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. BoydCooper
    Sep 13, 2013
    3
    This game is literally a downgrade from the original Amnesia, truly disappointing.
    The game itself feels way more linear, you don't have to do nothing else but move forward and solve the easiest puzzles you will ever see in your life and run from the enemies, hiding spots have been removed and the sanity system was also removed too. Interaction with the environment was something unique    This game is literally a downgrade from the original Amnesia, truly disappointing.
    The game itself feels way more linear, you don't have to do nothing else but move forward and solve the easiest puzzles you will ever see in your life and run from the enemies, hiding spots have been removed and the sanity system was also removed too. Interaction with the environment was something unique about the previous Amnesia, in this game you cannot interact with anything more than buttons and some props blocking some doors. It's also very sad that the health recovers automatically now, it makes you feel way more safer than in the previous game, where if you were at low health you would be constantly looking even in the darkest places scared looking for an item to recover your health.
    The replacement of the lantern was a good idea, but it just shows how much they wanted to cut down the exploration, you don't have to look for oil anymore, not even for keys, the inventory itself was removed.
    The story was good, but it's not good enough to cover the huge flaws this game had.
    It's really sad to see how the Amnesia series has stepped down to this.
    You can get this game for 20 dollars i think, it's not worth it. If i were you i would get it for 5 dollars at least.    … Expand
  2. targz
    Sep 14, 2013
    4
    Machine for pigs was a huge disappointment after Dark Descent. They removed many elements, such as sanity, inventory and tinderboxes. You can't grab many objects as you could in Dark Descent. This is like a walking simulator, not a horror game.
  3. Gengou
    Sep 14, 2013
    0
    How can you develop a game for so long and have 4 hours of gameplay as the result? I mean, if those 4 hours were the most intense of my gamelife then alright, I'd pay for that. But this game delivers 4 hours of straight walking through the same boring scenery again and again. It's like going into some horror house at the fair. Wow, I was sooooooo shocked. Story wasn't captivating at allHow can you develop a game for so long and have 4 hours of gameplay as the result? I mean, if those 4 hours were the most intense of my gamelife then alright, I'd pay for that. But this game delivers 4 hours of straight walking through the same boring scenery again and again. It's like going into some horror house at the fair. Wow, I was sooooooo shocked. Story wasn't captivating at all and the brutality and abominations of Amnesia: Dark Descent not even reached by a tiny bit. Worst game of 2013 confirmed. Don't buy unless you like to "play" a dumbed down version of the true Amnesia.… Expand
  4. PieM0nk
    Sep 20, 2013
    9
    Part of the problem with most horror game reviews are simply they are rushed through just to get the review finished with. Put on your headphones, isolate yourself from other people, turn off all of the lights, and play A Machine for Pigs. After playing this game in that kind of isolation, as it should be played, (who would want to watch a horror movie or play a horror game in broadPart of the problem with most horror game reviews are simply they are rushed through just to get the review finished with. Put on your headphones, isolate yourself from other people, turn off all of the lights, and play A Machine for Pigs. After playing this game in that kind of isolation, as it should be played, (who would want to watch a horror movie or play a horror game in broad daylight anyways?) what I got from this game was a constant feeling of dreadful anxiety.

    A Machine for Pigs is different in the sense of mechanics from The Dark Descent, but it terrified me more than the original title. The sequel takes a step further in atmospheric horror, giving you a horrible dread throughout the entire game. This is where it improves from the original. The previous Amnesia had its pockets where you felt like you overcame a situation and had an opportunity to breathe and relax for a bit. In A Machine for Pigs, you are constantly under an awfully frightening Victorian inspired atmosphere. The writing is incredibly dark and twisted, and the level design is superb. Plummeting further into the dreadful machine had me yelling out loud and screaming; the eerie machinery and loud noises is something that will always be a terrifying mechanism to use, which brings me to my next point, the music.

    The music and general sound in this game is by far the best out of anything that I have heard out of a horror themed creation period. A large portion of the game I spent yelling for the loud, sudden noises to stop, in which most cases they did not. This is scary as hell, and so is this game's suddenly deathly quietness in some cases, where the sound of pressure is filled inside your head, making it feel like you can't breathe.

    In conclusion, anyone who wants something to stay absolutely the same is not going to be happy. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a game that changes from its predecessor and actually works and improves on the original. Sure there there are no tinderboxes, no sanity, and no lantern oil, but it is a more story driven horror title. A Machine for Pigs shows that copying and pasting game mechanics from its previous title is not needed to be an even scarier game.

    This game took me just under six hours to beat with myself taking my time and immersing myself completely, which is a good amount of gameplay for a $20 game. Yes, this is a different experience, and in my opinion, a much more frightening one.    … Expand
  5. JoshuaGreenaway
    Sep 12, 2013
    4
    What should have been the best PC game of the year is highly disappointing. Whilst the plot and Jessica Curry's soundtrack is excellent, this is a backward step from Frictional. In comparison to The Dark Descent, there is no inventory, you cannot interact with any objects except for the puzzle items, making the puzzles pointlessly easy. The game is extraordinarily short, I completed it inWhat should have been the best PC game of the year is highly disappointing. Whilst the plot and Jessica Curry's soundtrack is excellent, this is a backward step from Frictional. In comparison to The Dark Descent, there is no inventory, you cannot interact with any objects except for the puzzle items, making the puzzles pointlessly easy. The game is extraordinarily short, I completed it in 3 hours of play without getting stuck or dying once. (Though am experienced with Amnesia and Penumbra). This could all be forgiven, if it was frightening. It is not. There are hardly any enemies, and where there are they are easily by-passable, and hardly scary at all. The fact that your lamp does not run out and no health status indicator also eliminates any sense of panic. It is clear that the involvement of the Dear Esther staff has affected development. It is more of an experience than a game. And it is a disturbing but average experience. If you haven't got The Dark Descent, then buy that instead. Otherwise buy this when it is very cheap on sale, because otherwise it simply isn't worth your money.… Expand
  6. BlueKobold
    Sep 16, 2013
    2
    This isn't Amnesia, it tastes like Chinese. Seriously, if they wanted Dear Ester 2, the Chinese Room could have made it themselves and kept their pretentious fingers off Amnesia. Not to mention that ending! A disappointing ending to a disappointing game. I honestly can't believe Frictional Games allowed this to be released. They are still one of my favorite companies, but they shouldThis isn't Amnesia, it tastes like Chinese. Seriously, if they wanted Dear Ester 2, the Chinese Room could have made it themselves and kept their pretentious fingers off Amnesia. Not to mention that ending! A disappointing ending to a disappointing game. I honestly can't believe Frictional Games allowed this to be released. They are still one of my favorite companies, but they should keep the Chinese Room as far away from their franchise as possible.… Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Skullz
    Sep 27, 2013
    10
    I like to think of the Amnesia games as an Anthology, each will be quite different (If they make more). A Machine for Pigs is by far very different from the Dark Descent. I rate this game so highly because of the way it plays out. Yes there were some game mechanics that I did not understand. However they're not important. I think most people didn't like this game because it is a differentI like to think of the Amnesia games as an Anthology, each will be quite different (If they make more). A Machine for Pigs is by far very different from the Dark Descent. I rate this game so highly because of the way it plays out. Yes there were some game mechanics that I did not understand. However they're not important. I think most people didn't like this game because it is a different kind of horror. The story is very hard to pick up if you are not careful to detail and if you don't read the notes. This game wants you to try and understand what's going on, it isn't a game for people who want to run through and get a bunch of jump scares (Which is what the general non-horror game loving public thinks modern horror games are all about...Slender is over with people not every game is going to be a Boo! and Run! game!!) I think the graphics were amazing, however I had issues with crashing but fixed it with a little computer knowledge. Apparently Frictional doesn't like Intel graphics cards. I thought it had great atmosphere and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE MUSIC. I thought about giving this game a 9/10 since I enjoyed The Dark Descent a hair more (probably because The Dark Descent was way more disturbing) but this game deserves a higher score so I'm giving it a 10/10 because it really is a good sequel to a series that brings a lot to the table!… Expand
  10. MageValerie
    Sep 18, 2013
    4
    This game is so far removed from the original, it was quite disappointing. However, I think it would have been received as much better if it was released without the Amnesia title. On it's own, Machine for Pigs is just fine, but you cannot take away every element of the first (especially the actual horror the original gave us) and expect good results.

    I would suggest watching someone    This game is so far removed from the original, it was quite disappointing. However, I think it would have been received as much better if it was released without the Amnesia title. On it's own, Machine for Pigs is just fine, but you cannot take away every element of the first (especially the actual horror the original gave us) and expect good results.

    I would suggest watching someone else play it first I wish I had, wasted my money instead.    … Expand
  11. Erdrick27
    Sep 19, 2013
    4
    A huge disappointment, I should've known that when the Chinese Room got involved they'd strip out the elements that actually make it a game and turn it into another failure like Dear Esther. It barely qualifies as a game and definitely doesn't quality as a good one. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
  12. 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
  13. enricuzi
    Oct 10, 2013
    2
    No. The Chinese Room did all wrong for me. The atmosphere was barely tense (noisy machines doesn't create suspense and the lantern allerts when mob's coming).
    The hardest puzzle is something like "go in the other room and bring the thing back" (no inventory...).
    You can't interact with anything that is not part of the super linear path, the doors are all open or closed (no 1 key in all    No. The Chinese Room did all wrong for me. The atmosphere was barely tense (noisy machines doesn't create suspense and the lantern allerts when mob's coming).
    The hardest puzzle is something like "go in the other room and bring the thing back" (no inventory...).
    You can't interact with anything that is not part of the super linear path, the doors are all open or closed (no 1 key in all game) and even the dressers are all closed! come on!
    The encounters are too few and not so scary as they should be (only the water things are the most).
    The rooms are too big to to sense claustrophobia or panic and there is not so much feeling of being trappedand and survive.
    Only the story can stand for me because it's not completely equal to Dark Descent even if most of time I had to immagine to be horrified than seeing odd and dark things (pigs apart).
    The graphic and phisic is not evolved at all from D.D. as I expected to be.
    Maybe the thing that could save the game is an hypothetical new editor that should improve the old one to create new custom stories, but it's only an hope.
    Bad money spent....    … Expand
  14. Zulgot
    Sep 15, 2014
    10
    Do you want a trully unique horror experience? Then grab this game, because the horror in there is not based on simple jump-scares, but rather on terrifying story! The story presented in this game is a true masterpiece, bautifuly voice-acted with awesome soundtrack. Atmosphere is dark and disturbing. Just play it in night with a candle and you will see :)
  15. Danny83
    Sep 11, 2013
    4
    I expected so much more from this title but this was just a cash in. This was not scary, but rather boring. The enemies were lame looking and you could just walk right through them if cornered, the graphics were just the same as tdd nothing special, interaction throughout the world has almost been completely taken away, the puzzles were child's play. This game was meant to be a stepI expected so much more from this title but this was just a cash in. This was not scary, but rather boring. The enemies were lame looking and you could just walk right through them if cornered, the graphics were just the same as tdd nothing special, interaction throughout the world has almost been completely taken away, the puzzles were child's play. This game was meant to be a step forward but has turned into another letdown in the gaming industry. disappointing...… Expand
  16. UnbiasedOne
    Sep 10, 2013
    1
    Takes boring to a whole new level. There is no gameplay, you walk and sometimes turn a valve. You almost never encounter enemies. You can complete it in under 3 hours. You must sprint everywhere because you walk so slow. There is a very liner confusing story that you don't care about. The pace is the slowest I've ever encountered. This is literately a walking simulator. Keep your moneyTakes boring to a whole new level. There is no gameplay, you walk and sometimes turn a valve. You almost never encounter enemies. You can complete it in under 3 hours. You must sprint everywhere because you walk so slow. There is a very liner confusing story that you don't care about. The pace is the slowest I've ever encountered. This is literately a walking simulator. Keep your money (and yourself) as far away from this as possible.… Expand
  17. MatthewfromCZ
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    When I first heard a Chinese Room will be making new Amnesia, I have mixed thoughts. I was right. This game is nothing like original Amnesia.

    I mean, Amnesia was a horror adventure game. This is a horror storytelling with simple interactions. And even it's horror part is not done very well. I mean, all you can do is move, use your flashlight thing and interact with important things. As    When I first heard a Chinese Room will be making new Amnesia, I have mixed thoughts. I was right. This game is nothing like original Amnesia.

    I mean, Amnesia was a horror adventure game. This is a horror storytelling with simple interactions. And even it's horror part is not done very well. I mean, all you can do is move, use your flashlight thing and interact with important things. As you were able to interact with almost anything, here? With close to nothing. You don't have an inventory, you have infinity flashlight. No consumable items. Original Amnesia was about exploration, where you have to explore a manage your resources. While in this crap there is no point to explore around, you cannot. There is a linear path, maybe with some small side way with quest item. Also while original Amnesia had good puzzles, best puzzle in here is refueling burners with coal. Best puzzle ever. This is not Amnesia, this is Dear Esther 2 with bonus gameplay options. Horror parts are meh. They are scary but really not as scary as in original Amnesia. Monsters don't really look scary. There are no user mods support at least now, the playtime is about 3 HOURS. 3 HOURS. I hope Frictional will NEVER EVER leave such studios as Chinese Room make games for them.    … Expand
  18. oxblood
    Sep 11, 2013
    4
    AMFP takes the Amnesia franchise and throws it to the dogs. The early levels are exciting and well-built, designed to encourage exploration and a no-stone-unturned mentality. You get glimpses of how mind-blowing the sound design will be, one thread that carries through the game. As you descend, the game becomes more linear; there is no backtracking, the majority of alternate doors areAMFP takes the Amnesia franchise and throws it to the dogs. The early levels are exciting and well-built, designed to encourage exploration and a no-stone-unturned mentality. You get glimpses of how mind-blowing the sound design will be, one thread that carries through the game. As you descend, the game becomes more linear; there is no backtracking, the majority of alternate doors are locked, and the puzzles are childishly simple. If you enjoy cheap scares and overplayed horror devices, this is the game for you.
    Pros: Absolutely amazing sound design.
    Cons: Everything else.    … Expand
  19. xetelian
    Sep 21, 2013
    3
    This game took very little effort and time, so little time in fact that I can't imagine paying more than 10$ Let alone 20$.

    -1 Not nearly scary as the first, not as grim or dark its literally lit everywhere -1 Way short less than 4 hours of game play and I finished it just a moment ago in 2 hours 30 minutes -1 No threats, I died once on purpose, that was all -1 Puzzles not    This game took very little effort and time, so little time in fact that I can't imagine paying more than 10$ Let alone 20$.

    -1 Not nearly scary as the first, not as grim or dark its literally lit everywhere
    -1 Way short less than 4 hours of game play and I finished it just a moment ago in 2 hours 30 minutes
    -1 No threats, I died once on purpose, that was all
    -1 Puzzles not puzzling at all, everything you need is located right next to you and journal tells you how
    -1 Very confusing story and as you progress it gets boring and some of it makes no sense
    -1 Ending, climax of the story was weak, very very weak and predictable
    -1 No inventory, no combining, no oil no limited resources
    +1 Awesome voice acting
    +1 Amazing sound track
    +1 Bacon! Couple of throwbacks to the first game

    As a fan of Frictional's Penumbra series and Amnesia the lacking of puzzles and the shortness makes this less of a game an more of a mod on the old engine. You can't interact with 90% of the boxes and items like you could in the first and the paths are all straight forward.    … Expand
  20. SpongyTwinkies
    Sep 23, 2013
    3
    This game is a disappointment. The developers have forgotten that they were creating a game for their customers; a game is more interactive than this walk-through, which only has a few boring puzzles. Instead, what they have dumped on the customer is their attempt at writing a poorly told short story and expecting you to pay for something they consider 'art'.

    This is not art and it's    This game is a disappointment. The developers have forgotten that they were creating a game for their customers; a game is more interactive than this walk-through, which only has a few boring puzzles. Instead, what they have dumped on the customer is their attempt at writing a poorly told short story and expecting you to pay for something they consider 'art'.

    This is not art and it's not a good story. If a book editor were to review the text, so much of the material would have been deleted because it doesn't add anything to this amateurish effort. Certainly, no editor would have published this as a novel or novella, so the game publishers would have to resort to self-publishing. And the game developers did just that. They have self-published some bad fiction and disregarded good game development.

    I'm not exaggerating when I say this story is bad. It can be summed up in a few sentences: "Oh God, I'm so tormented," "Oh God, I'm so tormented," restate background information with different prose, throw in enigmatic monologue and information and have the main character think about the same information, again and again. Most of this story is just static word pictures and it's often told in flashback (zzzzzzzzz). You, the gamer, and Mandus, the main character, never really do anything.

    So now, I'm having a bad flashback, recalling the moment when I had purchased and played this boring game. I wail, gnash my teeth and pull my hair. Falling to my knees, I pray this bad game might get better. With tears and hope in my eyes, I look at the monitor but there is no change; Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is still a terrible game and a boring story. Oh God, I'm so tormented!    … Expand
  21. thekillergreece
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    The worst sequel I have ever played. It hugely lacks of horror, inventory like Amnesia,inventory...They hadnt changed the graphics, just made it even worst and physics are still worst...Dont buy this game, get Outlast, heck the Amnesia fanboys reviewers..
  22. Zigeina
    Sep 11, 2013
    2
    Very short, you have to read to understand the story, invisible archenemy, stupid monsters...
    Honestly, there is no exploration benefits nor places where you can hide from the monsters, because you dont need it. The game takes only 3 hours to play through and there are only a few scary moments...
    It is a great game, no doubt. But it is not Amnesia
  23. skwatz
    Sep 11, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was a huge letdown for me. I didnt even finish it. To sum it up this is how I felt playing the game: Its halloween. The premier haunted house in your area is finally open. Youve been waiting a year to come here! Your last experience was very enjoyable and you cant wait to see the new and improved version. You enter, theres build up and more build up. Youre so excited! This attraction is about to get terrifiying any second! And then... theres an equipment malfunction and the power goes out. And for your safety they have to shut the place down and you have to leave. Thats what playing Amnesia:MFP is like. The original has a very special place in my heart. That sound you hear when you encounter a monster still gives me chills.I remember being in the prison and I was being chased by a monster and I was scared for my own life. No other game has done that for me. I love getting my friends to play the original and seeing the look of terror on their faces and having them say, "This is too intense man, I cant play this." This game is far from that. So much wasted potential. The best part is the intro. When nothing happens. The house is at least spooky and I liked exploring it. Once you enter the secret chamber in the cathedral the game goes to There are no surprises, no shock and awe. The environments are very linear and bland. The monsters arent threatening. They are just goofy. Pigs arent scary. The Monster animation is poor. Monsters are too easy to evade because the game alerts you when theyre nearby by making your lamp flash. The whole time I felt like I was playing some walking simulator with random earthquakes. The environment is constantly shaking whenever you complete a lame puzzle or it is used as a cheap scare tactic. Which didnt work at all and was very annoying. All the mechanics that made the first game good are gone. No tinderboxes or lamp oil. No inventory. And the worst part is there is no insanity or health meter. Big mistake. And the story isnt even interesting. I get the meaning behind it. But I dont care. I didnt want to read a novel or ponder about modern society. I wanted to play a scary game. The game made me jump once and that was because I was so bored I wasnt paying attention. The whole time I was hoping; praying the game would get better any second. That time never came. Oh yeah, and the end where all the pig monsters are released into the city was laughable. I felt like I was on a ****ty version of a disney ride. So fake and stupid.… Expand
  24. Kild
    Sep 14, 2013
    0
    I am really disappointed from this game. There are only several times when you are scared (one or two), and the riddles are really easy. The game is really short, about 4 hours long, and an hour of it is just the start, which doesn't include nothing. The game doesn't have the sanity system and inventory, and the lantern doesn't run out. Only when you finish the game you feel that you onlyI am really disappointed from this game. There are only several times when you are scared (one or two), and the riddles are really easy. The game is really short, about 4 hours long, and an hour of it is just the start, which doesn't include nothing. The game doesn't have the sanity system and inventory, and the lantern doesn't run out. Only when you finish the game you feel that you only started, which is really bad. I am deeply disappointed from the game.… Expand
  25. 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
  26. Atsure
    Sep 12, 2013
    2
    What made "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" a great, scary game, has disappeared in "A Machine for Pigs".

    - No sanity system. Being in the dark does not matter anymore. There is no urgency to find a bright spot. Looking at monsters has no effect. - The lantern is infinite. No inventory. There is no reason to explore because you can not pick up or interact with anything (except chairs ...).    What made "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" a great, scary game, has disappeared in "A Machine for Pigs".

    - No sanity system. Being in the dark does not matter anymore. There is no urgency to find a bright spot. Looking at monsters has no effect.
    - The lantern is infinite. No inventory. There is no reason to explore because you can not pick up or interact with anything (except chairs ...).
    - It is completely linear. Most doors and drawers are closed and do not open. There is nothing to explore, nothing to collect. You just have to go forward.
    - The puzzles are crap. It comes down to turning cranks and bring an object to the next room.
    - The lack of a voice reading the diary notes.

    And it doesn't add something new. No better animations, full body view, your hand opening the doors, or whatever. Nothing.

    An utter disappointment.    … Expand
  27. CypherDave
    Sep 14, 2013
    1
    The word Amenisa needed to be dropped from the title because Machine for Pigs does a poor job to the franchise. They would've been more sucessful if they had turned it into a book or audio experience. The game play was truly lack luster compared to the original.

    Having just played outlast I can say it was far superior to machine for pigs in almost every way, resource management and even    The word Amenisa needed to be dropped from the title because Machine for Pigs does a poor job to the franchise. They would've been more sucessful if they had turned it into a book or audio experience. The game play was truly lack luster compared to the original.

    Having just played outlast I can say it was far superior to machine for pigs in almost every way, resource management and even a basic inventory system. AI's that follow you around. Far more scares. More gore and interesting environments to explore. I'd certainly recommend Outlast over Machine for pigs for player experience.    … Expand
  28. Mipply
    Sep 15, 2013
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bigger. No. Badder. Yes.

    Story -
    In a year where we are graced with games like Bioshock Infinite, Metro: Last Light and The Last of Us, how this game feels fit to use its narrative as the driving force behind the experience baffles me. Whilst it showed serious promise at first with the machine, what felt like a suitably dark story ended up as what I like to call the ME3 method. This is where the resolution to a problem simple repeats the initial problem. To spoil, the Machine for Pigs was built to kill every one because he didn't want every one to die in world war 1 and the rest of the 20th centenary...huh, well I guess being kidnapped, beaten, detoothed, stripped, bled and minced is a much better alternative to being shot, or is that just me?

    Asthetic-
    If you liked the first Amnesia's repeated stone corridors and wooden beams then you'll be pleased to hear that the sequel bumps this trend by setting the majority of the game in stone TUNNELS with METAL bea...Oh for sake. Character models are passable and surprisingly well rounded for an independent project but beyond that, you'll be sprinting down the same metal paths and cobbled roads for the majority of the game.

    USP-
    I am either stupid (likely) or misinformed but I always believed that the USP of Amnesia was that it was supposed to be a new horror IP in a world of grey money grabbing shooters. How fitting then that the unique selling point of the franchise has been sanded down to an initial burst before (I you not) the pigs have a banquet, you walk through excrement which the game seems to think it so dark and...wait for it, the Attack of the Electric Pig. I wish I was joking.

    Conclusion-
    The story is supposed to be the main hook for AMFP but it neither delivers upon this or backs it up with better core mechanics. If you liked Dear Esther I doubt you'll like this as the game ****s itself inside out in the second and third act. Its awfully choppy with frame rate, the removed mechanics are not reinforced with anything else and it just isn't...scary. There were many times in the game where I really missed the mechanic from the Metro games to charge your lamp as the infiniy-bulb never dies, only flickers which worked once or twice but you'll soon figure out is just for affect. The only thing I can really recommend is that it is at least interesting enough to hold you to its unsatisfying conclusion and that the sound design and voice acting are well done. For £12.99 on steam you can buy the original, I'd do that if I were you.
    Chow.    … Expand
  29. Raidenskingdom
    Oct 12, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a horrible excuse for a horror game, especially for Amnesia. Interacting with objects, inventory, insanity, oil, all removed. You run around with an infinite light source and your monster is a freaking mutant pig. It's like you're literally trying to find ways to scare yourself, but simply cannot. Extremely disappointed.… Expand
  30. demonluv
    Jan 18, 2014
    3
    What a sorry excuse for a sequel. First off, this game completely removed all of the gameplay features we saw in the first entry such as puzzles, inventory, sanity meter, health meter, lantern oil etc. The enemies are not a threat at all, they are easy to avoid, cause little damage when encountered, and even if you die you just revive instantly right where you left off essentially leavingWhat a sorry excuse for a sequel. First off, this game completely removed all of the gameplay features we saw in the first entry such as puzzles, inventory, sanity meter, health meter, lantern oil etc. The enemies are not a threat at all, they are easy to avoid, cause little damage when encountered, and even if you die you just revive instantly right where you left off essentially leaving this game with no challenge what-so-ever. The game is painfully short, you can beat it start to finish in a 3 hour sitting.

    Now that we've established this game is devoid of any threat, challenge or gameplay, is the story at least worth it? Nope. The plot is convoluted, poorly paced, and told through a series of badly written notes that utilize a borderline incomprehensible and pretentious dialogue. While Amnesia neatly closed the book of it's story, A Machine for Pigs will leave you scratching your head with more questions than answers and feeling like you just read a series of snobby poetry excerpts rather than a cohesive story.

    I feel ripped off and angry that I supported such a weak effort, I barely ever write reviews but feel I need to warn people of making the same mistake. Avoid like the plague. Replay the first one, or play Outlast if you're looking for a horror fix.    … Expand
  31. Lustikurre
    Sep 10, 2013
    5
    Ironically, this game only makes you feel unpleasant, while the first game made you squeal like a pig.

    If you haven't played the first amnesia game I would highly recommend you play that one instead. If you have played it and is looking for more amnesia, or any scary game in general, I would say you're better of trying some of the many custom stories that were made for the first game,    Ironically, this game only makes you feel unpleasant, while the first game made you squeal like a pig.

    If you haven't played the first amnesia game I would highly recommend you play that one instead. If you have played it and is looking for more amnesia, or any scary game in general, I would say you're better of trying some of the many custom stories that were made for the first game, or try other games in the horror genre.

    It is developed by the guys that made Dear Esther and it shows. While the atmosphere remains truthful to it's predecessor, it's not as tense, scary or stressful as the first game. Even the music is not made to scare you as it did with excellency in the original.

    There are some stressful moments, but they are few and far between. Most of the game is about immersion. exploration, listening to dialogues or reading notes, which mostly seems to be written by William Shakespeare.

    There are also a few puzzles, but they are not clever in any ways and most of them are either solved too quickly or they make you feel frustrated when you finally realized you've missed something that the game thinks is obvious.

    There are not as many monster encounters and the monsters themselves aren't even that scary.

    In conclusion I would say that this game is a toned down version of the original that focuses more on story writing and exploration, rather than trying to scare you in as many ways possible. If that sounds appealing to you, then give it a shot.

    After paying full price for the ~5 hours long game I would say buy it the next time it goes on sale for maybe 50% off. It's not really worth the full price if you ask me.    … Expand
  32. 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
  33. enliba
    Mar 14, 2014
    0
    This game was very disappointing. I didn't even finish the game because it was so boring. Amnesia the dark descent was a great sucess, but this game was just a whole disappointing.
  34. andreslopez
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    OMG are you serious? as expected it sucked. only with that hilarious name ''a machine for pigs'' what the hell were they thinking? i didn't like it at all i almost killed myself and just a few moments i got scared.
  35. jcamato
    Sep 12, 2013
    0
    For having an extra year than the planned release date, this was an utter disappointment. I've never even felt so strongly to write a review before but this game was absolutely abysmal. I finished it in 3.8 hours, encountered a couple monsters, and never died. There were zero scares, which means this, as a horror game, is terrible. I am a huge fan of horror games also: the firstFor having an extra year than the planned release date, this was an utter disappointment. I've never even felt so strongly to write a review before but this game was absolutely abysmal. I finished it in 3.8 hours, encountered a couple monsters, and never died. There were zero scares, which means this, as a horror game, is terrible. I am a huge fan of horror games also: the first amnesia, nightmare house 2, cry of fear etc. This game doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the presence of those games. Biggest waste of $20.… Expand
  36. max24748
    Sep 12, 2013
    0
    This game was seriously crap. EVERY SINGLE THING on The Dark Descent was epic, this game was just a masterpiece. A little unknown producer made a game that was as mindblowing as Half Life for me, when I played it the first time. It was so detailed and the engine was created so free, you were able to throw anything around and pick up anything. It have been that little details, that aren'tThis game was seriously crap. EVERY SINGLE THING on The Dark Descent was epic, this game was just a masterpiece. A little unknown producer made a game that was as mindblowing as Half Life for me, when I played it the first time. It was so detailed and the engine was created so free, you were able to throw anything around and pick up anything. It have been that little details, that aren't necessary for the whole plot but make a game more interesting and beautiful. I have to say, Amnesia The Dark Descent was one of the best games I've ever played. I was simply fascinated... I was waiting so hard for their next project, because I could clearly see how much better Frictional Games got with releasing ATDD, after Penumbra, they just got better and better. Then I bough this new Amnesia.... And I just couldnt understand how can Chinese Room and Frictional Games feel good with releasing this bunch of shi*! I start the fu***** game, and the first thing I see is an ugly intro, where i see some kind of lightenings that come out of a machine and look like it have been some crappy mod of one single person or if it had been a game from year 2000. I walk around and see that I can't take ANYTHING in this engine, only some chairs. I see that my lamp has infinite power... I see no inventory. No mental and physical condition. My reaction: WHY DIDNT U JUST USE THE SAME ENGINE AS IN DARK DESCENT AND MAKE ANOTHER STORY, THEN WE GOT A GAME THAT IS STILL 1 MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN THIS CRAPPP!!!!!! I mean seriously, we all enjoyed Justine more than this sh**. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FEEL AFTER RIOT WHEN WE SEE A PIANO IN A DARK DESCENT GRAPHIC GAME THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DONE IN 1 MIN. THIS PIANO WASNT EVEN 3D. IT WAS JUST A BIG BAR WITH WHITE KEYS DRAWN UGLY INSIDE. I mean i feel kinda kidded by Frictional Games with releasing this. How am i supposed to react when I Dark Descent graphics mixed up with some ugly, mod-like graphics that look like being released in a game from year 2000. I cannot find anyhing good at this game, for me this is clearly 0 points… Expand
  37. Paranoid_Pumba
    Sep 13, 2013
    3
    Overall not a rememberable game and wasn't what i was expecting.
    They got rid of a lot of things that made the previous amnesia and penumbra games great.
    They got rid of the puzzles. They got rid of inventory drops like laudanum, oil and craftable parts. They got rid of having to hide from the monsters. They got rid of the suspenseful music, and in the end the storyline was pretty    Overall not a rememberable game and wasn't what i was expecting.
    They got rid of a lot of things that made the previous amnesia and penumbra games great.
    They got rid of the puzzles.
    They got rid of inventory drops like laudanum, oil and craftable parts.
    They got rid of having to hide from the monsters.
    They got rid of the suspenseful music, and in the end the storyline was pretty mediocre.
    If you want to play a good HPL interactive horror game try out the old penumbra games...    … Expand
  38. SPIDERASSAULT
    Sep 17, 2013
    4
    I come bearing sad news, gentlemen.. I've now played through the entire Machine for Pigs story, and I have found only sorrow. While Frictional Games has been doling out games full of delight for some time (Penumbra Series & The Dark Descent were amazing!), they have finally released a dud. I can't tell you all how sad and wrong I feel saying this, but it's true. I'll try to explain myI come bearing sad news, gentlemen.. I've now played through the entire Machine for Pigs story, and I have found only sorrow. While Frictional Games has been doling out games full of delight for some time (Penumbra Series & The Dark Descent were amazing!), they have finally released a dud. I can't tell you all how sad and wrong I feel saying this, but it's true. I'll try to explain my reasoning as clearly as possible.

    Down to Bidness: Why is this game getting bad reviews? What should veteran players know before buying?

    1. Painfully linear. The Dark Descent had a great map. You'd travel through great halls, small caverns, and terrifying corridors, all in search of the secrets behind the castle and its.. residents. While it was linear, it didn't 'feel' linear. Well, A Machine for Pigs really tried to stick with this equation. However, I ended up feeling like every room with a puzzle was simply built at random, with no reason for the randomness other than keeping you there a little longer. It almost felt like the rooms were built to extend game time, and confuse! I asked myself about 1/3 into the game... "Where's the elevator or stairwell in this place? This isn't efficient at all!" I couldn't 'place' myself there, because it was such an unrealistic build.

    2. Very little narration, creating a disconnect between player and storyline. I really tried to get into the story, because Dark Descent was simply captivating. Well, don't expect awesomeness in this one. The scariest parts were at the beginning, and they're few and far between afterwards. They tried to keep the story deep, but in the end, they must have decided to focus on other game elements.

    3. "6 Hours Played" on Steam. That means it took a maximum of 6 hours & 59 minutes to beat the game. I picked A Machine for Pigs up the day it arrived, because I loved all of Frictional Games' past titles. I played it for a night, put it down about half way through the game, and asked myself, "Why bother?" Well, I had faith in Frictional, so I decided I owed it to them to play through it entirely. Upon finishing it the next day, I felt really frustrated that I had wasted my money, uninstalled the game, and tried to wipe it from my mind as well. It had no depth. You simply walked through spoooooky rooms in order to complete easy puzzles to complete this lazily-described mission which you were not invested in... It broke my leetle heart.

    4. My greatest disappointment: No more tinderboxes, and your lantern has unlimited oil... Can you believe that? These items were the one thing that made searching through drawers and side rooms interesting. There's no longer a point in going off exploring, because you won't find anything of value.

    5. It's just not as scary. Frictional Games seemed to focus this game more on shock horror than the fear of the unknown. A Machine for Pigs felt like a one-trick pony.

    6. Physics were 'dumbed down' from Dark Descent. Did you enjoy throwing such items as bottles, plates, and statuettes in the first Amnesia as much as I did? Well, prepare for disappointment. Throughout the game, you can pick up very few random items past chairs. Why?

    7. No more inventory system. You can no longer pick up and hold onto items in your backpack that may be helpful later in the game. You pick items up with your cursor, walk them through a room, and that's it. No more health/sanity meter either. Nothing.

    8. No sanity meter no character freak-outs. I don't know if this was a glitch on my system, because I want to believe it was... But the main character rarely freaks out. You have no real need for the lantern, or lighting up rooms. You won't start to hear cracking eggshells, nor will the screen get blurry, with heavy breathing coming through your character's lips. This was such a valuable element from Dark Descent.

    9. Everything is really dark. It just doesn't look as pretty as the first Amnesia, since you must use your lantern to see any colors past this blue/green/black filter they've added. You can change the gamma, but you'll never stop squinting to see what's in front of you. You won't care to by the end, because there's little to see in any case.

    Conclusions: It felt like a console game ported to PC! It felt dumbed down. It's strange, but it felt like I was playing Bioshock with how it was set up. It played like a clunky Bioshock, minus guns. This game is a far cry from its predecessors. It seems thrown together, and created simply to make money, while the 'Amnesia' stamp promised us all greatness.I'm beyond disappointed, since I trusted Frictional Games with $20. I will certainly buy their next game whenever it releases, because Frictional Games still deserves it in my book! However, not until I see positive reviews. I hate to be harsh, but A Machine for Pigs was a waste of my hard-earned money, which is becoming increasingly difficult to come by nowadays.

    I yearn to see the positives of this game, but truly, it's a step backwards.    … Expand
  39. MikeLane
    Sep 29, 2013
    9
    Approach this not as a game but as a novella, or any other literary form, and you'll be very pleasantly surprised. It's not a better game than the original, but it's a better everything else.

    A slightly snotty warning: If you have no idea who Ambrose Bierce was, or his contemporaries, maybe go buy the new GTA, instead.
  40. Kaiser21
    Sep 12, 2013
    1
    compared to The Dark Decent it is a terrible game, but to those who have not seen or played the game it would be scary. The game had no 'True' puzzles and i have seen the game streamed live on Twitch.TV and i did not find the game scary at all and com pared to games like F.E.A.R (the first one), Clive Barkers Jericho, and Alan Wake it couldn't hold a lantern to it. the o,y thing it hadcompared to The Dark Decent it is a terrible game, but to those who have not seen or played the game it would be scary. The game had no 'True' puzzles and i have seen the game streamed live on Twitch.TV and i did not find the game scary at all and com pared to games like F.E.A.R (the first one), Clive Barkers Jericho, and Alan Wake it couldn't hold a lantern to it. the o,y thing it had were mediocre jump scares that Doom 3 did better.… Expand
  41. popizdeosam
    Sep 15, 2013
    0
    This game is designed to satisfy stupid people. There is no logic, puzzles are kiddengarden class. Noting is scary, generally so much dead pigs are not scary. It had good potential but its not used properly. Don't spend money on this. Play amnesia dark descent and don't waste time on this. Not worthy even time for being downloaded on piratebay.
  42. iamkylerawr
    Sep 17, 2013
    8
    Storyline: AMFP's story is morbidly excellent just like its predecessor. Not your typical horror story.

    Quality/Appearance: For those who played Dark Descent, it's pretty obvious for us that it improved. And for those who haven't, it's roughly good. Although, I have observed some recycled skins and objects while playing so I'll just assume that somebody got lazy. Music/Sounds: What I    Storyline: AMFP's story is morbidly excellent just like its predecessor. Not your typical horror story.

    Quality/Appearance: For those who played Dark Descent, it's pretty obvious for us that it improved. And for those who haven't, it's roughly good. Although, I have observed some recycled skins and objects while playing so I'll just assume that somebody got lazy.

    Music/Sounds: What I loved about this game is the BGM. Especially the drama-enhancing opera BGM that plays on certain scenes. Shivers are sure to be sent down thy spines while thou art listening. Don't know what I'm talking about? Play the game.

    Gameplay: Now this is where AMFP fell behind. I have seen a lot of angry questions thrown at the game, and I would like to analyze and comment on each of those questions that i saw.

    1.) WHERE THE HELL IS THE SANITY METER?
    - I too asked this myself. Why would they remove the sanity meter? Is our protagonist just too uber-manly to be scared? Or is it because parental love overshadow fear? I would like to believe with the latter idea. However, it is a bad move for AMFP to remove this game mechanic because it was the one that was actually inducing fear to the players. It was the one who was ordering the players to be scared.

    2.) WHERE THE HELL IS MY INVENTORY?
    - I kept on pressing tab until I realized that it was all for naught. Apparently, our protagonist doesn't like to carry anything at all. Unlike Daniel (Dark Descent), our protagonist for AMFP can't lift non-important things such as vases, jars, hammers, etc. This one wasn't exactly the case because there are still instances when you're required to put this there and combine this with that. But if I was the one who was scouring a dark and blood-spattered hallway? I would like to hold on to something just in case I need to throw something on something. Something-ception.

    3.) WHY CAN'T I HOLD ANYTHING?
    -See number 2. tl;dr? Daniel lifts and this one doesn't.

    4.) WHY IS MY LANTERN NOT RUNNING OUT OF OIL?!
    - One word. Batteries. LOLjk. This took out the challenge though. It took out the "you-are-surviving-so-you-should-save-supplies-so-you-could-die-another-day" idea.

    5.) WHERE ARE THE TINDERBOXES AND LAUDANUM?
    - Yes! You can't light candles and chandeliers anymore. Yes! You don't need a drugged herbal elixir to cure your injuries anymore. Apparently, you got Wolverine's regeneration ability and you're injuries just close up in just a matter of seconds. And who needs candles when you got a battery-powered lantern?

    Horror Factors: Expect jumpscares, panic-inducing moments, and of course, the dark and gruesome surroundings.

    Conclusion: Although AMFP lacked challenge, its story was well-written and it can still give you nightmares. However, Amnesia: The Dark Descent was hands down, better.

    Final Score: 8/10    … Expand
  43. Bobby_marston
    Sep 28, 2013
    0
    This game is practically a Gmod horror map except the puzzles are easier. The main enemy is spooky pig men. I would probably be scared if I was still in my youth. But honestly. This should be a free to play game for what you get, it's practically a poorly made expansion pack. Also the game is 2-3 hours long unless you've got the brain of a chimp. If you're really eager to play the gameThis game is practically a Gmod horror map except the puzzles are easier. The main enemy is spooky pig men. I would probably be scared if I was still in my youth. But honestly. This should be a free to play game for what you get, it's practically a poorly made expansion pack. Also the game is 2-3 hours long unless you've got the brain of a chimp. If you're really eager to play the game just pirate it. They don't deserve your money.… Expand
  44. PaperBro
    Nov 29, 2013
    0
    I was so excited to play a sequel to Amnesia: TDD However, within the first thirty minutes of the game I realized it was complete crap. The overuse of jumpscares and the overall boring atmosphere quickly bored me. The game is so tedious, no inventory system no anything really. All it was was a walking game with a million spooky sounds. The game was so uninteresting that an hour in I got soI was so excited to play a sequel to Amnesia: TDD However, within the first thirty minutes of the game I realized it was complete crap. The overuse of jumpscares and the overall boring atmosphere quickly bored me. The game is so tedious, no inventory system no anything really. All it was was a walking game with a million spooky sounds. The game was so uninteresting that an hour in I got so bored that I uninstalled the game and hope I can erase it from my memory. It was a complete waste of my time. I don't see how the developers could be proud of this. I think I'll go back to the original Amnesia and play all the fun custom stories.

    Bottom line, I would not recommend this to anyone even if the game was completely free. Its one of those games that shouldn't exist.    … Expand
  45. Zen-Zinxe
    Sep 12, 2013
    4
    I never played the original Amnesia so I can't compare this game to the first. But I can say that this game isn't horrible. I thought the setting and sounds were really very well done. I thought the creatures could have been perhaps a little scarier or at least more persistent. This game is basically a visual book. The interactivity with objects is very limited and becomes almost nonI never played the original Amnesia so I can't compare this game to the first. But I can say that this game isn't horrible. I thought the setting and sounds were really very well done. I thought the creatures could have been perhaps a little scarier or at least more persistent. This game is basically a visual book. The interactivity with objects is very limited and becomes almost non existent later in the game. Which I couldn't complain about because tediously opening drawers on a single desk in hopes of finding a note wasn't terribly rewarding.

    This type of genre would thrive off of increased interactivity. If you could throw objects in front of enemies chasing you and slide desks to block off doors or even just brace against a door while you try to think of a plan to escape. But this game doesn't take hold of the potential that is there. In a game with no guns to use or bullets and explosion physics to figure out I would hope the developers would take the time to actually make a world that is highly interactive. The only things I recall being able to interact with in the game are doors, some windows, chairs, and puzzle specific objects. Including levers, wheels, and fuses/canisters.

    As much as I like the atmosphere, it was difficult to figure out what was going on or what happened. Sometimes something is explained in a note you found or a voice you remember but generally, especially near the end of the game, inexplicable things start happening that just made me think "what is going on? Why is that there?" Was Mandus hallucinating? I don't know.

    I feel like I bought an expensive book. I wish the game were longer, the enemies were smarter, and that I could interact with and move almost anything around in the game that isn't bolted to the floor. On another note I wish you could see your characters hands and body as well when you looked down and did stuff. I decided to pick amnesia: A Machine for Pigs over Outlast, due to how popular the first amnesia seemed to be, but I'm fairly disappointed with the result.    … Expand
  46. JimCorbett
    Nov 20, 2014
    4
    Utterly disappointing. I was a big fan of the original Amnesia so I was still looking forward to this title despite all the bad reviews surrounding it. It turns out they were all justified. A Machine for Pigs strips out everything that was great about The Dark Descent. The good story, the paranoia, the need to explore, the awesome setting. Everything. You're thrust into a steampunk worldUtterly disappointing. I was a big fan of the original Amnesia so I was still looking forward to this title despite all the bad reviews surrounding it. It turns out they were all justified. A Machine for Pigs strips out everything that was great about The Dark Descent. The good story, the paranoia, the need to explore, the awesome setting. Everything. You're thrust into a steampunk world that is utterly uninteresting. The most fun I had in the game was in the first two levels where you're in a mansion. The rest levels are nowhere near as interesting as that one. The story is basic and you can basically guess the ending from the very start. There is no paranoia and the oil in your lamp never depletes so there is absolutely no reason to search through the environment. There's no reason to open drawers or search cabinets for items. This results in a straightforward game that took me less than 3 hours to finish. Three hours.… Expand
  47. Vasco
    Sep 12, 2013
    4
    Oh, this game is so bad! The biggest disappointment of the whole year! I'm a huge fan of Amnesia The Dark Descent, and I found A machine for pigs just terrible. I wanted a new Amnesia game, not Dear Esther.
  48. 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
  49. 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
  50. mattia_76
    Jul 18, 2014
    4
    Is this a game? Seems most an interactive movie. It takes almost half of the game to encounter an enemy and even thereafter action doesn't grow much. Puzzles are mostly boring and very basic, they won't challenge you. Positive points are the atmosphere and the the way the story is slowly enveiled, slowly letting you in.
  51. czerro
    Sep 16, 2013
    2
    Game is unfortunately woefully undercooked. The story backdrop is intriguing, but for a game that clocks in at around 4 hours, oddly somehow manages to outstay it's welcome in record time. I guess that's the next thing to mention: to call this game 'a short experience' is a gross understatement. The locale should lend itself to more intriguing environments than ATDD, yet somehow reallyGame is unfortunately woefully undercooked. The story backdrop is intriguing, but for a game that clocks in at around 4 hours, oddly somehow manages to outstay it's welcome in record time. I guess that's the next thing to mention: to call this game 'a short experience' is a gross understatement. The locale should lend itself to more intriguing environments than ATDD, yet somehow really fails to capitalize on this. I think part of this is simply 'level' design. There is no exploration to take advantage of as the player is herded down abbreviated corridors from door A to B, stripping the player of any feeling of discovery. This design also deflates another Amnesia staple: the cat and mouse. Enemies by nature of the level (read: tunnel) design, must spawn/monster box the player from behind. The player then just continues down the predetermined path he was already on to begin with... Players are not even trusted with an escape mechanic (figuring out how to manipulate something or block a door to prevent the adversary's advance. Either a gate inexplicably falls preventing the monster's advancement, or the door itself activates a loading screen. Now, as there are essentially no game mechanics, there is only the story for the player. Does it deliver? Despite some nicely written pages revealing the grim industry of the machine, No. The central mystery that kicks off the tale and provides impetus for the character's decent, will be seen through immediately upon it's introduction and it's continuous method of delivery. As grating as grinding your way towards this reveal is, the secondary plot reveal is thinly veiled as well and is EXACTLY the central twist in a much more popular and successful game.… Expand
  52. Galloway
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    Absolutely brilliant game which is completely underrated.

    First off players need to set their expectations. This is more of a physiological thriller and dark mystery with tons of symbolism and history rolled up into it. It's not going to give you the sense of terror and helplessness that the Dark Descent gave you, but it's still a fantastic game, and extremely well thought out. The    Absolutely brilliant game which is completely underrated.

    First off players need to set their expectations. This is more of a physiological thriller and dark mystery with tons of symbolism and history rolled up into it. It's not going to give you the sense of terror and helplessness that the Dark Descent gave you, but it's still a fantastic game, and extremely well thought out. The atmosphere and soundtrack are stunning, and the dreadful, melancholy sense of "wtf are these people doing?" prevails throughout the game.

    Yes the monsters are easy and so are the puzzles, but the story here was so good I personally appreciated that as I did not want to waste time and wanted to advance the story line. Speaking of which it has a few twists and turns along the way which was a welcome surprise.

    I think the problem alot of the negative reviews are having is they had a different expectation of the game, as if it were to be the Dark Descent part 2. This game reminds me alot of when the movie Sixth Sense came out, then was followed up by another brilliant movie Unbreakable. Two completely different movies but some fans wanted to see another Sixth Sense. Vanilla and chocolate, both great flavors and we can enjoy both.

    Finally if you were a fan of Dear Esther, you will absolutely love this game. What I liked about this and Dear Esther were the emotional responses they drew, and the physiological metaphors embedded throughout the story.

    Not sure how many caught it but that subliminal pig head that barely flashed on the screen for a second, as you went into one of the lifts, was freakin awesome.

    I hope that Frictional continues with the Amnesia franchise, as these games have to be some of the most well-written ever. A Machine for Pigs is a solid contribution to the series.    … Expand
  53. 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
  54. 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.
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. stevenlin
    Sep 23, 2013
    8
    I remember monotonous pipes, pigs, mind-numbingly boring puzzles, Bioshock, pigmen, surreal, nasty, visceral writing, blood, the church, a vague ending.
  59. 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
  60. KinkInspector
    Sep 23, 2013
    4
    This game in no way feels like a Frictional title, probably because it was developed by "The Chinese Room". Which created Dear Esther for the full steam release around last year. But all aside this game is not a survival horror, which in many ways disappointed me when I played it. Instead it is a rehash of Amnesia the Dark Descent but dumbed down to a point where survival is not aThis game in no way feels like a Frictional title, probably because it was developed by "The Chinese Room". Which created Dear Esther for the full steam release around last year. But all aside this game is not a survival horror, which in many ways disappointed me when I played it. Instead it is a rehash of Amnesia the Dark Descent but dumbed down to a point where survival is not a challenge in the game. The only good thing that came out of Amnesia A Machine for Pigs was the story. Well yes there are some parts that seemed mildly stupid, but in all it was a somewhat deep and disturbing tale. This game almost ruined The Chinese Room and Frictional Game's reputation in my mind. But its not the worst that could happen.… Expand
  61. 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
  62. Digitalensis
    Sep 25, 2013
    10
    Amnesia Machine For Pigs will move you. Don't expect a re-harsh of Dark Descent. This might as well be its own game. Very compelling, beautifully crafted, and scary as hell. Buy this one if you are truly ready to move to the next level of story telling and game play. A must to experience....Here piggy piggy...
  63. ComBrandon
    Oct 2, 2013
    10
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs has proven to be quite a scary horror game. The environment, and the quality of the sounds, and stories invokes a feeling of dread on the player, the game itself has plenty of jumps, and scares despite what a lot of people have been saying. The game itself has some minor graphic improvements, however they also aimed to expand this game to people with lower-endAmnesia: A Machine for Pigs has proven to be quite a scary horror game. The environment, and the quality of the sounds, and stories invokes a feeling of dread on the player, the game itself has plenty of jumps, and scares despite what a lot of people have been saying. The game itself has some minor graphic improvements, however they also aimed to expand this game to people with lower-end computers, removing the physics attributes for a lot of unimportant in game scenery. All in all, I would highly recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
  64. arrayofemotions
    Nov 12, 2013
    9
    Yes, most of the gameplay mechanics of the Dark Descent are gone. That means there is no more inventory, no more health, no more sanity meter. Your lantern is now electric so you can use it pretty much non-stop. All this serves to bring Amnesia away from being a game about creeping through shadows trying to hide from a monster while feebly attempting to not go insane, to a game where youYes, most of the gameplay mechanics of the Dark Descent are gone. That means there is no more inventory, no more health, no more sanity meter. Your lantern is now electric so you can use it pretty much non-stop. All this serves to bring Amnesia away from being a game about creeping through shadows trying to hide from a monster while feebly attempting to not go insane, to a game where you can freely explore every room and every corner without much hinderance or fear. It is a departure from The Dark Descent, but it works.

    The horror in A Dark Descent came from the monster that was chasing you, always hurrying you along. It was very action driven. In A Machine For Pigs, the horror is much more passive. It's in the setting, the atmosphere and the story the game tells, much more than it is in the game's mechanics. And that is where The Chinese Room fits in so well. They are masters at crafting a setting that will utterly disturb you. The visuals are superb, the design of the machine is morbid, the writing in the notes and voice-overs of a quality that surpasses that of The Dark Descent... And the audio is nothing short of amazing, with a haunting soundtrack and ambient sounds that make the setting really come to life.

    The game is quite short. You can finish it in 4 to 5 hours. It starts a bit slow, the beginning has a few jump-scares and a setting that is reminiscent of A Dark Descent. But once you leave the starting area and get to explore said machine from the title, the game really comes into its own. I felt The Dark Descent overstayed its welcome a bit, the latter part of the game became more tedious and it ended on a low note. Not so with A Machine For Pigs. It gets increasingly more intense as you progress and continues to build up to a final, horrifying climax.

    Ultimately I think A Machine For Pigs is better than The Dark Descent. Sure it is less nerve wrecking to play, but the horror is more subtle, refined and much more unsettling. And it will stay with you once you've finished it.    … Expand
  65. cryptid85
    Nov 28, 2013
    10
    Different, yes, but still a damn fine game. Easily more disturbing than the first game, and the gameplay operates well. And holy f*ck, the manpigs...

    It's easy to become immersed in this game, and I admit I don't mind the lack of oil, tinderboxes and sanity being gone. Overall, it is excellent. I love it.
  66. Archwn
    Nov 27, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As several other reviewers have already discussed, this game is not its predecessor and should not be viewed along the same lines. First a comparison and a redundant spoiler warning.

    ADD was a "gamer's game;" it had an inventory, puzzles requiring metagame logic and the sanity/stealth feature which required the use of darkness as a strategic tool with benefits and risks associated with it. Frictional made the decisions to implement these game features based upon ADD's spiritual predecessors, the Penumbra games.

    In producing AAMP, Frictional and TheChineseRoom made several conscious decisions to reduce the degree to which you could interact with the environment. The purpose of these changes was to to streamline the gameplay experience and to reduce breaches in immersion. In this regard, as other reviews have also rightly pointed out, the game should be compared more to something along the lines of Dear Esther, or TCR's less well known work, Korsakovia. While I was personally disappointed in the change of pace, having enjoyed ADD's strategic use of darkness and the level of ingenuity we saw develop in the protagonist through his usage of inventory items in creative ways, I am not reviewing AAMP as if it had tried and failed to be ADD.

    I will say that the graphics were attractive and eerie; as always, Jessica Curry's score and soundscape were absolutely brilliant. Dan Pinchbeck's writing, however, was cliche and stale, although still head and shoulders above most of the writing to which we are subjected by out beloved gaming industry.

    The reason I'm giving this game a 3/10 is quite simple: the game is extremely inconsistent. In attempts to frighten, it throws the threat of monsters, social anarchy, your own insanity, the death of your family and even the supernatural at you, yet even an hour+ into the game (two to three if you are fully immersed and cautious), nothing has happened to you. More particularly, nothing could have happened to you. The number of times in the game in which you could actually encounter a monster rather than an audio or visual jump scare are extremely slim. All of the actual monster encounters are extremely predictable (the game actually develops the habit of clearly warning you when enemies are present). Once the player realizes this (which does not take long), the immersion is gone and the game becomes an exercise in tedium.

    Furthermore, despite the emphasis on plot and immersion versus "actual" interactive gameplay, the plot is predictable and ham-handedly portrayed and the game ends in two events which could only really be considered boss fights. Without going into details, they are prescripted survival events in which you have to directly dodge enemies without being able to hide and maneuver around them to accomplished objectives. This necessity of direct intervention completely flies in the face of the entire image which the game is attempting to uphold.

    Finally, I cannot help but consider the poorly-handled release of this game. It came out a year late and ultimately did not live up to a year of anticipation.

    Though I remain an avid supporter of both Frictional and TheChineseRoom, they dropped the ball on this one. I look forward to future productions from both of them and hope that they can learn from the mistakes made in the production of this game.    … Expand
  67. 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
  68. Antya
    Jan 13, 2021
    10
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is definitely a good game, but it's difficult to categorize this game as an Amnesia game.
    Meetings with our enemies are not so dangerous, there are few puzzles, the lantern is eternal, and the loss of mind was removed (the main character is not afraid of the dark).
    But I still liked the game! This game has a very cool plot, a cool atmosphere, which is helped    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is definitely a good game, but it's difficult to categorize this game as an Amnesia game.
    Meetings with our enemies are not so dangerous, there are few puzzles, the lantern is eternal, and the loss of mind was removed (the main character is not afraid of the dark).
    But I still liked the game!
    This game has a very cool plot, a cool atmosphere, which is helped by a great OST and an interesting concept with pigs.
    There are a lot of different locations that are made incredibly cool!
    The small number of puzzles and the small number of dangerous encounters with pigs makes the game easy, which allows you to fully focus on the plot.
    So my assessment will still be positive.    … Expand
  69. signhere
    Sep 11, 2013
    9
    Yes, I played the original. Yes this is just as good. Where gameplay has been simplified, improved story telling has taken its place. Where jump scares have decreased, improved atmosphere and dread has taken its place.

    It is not another Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

    It is instead Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

    And thank you, The Chinese Room and Frictional, for that.
  70. tanmanjf
    Sep 15, 2013
    9
    What to say about Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs... It is definable not like a dark descent, but it is much, much deeper in story. If you are someone who flew through a dark descent with out reading anything then I am certain this game is not for you! But if you did read and enjoyed the story in a dark descent, You will most likely enjoy Machine for pigs. It has a wonderful deep story butWhat to say about Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs... It is definable not like a dark descent, but it is much, much deeper in story. If you are someone who flew through a dark descent with out reading anything then I am certain this game is not for you! But if you did read and enjoyed the story in a dark descent, You will most likely enjoy Machine for pigs. It has a wonderful deep story but lacks in the strong horror elements that made a dark descent so great. I'm not gonna call this a spoiler because it is so obvious, in the game their are pigs, as someone who has had pigs and had pigs slaughtered made this game particularly not frightening. But, the story was so good that I enjoyed it anyways.

    For pure horror: skip it
    For a great interactive story experience: play it    … Expand
  71. Steeltel
    Sep 14, 2013
    0
    The only real horror that I experienced in this game that was advertised with a terrifying journey into madness, industrialisation and the darkest secrets of the soul. was the realisation after completing this boring piece of garbage that I actually paid money for it.
    I could not believe that it would be this bad, but really, it is not scary at all. The only gameplay consists of the    The only real horror that I experienced in this game that was advertised with a terrifying journey into madness, industrialisation and the darkest secrets of the soul. was the realisation after completing this boring piece of garbage that I actually paid money for it.
    I could not believe that it would be this bad, but really, it is not scary at all. The only gameplay consists of the occasional turning of some valves. And the overarching storyline that gives AaMfP some points with the critics... meh. "The whole world will be destroyed". Good Lord, I never have heard that before.    … Expand
  72. Zgroktar
    Sep 12, 2013
    9
    This is one of the most unique games ever created. Bold, daring and ambitious, although it has some debatable setbacks, it's essence is something you do not see in a video game. It is created and crafted with love, which is witnessed in the attention of the slightest details, every little bit of this game tells a story, shows us a full-blooded world. The only thing I wish was dread momentsThis is one of the most unique games ever created. Bold, daring and ambitious, although it has some debatable setbacks, it's essence is something you do not see in a video game. It is created and crafted with love, which is witnessed in the attention of the slightest details, every little bit of this game tells a story, shows us a full-blooded world. The only thing I wish was dread moments which were present in first Amnesia and Penumbra, which this game desperately needed. If that was included with some more polish with basic gameplay mechanics, and maybe some plot-point alterations, this would have been a perfect game.
    Don't take notice of the consistent whining about lack of inventory, sanity system or puzzles; This game offers much more than those trivialities.    … Expand
  73. torax
    Sep 10, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. j'ai vraiment était déçu par ce nouvel Amnesia, que dire si ce n'est que je me suis ennuyé quasiment tout du long, je m'attendais a chié dans mon froc, et au finale rien du tout le jeu ressemble plus a un jeu d’énigme qu'a un jeu sensé faire peur, très linaire et énigme facile, des tonnes et des tonnes de note a lire, qui en deviens lassant et que l'on fini par zapper. graphiquement il s'agit du même moteur que le 1er du nom, rien n'a était amélioré et déjà a l'époque le moteur graphique faisait sont age, alors a l'heure d'aujourd'hui je ne vous raconte même pas, la bande son quand a elle est pas mal, elle relève un peu le niveau, et quand a la duré de vie il ne m'a fallu que 3h pour finir le jeu, c'est court certes, mais déjà bien assez long, tant on s'ennuie et qu'il nous tarde de finir ce jeu pour passé a autre chose. Un conseil, si vous chercher un jeu ou votre caleçon s'en souviendra foncé sur "OUTLAST" bien meilleur a tout niveau.… Expand
  74. darkcerb
    Sep 19, 2013
    3
    It aspires to be an interactive story without an inventory or sanity effects and without the intimidating enemy's of the first the best the game can do to horrify is flicker the lights shake the camera and abuse the audio.

    The simple and obvious fact is the amnesia devs sold out and outsourced large portions of the game to the dev team of dear esther, an interactive story can be great,    It aspires to be an interactive story without an inventory or sanity effects and without the intimidating enemy's of the first the best the game can do to horrify is flicker the lights shake the camera and abuse the audio.

    The simple and obvious fact is the amnesia devs sold out and outsourced large portions of the game to the dev team of dear esther, an interactive story can be great, but that's not what amnesia was and it's not what was promised.

    Please skip this game, don't reward this kind of behavior grab outlast instead it has faults but it stays very true to the genre and brims with the passion and care of it's team.    … Expand
  75. 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
  76. Orionsbelt
    Sep 13, 2013
    1
    This is not Amnesia. The trailer for this game was a complete lie and showed Amnesia type gameplay. This game is nothing like the trailer. Someone decided to make a quick buck by taking the Amnesia title and slap it on their own product, or Frictional decided to sell their title and let someone slap it onto a different game.
  77. empirecoder
    Sep 18, 2013
    3
    Overall, this game was a big time disappointment for me. Machine for Pigs is at most 20% as scary as The Dark Descent. All of the major changes to the play mechanics add up to make this game suck. I blame it on the developer The Chinese Room, and not Frictional Games. This team up was a bad idea.
    Negatives: Removal of an inventory. No more lantern oil. Staying in shadows no longer    Overall, this game was a big time disappointment for me. Machine for Pigs is at most 20% as scary as The Dark Descent. All of the major changes to the play mechanics add up to make this game suck. I blame it on the developer The Chinese Room, and not Frictional Games. This team up was a bad idea.
    Negatives: Removal of an inventory. No more lantern oil. Staying in shadows no longer increases your insanity. You can look at the enemies without penalty. You run away from enemies easily. Unreadable font used for notes and journal entries. I found the story somewhat interesting, but boring in the end. Scare events were not executed well.
    Positives: Better game engine. Larger levels. Good music. Good voice acting. Okay story.    … Expand
  78. Benshes
    Feb 2, 2014
    10
    A lot of people told me that this game is no Amnesia anymore, and they were right. It's much better! This game fascinates me in so many different ways. Soundtrack, atmosphere and gameplay are just amazing and it had the most powerful story I've ever encountered! Everybody should give it a try and I promise that you'll have the time of your life.
  79. kyriores
    Sep 10, 2013
    7
    After completing the game in just 4 hours I have mixed feelings about it.

    Let's start with the game's strong points. First of all, even though the graphics might not be the best, the atmosphere is overwhelming, like it should be in a horror game, but apart from that there are only a few moments in the game that you get scared and most of the time they don't last for a long time (it's    After completing the game in just 4 hours I have mixed feelings about it.

    Let's start with the game's strong points. First of all, even though the graphics might not be the best, the atmosphere is overwhelming, like it should be in a horror game, but apart from that there are only a few moments in the game that you get scared and most of the time they don't last for a long time (it's either a sudden loud noise, or a door slamming in your face). The story is well written, even though I personally didn't like it that much, so I guess that's a plus as well. Finally, the soundtrack is really really nice and it's probably what I enjoyed the most in my playthrough.

    While the above are probably enough reasons for somebody to buy the game, allow me to mention its main weaknesses. First of all there is barely any "gameplay". Apart from a couple of fairly easy puzzles (like moving an object from 1 place to another and activating some switches) there is not much more you do in the game. Personally, I remember maybe 2 instances that I actually had to sneak past a pigman and about 2-3 more that I got chased by some larger enemies and actually took some damage. That is all. The adventure element isn't exactly there either. You don't even have an inventory, so it's more like an exploration game interactive story, which this makes it an easy game with no real replayability.

    Overall, I wouldn't say that the game is really bad or really good. Some people will love it, some people won't like it at all. My rating would be a 6.5 if I could give that, since the weak gameplay kinda ruins it for me.    … Expand
  80. Curunir
    Sep 13, 2013
    0
    I went in with full expectations for a game very different from the first game and an hour in I thought it was going to be brilliant. When I finished the game I was mostly disappointed. The horror related to surviving the world is virtually non-existent. The monsters in the game invoke a sense of sadness, not of dread. The story had amazing potential that was mostly squandered before theI went in with full expectations for a game very different from the first game and an hour in I thought it was going to be brilliant. When I finished the game I was mostly disappointed. The horror related to surviving the world is virtually non-existent. The monsters in the game invoke a sense of sadness, not of dread. The story had amazing potential that was mostly squandered before the mid-game by revealing too much of the plot too early and then just forcing the player to plod on through the locales, knowing all there is to know about the story. The puzzles are non-existent and are simply interactive spots, not puzzles per se.

    The biggest letdown was probably the pacing and contents of the story one presented somewhat clumsily and unveiled too early on, one that never culminates into any significant revelation. The people claiming this is very much Dear Esther 2 are right to a large degree. Both games ended in a very similar way and the feelings they invoked in me were very similar.

    The game would have done a lot better without promising me the "darkest, most horrific tale ever told in a videogame" and without the Amnesia logo. If this was a standalone release from the Chinese Room, I would have rated this a lot higher because the story was FINE. It was just depressing and very very sad, not horrific, and there was a severe lack of visuals to support the purportedly 'psychological slow burn horror' the game went for. I cannot be scared by a story just because its makers tell me it's dark and twisted, games as a medium should use their full range of tools to convey those feelings and the game failed in that department. While it would have been a fine novel, AMFP generally fails at being a good game, despite its intriguing plot.    … Expand
  81. puscyfer
    Sep 10, 2013
    10
    More Dear Esther than Amnesia... not for everyone's tastes, slow paced and atmospheric with great reliance on written story (notes, journal etc...). Some will love it, others will hate it but most of all... you will never know by reading a review... It's just not the type of game that even the most objective review would be worth taking for granted. I love it, it's a work of art... andMore Dear Esther than Amnesia... not for everyone's tastes, slow paced and atmospheric with great reliance on written story (notes, journal etc...). Some will love it, others will hate it but most of all... you will never know by reading a review... It's just not the type of game that even the most objective review would be worth taking for granted. I love it, it's a work of art... and I'll rate it accordingly… Expand
  82. OkamiKurai2013
    Sep 13, 2013
    0
    As far as sequels go and not created by Frictional Games. But made by a company I never heard of before called A Chinese Room, really really... sucks. I think Frictional Games should develop their own games and not give it into the hands of people who don't know what the f*ck they're doing. This game was short, easy, linear, not scary, and absolutely stupid. I pre ordered this and I feelAs far as sequels go and not created by Frictional Games. But made by a company I never heard of before called A Chinese Room, really really... sucks. I think Frictional Games should develop their own games and not give it into the hands of people who don't know what the f*ck they're doing. This game was short, easy, linear, not scary, and absolutely stupid. I pre ordered this and I feel ripped off. 16 bucks for a game that I finished in 4 hours time.

    The enemy A.I. is retarded. The enemies are stupid and not scary. You run away from pigs. PIGS! The f*ck is so scary about pigs?! Unlike the first Amnesia, nothing is interactable. Only things you can pick up are objects used to solve puzzles that are way too easy in comparison with the first Amnesia. They took away the inventory system, your lantern is infinite, it flickers letting you know if pigs are near by, and the game is just rediculously easy, and short.

    If you loved the first Amnesia game, stick to that. This game is for the birds. This game is the biggest disappointment I have ever seen. Why the hell did Frictional Games give their best selling title to a bunch of morons who cannot grasp how or why made the original Amnesia so great? You never feel threatened in this game. The game relies on loud sounds and the maps shaking in order to scare you. That is it. The atmosphere is ok, but the overall game is just not scary. At all.

    Heh... I can imagine PewDiePie trying to act as if he is scared playing this game. He better be a good actor cause this game is a piece of sh*t. Don't bother buying or playing this game unless you are curious. And know that this game was not created by Frictional Games. That pisses me off. I still await another game from the real guys who made the original Amnesia so great. That is Frictional Games. Not f*cking The Chinese Room. F*ck those guys.    … Expand
  83. 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
  84. deadspacer47
    Jan 12, 2014
    4
    short game,stupid few puzzles,only about 8 monsters that you gonna see,no sanity,no tinderboxes,no INVENTROY,only one place in the game that scared me and the game is not f**kin SCARY.
    and i can not call it Amnesia either.
    all i have to do now is continue playing the awesome first amnesia and hope for the game to come back to its roots.
  85. 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.
  86. Domkex
    Sep 24, 2013
    10
    The beggining of game is really and i was though that this game became a real piece of but then when i started to hear those wonderful soundtracks and interesting storyline, i changed my mind. Bassicilly i would give 7,5 but to rise a bit the score i give 10.
  87. stranglehold
    Oct 20, 2013
    8
    A cerebral and spooky sequel that expands on the franchise’s story and themes, while slightly dialing down the terror. This is a good, and well made horror game, whats with all the criticism. I would recommend, you buy this if you are a horror game fan.
  88. 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
  89. RamblingFool
    Sep 19, 2013
    8
    Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is not quite as consistently scary or viscerally disturbing as it's predecessor (Amnesia: The Dark Descent), but it's a more of a poignant story overall this time around in terms of how well it delivers its themes (industry, greed, control, power, technology... and how they affect society, etc.), and also has more than a few cryptic helpings of surreal allegoryAmnesia: A Machine for Pigs is not quite as consistently scary or viscerally disturbing as it's predecessor (Amnesia: The Dark Descent), but it's a more of a poignant story overall this time around in terms of how well it delivers its themes (industry, greed, control, power, technology... and how they affect society, etc.), and also has more than a few cryptic helpings of surreal allegory that will have you asking "What the hell does that REALLY mean?"

    However, A Machine for Pigs is a linear game overall and has less interaction than your average console game (when you aren't reading cryptic journal entries, you'll spend the remaining 80% of your in-game time turning valves, walking, occasionally running in terror, and turning your lamp on or off). The well-crafted story is essentially the sole focus of the game, but the accompanying art gives you a solid sense of the late 1800's Victorian setting (set a year before the turn of the century), though it's comparatively less evocative than the Gothic castle setting of the first Amnesia game; the grimy streets of London and its steam-pipe laden industrial underbelly ultimately become a repetetive, indistinct mash-up of dark brown bricks, pipes, mud, sewage, and blackened gore by the game's finale.

    Overall, its more of semi-interactive version take on classic horror novels than a game. But a story is a story, and this one is a great one... so, unless you're a stickler for purity and would rather simultaneously play Call of Duty, visit an art gallery, and listen to classical music on and iPod while reading H.P. Lovecraft, A Machine for Pigs is the best (and most efficient) choice for anyone who craves depthy and intelligent narrative and/or horror, but can't go without the illusion of free will that only a video game (or the machine that runs it?) can provide.

    7.8/10    … Expand
  90. Fixxed
    Sep 27, 2013
    4
    If i could describe this game with 1 word, it would definetly be failure or disappointment.

    I shall start by saying that I was truly looking forward to this game... However with the first 30 minutes, i realised how it took a turn to the worst... They eliminated the survival aspect of the game... they decided that it would be far more interesting to focus on the story (which in my    If i could describe this game with 1 word, it would definetly be failure or disappointment.

    I shall start by saying that I was truly looking forward to this game... However with the first 30 minutes, i realised how it took a turn to the worst... They eliminated the survival aspect of the game... they decided that it would be far more interesting to focus on the story (which in my opinion is really pretentious) and forget that this is a sequel to an awesome horror game...

    Seriously... this game is neither a horror game nor an action/adventure game... its a sh%$ walk through type of game where everything is handed to you on a platter and you just press W and some clicks to see the bad pretentious story unfold... are you FU%$I*# serious???? is this what i waited anxiously to play???

    Let me make it clear that Outlast came out 6 days before this game... and i only bought it lol as a warmup to this game... FAIL. because outlast is a clear 8... this game however is barely half of that score...

    No scary enemies...
    No jumps...
    3 patrolling enemies.....
    No survival aspect... (no tinder, batteries or anything that forces you to explore)
    no tough puzzles...
    lots of non-interactable objects and doors... (WHY??)
    and... 4 hours long... 4 hours.... thats not even enough for a damn dlc...

    i could go on rumbling about how trash this game is. How big of a disappointment it is.. but instead i shall go beg Redbarrel to make Outlast 2 and forget amnesia series exist...    … Expand
  91. ZachayesR
    Sep 16, 2013
    8
    The terror in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs comes not from the jump scares of an unseen water monster or the fright of a new Manpig sprinting at you but rather from the horrifying well-written story, notes, and journals that you find along the way. The jumps are still there, but they are less frequent which is actually a bit more scary, it makes you think you're safe. The new creatures areThe terror in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs comes not from the jump scares of an unseen water monster or the fright of a new Manpig sprinting at you but rather from the horrifying well-written story, notes, and journals that you find along the way. The jumps are still there, but they are less frequent which is actually a bit more scary, it makes you think you're safe. The new creatures are splendid and the layout is still just as much of a labyrinth, but the storyline drives this game. Curry's soundtrack is phenomenal and the use of unseen children's voices adds a level of under-your-skin creepiness.… Expand
  92. Fogdale
    Sep 15, 2013
    8
    "Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs" is the sequel to" Amnesia: The Dark Descent", but doesn't really feel like that. The graphics and the atmosphere are definetly awesome, but the gameplay is heavily reduced.

    The inventory sytem is missing, you don't have to refill the lantern and you can't move as many objects as you could in "The Dark Descent". The monsters in "A Machine For Pigs" are    "Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs" is the sequel to" Amnesia: The Dark Descent", but doesn't really feel like that. The graphics and the atmosphere are definetly awesome, but the gameplay is heavily reduced.

    The inventory sytem is missing, you don't have to refill the lantern and you can't move as many objects as you could in "The Dark Descent".

    The monsters in "A Machine For Pigs" are looking scarier than the monsters in "The Dark Descent", but don't really seem to be a real threat to me, mainly because the chasing noise doesn't appear anymore.

    The puzzles aren't as challenging as the ones in "The Dark Descent", which isn't exactly a bad thing, because you don't use so much time on finding and combining stuff anymore.

    "A Machine For Pigs" is a bit short, but I felt satisfied in the end. The story confused me and I still don't really know what was going on, but I didn't have the feeling I had after games like "Outlast" where the ending was just bad to me.

    "A Machine For Pigs" is definetly a good game, but the fact that it is the sequel to one of the scariest games ever created makes it seem a bit bad. If you would take the "Amnesia" out of the name and would just call it "A Machine For Pigs" it would seem way better because one doesn't compare it to "The Dark Descent" anymore.    … Expand
  93. 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...
  94. Flavor-Country
    Sep 21, 2013
    2
    I LOVED the first Amnesia. I completely dislike the second. It's a pale imitation with none of the cool features we all liked in the first iteration. No lantern running out of oil. No real use of light and shadow at all. No spiral into madness. No terror of the unknown...
  95. dokluch
    Sep 19, 2013
    8
    Sadly this game is not Amnesia anymore.
    While having more detailed and complete storyline than original title and truly great story development (here we can thank chineeseroom, I guess), the game lacks one crucial point. Fear.
    Getting rid of all UI is a good solution, but hey, the game is scary for only 1/3 of the time. You can walk in the dark freely as though it's you, who is the    Sadly this game is not Amnesia anymore.
    While having more detailed and complete storyline than original title and truly great story development (here we can thank chineeseroom, I guess), the game lacks one crucial point. Fear.

    Getting rid of all UI is a good solution, but hey, the game is scary for only 1/3 of the time. You can walk in the dark freely as though it's you, who is the monster. Meeting monsters doesn't drive you mad and you can actually get hit by one and run away from it. Should I also point to the fact that pigs have great smell sense and will definitely smell you hiding behind crates?

    After reading interview with Amnesia creator I was waiting for more "fear development", and in some parts it was very good indeed. Low frequency sounds, flickering lights, strange growls. But the second half of the game is just "run and click some buttons", so I guess they were just in a hurry to release the game. Of course I have read all the notes and documents in game, but I still have this bitter feeling of being fooled by the title.

    Anyway, the story has made me think a lot and I still think it is a good game. But good like Dear Esther, not Amnesia.    … Expand
  96. PinchofGinger
    Sep 20, 2013
    4
    While it is not a *horribly* bad game is was definitely an overwhelming disappointment for me.

    The game-play was okay, the graphics were astounding and the scenery very beautifully made and it definitely created the dark and horrific atmosphere Amnesia had, but I could not find it in myself to care about the story or the main character at all. Which for me, is one of the greatest sins    While it is not a *horribly* bad game is was definitely an overwhelming disappointment for me.

    The game-play was okay, the graphics were astounding and the scenery very beautifully made and it definitely created the dark and horrific atmosphere Amnesia had, but I could not find it in myself to care about the story or the main character at all. Which for me, is one of the greatest sins a game can ever commit.

    Unlike the first amnesia game were you truly wanted to learn what had happened, who the main character was and how to stop the coming evil and thus searched frantically for clues about those In this game, I had to force myself to read the notes and listen to the records after a while, it just got too boring and much too confusing. I am sure that if this had been a book where they could explain everything a little better, I would have loved it, but somehow the game took such an overdramatic, religiously fanatic approach that most of the time I just rolled my eyes at the recordings. If you are playing the main character in a game, you want to *like* him. In Amnesia you felt sorry for the MC even if he was a douche, but this MC is just a jerk, and even if there are a few redeeming hints thrown in here and there, I still found myself disliking him.

    I really wanted to love this game because it was an “Amnesia”, but there are just so many things about it that annoys me The sanity meter is gone for one, and the main characters health regenerates rather quickly, which made the pig monsters that much less scary: I could always outrun them so why care if I took a hit? Also, the whole "pig" theme seems rather forced after a while: Yes, humans are pigs, understood, please stop using it in every-single-monologue.

    The game gets boringly linear after a while. You are doing the same thing over and over and over again for ages just in slightly varying ways. The first time I had to turn a wheel and pull a lever to fix something was fine, but doing it 20+ times?

    Maybe I am being too harsh on the game, but that is only because I keep comparing it to the first Amnesia, and I fully admit that! But if you choose to create a game as a sequel to Amnesia instead of a game of it´s own genre and style in order to sell more copies, and then strip it of so many of the things that made the previous game so popular, people will be rather disappointing: It is like creating a Mass Effect game without the dialogue wheel Same game yes, but the games “soul” is gone.

    If they released this as a game of it´s own, I think I would have liked it better, but only a bit because for me, creating an unlikeable main character, boringly linear tasks, and face-palm worthy over-dramatic monologue gives you a nice place in the back of my closet where you shall stay forevermore never to be played again.

    All in all an okay game, but very over the top dramatic, not really scary and in the end, not what I wanted the next Amnesia game to be like. Sorry.    … Expand
  97. PhoenixTheVoid
    Dec 22, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is surely different from Amnesia: TDD, mainly because it wasn't created in collaboration as the first one had been. In this series, the game takes on a different focus, where the story is more important than the actual puzzle. Its not as interactive taking out many of the key component seen in The Dark Decent. However, without these components the player is more focused on the story rather than trying to find more oil, and I assume that is what the creators of the game was going for. This game differs being that its more of a Edgar Allen Poe kind of fear, which is far more profound rather than skin chilling scary. I can't say the main story line of Machine for Pigs was as scary, but I did enjoy the poetic beauty of the game and the environment. The game definitely leaves you thinking, although the puzzles aren't as challenging, the connection for the character and player are more synchronized. I would definitely like to see another Amnesia, but with more of a combination between Dark Decent and Machine for Pigs.… Expand
  98. Andjelico95
    May 30, 2015
    1
    Bad story, bad gameplay, not scary at all, hoping for the end. This is not what you call a good game, it's Horrible! You will realize that the game is not scary at all, and you will begin to run through everything or just give up. Good graphics, but everything else sucks.

    I was disappointed, very disappointed.
  99. Blahguy126
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    Simply put, this is the exact median between Dear Esther and The Dark Decent. I went into this game expecting a campy storyline with some great scares, but what I got instead was the most unsettling game I have ever played. Surprisingly enough, for how amazing of a plot this game has (as pretentiously metaphorical it can be sometimes), there's very few plot holes and the level design isSimply put, this is the exact median between Dear Esther and The Dark Decent. I went into this game expecting a campy storyline with some great scares, but what I got instead was the most unsettling game I have ever played. Surprisingly enough, for how amazing of a plot this game has (as pretentiously metaphorical it can be sometimes), there's very few plot holes and the level design is near perfect despite it being so incredibly linear. I have no problem with that, as I know that linear gameplay is the best way to tell a story. The writing is great, the voice acting is top notch (despite some cheap sound effects), and the atmosphere is PERFECT. The graphics are also fantastic despite having indie origins. The plot lays out like Bioshock, which also means it has pacing issues. Also, the inconsistency of the enemy encounters is noticeably annoying, but the encounters it does have are BLISTERINGLY intense. Way more frightening than anything in the first game.… Expand
  100. diezlwolf
    Sep 16, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly I had very high hopes for an Amnesia sequel, but A Machine for Pigs was very disappointing. I don't want to impugn the hard work of the wonderful developers who worked on the project, but the game felt like it was half-assed, for which there is no excuse given that the release date kept getting pushed back. My biggest complaint is that this game is barely even 30% as scary as The Dark Descent mainly because they removed the insanity mechanic. The Dark Descent was so terrifying because you were FORCED into the darkness at the cost of your character's sanity in order to survive and make progress, relying only on your finite lantern oil and finite tinderboxes to keep you on the right track.

    This game also lacks any kind of puzzles worth mentioning, making it feel dull and easy if there's nothing to use your brain on then why not just have the player walk through the entire game?

    Elimination of the inventory screen was also a big mistake. Having items for the player to collect: whether they're vital pieces of some puzzle down the road or precious vials of laudanum or lantern oil entices the player to explore dark areas they might otherwise just walk by. The inventory screen also gives players the option of having and using tools to solve puzzles or break through impassable areas, giving another dimension of creativity to making progress.

    The enemy design in this game is uninspired to say the least. Given there is no "insanity penalty" for looking at the monsters it allows the player to study them closely and see just how unthreatening they are. The enemies encountered in the Dark Descent by contrast are nothing less than the stuff of nightmares: I've played through thousands of hours of zombie games in my lifetime and I've yet to encounter anything even remotely as terrifying as the Servant-Gatherers from the Dark Descent (honorable mention: Pyramid Head but he STILL doesn't strike fear into the heart of the player like Mr. Face screaming towards you in a dark corridor).

    Finally, the storytelling elements in this game fall flat over so many omitted details. The journal entries were just words on the screen (in a hard-to-read font) rather than the outstanding voice-acting and ambiance-of-terror music of its predecessor. A Machine for Pigs had none of the dramatic irony through music, well-placed flashbacks, hallucinations of screaming victims, or other unsettling events which make a horror story feel authentic. While the music composed for this game wasn't bad, it didn't go far enough and there wasn't enough of it. Silence through corridors isn't spooky it just seems lazy. Attention to every little detail of the experience is why I've recommended Amnesia: The Dark Descent to just about everybody I know, purely on artistic grounds alone to say nothing of being the single most terrifying work of media I've ever encountered.

    I thank the developers for their hard work on this entry into the Amnesia series, and I hope they will return to and build upon the original formula of The Dark Descent in making a third Amnesia game.    … 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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