywania się kolejnych rzeczy aby wreszcie zrozumieć o co w tym wszystkim chodzi nadawała grze świetnego klimatu. Tutaj jednak twórcy postawili na fabułę jeszcze bardziej. Zresztą musieli, oprócz fabuły nic ma tutaj prawie nic ciekawego. Twórcy zrezygnowali z większość pomysłów narzuconych w pierwszej części. Nie ma ekwipunki, nie ma strachu przed ciemnością. Szkoda, te elementy naprawdę narzucały straszny, specyficzny klimat Amensii. Graficznie gra wygląda jak sprzed dekady. Dziwne że twórcy użyli tego samego silnika tylko lekko go ulepszając. Gra do tego jest za krótka, straszy o wiele mniej(pomimo wprowadzonej większej ilości scryptów) do tego jest zbugowana i nie dopracowana. Aczkolwiek, ze względu na fabułę warto zagrać. Moja ocena 7/10… Expand
  42. datapolice
    Oct 6, 2013
    6
    Many other reviewers have noted Machine's lack of innovation that ignited the popularity of Dark Descent. While I feel that it was a deviation from those mechanics, there are no new innovations in that area that make up for the lost art of the first game.

    This game excels in the area of writing—taking you through the inner-torments of the protagonist through introspective scenes and    Many other reviewers have noted Machine's lack of innovation that ignited the popularity of Dark Descent. While I feel that it was a deviation from those mechanics, there are no new innovations in that area that make up for the lost art of the first game.

    This game excels in the area of writing—taking you through the inner-torments of the protagonist through introspective scenes and definitive journal entries. The game's puzzles amount to moving levers or items to their appropriate places—that's it. There isn't much of a horror element. I was truthfully scared exactly three times, but I did feel anxious/suspenseful many more times. However, if you start to take-in the game's subtle or not-so-subtle storyline hints and the atmosphere, you may become much more anxious when you start to realize that depth of depravity.

    The conflict seems predicable; once you go down far enough, you realize you're transgressing into an existential nightmare—and there will be no way out, which plays along well with the canon. The machinery seems overdone and the pacing becomes very predictable once you load a new zone. If you start to connect the dots, you'll realize how it all will end.

    The game is rather short and can be a quick fix for entertainment—it's certainly something to play all the way through at least once. I couldn't fathom any re-playability because of its truly linear storyline. Overall, I give it a 6 out of 10 and mark it as a good bargain buy.    … Expand
  43. TyrantSlaughter
    Oct 5, 2013
    5
    I went into this with high expectations. How couldn't I? Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of my favorite games of all time. But, after a year of waiting, the new developer (The Chinese Room) managed to fall short in every way.
    1. They took the main gameplay of the first game (rationing light sources through tinderboxes and lamp oil) and didn't even bother replacing it with new gameplay.    I went into this with high expectations. How couldn't I? Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of my favorite games of all time. But, after a year of waiting, the new developer (The Chinese Room) managed to fall short in every way.
    1. They took the main gameplay of the first game (rationing light sources through tinderboxes and lamp oil) and didn't even bother replacing it with new gameplay. The main action in this game is walking around.
    2. They managed to butcher the story in favor of the weird pseudo-poetic exposition used in Dear Esther. Contrary to what they seem to think, this doesn't make the plot nuanced and complex, it only makes it harder to identify with the protagonist. Not to mention the fact that the twist ending is as predictable as the sun rising in the morning.
    3. The removal of the inventory would have still ruined the game even if everything else was great. There are now no items to ration (one of the scariest parts of Amnesia: TDD) and every puzzle has been reduced to dragging and dropping. To prevent player confusion, the amount of interactive objects has been limited to puzzle related items. So, if you find something that is movable, it is for a puzzle. This removes any need for exploration and accentuates the games linearity.

    All of that being said, it still isn't too bad an experience for a horror fan. It's just a bad sequel. You can decide for yourself if it is scary enough to compensate for that. Just, try to limit your expectations.    … Expand
  44. AverageGamerRev
    Oct 4, 2013
    5
    Ok so first lets get all of this out of the way, its definitely not the first game and not as scary. I was rather disappointed when I got my hands on this game. for all the people who are pissed at this game it was made by different developers so of course it would be different. but really I had some fun with the game even though it was way more about puzzles than scares. people saying theOk so first lets get all of this out of the way, its definitely not the first game and not as scary. I was rather disappointed when I got my hands on this game. for all the people who are pissed at this game it was made by different developers so of course it would be different. but really I had some fun with the game even though it was way more about puzzles than scares. people saying the game is boring or its amazing are wrong now this is just my opinion and a honest review the graphics could of been better it basically looked like a texture pack. The game was made by a small group of people who also mad custom stories for the first game and those stories and maps were fun and really scary. but they did this series a injustice so much hype for so little I don't now if this is just me but I finished it in about 3 hours I almost died once through out the entire game. I give it a 5/10 it6 was scary about 5% of the time if you wont to play a descent horror game than pick it up but I you have to choose buy the first one.… Expand
  45. SubspaceNinja
    Oct 2, 2013
    5
    Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, compared to The Dark Decent, was a major let down. The atmosphere was good, and the aesthetics were nice, however it did not feel like an Amnesia game. The game did very little to frighten me and the 'monsters' did nothing but make me laugh. The AI was horrible as I, on countless occasions, managed to walk up to them and stand there while they did nothing toAmnesia: A Machine For Pigs, compared to The Dark Decent, was a major let down. The atmosphere was good, and the aesthetics were nice, however it did not feel like an Amnesia game. The game did very little to frighten me and the 'monsters' did nothing but make me laugh. The AI was horrible as I, on countless occasions, managed to walk up to them and stand there while they did nothing to prevent me from going past them. Another disappointment is the fact it took me only 3 hours to complete it, and that was with getting stuck at points due to misguidance in the game. For £13 that is horrible, I expected the game to last at least a bit longer than that, but alas it did not.
    Overall, it failed to grip me at all like the previous title(s), so I would not recommend buying this game at full price, just wait until it is on sale as it is not worth the money.    … Expand
  46. Count69
    Sep 30, 2013
    6
    Amnesia 2 is like taking good parts out of your computer, and replacing it with parts, that can't produce the same effects, or just barely can do those, that the previous parts done greatly.

    It was a twisted journey, with a lot of interesting thoughts, but it was like the developers praised they great words in the game. Wanted too much poetry, but drowned in it. Overally, it was a    Amnesia 2 is like taking good parts out of your computer, and replacing it with parts, that can't produce the same effects, or just barely can do those, that the previous parts done greatly.

    It was a twisted journey, with a lot of interesting thoughts, but it was like the developers praised they great words in the game. Wanted too much poetry, but drowned in it.
    Overally, it was a mediocre storyline, with some lights.
    The puzzles were too simplistic, and unvariable.
    The music and the art of it were wonderful things, but I wanted to see more of the facility.    … Expand
  47. Kela-Appi
    Sep 26, 2013
    6
    Not a bad game, but not nearly as good as Dark Descent was. Too straightforward and not even that scary. There is little to interact with the environment, basically only those imperative items could be picked up, unlike in Dark Descent where you could pick up pretty much everything. All in all, a bit of a let down.
  48. reaver
    Sep 26, 2013
    5
    Amnesia: A machine for pigs developed by The Chinese Room and published by Frictional Games, sets out on the glorious quest to win the crown of horror in this non direct sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Does it surpass the original game? Find out below!

    It's hard to talk about the story of this game without giving away mayor spoilers, so here's a short non spoiler summarize. You    Amnesia: A machine for pigs developed by The Chinese Room and published by Frictional Games, sets out on the glorious quest to win the crown of horror in this non direct sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Does it surpass the original game? Find out below!

    It's hard to talk about the story of this game without giving away mayor spoilers, so here's a short non spoiler summarize. You take the roll of Manuds, a rich man who awakes deliriously from high fever in his bed. Haunted by visions of a powerful and evil machine that has taken your two children as hostages. Manuds has no choice but to walk deeply inside the machine and hopefully return his precious Children to their home. The story is quiet intriguing as you push forward, it got lots of twists and turns that'll make you question your perspective through the entire game. Some twists and turns might also entangle with some other twists leaving a big question mark behind. But for some, a second play through might come in handy to see details unfold in the beginning of the game.

    Now to the most important part of all, how does it play? The game still have the same 'push and pull' mechanic from Amnesia(also in Frictional Games earlier series, Penumbra) where you grab a door with the mouse button and then either, push and pull to open it. The same also goes to other object like drawers, levers and valves. This mechanic feel very good and if you are being chased by a monster it's crucial that you know how to close a door behind you in a fast manner to avoid getting eaten.

    Speaking of running away it's the only defense you have against the monsters (the few times you encounter them). There are no shotguns to blast the piggies away, just you, your lantern and any crawl space you can find.
    The game removes a lot of things from it's predecessor, things like;

    Inventory
    Lantern Oil management
    Picking up random objects (bottles, books etc)
    Mental Health
    Tinderboxes
    Madness when standing in dark places

    By removing these things, objectives like solving puzzles are way simpler. When you encounter a zone where a puzzle is, all you have to do is to either, look around for a valve or look for the only object that can be picked up. This is not a good thing. It's too easy and it takes away the immersion the first game had.

    They've also took the time to lock almost everything up, many doors, drawers, wardrobes can't be explored at all. When you do find a drawer that can be opened there's only one thing that'll be in that drawer, a note. Yes the only things you pick up in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is notes and puzzle pieces. This sucks, in the original Amnesia you could tear down an entire room, it was great pulling out every book from a drawer -
    or a shelf, maybe there would be something there much more important than a note, oil perhaps? Like I mentioned above the oil management has been removed. You are using an infinite electric lantern that you never have to worry about. This is also a very bad thing. You are not scared when using it, another recent horror game knew that it's important to limit the player 'Safe Object'. Outlast had batteries to it's 'Safe Object' which was a camera. Then you got more things to worry about then just monsters when walking into the darkness.

    The monsters in this new Amnesia really lack the true horror that the first game had. It's pigs, with some human modifications, like an arm. Most of the times they will just run past the screen, down on all fours, like a pig. The game always gives away when a pig is approaching too. Like in Silent Hill when your radio came on you knew that monsters where around, in this game your lantern and surrounding lights will start to flicker giving away any potential scare of it. "Why?" you might ask, well it's creepy the first six times it happens but after that it gets repetitive and boring. The very first time you encounter a monster in this game, there's no music and no stinger sound of any kind. It's just a pig, walking around, down on all fours.

    Remember the water part in the original Amnesia? Well it returns but with invisible pig ghosts instead! It's not great and I will not go into detail why as it could take me several pages to explain how it doesn't fit in into this game or why it's not scary.
    So all in all the gameplay is about you pushing forward the entire game, turning valves and reading notes.

    Now the presentation of this game is where it really shines. The game is filled with very interesting machinery that will make you awe in some spots. Almost every asset in this game is new (sure some assets from the original Amnesia will show up in some spots). The dark descent into the machine is intriguing, almost every section of the machine will be something new to look at, which is really nice. The games soundtrack sound design is also very good.

    I wouldn't recommend this game to newcommers of Amnesia. Get the first one and ignore this.    … Expand
  49. cmfrip
    Sep 25, 2013
    5
    5/10 Amnesia 2 is just a tame, melancholic walk through, a second a rate sequel( perhaps a let down is expected as it is a sequel?).

    +++ Great concept, Excellent art and imagery Sound is good but (prefer it's predecessor's score), Decent level design. --- Massive Culling of parts from original no more: sanity, fear of death, need to scout and explore,Items, Interaction with    5/10 Amnesia 2 is just a tame, melancholic walk through, a second a rate sequel( perhaps a let down is expected as it is a sequel?).

    +++ Great concept, Excellent art and imagery Sound is good but (prefer it's predecessor's score), Decent level design.
    --- Massive Culling of parts from original no more: sanity, fear of death, need to scout and explore,Items, Interaction with environment, linear gameplay and design (so some will need to stock up on drink, another expense...) Not 'THAT' great or original, or at all complex story. No decent puzzles (all puzzles are things you would be able to do in your sleep...) No Fear... Too short! (Finishing it and finding it lasts 5-7 hrs and that you will never play it again... It IS 'a Machine for Pigs'.

    I felt compelled to write a review on here as I have just run through and found my self EXTREMELY disappointed with this supposed 'sequel' to the 'Dark Descent'. Yes as noted, this is not the same game, but it has all the same hall marks, most of the same engine despite most objects are not inter-actable, which kills any dream of a good puzzle or any fast paced desk and cupboard choreography of sealing doors as you run from your nemesis; Only a hoping you reach a 'check point' in time. A 'Game for the Industry' I would call it, not the 'Machine for Pigs'... Only a shame it carries the same name...

    So the game is linear, and keeps on going with no reward for wander? and no adrenaline pumping chases? So what does it have? I will be the first to admit, all the work has been diverted away from any form of challenge, game wise, to the art side, the story and some kind of On the rails', 'Cinema-interactive experience'. The concept idea is great, the textures and the levels are beautiful, the story... is not as good or any where as compelling as Amnesia 1 and those who think it is because of the skill of the developers, please dont say it is, because it is a wandering video-game-story on its own, which mounts a great deal of weight on the 'story' side of the game and the 'pretties' side which mean both need to make up for the 'not alot happens' side and 'absent risk' and 'absent counter-interaction' side, resulting in linear-boring traipsing around with no need to worry about that *clink* or a door opening with a creepy sound Which was what Amnesia 1 had in spades and probably was the reason why it worked. They must admit then that this game is a joke in-comparison to the original because IT IS NO LONGER A GAME, but some kind of an interactive story; for that I hate it. A Machine for Pigs.

    But with all the art... the idea of this 'thing'... and the way the place looks they should be commended. The gameplay is not bad either, the engine still feels nice to use. However, I do believe they could have done better with the story, it is not all that compelling and I didn't feel drawn to know what happened(or perhaps I was bored? Or busy browsing the imagery?), it is not particularly original: I must have it and 'will' myself to do this It gave me a head ache and felt like screaming at the screen, "So... why are you living again? What did you come here to achieve??!..." And there it kind of kills the need for there to be a story, other than this magnificent 'THING' Its just 'A to B'. A Machine for Pigs...

    In retrospect, Maybe it is because there is not enough detail and I find the story lacks 'something' (no! not more pretties! Some detail, a part of the story, some plot or perhaps an occurrence of something). Or perhaps more detail to justify the man's love for his

    5/ 10 for this as this game is not complete. Personally as we are talking about something that is on sale on a market I think this game is worth £5 max. And I bought it pre-order lured on by the fact that I expected another 'Dark Descent', perhaps extended. This is not Dark Descent to my woe! It should be noted that it is worth 5 hrs play time, after that, other than if your a plank or you want to look deeper at the textures and level design, then the game is made redundant. I did question my self, does it have multiple paths? I am certain it does not... Even then the main mechanics of the game have been culled and it is left as a pig farm after a 'foot and mouth' virus out break.

    I do not feel a desire to follow 'The Chinese room' if this what they make... and I am unsure what Frictional plan now... If it was meant to be some stupid story... so be it, I will plead guilty of ignorance and hope I will pay attention the next time, despite the fact Amnesia the Dark Descent was such a good 'game'... In fact I would suggest new players to stick with The Dark Descent and Download from Desura or online the countless number of excellent user made maps (Whitenight Btw is like this rubbish and a walkthrough, Frictional Games rewarded those people for that scenario in a competition(how ironic Amnesia 2 is just like it... What were they thinking!??)).    … Expand
  50. Late2theparty
    Sep 24, 2013
    7
    Should you buy this game? If you're new to the Amnesia franchise or horror games in general, yes, totally. If you're already huge fan of Amnesia: the Dark Descent and you have high hopes and expectations for the sequel, maybe not.

    Had I known nothing about the previous games in the series, I would have reviewed it as a 9/10. It would have stood better on its own than being presented as    Should you buy this game? If you're new to the Amnesia franchise or horror games in general, yes, totally. If you're already huge fan of Amnesia: the Dark Descent and you have high hopes and expectations for the sequel, maybe not.

    Had I known nothing about the previous games in the series, I would have reviewed it as a 9/10. It would have stood better on its own than being presented as a sequel. I was disappointed when my expectations set by The Dark Descent were not met. I'm like a kid at Christmas who got a parrot instead of a puppy. Mom and dad, this is cool, but I wanted someone to play fetch with!

    In the Dark Descent, I was crippled by fear, afraid open the door to the next room, but I was so terribly curious what would be revealed next. I found this quality of tension and mystery lacking in a Machine for Pigs (MFP). What is rewarding about MFP is the deeper philosophical question it raises. "How does society treat those who we view as second-class citizens? How do I treat them?"

    Secondly, it might seem minor, but I was highly disappointed that I couldn't tear books off shelves in MFP. You can only interact with items that are important to progressing to the next area. This breaks the immersion. I found that I actually missed the complex puzzles and hunt for hidden items.

    Lastly, the absolute terror of the monsters is gone. This is due to familiarity. You could never get a clear look at the horror chasing you through Dark Descent, or figure out where and when it would show up next. The monsters in MFP quickly become familiar, predictable, easily avoided. There's no hiding; you just avoid their path. The horror is not in them sneaking up on you, but what they represent.

    So, you're buying it anyway? Try to approach this game with an open mind, and you'll enjoy it.    … Expand
  51. gilas18
    Sep 24, 2013
    6
    This game is not what i was expecting. It so predictable and not so scary, even the puzzles are easy and the game helps the player through them. But its not all bad. Its not an "Amnesia" game, its a totally different one but still enjoyable. The atmosphere its better and improved, soundtrack the best i ever heard and the graphics also improved despite some minor insignificant bugs but whatThis game is not what i was expecting. It so predictable and not so scary, even the puzzles are easy and the game helps the player through them. But its not all bad. Its not an "Amnesia" game, its a totally different one but still enjoyable. The atmosphere its better and improved, soundtrack the best i ever heard and the graphics also improved despite some minor insignificant bugs but what i really like is the story which i say Congratulations to The Chinese Room for possibly the best story ever in a video game, even had a few scares. So for all the people who say this game is i strongly advise to play it again and absorb its story and its atmosphere and then we will talk.… Expand
  52. W4nt
    Sep 23, 2013
    5
    In short, they shifted the premise from "scary jumpscares with a sub-par story" to "eerie environment with a good story", which isn't a bad thing at all. I just wasn't expecting it, as were a lot of fans of the Dark Descent.
  53. tanky87
    Sep 21, 2013
    7
    The Amnesia series Prides itself on doing something different and well the developers have managed to a pretty decent job on the latest game.
    Despite the ridiculously stupid monsters (flawed AI) and Childish puzzles, The Atmosphere is fantastic, the story engaging (but ultimately predictable) and the Sound design is absolutely brilliant..
    I'm sure all the hardcore horror fans will be    The Amnesia series Prides itself on doing something different and well the developers have managed to a pretty decent job on the latest game.
    Despite the ridiculously stupid monsters (flawed AI) and Childish puzzles, The Atmosphere is fantastic, the story engaging (but ultimately predictable) and the Sound design is absolutely brilliant..
    I'm sure all the hardcore horror fans will be disappointed, especially with the first game The Dark Descent being a masterpiece but the psychological horror that this game imparts along with its deeply disturbing and gruesome story line is what makes this game so unique.

    Granted, the monster encounters are few, the puzzles are annoyingly stupid and some level designs become repetitive but it does what is sets out to do Manages to keep a perfect balance of psychological horror and story telling (that is if you are patient enough to read and comprehend all the notes).

    The fear, the dread that someone is ready to pounce on you( like in TDD )is always there but some of the horror is sucked out as the game warns you of the presence of/ approaching enemies...However its hauntingly beautiful atmosphere along with a brilliant sound design makes up for that in a way.
    The atmosphere (sudden clunking of the machinery,winds,distant screams and many more all in the perfect location (Victorian Era England)) has been portrayed beautifully.. The music score by Jessica Curry is simply incredible and is worth buying alone.

    The inclusion of the sanity mechanic and more interactions with the surrounding environment would have made this game much better no doubt It also made sense to have a lantern that does not die out frequently during the age of the Industrial Revolution but making it everlasting was a bad call. There are bugs and glitches but they don't hamper your gaming experience too often. During its course the game reminds you of some of the elements of the dark descent in an interesting way.

    All in all,This game should not be played in a hurry nor should it be compared to the incredible level of its predecessor for it delivers a relatively different experience.. It should be played cause it manages to experiment and succeed in many aspects that the horror genre has paid little attention to ,considering The motive has always been to 'scare'....
    A Machine for Pigs is a pretty looking game set in a fascinating era and has been portrayed beautifully. It definitely does not come even close to scaring you like its predecessor but is definitely worth playing once for its unique experience.
    Just wait for Steam to reduce its current price.    … Expand
  54. Dunge
    Sep 21, 2013
    6
    I finished the game, the problem is not that it's "different", the game is flawed on nearly all concepts.

    The asset re-utilization is awful. The first time you see a painting you think it's a nice touch, but when it's the 40th time you see the same plastered all over the game, it lose its style. Same thing for most objects. Most rooms (level design) are completely implausible in size    I finished the game, the problem is not that it's "different", the game is flawed on nearly all concepts.

    The asset re-utilization is awful. The first time you see a painting you think it's a nice touch, but when it's the 40th time you see the same plastered all over the game, it lose its style. Same thing for most objects. Most rooms (level design) are completely implausible in size and architecture and don't feel real at all.
    On the other hand, the level of detail is quite good and better than most game (geometry/texturing).

    Contrarily to Penumbra series where you had some very clever puzzle to solve, Amnesia: MFP only have a few "move objects from point A to point B" gameplay elements, and it don't get more that than.

    There is a SINGLE other moving entity type in the game (appear 4-5 times along the way) and it's a PIG! How can they be serious? You have to run away from a PIG! You can't even fight back. Is that supposed to be scary or funny?

    The story in itself is not enough to save the game, the story is kinda simple and a lot of elementary students could come up with a better one. Also, it's probably delivered in the worst way unimaginable. Instead of integrating the storytelling elements into the gameplay (in cut-scenes or when the player have control) they just plastered written "notes" all over and phones with "audio log" type of message. Even worse, as soon as one of these audio log start playing, the player movement lower to about 10% of his speed and the screen becomes blurry to the point you need to wait until it's finished to continue moving.

    A lot of bad reviews say it's too linear. There's nothing wrong with a linear game, when linearity actually help to support an story with eventful scripted scenes and nice transitions between rooms. In the case of Amnesia, it's just running into empty long corridors where nothing happen and only 1/10 doors are unlocked along the way.

    A lot of bad review say the game is much too short. While it is short (around 5hours), it's not that of a problem.    … Expand
  55. BatFat09
    Sep 20, 2013
    7
    Tis game... this game... The story was presented wonderfully but the problems out weigh many of the great story moments and gameplay "improvements" It was just lacking the pure fear that you felt playing the dark descent, it lost the survival aspect. I felt safer and less scared in this game than any other "survival horror" game i have ever played. The game is still worth playing however...
  56. matman4077
    Sep 19, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is not the game Amnesia fans waited years for.

    When Frictional made Dark Descent, they created a highly interactive atmosphere that drew you in until you were too scared to go into the next room and see what horror was waiting for you. Instead of adding to the mechanics of the original, Chinese Room decided to remove practically all the original mechanics (no inventory, no health/sanity, you can't manipulate all objects, no hiding spots). The panic of getting Daniel through the dark to light before he went insane and preserving lamp oil contributed so much to the fear factor. Taking those elements away removed A LOT of quality from the game.
    Many fans say the enemies are not scary, I'm not sure that's entirely true though. The idea of the enemy models was great and the sounds are frightening enough, but they never appear in a moment you clearly have an advantage. The grunts from the first game appeared in some of the worst moments you could imagine and scrambling for a hiding place was unforgettably chaotic. The enemies were presented badly and the feeling of helplessness is completely absent. The biggest question I have is why couldn't they find a way to bring back the grunts??? Get creative next time Chinese Room, I expected to be chased and beat senseless but your pigs were too stupid to catch me (never died once on my first play through). The AI should have improved from Dark Descent, not degraded into mindless creatures that will completely miss you when you're right next to them. Maybe if Mandus was actually afraid of the dark like Daniel they would have noticed me.
    The design looks rather nice and I enjoyed amnesia's art style looking good, but you never wondered what was next. The next room would be some mechanical room that looked basically like the last. You could say the first amnesia did that with the castle looking the same, but the environments changed enough that it was fresh and that dreadful feeling of going deeper was much more prominent. That 'going deeper' theme is repeated in Machine for Pigs but honestly I was just hoping that something would surprise me.
    Another reason the rating isn't that low is the story really is pretty cool. The political satire and dark themes are interesting, but I could actually pay attention to this story because I wasn't scared out of my mind something was about to eat me again (I loved the first game's story on a later playthrough where I actually payed attention). A good story isn't enough to impress me though. This game is supposed to be a sequel and yet I found it to be 100% unrelated to the original. There is not a single reference to the evil we witnessed and feared in Brennenburg Castle. That may have been difficult since it's been moved to a separate era and location, but I hate that the first game is ignored. Chinese Room did tell us that they were putting a lot into the story and that was true. If only they didn't forget to put in the rest of the game. This is where I felt kind of nauseous inside because I realized that Amnesia had fallen victim to being inspired by Dear Esther. I know that game was supposed to be 'artistic', but a complete lack of gameplay made for one the most disappointing wastes of time and money of my life. Thank goodness some of Amnesia is still in this game or fans would have been even more furious.
    One more MAJOR complaint and perhaps the worst. When I played the first Amnesia, it took me 7-8 hours to finally reach Alexander. That game was LONG and I loved every moment of my terror. What happened with all that time for development for this game??? Did they forget to add-in half the game? I feel like at some point I must have bypassed the entire game since I watched the credits roll within the time it would have taken me to watch a movie. The length is the worst factor that Dear Esther rubbed off onto this game. I'm crossing my fingers that they implement what is needed for Custom Stories or this game will NEVER be worth what I payed. It's not that the game is unfinished, it's that it goes by so dang fast that you didn't have a chance to get that scared. If I could only make one change then I would beg for a couple more hours worth of gameplay. It may not be Dark Descent, but I was still having fun.
    As a horror game on its own, this game is decent and has a great story with awesome music and voice acting. I will applaud those achievements and you earned half a rating. However, this game is far too short and feels more like a professional custom story than a full sequel. Had they not put "Amnesia" in the title I think I would be happier because on its own it really is good. Maybe Dear Piggy would be more appropriate. I would still recommend giving the game a play through, but please don't walk out of that first bedroom with expectations so you can enjoy it for what it's worth.    … Expand
  57. jack67
    Sep 19, 2013
    7
    Although it's not a survival horror, as other reviews have mentioned, the writing is excellent and all the horror elements of good fiction are there. The ending is thought-provoking, if not slightly unclear as to how it all comes to a close. The play-time is incredibly short, however, and I can't help but think it would be better served at a lower price-point. After a three-hour game, mostAlthough it's not a survival horror, as other reviews have mentioned, the writing is excellent and all the horror elements of good fiction are there. The ending is thought-provoking, if not slightly unclear as to how it all comes to a close. The play-time is incredibly short, however, and I can't help but think it would be better served at a lower price-point. After a three-hour game, most gamers might think $10 is a better investment. A Machine for Pigs is little more than interactive cinema; there is some risk of the character's death, but it's ultimately inconsequential, since the player restarts very close to the point of death and the creature who did the killing is then no longer present.

    I enjoyed it. Like I said, the writing is worth the price of admission, particularly the bits between screen loads which are deftly written, full of excellent imagery. But still way too short for a game with no replay potential.    … Expand
  58. Makeruco
    Sep 17, 2013
    6
    Esto es una crítica SUBJETIVA tras finalizar el juego. (Spanish critic) LO BUENO: Gran ambientación e historia y enemigos que te ponen los pelos de punta. LO MALO: Que lo bueno es solo eso y que tiene una duración ridícula. Es una pena que a una gran historia como la que se va desvelando a lo largo del juego (gran parte a través de las notas) no se le haya sabido dar un juego mejo mejor.Esto es una crítica SUBJETIVA tras finalizar el juego. (Spanish critic) LO BUENO: Gran ambientación e historia y enemigos que te ponen los pelos de punta. LO MALO: Que lo bueno es solo eso y que tiene una duración ridícula. Es una pena que a una gran historia como la que se va desvelando a lo largo del juego (gran parte a través de las notas) no se le haya sabido dar un juego mejo mejor. Creo que habría sido más productivo crear una novela que haber diseñado todo un juego; porque eso es Amnesia: A machine for pigs, una novela interactiva.

    Tanto las cosas buenas como las malas que he escrito sobre el juego se las ha ganado por méritos propios, pero hay que reconocer que en parte el ''tortazo'' que se ha dado ha sido por ser el sucesor de un juego que dejó el listón más alto y de cuya secuela por lo tanto se iba a esperar mucho más. Pasillos lineales llenos de puertas de adorno, cuatro enemigos a lo largo del juego, supresión del inventario (y lo que ello conlleva), farol con luz infinita (menos tensión), puzzles basados únicamente en mover objetos y, eso sí, una ambientación muy lograda seguida de una gran historia. Si lo que buscas es un juego con el que pasar momentos de tensión o lo que es peor, una experiencia como la que se tuvo con Amnesia: The dark descent, aquí no la vas a encontrar; si por el contrario te dejas llevar por una lograda atmósfera y una historia que te hace pensar, entonces píllalo (aunque es más bien de esos juegos que es mejor alquilar si se pudiera...) ya que no es muy caro (según se mire, claro). Collapse    … Expand
  59. Synyster19
    Sep 17, 2013
    5
    I want to start off by saying that I did enjoy this game. It had a great story line with heavy immersion and great atmosphere that one rarely finds in other horror titles. The game was good, but it felt rather bare compared to The Dark Descent. Inventory, tinderboxes, and oil are completely removed from the game, along with the health and insanity meters. This was quite a disappointment,I want to start off by saying that I did enjoy this game. It had a great story line with heavy immersion and great atmosphere that one rarely finds in other horror titles. The game was good, but it felt rather bare compared to The Dark Descent. Inventory, tinderboxes, and oil are completely removed from the game, along with the health and insanity meters. This was quite a disappointment, but I eventually got over it because the game's primary focus was immersion and atmosphere. But what really lowered the score for me was the fact that there are no custom stories! What in the world were they thinking?? Without custom stories, this game offers absolutely no replayability, which really sucks due to the fact that you can beat the game in just 4 hours. There was a great community of people who modded Amnesia and made many awesome custom stories that really added to The Dark Descent's content, but what happens to that now? Are we just forgetting about one of the best features of Amnesia? That doesn't seem fair to all the dedicated people who made custom stories before and who were probably looking forward to doing it now in A Machine for Pigs. I hope they might put a patch out or something to add this back into the game, because otherwise I don't see any point in keeping in my Steam library anymore. As I said before, it is a good game, but it's hard for me to decide whether it was even worth the purchase due to all these awesome features that were just stripped out of the game, as well as the fact that it was only 4 hours long. Maybe they will patch it, maybe not. We will just have to wait and see how they deal with this issue.… Expand
  60. Gilrajeen
    Sep 16, 2013
    7
    Wer nach einem Horrorgame wie The Dark Descent sucht, wird leider enttäuscht. A Machine for Pigs erzählt eine bizarre Geschichte, welche nicht viel Platz für richtigen Horror lässt. Fast scheint es so, als wurde die ganze Energie in die Story gesteckt und der Horror rückte in den Hintergrund. Als Horrorfan erscheint dies bitter, denn auch ich habe mich auf schlaflose Nächte gefreut. DochWer nach einem Horrorgame wie The Dark Descent sucht, wird leider enttäuscht. A Machine for Pigs erzählt eine bizarre Geschichte, welche nicht viel Platz für richtigen Horror lässt. Fast scheint es so, als wurde die ganze Energie in die Story gesteckt und der Horror rückte in den Hintergrund. Als Horrorfan erscheint dies bitter, denn auch ich habe mich auf schlaflose Nächte gefreut. Doch je mehr ich mich mit der Story auseinandersetze, desto bizarrer erscheint sie. Ein richtiger Die Story finde ich wirklich sehr Gelungen.

    Was mich stört(e):
    - Die Rätsel sind zu einfach
    - (fast) Keine Verfolgungsjagden
    - Kein Inventar (und kein "Zustand") mehr und darum ist es auch nicht nötig, jeden Raum nach brauchbarem abzusuchen
    - Wenn man ein Schweinchen sieht, dann flackert höchstens die Lampe. Angst scheint man keine zu haben
    - zu wenig horror

    Was ich gut fand:
    - Die Story
    - Die Effekte

    Alles in allem fand ich das Game nicht schlecht, wer aber Horror sucht, ist bei diesem Spiel falsch. Wer wert auf eine gute Story legt, der sollte sich dieses Spiel unbedingt genauer anschauen.    … Expand
  61. Lordgrey
    Sep 16, 2013
    7
    Not scare. Have no any horror. But storyline completely crazy and has some interesting ideas, many blood and use to show us a essence what rule this unperfect world. In time of sterile censored games with pink blood and unnatural soft and too simple lexicon it very...not bad, yeah. If you love psychedelic atmosphere, your favorite film is "The silence of the lambs" and your think thatNot scare. Have no any horror. But storyline completely crazy and has some interesting ideas, many blood and use to show us a essence what rule this unperfect world. In time of sterile censored games with pink blood and unnatural soft and too simple lexicon it very...not bad, yeah. If you love psychedelic atmosphere, your favorite film is "The silence of the lambs" and your think that Hannibal the most charismatic character for ever, i think you like this game.… Expand
  62. aznassassin
    Sep 16, 2013
    6
    Lacks the same flavour and taste that made the original so great while also being less accessible with fewer scares. Mediocre graphics that look a complete step down from the original and frustrating long load times dont help either.
  63. TundraFreeze
    Sep 15, 2013
    7
    This being all about the atmosphere, I find myself missing the puzzles and monsters from the first game.The skill and money going into this game has focused on creating a range of spooky atmospheres. You have a creepy old house, a church, sewers, etc. With headphones on and in a darkened room this game is definitely creepy. The storyline is great and the game allows you to explore theThis being all about the atmosphere, I find myself missing the puzzles and monsters from the first game.The skill and money going into this game has focused on creating a range of spooky atmospheres. You have a creepy old house, a church, sewers, etc. With headphones on and in a darkened room this game is definitely creepy. The storyline is great and the game allows you to explore the areas you travel through. However you simply don't DO much in this sequel. There are puzzles in this game but to be honest none of them are particularly challenging nor interesting. There are monsters too but they are not as unique and original as in the first game. So if you like creepy atmopsheres and a good horror storyline you should enjoy this sequel, that is the focus of the game. If you want challenging and interesting puzzles in addition to that I am not so sure you will enjoy it. 'A Machine for Pigs' is not a bad horror game by any means but it doesn't live up to the original, it feels 'average'. In fact my favourite horror game so far in 2013 is 'Outlast', it was far more interesting and unique than 'A Machine for Pigs'.… Expand
  64. Nester
    Sep 15, 2013
    7
    This was a game I had long waited for, and I am please to say it was not a disappointment. The game brings back true horror with the chilling areas, the atmosphere, and its brain-bending puzzles.

    As a fan of the first game, I am slightly disappointed that some features from the last game were removed, mainly the sanity meter, as I found it one of the many elements that adds strategy and    This was a game I had long waited for, and I am please to say it was not a disappointment. The game brings back true horror with the chilling areas, the atmosphere, and its brain-bending puzzles.

    As a fan of the first game, I am slightly disappointed that some features from the last game were removed, mainly the sanity meter, as I found it one of the many elements that adds strategy and horror to the game.

    Despite that, this sequel does bring back the gripping storytelling that Frictional Games provides us with, as I found the mysteries exciting and shocking that it made me carry on with the game.

    Overall, it isn't the best sequel to the series, but then again, no game is perfect. It has its pros and cons, but I like to see it as a good addition to what may come further in these horrifying games.    … Expand
  65. mysteryone
    Sep 15, 2013
    5
    I love Amnesia,
    but I must say, I'm disappointed with this game...
    they took off what was the best in "the dark descent" the puzzles are too easy to solve, because you have almost no interactivity with objects. no inventory, and worse, no insanity bar... in "the dark descent", you really feel the pressure, you don't want to be in the dark, because your character start to shake and    I love Amnesia,
    but I must say, I'm disappointed with this game...

    they took off what was the best in "the dark descent"
    the puzzles are too easy to solve, because you have almost no interactivity with objects.
    no inventory, and worse, no insanity bar...

    in "the dark descent", you really feel the pressure, you don't want to be in the dark, because your character start to shake and may cry, when scared he falls and you can only crawl into the ground like a worm afraid to become another pray... you have nothing like that in "a machine for pigs" is closer to "Dear Esther" than "Amnesia".

    Light was something precious, you needed light to cure, but you knew, you can't keep the lights on because monsters may see you, and you need to be careful about how you spend it, or it may end.
    in "a machine for pigs", you have an infinite lantern, and the dark does nothing to you.

    in "the dark descent" you don't want to look to the monster, because your vision blurs, you become insane, cry, and the monster sees you.
    I looked directly into the monsters eyes, what happens? nothing... nothing happens in "a machine for pigs".

    seriously, no Amnesia fans will like it... play the Dark Decent if you want real pressure, real immersion.
    this game took off what was the best.

    if a give them 5, is because they did a good work with the ambient, sounds and 3D, and I like the telephone calls.
    I hope the story will make me love this game.    … Expand
  66. Mothhive
    Sep 15, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the game, maybe because I was a massive fan of the original, as well as a fan or Dear Esther, and had been excited about playing this since the reveal, I don't know. Anyway, here's what I found good and bad:

    Good:

    As usual, the world is extremely detailed looking.

    The music is quite good and fits with each situation in the game

    There were a few cool moments when objects or even doors and passages would appear/disappear leaving you a little confused or freaked out for a moment, but in a good way! :)

    Bad:

    Far too short. I finished it in 4 hours, and I didn't rush through. I'm OCD and I explore everywhere and look at everything in games. Regular gamers would probably get through it even faster!

    There was absolutely no tension or atmosphere, which are things the original had in spades! At no point did I feel dread, fear, apprehension, or any of the other good stuff the original made me feel.

    The only scares in the game were a handful of cheap jump scares, like platforms falling, children running at you, etc.

    The story seemed to be the main focus of the game, but it was extremely predictable. There was obviously a lot of effort put into it with all the notes and dialogue, but most of it was so over the top, almost pretentious sounding, coupled with the shovelling of as many terms relating to pigs as possible (yes, we get it, there are pigs in this game!), it was incredibly hard to take seriously and almost painful to get through, nearly to the point where I considered skipping reading the notes/journal.

    The monsters were not even remotely scary and never felt like they were a threat, even when they spotted you and chased you. In fact, I'd go as far as to say they were almost comical in their appearance and behaviour (WTF was up with that Space Pig???). So disappointed after the terrifying array of monsters in the original.

    Lack of mechanics from the previous game, like tinder boxes, lantern fuel, inventory, insanity, health, etc. The game was over simplified and lost a lot of it's charm and things which helped make the original scary.

    While the graphics are similar quality to the original, there seemed to be this weird fuzz/glow over everything, that in the darkest parts of the game would cause weird artifacts and colour banding that I hadn't experienced previously.

    Overall, I found this to be a disappointment and I wish I'd picked it up in a Steam sale, rather than pre-ordering, because it certainly was not worth the money.    … Expand
  67. LukeDann
    Sep 14, 2013
    6
    Frictional Games while working on their next new IP brought in The Chinese Room a team that made the breathtaking Dear Esther in 2012 to create a sequel to what many consider to be, the scariest game ever. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is set in Victorian London in the year 1899. You play as Oswald Mandus a butcher who has built up a factory complex and built a great machine for pigs, heFrictional Games while working on their next new IP brought in The Chinese Room a team that made the breathtaking Dear Esther in 2012 to create a sequel to what many consider to be, the scariest game ever. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is set in Victorian London in the year 1899. You play as Oswald Mandus a butcher who has built up a factory complex and built a great machine for pigs, he wakes up one night after a fever dream to find that his children have gone missing and he must descent into the heart of the machine to save them. The game focuses heavily on narrative thus loses the massive emphasis on horror and survival that The Dark Descent had, of course with TCR working on the game it was inevitable to become a fresh experience but was that experience a great horror game i came to expect? No it started off really nicely but very slowly worked it's way to the first pigman encounter, after that the game lost it's momentum and i felt myself becoming confused on how i felt on the game. For the first half of the game you feel threatened by the pigs but after you reach the holding pens and observe them playing with blocks and acting like children you feel sorry for them and realise that they're just people, homeless and prostitutes that Mandus had taken into the machine, seeing that kills the mood. It had it's moments where it scared me and made me squeal like a piggy but they were too few and there are literally no hiding places in the form of closets and the like, most of the time it felt like a dull descent into the unknown. The new and improved mechanics makes it easier and more fun to throw items around but don't expect to pick up everything as the game forces you to only pick up items of interest. What the game does do well however is the stunning visuals and the amazing sound design that Jessica Curry has wonderfully composed, i think it was the music and story that kept me going to the end. All in all it wasn't what i expected that's not to say it's bad however it is NOT an Amnesia game if you are a veteran of the first you will be disappointed like I.… Expand
  68. dReaMMMM
    Sep 14, 2013
    6
    Amnesia the Dark Descent was one of my favorite games ever made. It perfectly blended horror, adventure, and inventory management and was a perfect package (despite being 3-4 hours long). A Machine For Pigs scraps the inventory management as a WHOLE, and focuses on puzzles and such to keep you progressing. While playing A Machine For Pigs, I realized one thing.

    I was bored. The puzzles    Amnesia the Dark Descent was one of my favorite games ever made. It perfectly blended horror, adventure, and inventory management and was a perfect package (despite being 3-4 hours long). A Machine For Pigs scraps the inventory management as a WHOLE, and focuses on puzzles and such to keep you progressing. While playing A Machine For Pigs, I realized one thing.

    I was bored.
    The puzzles weren't entertaining enough to keep me wanting to play, and It takes WAY WAY WAYYYYYYYYY too long to ramp up the horror factor. The Chinese Room obviously had their way with Amnesia, as it truly feels like Dear Esther with a bit more interaction. To me, A Machine could have been GREAT if it had just retained the Dark Descent's mechanics, but no. A Machine For Pigs is not a terrible game; it has a great story, and great music/sound effects that match the tone and atmosphere perfectly. But the gameplay was obviously dumbed down, and it shows. So once again, AMFP is not terrible.

    It is just disappointing.    … Expand
  69. mrkzy
    Sep 14, 2013
    7
    Not such a disaster that many are complaining BUT it is true that many good old features were replaced with nothing and that the game is pretty linear.
    But still this game is pretty average indie-horror game although not nearly as good as Dark descent.. We also have to remember that this game was not from the original amnesia developers.
  70. mGMUSE
    Sep 14, 2013
    7
    The game starts off slow and I didn't like it at all because I was such a fan of the old Amnesia, the Amnesia where you could only play for 20 minutes before having to take a rest. The game only had about a total of an hour of scare. It is definitely more of a psychological, immersive game rather than pure horror. That being said, it just isn't the game The Dark Descent was. There'sThe game starts off slow and I didn't like it at all because I was such a fan of the old Amnesia, the Amnesia where you could only play for 20 minutes before having to take a rest. The game only had about a total of an hour of scare. It is definitely more of a psychological, immersive game rather than pure horror. That being said, it just isn't the game The Dark Descent was. There's nothing new in game mechanics, nothing fanciful or fun, unlike how Frictional Games innovated with The Dark Descent.

    The plot was very good though, I liked how it left many questions unanswered and many subjects up to your own interpretation. I would say the plot saved the game, it was so untypical and unorthordox that my friends and I were left wanting to find out the mystery behind what was going on throuhgout the entire game.    … Expand
  71. squidgee
    Sep 13, 2013
    6
    I like many others was expecting an experience much like the original Amnesia. I didn't think it would be as scary or as memorable as the first considering it was being developed by TCR, but I expected a good, solid game that would scare me good. While a constant sense of dread and tension is built throughout the game, the suspense never really climaxes into something truly terrifying, andI like many others was expecting an experience much like the original Amnesia. I didn't think it would be as scary or as memorable as the first considering it was being developed by TCR, but I expected a good, solid game that would scare me good. While a constant sense of dread and tension is built throughout the game, the suspense never really climaxes into something truly terrifying, and by the second hour in, the flickering lights and pig monsters almost lose their fear factor entirely. I wouldn't call this game scary. Creepy, disturbing and suspenseful are more accurate descriptions I think. The removal of some gameplay elements and also the inexhaustible lantern that also acts as a monster detector probably contributes to the lack of fear as well.

    Graphics wise, it's a small improvement over the first Amnesia but still looks a bit outdated. The lighting in particular often looks rather strange, with low res textures here and there. Sound design however is phenomenal and TCR use it brilliantly to create a really fleshed out atmosphere. Soundtrack and voice acting is top notch as well. If you really immerse yourself into the game, the story is not too bad either. Writing is generally very poetic and descriptive and you might find it difficult to grasp what's going on behind all the metaphorical language. The story is generally quite good though.

    To sum up the game, AAMFP is mostly like Dear Esther with some Amnesia sprinkled on top. I was somewhat disappointed after finishing the game, but I've learnt to appreciate the unique experience that TCR have created. In terms of length, think Penumbra: BP, around 4-6 hours.    … Expand
  72. DyagoDiih
    Sep 13, 2013
    6
    nao amnesia tiraram tudo que tinha de bom no primeiro game pra fazer esse machine que ficou muito chato,cheio de barulhos chatos ,mas a ambientação ficou muito boa (só isso mesmo)

    vou ir jogar o primeiro game pq esse ta
  73. Anilexeas
    Sep 13, 2013
    7
    The game does not have as many jumps and scares as the first one, for one it takes out the insanity factor that i loved so much in the first one as well as running the chance of running out of oil for your lantern. I believe it was well priced at 20$ and what it lacks in horror, which at first i was disappointed in, i believe the story-line was well thought out and planed. I'll admit, iThe game does not have as many jumps and scares as the first one, for one it takes out the insanity factor that i loved so much in the first one as well as running the chance of running out of oil for your lantern. I believe it was well priced at 20$ and what it lacks in horror, which at first i was disappointed in, i believe the story-line was well thought out and planed. I'll admit, i was disappointed at first but by the end of the game i enjoyed it in a much different way than just being scared, i got into the story line. But if you are looking for a scary game and one that will make you jump, play the first one instead of this one. This one is allot more layed back but i personally enjoyed it.… Expand
  74. Yellers
    Sep 13, 2013
    6
    It was said that this installment of the Amnesia games was made to be less of an adventure game, less of a puzzler and more of a horror game. While it definitely is less of an adventure and less of a puzzler, it is NOT scarier. Not one single bit. They took out the tension that light management brought us, they took away sanity, which was one of the biggest concerns for the last Amnesia.It was said that this installment of the Amnesia games was made to be less of an adventure game, less of a puzzler and more of a horror game. While it definitely is less of an adventure and less of a puzzler, it is NOT scarier. Not one single bit. They took out the tension that light management brought us, they took away sanity, which was one of the biggest concerns for the last Amnesia. Puzzles barely exist anymore, there is some here and there but it's very simplistic. That's all bad, but what about the horror part? Oh, lord. The monsters look like fat dogs, they're tiny and wide. You never see their face, which is the scariest part of them in the concept art. They move fairly slow, and the only way they will intimidate you is if you think they are dangerous. They do horrible damage they are barely dangerous.
    All that said, the sound effects are what gave the game a rating 6 from me, the "pigs" aren't scary, but their sounds are. The sound of that insane, bloodcrazed pig will give you chills. But, when they see you, you can hop around and smile. The storyline is hands down great. Voice acting was much better in the last Amnesia, and the soundtrack is forgettable.
    Why, Frictional, WHY did you team up with The Chinese Room?! WHY?! Ugh, I'm trying so hard to like this game. But it's just much easier than the last one, and the only way for you to get scared, is by thinking its scary. Very sad, and fairly dissapointed.    … Expand
  75. gvazdas
    Sep 13, 2013
    5
    Everyone IS right that this game is different from The Dark Descent.
    And it's different in a bad way.
    The environments look nice, the graphics are okay for a game for it's time and the sound design is flawless. The first few levels seem to throw you into this sort of 'look everywhere, explore and leave no stone unturned' mentality. After an hour of play, as you continue down into The    Everyone IS right that this game is different from The Dark Descent.
    And it's different in a bad way.
    The environments look nice, the graphics are okay for a game for it's time and the sound design is flawless.
    The first few levels seem to throw you into this sort of 'look everywhere, explore and leave no stone unturned' mentality. After an hour of play, as you continue down into The Machine, the game gets linear, loud and boring. Jump-scares, screen-shaking and loud noises are the main 'scares' in the game.
    Not to mention that the game seems to have degraded in terms of gameplay. There's no more inventory interaction, the only objects that you can use for the 'AMAZINGLY POLISHED PHYSICS ENGINE' are chairs, closets and big boxes you have to push. The physics are extremely buggy and you can get ragdolls stuck inside of things, including walls and small crevices.
    The monsters seem to be really well-made though and the soundtrack is top notch.
    I honestly think The Chinese Room should stick to no-gameplay 'hipster art' games. Dear Esther was great, but this game is horrible. After playing Dear Esther, I expected the developers to turn the Amnesia game into a horror thriller with shiny graphics and an amazing narrative.
    Sadly, only the narrative catched on. The unique writing for the game did not save it's horrible gameplay and linearity.
    This game is a huge let-down considering I have waited long for it. Frictional Games, I have no idea why you let a few indie developers famous for beautiful games develop a game that has to have actual horror and atmosphere in it.    … Expand
  76. SH3RIFFO
    Sep 13, 2013
    5
    Before I pre-ordered it, I was mind blown by the teasers and the description of the game. It said to expect classic 'Amnesia game-play.' And how it is a complete fresh game, but it stays to its origins. This was all nonsense. There was absolutely no 'Amnesia' in it. As a sequel to the masterpiece of the Dark Decent, this was preposterous. Horrible sequel. I was honestly disappointing. ItBefore I pre-ordered it, I was mind blown by the teasers and the description of the game. It said to expect classic 'Amnesia game-play.' And how it is a complete fresh game, but it stays to its origins. This was all nonsense. There was absolutely no 'Amnesia' in it. As a sequel to the masterpiece of the Dark Decent, this was preposterous. Horrible sequel. I was honestly disappointing. It lacked interaction, scares, puzzles, and mostly the horrifying feeling of being haunted you had when playing the first Amnesia.

    Let me tell you something, if this was a stand alone game by The Chinese Room, and it was no official sequel to Amnesia at all, it would have been a Great game! I would've rated a 7.5. As a standalone game, it was great, really was, amazing story, incredible graphics for an indie game, and all in all, fun gameplay. But knowing that this is the official sequel to the mind-blowing "Amnesia: The Dark Decent", this was a bad careless move. I rate this 5 for that particular reason. This lacks everything great about Amnesia. I saw this comment on YouTube and I have to admit, it's so accurate:

    Graphics: 9 10
    Atmosphere: 8 10
    Story: 9 10
    Scares: 2 10
    Gameplay: 4 10
    Horror: 3 10
    Amnesia: 0 10

    This is my review. Thanks for reading. Play the game for yourself and judge only then.    … Expand
  77. scissor
    Sep 13, 2013
    5
    Overall,a machine for pigs(AMFP) is not better than the dark descent(TDD).Apparently AMFP has lower tension and lower stressful.
    I think AMFP is mainly focus on plot of a play it lost lots of fun and challenge for lack of many puzzles and inventory systems especially the lantern oil system.
    Still like the horror game who made by FrictionalGames ,like Penumbra and Amnesia-TDD. AMFP was    Overall,a machine for pigs(AMFP) is not better than the dark descent(TDD).Apparently AMFP has lower tension and lower stressful.
    I think AMFP is mainly focus on plot of a play it lost lots of fun and challenge for lack of many puzzles and inventory systems especially the lantern oil system.
    Still like the horror game who made by FrictionalGames ,like Penumbra and Amnesia-TDD.
    AMFP was mainly developed by Chineseroom ,and the AMFP's game style is very familiar with their games->Dear Esther.Sometimes i thought i was playing DearEsther instead of Amnesia series.
    And the most important thing is that they remove the Customstory! The customstory is the "Continuation of life" in this game,don't know why the Chineseroom remove it.    … Expand
  78. Joso2304
    Sep 13, 2013
    5
    I played through this game in 2 hours. There was no need to explorer because there were NOTHING to gain from exploring. No oil, no health, no sanity, no freaking nothing. Dissapointed. But it was able to scare me sometimes and set a good atmosphere. But it was a big let down from the Amnesia Series. I think this game actually don't belong in the Amnesia series because; 1. He didn't haveI played through this game in 2 hours. There was no need to explorer because there were NOTHING to gain from exploring. No oil, no health, no sanity, no freaking nothing. Dissapointed. But it was able to scare me sometimes and set a good atmosphere. But it was a big let down from the Amnesia Series. I think this game actually don't belong in the Amnesia series because; 1. He didn't have (the same type) Amnesia as in the first game. 2. It doesn't have anything to do with Amneisa. It shouldn't have been an Amneisia game. It would have been better if it was just an indie game called Machine for pigs.… Expand
  79. SnowUltran
    Sep 12, 2013
    7
    This game was a little dissapointing.people were expecting a game 10 X scarier than the original but we got a game that was short, it took me a day to beat it.also it wasn't that scary. however it had a AMAZING storyline. the story made me finish. it was creepy at some parts but most parts were not that scary. i wouldn't consider this game a amnesia game. but it was a pretty good game.This game was a little dissapointing.people were expecting a game 10 X scarier than the original but we got a game that was short, it took me a day to beat it.also it wasn't that scary. however it had a AMAZING storyline. the story made me finish. it was creepy at some parts but most parts were not that scary. i wouldn't consider this game a amnesia game. but it was a pretty good game. with great puzzles and a amazing storyline.overall 7/10… Expand
  80. TheHorrorAnthem
    Sep 12, 2013
    7
    And finally, here she is, the spiritual successor to the mighty Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the horror survival that over half of its own fans did not even complete. So, along comes A Machine For Pigs, and what mighty big boots it has to fill. Honestly, how does one go about topping the game that may have single handedly saved the survival horror genre, as well as boosted independentAnd finally, here she is, the spiritual successor to the mighty Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the horror survival that over half of its own fans did not even complete. So, along comes A Machine For Pigs, and what mighty big boots it has to fill. Honestly, how does one go about topping the game that may have single handedly saved the survival horror genre, as well as boosted independent gaming, saved Frictional Games from going under, got many of us to download the PC revolution that is Steam, all while quite possibly being the scariest game of all time? Well I suppose one way to go about this is too simple just not top it, which almost seems to be what A Machine For Pigs has intentionally done here. I am sorry folks who were squealing to get their hooves into this one, but this successor admits defeat from its predecessor from the word "go". But is it bad? Is it worth the bacon? Could it still send us screaming "wee wee wee" all the way home, and under our beds? Well The Dark Descent raised the bar so high, that anything capable of biting at its heels is still going to be pretty terrifying, and that is where "Pigs" shines. Yes, it is a great survival horror experience, and should be played, and can be enjoyed by anyone who is open minded enough to accept it for what it is. In many ways, this game feels like it should have been the first Amnesia, and Dark Descent should have been its bigger sequel. "Pigs" feels almost like a really big piece of DLC more than a sequel, as it is far shorter, has had no graphic enhancements, features the exact same mechanics, and is far less interactive. It is simplified to the point of disappointment, and no longer will you scrounge in the dark for answers to puzzles, and what few "puzzles" there are, are solved mere feet away from the solution with no thought. No longer do you need to open drawers or explore, unless you are hunting documents to look further into the back story, and no longer do you need to search for tinderboxes as light does nothing for you this time around. In fact light is more harmful in this one as it attracts enemies. You are given a lantern this time that does not feed off of oil, which is a huge departure from Dark Descents signature terror. You are free to run and skip about with that lantern on all the night long if you wish, but not without a price. My disappointment of this feature became a gleeful burden in the games latter half when I realized the dang thing was going to get me killed, and much of my journey became lurking in the dark, as I barely even saw my lantern in the final chapters. The biggest departure and most shocking decision in the entire game, is as follows, there is no sanity meter. Developers The Chinese Room under publishing of Frictional Games has done away with the original Amnesia's sanity meter, which was the games identity in many ways. It was what separated the scares in other games from itself, and having complete both games, I am still not sure if this was a good decision or not. Luckily this did not take away from my fear when I found myself face to face with the creatures that were more pleased to see me dead than alive. Though, without insanity bringing me down, escape was not difficult. In fact it was easy. Little did I know at the time, but getting away was not hard, and never did I need to block doors, or climb into a chifferobe, for usually ducking behind something, or even standing in a dark corner often worked. I hate to say it, but I did not die one single time in my playthrough, something I cannot say about the original. My only other gripe with this journey is the overuse of journal entrees, none which are narrated. It is not that I mind reading, but you will be constantly pulled out of the terror to read the thoughts of our protagonist Mandus, and I do mean constantly. So, why give an oink about this game? Because it is a damn good time, and is damn frightening, peppered with intriguing story telling to boot. Sure the light is eternal, but brings forth the enemy, sure the sanity meter is gone, but the "machine" aspect of the game is startling to the audio enough and will pierce the ear drum probably twice as much as the original sanity meter. The story is enough to pull you through, but it fumbles in its third act and becomes bloated, but overall gets the job done, at least as much as expected. "Pigs" is worth playing, if you are a horror junkie, it is a must. It was never intended to out due Dark Descent, so take it for what it is, be open minded, and enjoy the talent behind it. It is dark, mean, scary, and what the gaming community needs more of, and if not for the original's standards there would be nothing disappointing. If Dark Descent was a great horror novel, then A Machine For Pigs is a great camp fire story, not as grand nor bold, but fun and worth its weight in memories. So, If you wanted more punishment after your dark descent into insanity, hop aboard this machine, its a damn good swine, mhm, time.… Expand
  81. my-junk-it-does
    Sep 12, 2013
    6
    This might be a disappointment to any fan of the first amnesia game. Machine for Pigs does have the elements, soundtrack, atmosphere and story to pull off as a amazing psychological horror experience, however it was just pulled off poorly. They stripped down a lot from what made dark descent spectacular and scary.

    Machine For Pigs you just felt like you weren't even being challenged at    This might be a disappointment to any fan of the first amnesia game. Machine for Pigs does have the elements, soundtrack, atmosphere and story to pull off as a amazing psychological horror experience, however it was just pulled off poorly. They stripped down a lot from what made dark descent spectacular and scary.

    Machine For Pigs you just felt like you weren't even being challenged at all, there were no puzzles or obstacles that you had to overcome, sure you had to get around a few enemies but that was very few and those moments were nothing but "meh."

    For me I am usually a guy who likes to explore and discover, but I honestly felt no desire to learn about the place I am in or the history of the machine or to learn about what happened, cause they scribble all the details and stories into all these notes (which are the only kind of items you pick up in the game, that's it) and that I really was confused reading. I maybe a guy who doesn't read much but I do like good stories but reading those notes were a bore and left me confused, felt like maybe my mind isn't smart enough to understand, whatever..I just didn't bother reading those notes.

    Anyway, game is a disappointment. The only greats about this game are the soundtrack which is quite beautiful to listen to acutally, atmosphere and the whole steampunk environment was well designed and the story is not bad. But obviously the developers of the chineseroom concentrated too much making a more dear esther like game than what Dark Descent was.    … Expand
  82. kn0bbulo
    Sep 12, 2013
    7
    The sequel of the original Dark Descent is definitely not scary. You won't be afraid of opening a door and you'll never be forced to run away trying to hide. The gameplay is far from the mix of exploration and puzzle-solving of the prequel, leaving the player following a scripted and linear path. On the other side, The Chinese Room has created one of the best plot ever seen in the lastThe sequel of the original Dark Descent is definitely not scary. You won't be afraid of opening a door and you'll never be forced to run away trying to hide. The gameplay is far from the mix of exploration and puzzle-solving of the prequel, leaving the player following a scripted and linear path. On the other side, The Chinese Room has created one of the best plot ever seen in the last years, together with marvellous and "breathing" environments. The narration of "A Machine For Pigs" is, by itself, a good reason for buying this game… Expand
  83. Genesis2010
    Sep 12, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is still a good story but they dilluted everything that make the first my best horror game. It is only exploration you dont need oil or matches, and you dont get crazy, well i give it a 7 because it is a good exploration and the dreed atmasphere and story and soundtrack is good. They should'nt call it amnesia… Expand
  84. zamp
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is... for starters so full of horror ambient sounds that my brain just went "This is noise, ignore it."
    Don't get me wrong. The quality of the ambience is top notch but it feels like it was just pasted on there after the gameplay of a level was considered "done".
    Level design is a complete mess. The levels are incredibly hard to navigate through since    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is... for starters so full of horror ambient sounds that my brain just went "This is noise, ignore it."
    Don't get me wrong. The quality of the ambience is top notch but it feels like it was just pasted on there after the gameplay of a level was considered "done".

    Level design is a complete mess. The levels are incredibly hard to navigate through since they're not as linear as they should be but instead you have loops upon loops that just take you back to where you were. That mixed with the overly generic look of the levels means that you'll spend half of the time just running around in circles.

    The game is also completely lacking an inventory. Which leads to item based puzzles being extremely easy since you don't have to carry anything around for a while. Nor do you need to mix items together.
    There are some areas where you do mix two items into one but its all done in the world. Anything that's outside of an inventory screen doesn't give you necessary feedback to tell you that A B C and you end up mixing the items with no intention to do so. That in turn doesn't give you any pleasure of figuring it out since there was no figuring out to begin with.

    The game doesn't give you a need to do anything. You just haphazardly try different things until you succeed and open up another area where you just repeat the same process. I felt like a monkey in a spaceship "I've no clue wtf I'm doing but it seems to work!" pulling on random levers just to see what it does.

    All in all it's like a scary ride at a local fare. You have no say to what's going on around you and you just watch scripted scene after another.
    Did the developers forget they were making a game?    … Expand
  85. wesker2012
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    I'm one of the few who didn't care for the first Amnesia. I played it all the way through but didn't find it scary, creepy, or fun. I just felt empty at the end. This second Amnesia for me is an improvement. It was creepy and fun. Especially the first two hours. It had a really good story build up and flow. I wish it stayed like that the whole way through, but the second half of theI'm one of the few who didn't care for the first Amnesia. I played it all the way through but didn't find it scary, creepy, or fun. I just felt empty at the end. This second Amnesia for me is an improvement. It was creepy and fun. Especially the first two hours. It had a really good story build up and flow. I wish it stayed like that the whole way through, but the second half of the game really began to get bogged down by endless puzzles that just felt like a nuisance. The game really seemed to drag on near the end. Overall, though, I felt it was a decent horror game and it made me get goosebumps, so it succeeded on the creepy factor. The voice acting was well done and the atmosphere was good. The graphics were also pretty good. I liked how the game was more linear this time around. There is still a good amount of exploring to do. Try it out if you are a horror fan or in the mood for a dark tale.… Expand
  86. Subject98
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    Perhaps I'm just not a fan of the work that The Chinese Room does. What was supposed to be an 'interactive horror story' is really nothing more than a walk through dark and empty maps with nothing to do and not much to be scared of. By the last hour I found myself running through the rest of it wondering when it would be over because I was starting to get bored. I generally like the ideaPerhaps I'm just not a fan of the work that The Chinese Room does. What was supposed to be an 'interactive horror story' is really nothing more than a walk through dark and empty maps with nothing to do and not much to be scared of. By the last hour I found myself running through the rest of it wondering when it would be over because I was starting to get bored. I generally like the idea behind this game, the story, the setting, the enemies, it's cool and all but the short length and few enemy encounters, and all the mechanics they took away from the first amnesia really left me scratching my head. It feels incomplete to me, is the best way I can describe it.… Expand
  87. AtomicChief
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    Just to be clear: if you're looking for a game that will literally scare you enough to stop playing, search elsewhere. This game is drastically different from the first Amnesia, in that it's less about frightening you, and more about storytelling. Which, in my opinion, is actually a positive experience; I was certainly creeped out at certain points in the game, and yes, even a littleJust to be clear: if you're looking for a game that will literally scare you enough to stop playing, search elsewhere. This game is drastically different from the first Amnesia, in that it's less about frightening you, and more about storytelling. Which, in my opinion, is actually a positive experience; I was certainly creeped out at certain points in the game, and yes, even a little scared, but I was never truly terrified of the enemy. Which, also, is not nearly as interesting (or scary) in appearance than the monstrous beings from the Dark Descent. So, in all, this game is more on par with Gone Home and Dear Esther than the original, which focused on pure horror. But for me, this time around it's something I enjoy in a game: great storytelling. 7/10… Expand
  88. Avadon
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    If you're looking for Amnesia with more stuff, you won't find it here. AMFP is a different game, with its own strengths and weaknesses.

    Pros: Very atmospheric, excellent soundtrack and sound in general, good voice acting, some of the puzzles are well thought out and you have to be observant and manipulate the environment correctly to solve them. Also, the story is in my opinion better    If you're looking for Amnesia with more stuff, you won't find it here. AMFP is a different game, with its own strengths and weaknesses.

    Pros: Very atmospheric, excellent soundtrack and sound in general, good voice acting, some of the puzzles are well thought out and you have to be observant and manipulate the environment correctly to solve them. Also, the story is in my opinion better than the first game, although the villain's motivation is grade-school levels of simplistic (people suck, let's kill everyone), but at least it's well presented and comprehensible.

    Cons: Highly annoying blue tint glow makes the game tiring to the eyes, it is stripped of all gameplay elements apart from puzzles and a couple of chases, the new lantern lights about 2 feet ahead of you so it doesn't really do much and makes it hard to even look at a lot of the artwork that the devs clearly put a lot of work in, which is a shame. The game is about 3/4 as long as the first one, it is also not very scary.

    AMFP won't please everyone and is rather short, but it's enjoyable while it lasts, it's very atmospheric, well presented, polished and presents its story well enough. It's not extraordinary, but worth the price in my opinion, and it's waaaaaay better than embarrassing trash like Slender.    … Expand
  89. MustacheYou
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    I understand that atmosphere and everything, and how it has a great "literary" experience. But.. I don't really play a game to read for hours. And a lot of the time you have to sit back and re-read to even understand what the stuff is trying to say to you. And the constant noise... oh my god. Is that ever annoying. I don't understand why they thought putting a million different "scary"I understand that atmosphere and everything, and how it has a great "literary" experience. But.. I don't really play a game to read for hours. And a lot of the time you have to sit back and re-read to even understand what the stuff is trying to say to you. And the constant noise... oh my god. Is that ever annoying. I don't understand why they thought putting a million different "scary" noises would do anything... it only serves to annoy the crap outta me. Otherwise... its not the dark descent. I'm sorry, but I started playing amnesia because it was SCARY and the puzzles were actually challenging. Its none of the above anymore. Yea, atmosphere is nice... but I wasn't expecting to play a dark version of dear Esther... I can't even build my cool forts with boxes to hide from monsters anymore. I'm still going to play it... but i'm not going to be as happy as dark descent made me.… Expand
  90. SR_Gaming
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    Amnesia A Machine for Pigs has an ok story however the story was pretty short as well as enjoyable but there is no custom story mode which is a little bit disappointing the story was not drawing me in and most the time i was hoping for jump scares but... there is only one or two but not like the Dark Decent which was amazing the jump scares where amazing in the original but i would notAmnesia A Machine for Pigs has an ok story however the story was pretty short as well as enjoyable but there is no custom story mode which is a little bit disappointing the story was not drawing me in and most the time i was hoping for jump scares but... there is only one or two but not like the Dark Decent which was amazing the jump scares where amazing in the original but i would not want you to buy it unless you really want to.… Expand
  91. theK2
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    A Machine for Pigs is an enjoyable horror game. It's got some pretty well done environments, excellent sound, and if you hate pigs, creepy enemies. The problem is, its not a good amnesia sequel. The enemies fail to shock the way the misshapen freaks of the the first game did, and many of them poof out of existence once you get past them. This kills the game's tension, and you rarely haveA Machine for Pigs is an enjoyable horror game. It's got some pretty well done environments, excellent sound, and if you hate pigs, creepy enemies. The problem is, its not a good amnesia sequel. The enemies fail to shock the way the misshapen freaks of the the first game did, and many of them poof out of existence once you get past them. This kills the game's tension, and you rarely have to worry about an enemy you've past re-appearing to hunt you. Also, the ever-fueled electric lantern and lack of a sanity system lets you creep around the few enemy encounters in the dark like a Victorian ninja. Machine lacks the jump scares of The Dark Descent, but in its place it has a well developed atmosphere that's sure to disturb. All in all, Machine's a good game, with a twisted (but confusing) story that sadly fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Its good, but it's not Dark Descent.… Expand
  92. MikeZillaGames
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is the follow up to the absolutely incredible and terrifying Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Developed mostly by Thechineseroom as opposed to Frictional, AMFP is ultimately a good game...but ultimately it is a disappointing follow up, as well.

    The moral here is that sometimes cutting too much fat just ruins the bacon Thechineseroom, makers of the environmental    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is the follow up to the absolutely incredible and terrifying Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Developed mostly by Thechineseroom as opposed to Frictional, AMFP is ultimately a good game...but ultimately it is a disappointing follow up, as well.

    The moral here is that sometimes cutting too much fat just ruins the bacon

    Thechineseroom, makers of the environmental "game" Dear Esther were granted the opportunity to develope AMFP with Frictional's help. While their forte seems to be creating immaculate environments, unfortunately Thechineseroom's narrative theory also drifted into the most recent Amnesia game as well.

    Their approach to narrative seems to be more trying to create a "game based story" rather than a "story based game" and Thechineseroom unfortunately falls a bit flat, failing to acknowledge the one element that makes games a unique medium for storytelling: interactivity.

    Why Thechineseroom feels that good narration requires less interactivity with the environment, I do not know. I feel it's somewhat condescending, though; as if they fear the player will get too distracted to pay attention to the story that they wrote. In Dear Esther, the player was restricting to navigation alone, and in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs much of the interactive nature of The Dark Descent has also been scrapped. There is very little to interact with other than absolutely tedious lever puzzles. This lack of 'stuff' makes the world feel a bit empty, and aside from the occasional written note on a table, there's really not a lot of need to explore the well designed environments.

    In The Dark Descent, there were also lots of segments with voice acted notes, and fully voiced interludes Daniel would hear when his memory started to come back. In AMFP, there is almost none of this. Rarely you will hear the voice of your children, or Mandus himself or one of his antagonistic cohorts...but aside from Mandus himself, every other character serves to further complete Mandus' story. None of the notes you find are voiced, and even the ones written by his children are written in jarring english like they were all written by the same 20-something Victorian gentleman.

    The scares also aren't as potent here. Staring at a pig monster until it goes away isn't as creepy as being forced to look away from the grunt breathing heavily near you in the dark. Still, there are moments that are eerie, disturbing, and tense. Overall, AMFP is still a step above other horror titles out there. It's just a shame it's not as good as it's predecessor.

    The bottom line is that AMFP is still pretty decent, regardless of theThechineseroom's apparent need to restrict player interaction with the environment. Though a lot of what was in the original isn't intact, for better or for worse, the game is still disturbing and fun regardless of the awful puzzles and linear thinking that went into some of the design choices here.

    I still recommend it, wholeheartedly...yet, at the same time I hope that Thechineseroom does not manage to further piggy-back onto Frictional's most promising franchise.    … Expand
  93. Jay212127
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    Amnesia:A Machine for Pigs, sequel to The Dark Descent. Aside from good voice acting, lack of combat and a few textures that look alike is where the similarities end. If I had blind tested this game I would have called it Bioshock: A Machine for Pigs. The story was good, linear and heavily infused with politics much akin to The Bioshock series (speaking more of rapture, as i never playedAmnesia:A Machine for Pigs, sequel to The Dark Descent. Aside from good voice acting, lack of combat and a few textures that look alike is where the similarities end. If I had blind tested this game I would have called it Bioshock: A Machine for Pigs. The story was good, linear and heavily infused with politics much akin to The Bioshock series (speaking more of rapture, as i never played the new one yet). Going down into the bowels of the machine made me think of discovering the depths of rapture. I enjoyed both games, however I wanted a new amnesia not a new bio shock. The game is not scary, I was more scared in the first half hour of Outlast than the entirety of this game. So if you want a good rapture-esque story this is still a good game, if you want horror check out Outlast which was released a week prior.… Expand
  94. PenisMan69
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    Amnesia: A Loading Screen for $20 combines an interesting (if not creative) and overall well-written horror story with gameplay that does not do it justice, and is disappointing compared to the original amnesia. With no sanity meter, you're free to look at the enemies, and when you do you'll notice that they aren't scary.

    I'd give it a 5 (roughly an 8 for the story and a 2 for the    Amnesia: A Loading Screen for $20 combines an interesting (if not creative) and overall well-written horror story with gameplay that does not do it justice, and is disappointing compared to the original amnesia. With no sanity meter, you're free to look at the enemies, and when you do you'll notice that they aren't scary.

    I'd give it a 5 (roughly an 8 for the story and a 2 for the incorporation of gameplay.)

    Also, there are very long loading screens every 15-20 minutes.    … Expand
  95. ryoushi19
    Sep 11, 2013
    7
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent, in my opinion, was the defining game of the entire horror genre. With that said, I and most others expected great things from its sequel, A Machine for Pigs. Unfortunately, A Machine for Pigs didn't quite deliver what I and many other fans of Dark Descent expected.

    Let's start with where the game went wrong. Firstly, the inventory system seen in Dark    Amnesia: The Dark Descent, in my opinion, was the defining game of the entire horror genre. With that said, I and most others expected great things from its sequel, A Machine for Pigs. Unfortunately, A Machine for Pigs didn't quite deliver what I and many other fans of Dark Descent expected.

    Let's start with where the game went wrong. Firstly, the inventory system seen in Dark Descent has been removed. Items are still used in a similar fashion, but have to be picked up as objects lying in the ground. This usually means that all the items needed to solve a puzzle must be very close together, as picking up objects lying on the ground and carrying them around long distances doesn't exactly make for great gameplay. The end result is that many of the puzzles are much simpler than those you would see in Dark Descent. The sanity system has also been removed. In Dark Descent, it was easy to get lost in the elaborate dungeons in the game, so the sanity system was really used to pressure players to keep moving and find their way to the end. Machine for pigs instead seem to opt for simpler, easier to navigate dungeons. Personally, I think many of the fans of Dark Descent, including myself, preferred the winding dungeons to the almost guided, linear pattern of Machine for Pigs. Gone also is the ability to mod the game. The final flaw I'd like to point out is that the game was, all in all, quite short. (It only took me about 6 hours to beat)

    So, on to the positives of the game. Firstly, the most important one the game is still quite scary. There are still scenes that will startle you, scenes that will bother you, and scenes that will keep you afraid for a bit. The tone seen in Dark Descent is still present. Maybe not quite as refined, but still present. The music for the game is masterfully done, and in my opinion is the highest note of the game. It's some of the most haunting music I've heard in any game so far, and is probably the one thing in the game that actually trumps Dark Descent. The story is still very well built, and overall the game still winds up being a fun, enjoyable game.

    So, to summarize, A Machine for Pigs is not as much a successor to Dark Descent as many fans had hoped, but that doesn't mean it's not fun. To people considering buying it, if you haven't played Dark Descent, I'd highly recommend purchasing it first, as it's honestly just a superior game. However, if Machine of Pigs is on a good Steam Sale, and you're looking for something scary to play, I'd still recommend giving it a go.    … Expand
  96. Phenominaljard
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    This game... This psychological horror game fails to thrill on the levels it desired, and then some. When a master chef creates a recipe for something incredible he usually writes it down and never forgets it. He will continue to refer to that recipe over and over again and improve on that recipe until he makes something unbelievable. Replace master chef with Frictional Games and youThis game... This psychological horror game fails to thrill on the levels it desired, and then some. When a master chef creates a recipe for something incredible he usually writes it down and never forgets it. He will continue to refer to that recipe over and over again and improve on that recipe until he makes something unbelievable. Replace master chef with Frictional Games and you have what the Amnesia games SHOULD have been. Instead they subtract what made the original so amazing. A lot of reviews are bashing the game for being unlike the original and I am not doing that. Instead I will look at it as a stand alone game: A boring, easy, over simplified five hours of meandering through an atmospheric world, sometimes avoiding creatures that don't necessarily go "bump in the night". Don't get me wrong, the monsters will scare you from time to time and they will require you to take a deep breath here and there, but overall, even on a psychological level, this game just isn't horror. It is more like a very disturbing story created by very good writers, not scarers. The lack of mechanics in the game were supposed to create a more "story-driven" experience instead just ruined the experience altogether. No lantern oil, no tinderboxes, no sanity, no inventory, no object gathering, no exploration. What's left? Walking through straight corridors hitting buttons, picking up phones, and pulling levers. It doesn't take strategy, it doesn't take skill, and it certainly isn't worth comparing to the original. However, there is one redeeming quality, the story. This disturbing, putrid, vile, horror story manages to almost completely accomplish its task of engulfing the player into the world, and it ALMOST scares the of the average player. Unfortunately, for most, it will not do so, and thus Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs receives a 6 out of 10. Thank you for reading!… Expand
  97. Dhelio
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    "Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs" (AAMFP from now on) takes off several years after the original "Amnesia: the Dark Descent". You play as Oswald Mandus, a feverish english gentleman on a quest to find his children. Story wise, the game is really good. It offers many considerations, and it really gets the player after the first half of the game. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, a true"Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs" (AAMFP from now on) takes off several years after the original "Amnesia: the Dark Descent". You play as Oswald Mandus, a feverish english gentleman on a quest to find his children. Story wise, the game is really good. It offers many considerations, and it really gets the player after the first half of the game. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, a true lighthouse for the horror genre to follow. Unfortunately, these are the only real good things about AAMFP. After the first of the four hours needed to complete the game, the player will know exactly what to expect from the game. The monsters are plain and not frightening at all, nor will they bother the player too much, since they're easy to outrun or hide from, and their relative uninterest for the player, which is unforgivable in an horror game. Level design is lacking, with too many sideways to avoid monsters and foreseeable dangers, which in turn make the game even easier than it is. Monster encounters are few and forgettable. The necessity to hunt for oil and light has been removed giving the player an electric lamp, which light will defeat anyone fears. Puzzles are far too easy, and the inventory is gone in the name of a more immediate gameplay.

    In the end, AAMFP feels more like a story, told in front of a fireplace in a rainy and cold night, rather than a travel in the depths of human fears. The storytelling is superb, with a writing among the best I've ever read, the visuals are stunning and inspiring, but the gameplay lacks many elements that made Amnesia and Penumbra famous. AAMFP is a good game in its own right, but can't stand the confront with "The Dark Descent".    … Expand
  98. manchester18
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game gets a C+... but it should have been an A.

    Mechanically, musically & atmospherically 'a machine for pigs' is perfect. But what wins the game its C+ is its confused, unorganized writing & story. From what I understand, the crew at frictional sacked their old writer (or writers) from 'the dark descent' for dan pinchbeck the guy who wrote for the indie adventure game 'dear esther.' and, as someone who has played 'dear esther,' I can tell you... the writing in that game is not very good.

    as I was playing 'a machine for pigs' I developed several questions, none of which were satisfactorily answered. pretty much all of them had to do with the basic parts of the plot, such as:

    - why are there secret rooms in my house? are these to spy on my own wife? my children? why?
    - why did I begin the game in my bed, which was surrounded by a cage?
    - who let me out of the cage? and aren't I mandus, the boss?
    - for that matter, why did I build 'the machine'? what is its purpose? is it to collect the vitae and become immortal (like alexander of brennenburg in 'the dark descent')? to bring my sons back to life?
    - I do not understand the character of Mandus, his saboteur alter-ego, or the evil mandus which is personified by the machine. none are really explored or have their motives explained. and this is very important because if you're going to have these 'different manduses' having conversations with each other, they need to be distinguishable.
    - what happened to my sons? my wife? I seem to understand that they died but why is this not more clear to me?
    - for that matter, why am I an amnesiac in 'a machine for pigs'? was amnesia a necessary plot element to keep?
    - what the hell happened in mexico? how did it affect me? this is not clear.
    - and who is the professor? why do I speak to him on the tapes?

    I'd also like to add:

    - there were too many notes. 'a machine for pigs' must have had 4x the notes of 'the dark descent' in a much shorter game. and all of them were filled with extraneous nonsense, couldn't keep on topic.... and somehow still failed to explain to me even the basic parts of the game (see above).

    thinking about it now, this game really pisses me off. why? because this should have been even better than amnesia. I understand the vision they had: the vitae alexander strove so hard to collect in 'the dark descent' (which he used to become immortal) is being collected in this game now on an industrial scale. but, like alexander found that animals were a lackluster source of vitae, so, too, in 'a machine for pigs' mandus finds it necessary to extract the vitae from humans. here then come implications of a conspiracy, in which murderers are hired to bring in dead bodies. in which graves are robbed of the recently deceased. and in which imbeciles are brought in from overcrowded mental hospitals. then, the machine is unleashed over all of london in an orgy of horror. but, when this happens its constructor, seeing his own wickedness, decides to the destroy the machine. but this whole vision is exectued poorly. the writer and the producer are at fault here. everyone else did their job.    … Expand
  99. Sboriky
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is completely different from his great predecessor and from the Penumbra series. The gameplay has been greatly simplified, the interaction with the environment has been reduced and the scary atmosphere is less intense than in The Dark Descent.

    Personally I don't like the vision which has The Chinese Room of a game as a "walking adventure"... And unfortunately    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is completely different from his great predecessor and from the Penumbra series. The gameplay has been greatly simplified, the interaction with the environment has been reduced and the scary atmosphere is less intense than in The Dark Descent.

    Personally I don't like the vision which has The Chinese Room of a game as a "walking adventure"... And unfortunately that's what A Machine for Pigs really is.

    The game is way too easy for being a survival horror game, and the enemies AI is worse than what we have seen in The Dark Descent. The gameplay has not been improved during this three years of development, resulting in a slow and boring gaming experience.

    However, the soundtrack composed by Jessica Curry is simply great and it blends perfectly with the story which is quite engaging, even though I have found it way too complicated and pretentious.    … Expand
  100. HannibalSmith92
    Sep 11, 2013
    6
    AMFP is not what i expected it to be. You dont have an oil lamp (runing out of oil) like in "The Dark Descent". Your lamp in Machine for Pigs wont go out.
    Another thing which is very dsappointing for me is that you cant open all doors. This makes the game very linear. You always find your way.
    In TDD you could open all doors and explore the whole world which makes the game more scarry    AMFP is not what i expected it to be. You dont have an oil lamp (runing out of oil) like in "The Dark Descent". Your lamp in Machine for Pigs wont go out.
    Another thing which is very dsappointing for me is that you cant open all doors. This makes the game very linear. You always find your way.
    In TDD you could open all doors and explore the whole world which makes the game more scarry too because you never knew what happens next. But now you just have "one way" and you can guess whats coming next. Thats why i'm totaly disappointed from "A Machine for pigs"
    The Graphic is the same like in the first game i think, but thats ok.

    My advise to you: Invest your money in buying "The Dark Descent". You have much more horror there and, whats important too, you can play Custom Stories. A Machine for pigs doesnt support custom stories and i think its not worth the money.    … 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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