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. KcSmiff
    Sep 10, 2013
    5
    Do yourselves a favour and just skip this game, from the few negative votes I've seen here, I must agree with them. If you are expecting a bigger badder sequel to the highly acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this isn't it.

    The first half of the game was actually filled with tension, and thinking 'What is going to happen in here; I do not like this room'. But when you see what you're    Do yourselves a favour and just skip this game, from the few negative votes I've seen here, I must agree with them. If you are expecting a bigger badder sequel to the highly acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this isn't it.

    The first half of the game was actually filled with tension, and thinking 'What is going to happen in here; I do not like this room'. But when you see what you're trying to hide from without fear of losing sanity by viewing the creature, it just becomes a game of 'Okay it goes this route, so I'll go another'. In all honesty, I think all that fear comes from expecting this game to be like the first, in which later on you'll find it doesn't even come close to.

    Last half of the game got me to a point of 'This isn't even scarey anymore and isn't even trying to be.' I died once not because I was scared and messed up, it was because I couldn't care less if the creature got to me before I had to flip a switch.

    I think this lost a lot of what made Amnesia scarey; insanity as a means to prevent you from just remotely observing a monster added a lot of what made the game scarey.

    Adding lots of places to hide in the first made it a very viable option to jump into a room and close yourself in a closet; waiting for the monster to go away as you whimper and hope it never saw you jump in there. Most encounters you have in this game has absolutely nothing but 'run the opposite direction' and they just poof out of existence. There is no lingering fear or dread of a monster still being around and you only delaying the inevitable.

    You will not get the Amnesia experience with this one unfortunately... It looks really pretty though.    … Expand
  2. xZippy
    Sep 11, 2013
    5
    Wow. I found this game very disappointing. Many of the interesting and intuitive gameplay elements from the previous game have been forcefully stripped away, and only the bare bones of gameplay mechanics exist.

    It doesn't even come close to The Dark Descent. I don't want to say this game is downright horrible, but it's not very good either. You get some good scares and interesting    Wow. I found this game very disappointing. Many of the interesting and intuitive gameplay elements from the previous game have been forcefully stripped away, and only the bare bones of gameplay mechanics exist.

    It doesn't even come close to The Dark Descent. I don't want to say this game is downright horrible, but it's not very good either. You get some good scares and interesting moments sprinkled in, but apart from that, it's a pretty dull game with a sloppy, rushed plot. Not worth $20. Wait for it to go on sale or something.    … Expand
  3. Firos
    Sep 10, 2013
    5
    Hmm, I don't know, it just doesn't.....feel like the last one did. I didn't care too much for the way this one came out to be. I just don't feel scared when I am playing this.
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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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