Amnesia: The Dark Descent

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1612 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,375 out of 1612
  2. Mixed: 170 out of 1612
  3. Negative: 67 out of 1612
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  1. patrickrender
    Jun 17, 2011
    8
    Amnesia, saying this word makes me scared, when i think of my past in this horror filled game, it is so painful to remember, the howling voices are things out of nightmares. This game does well on what it focus's on for example, the atmosphere and the puzzles are brilliant, and the monster encounters are totally scary, I have never got scared from a horror movie and the only other game IAmnesia, saying this word makes me scared, when i think of my past in this horror filled game, it is so painful to remember, the howling voices are things out of nightmares. This game does well on what it focus's on for example, the atmosphere and the puzzles are brilliant, and the monster encounters are totally scary, I have never got scared from a horror movie and the only other game I know that is this scary is night mare house 2. Amnesia brings back survival horror, you have to keep your lamp full of oil so you can see, but monsters are attracted to light so you have to be careful when you use your lamp, you can also use tinder box's that are scattered around the game which can light up light sources like candles.If you like horror games amnesia is your game, if you like survival then amnesia is your game. The graphic in the game don't matter, they are descent enough to play and they are quite good for an INDIE DEVELOPER! So help them out, buy this game, you will have a hard time playing on it because it will send shivers down your spine when you even look at it on your steam games list. That's my review, I will be reviewing more in the near future to save this site of idiot reviews.… Expand
  2. paperchampion
    Jun 19, 2011
    8
    Amnesia is a one-of-a-kind experience. It's been said countless times before, but this really is the scariest game out there, assuming you go into it with the proper mindset (that is, you play the game to have a unique and immersive experience rather than to just brag that you beat it or weren't scared by it). The atmosphere is (almost) flawless. The castle is as dark and menacing as it isAmnesia is a one-of-a-kind experience. It's been said countless times before, but this really is the scariest game out there, assuming you go into it with the proper mindset (that is, you play the game to have a unique and immersive experience rather than to just brag that you beat it or weren't scared by it). The atmosphere is (almost) flawless. The castle is as dark and menacing as it is beautiful (and yes, Amnesia is quite the looker), but it's the little things that really make it scary. The creaking footsteps on the floor above, the small dust trails that seem to appear out of nowhere in dark corners. Oh yeah, and the big monster that stalks you, waiting for a chance to sink his monstrous claws into your flesh.
    Actually, that brings up my first complaint about the game: the monster. There are actually 3 monsters in Amnesia, but one was only present in two very short sections and I honestly never saw the third (I guess I assumed it was the same as the first one you encounter). So a vast majority of the encounters you have with an enemy of any sort are with one type of monster who loses his scare factor once you've seen his face (which is actually rather laughable once you see it in a steady frame) up close and personal for about the third time. He still got your heart pounding every time he turned abruptly in your direction, but the pure terror that filled you when you first glimpsed his hazy outline in the beginning would be something much less powerful. The reason the monster was terrifying in the first place was because it was an unknown. After a while, though, it became familiar. The other monster you see acts exactly the same way, enough that you might just mistake it for the other monster like I did. I think that is Amnesia's biggest flaw, it allowed the enemies to become a familiar element. If there were more varied enemies who acted differently, the game could have been really sadistically frightening. But as it stands it is only simply terrifying.
    Back to the positive, the game did do a great job of making the player feel helpless, even if the enemies did lose their original scare power. The player has no weapons and no means of defending himself. Some may argue that this is a negative point, but I think it is one of Amnesia's strongest. Even if they player was given a weapon that would just subdue the monster temporarily or slow it down, this would give the player a means to feel secure, to feel that not situation is too hopeless. But that's not scary. Scary is being able to do nothing but run and hide and hope that you won't be mercilessly torn to ribbons. Added to that is your dependency on light, which is largely what forces you into the above situation in the first place. You can't stay in the dark forever to avoid the monsters, but you can't stay in the light without being detected. It's the tension between these two that really make the player feel helpless.
    Putting aside the terror aspects of Amnesia (I know, right?), the story is surprisingly well-written for a horror game. Although nothing mind-blowing or particularly oscar worthy, it is written well, and voiced magnificently (seriously, if you appreciate good voice acting, this is a shining example for video games). The way it is revealed steadily throughout the game is also very effective and will allow you to readily forgive the amnesia cliche. In fact, I just have to be frank and say that the presentation is absolutely perfect. The puzzle elements are also very good here. There's nothing too challenging that you'll have to resort to googling solutions (unless you're just not good at logic puzzles), but they're also stimulating enough to give the biggest puzzle buffs satisfaction.
    All in all, Amnesia has it's flaws like any other game. Some elements are overdone, such as the painfully annoying beetles/roaches/whatever that crawl all over you when your sanity begins to dip. But unlike many games, Amnesia doesn't offer just a fun way to pass the time (in fact, fun isn't exactly a word I would use to describe it). The Dark Descent is very dark in both the literal and figurative meanings of the word, but it is also unimaginably magnetic. It will shake you and give you a miniature stroke and you will inexplicably beg for more. It will give you an unforgettable experience unlike any other.    … Expand
  3. TechnologoDoom
    Aug 2, 2011
    8
    Amnesia: Dark Descent has done well, therefore, to incorporate the effects of insanity and a limited gaze rather than mimic the compounded violence which has continued to rise in dominance of the horror genre. Taking it's cues from underrated masterpieces, the inability to actually look at that which stalks you and to require you constantly fight to remain sane in the darkest depths of itsAmnesia: Dark Descent has done well, therefore, to incorporate the effects of insanity and a limited gaze rather than mimic the compounded violence which has continued to rise in dominance of the horror genre. Taking it's cues from underrated masterpieces, the inability to actually look at that which stalks you and to require you constantly fight to remain sane in the darkest depths of its recesses means that the player quite simply has more sympathy with the protagonist than they would otherwise. Of course, utilizing a first-person view is certainly critical in this endeavor, as the body of the protagonist is more easily acquainted with one's own. If anything, where Amnesia occasionally fails is due not to revealing too little but occasionally revealing too much, especially towards the end. Though there is a long tradition of the "reveal" in horror and suspense, I'm now left wondering if Frictional Games might have done better never to have shown it's hand. From the gaze comes knowledge and from such comes a sense of control. If there's one thing Amnesia did better than most games in recent memory, it's ensuring that the player feels powerless for most of the journey, which such gazes subvert. Yet, Amnesia is so good for so long that to hold such criticism against it for long feels far too trite. Rather, we should celebrate the maturity that Frictional Games has returned to the horror video game genre for it's reinstatement of the concept that's been as important to it as violence, and for nearly as long. Thanks to Amnesia: Dark Descent, once again we fear the unknown.… Expand
  4. xZippy
    May 20, 2012
    8
    Possibly the best horror game I've ever played. The horror in this game is done in the best ways possible. The "sanity" feature in the game was something I loved, and it made the game even more scary and interesting. Mikko Tarmia did an excellent job with the music. The story is not the best, but it's still well thought out, and the same can be said about the 1800's setting and atmosphere.Possibly the best horror game I've ever played. The horror in this game is done in the best ways possible. The "sanity" feature in the game was something I loved, and it made the game even more scary and interesting. Mikko Tarmia did an excellent job with the music. The story is not the best, but it's still well thought out, and the same can be said about the 1800's setting and atmosphere. The only negative thing I have to say about this game is that the controls can feel awkward and slippery at times. Still, any horror game fan that would pass up a game like this would make the biggest mistake of their lives.… Expand
  5. Overrwatcher
    Sep 3, 2011
    8
    Even though I'm only 12, I rarely get scared from games. All the blood and gore to try to scare means nothing. Amnesia, however, is one hell of a scary game. Instead of going the mainsteam Blood and Gore path, it focuses on making an atmosphere that chills your spine. The sounds play a MASSIVE part of the game, so use good headphones/speakers. Once I finished the Water part, my heart wasEven though I'm only 12, I rarely get scared from games. All the blood and gore to try to scare means nothing. Amnesia, however, is one hell of a scary game. Instead of going the mainsteam Blood and Gore path, it focuses on making an atmosphere that chills your spine. The sounds play a MASSIVE part of the game, so use good headphones/speakers. Once I finished the Water part, my heart was beating. FAST. Pick it up in a sale for sure.… Expand
  6. MindSpaz
    Dec 16, 2011
    8
    This game is one of those classic games that will forever be remembered (and in this case feared). This game was very well designed and looks really nice on full graphics, which is actually recommended for this type of game, where it heavily relies on the atmosphere. In the game, you don't get any weapons at all. And in fact you can't kill anything, and that isn't the point of the game atThis game is one of those classic games that will forever be remembered (and in this case feared). This game was very well designed and looks really nice on full graphics, which is actually recommended for this type of game, where it heavily relies on the atmosphere. In the game, you don't get any weapons at all. And in fact you can't kill anything, and that isn't the point of the game at all. What the designers where trying to get across was the feeling of helplessness, and that's exactly what the game does. Every single time you see a monster, or hear a growling in the darkness, you hide, and hope he doesn't find you, because if he does, you are dead. This game is very scary, and very hard. Although you may not die a lot, you will be puzzled at the events occurring as the plot slowly unfolds and you discover many areas and secrets that lay within the castle you've awoken in. In short, the story is amazing. Atmosphere is a huge part of the game, and it perfects it with the darkness. If you look at a monster too long, you start to lose sanity. The more you lose sanity, the more frequently monsters start showing up. The longer you stay in the darkness, the lower your sanity gets. And by doing this, the game encourages you to go toward light, and stay near the light, until the sanity aspect is forgotten, and it becomes a habit, and definitely enhances the game play. The only flaws in the game is that sometimes it's actually TOO dark, and it makes it impossible to see, even with a lantern. Overall though, this game is really, really fun, and is definitely worth the money put into it. If you wanna see what the game is like, I'm doing an LP of it right now @ http://www.youtube.com/TheMindSpaz : I'm not asking for a sub or anything like that, just trying to give an example of what it's like.… Expand
  7. TAMPjackoon
    Oct 6, 2011
    8
    Scariest game ever, yeah that's right more than Dead Space, FEAR, Fatal Frame, Silent Hill, all of that. I can still hear my heart pounding even when I'm safely locked away from the monsters for 2 or 3 minutes. For such a small indie game, fantastic graphics, story, and some of the greatest sounds for a while. These are all here to make it a fantastic game, and it worked, but these thingsScariest game ever, yeah that's right more than Dead Space, FEAR, Fatal Frame, Silent Hill, all of that. I can still hear my heart pounding even when I'm safely locked away from the monsters for 2 or 3 minutes. For such a small indie game, fantastic graphics, story, and some of the greatest sounds for a while. These are all here to make it a fantastic game, and it worked, but these things also become it's flaws. Meaning that things become too familiar and you know exactly where the monsters will come from, even though you haven't played through that part. But still I have no reason to say it's a bad game.… Expand
  8. FFStudios
    Jun 1, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not a fan of horror games, that was until I played Amnesia; the dark descent; a FP survival horror which drops the dodgy combat from Penumbra and instead forces the player to hide or run. What puts me off most horror games is their reliance on excessive gore, which isn't really that scary once you become desensitised to it. Amnesia understands this and implements just about every aspect perfectly: you're defenceless, the graphics are appropriately grim and spooky, resources are limited and the main antagonists are never really clearly seen. Negatives; the story is an interesting tale of your character Daniel waking up with amnesia and discovering that he must descend into the depths of the castle to kill an individual named Alexander. All I will say is that the ending is somewhat lukewarm and Frictional still have a tendency to use long letters to tell back stories rather than implement them into the environment. Also, despite the length of six hours or so, Amnesia would have benefitted from being trimmed to about half that. But any criticisms I have are overshadowed by the sheer terror that Amnesia manages to achieve. If you are a horror fan or even just any other gamer who wants to experience something truly terrifying, then look no further than Amnesia.… Expand
  9. Swimming_MANGO
    Jan 6, 2012
    8
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the perfect example of atmosphere in a game being able to make you $&^% your pants. Now if you know of this game already I'm sure I don't have to explain the laxative qualities of Amnesia but for those who do not know allow me to elaborate.
    The game play of Amnesia :TDD is quite simple when it comes down to it. You play the game from a first-person perspective,    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the perfect example of atmosphere in a game being able to make you $&^% your pants. Now if you know of this game already I'm sure I don't have to explain the laxative qualities of Amnesia but for those who do not know allow me to elaborate.
    The game play of Amnesia :TDD is quite simple when it comes down to it. You play the game from a first-person perspective, navigating the game realm in search of items, and tools to make it past the next area. To do this there are a variety of puzzles that one must solve, either being a simple "push this button" action or somewhat more complex physics based puzzles. Most of these puzzles are actually quite difficult to figure out, as I myself was forced to look up the solution multiple times. While the physics are not the best in the world, they're exponentially higher then most other Indie games, besides the odd game such as LIMBO. Now a first-person perspective puzzler isn't exactly riveting, and exciting, being a survival horror game, there are monsters. Unlike many of modern games set in a horror genre, Amnesia:TDD is different in that most horror genre games have situations where either on of two things occur: the player sees a monster jump out, it screams "BOO!" and the player turns it to shredded gore with a multitude of heavy weaponry (a.k.a. Doom 3 or similar titles) or the player sees a monster jump out, it does a quick dance to get the camera's attention, the player kills it, and moves on through more brightly lit rooms filled with more monsters fighting for the camera (a.k.a. Dead Space or similar titles). Amnesia pulls off a rarely well done method similar to Silent Hill 2, where as your walking around, the intense atmosphere, and ambience noise make you perceive a monster is nearly when it could be nothing, a harmless kitty, or indeed a monster. While the hardest to pull off it is also the most successful because it forces the player to fill in the blanks for themselves. And if Frictional Games was only making me hate my life even more, you cannot harm, wound, or kill any of the enemies. You are weapon less, and your only chance at survival is to run, and hide from the monsters, and hope you don't run into them again. If that wasn't enough you are given an insanity meter, which depletes by looking at enemies, witnessing horrifying situations, and by just being in the dark making it difficult to hide from monsters when there's the chance of losing, because you've gone absolutely bonkers!
    The graphics of Amnesia:TDD are on par with most other modern day games, but I found one downside with this. For some reason my PC made for gaming had difficulties running the game, so in order to play it, I had to borrow a friend's PC. It may just be me, but it seems that the game is very demanding of a PC, which is also a gripe I have with PC gaming, but I digress, the graphics of the game, lighting, shadowing and the all too familiar insanity effects are beautiful. The sound of the game is absolutely necessary to making an atmospheric game, and Amnesia pulls it off brilliantly. The character, while never actually speaking, makes noises out of fear such as a gasp, but it is only by watching un-commentated videos that I was able to hear those noises as all too often these gasps, and moans were under-exaggerations of my screams of terror and fear. The ambient noise of the game is ominous, which serves to make the player feel truly alone in the game world, and any voice acting heard through diary entries are solid, and convincing.
    Overall, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a great survival horror game, with a strong atmosphere, and sound the likes of few games. The game is so engrossing, and immersing that you will frequently find yourself screaming at your monitors when monsters appear, and tucking your head in when navigating the dark corridors. An excellent game, and my only gripe is I wish the game would be ported to consoles as I myself hate my computer, as well as I prefer the simplicity of a controller as opposed to keyboard, and mouse. Being fair however, I can't negate points for that as that is an opinion, not fact about the game. A great story, engrossing atmosphere, and game play, and a Price tag of $20 on Steam make for a great experience. A well deserved 8. Can't wait to see what Frictional Games does next!    … Expand
  10. Satyrion
    Jan 14, 2012
    8
    This is the scariest game i have ever played, the atmosphere is really giving me a heart attack. If you are looking for a game that will scare you to death and immerse you in a great atmospheric story this is it. The bad things about the game is that after a few hours you have seen most of the tricks and dont get so scared anymore but that didnt stop me from enjoying the amazingly designedThis is the scariest game i have ever played, the atmosphere is really giving me a heart attack. If you are looking for a game that will scare you to death and immerse you in a great atmospheric story this is it. The bad things about the game is that after a few hours you have seen most of the tricks and dont get so scared anymore but that didnt stop me from enjoying the amazingly designed game. The art is simply amazing and you really feel you are Danel the main character… Expand
  11. Linkkicksu
    Feb 11, 2012
    8
    Amnesia, what's not to say about the game... It has incredible, immersing gameplay that leaves you feeling shaken to the core for hours, even after you stop playing. The game was so frightening, yet so gripping that you can't help coming back for more. Amnesia is so psychologically testing, that it has effected my personality; I have developed paranoia, I lock the doors twice at night forAmnesia, what's not to say about the game... It has incredible, immersing gameplay that leaves you feeling shaken to the core for hours, even after you stop playing. The game was so frightening, yet so gripping that you can't help coming back for more. Amnesia is so psychologically testing, that it has effected my personality; I have developed paranoia, I lock the doors twice at night for precaution, the slightest thud makes me jump, I fear being alone for more than 3 hours and I have changed from my night shift at work. The game is in fact, too frightening, and too mentally trying, that is why I must give it an 8/10. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm returning to my corner to cower in fear.… Expand
  12. PictoPirate
    May 17, 2017
    8
    An entertaining plot, interesting puzzles and absolutely bloody terrifying. Amnesia: The Dark Descent will have your heart pounding like nothing else out there, give it a go now... if you dare!
  13. Dune_Jumper
    Dec 29, 2013
    8
    Fine game, but I enjoyed Penumbra so much more.
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  14. Greenball10
    Oct 21, 2012
    8
    It's fun, scary...dark...everything you could ever want, right? Right. Things fly at you from the ceiling, you can hide in dressers, and you have some extreme anxiety issues. Recommended, if you're a fan of scary games. If you read this review, and decided to play it, then played it and died from fright (or the fact that the game is pure awesome), I am not responsible.
  15. camcom
    Aug 9, 2012
    8
    When this game first released as an Indy game, it was a cult hit, and spread via the web to all gamers, even casual ones. After playing this title, I must tell anyone who is thinking of buying it two things: 1) Buy it. 2)Don't 'play' this 'game', don't think of this as a milestone that you must 'beat'. It is an experience that everyone should have, and it WILL scare you. I have never beenWhen this game first released as an Indy game, it was a cult hit, and spread via the web to all gamers, even casual ones. After playing this title, I must tell anyone who is thinking of buying it two things: 1) Buy it. 2)Don't 'play' this 'game', don't think of this as a milestone that you must 'beat'. It is an experience that everyone should have, and it WILL scare you. I have never been so frightened by any form of media, be it a movie, game, music etc. There are a few parts where it will feel annoying because you may not understand how to get past a certain part, revealing it's true 'game' nature for only a moment, and then you are back in the experience. Buy it.… Expand
  16. suneater
    Jan 3, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A truly terrifying game that is only rivaled by the other series made by this company, Penumbra. Unlike most horror games, this one focuses less on "monsters jumping from the closet" scares and is chock full of psychological and moral horror. Even without the literal monsters, the plot is full of human monsters; torture, human sacrifices, black magic and sorcery make the game reek of evil. The immersive sound design and well-implemented screen & graphical effects feed the fear of being cornered by other worldly monsters and human abominations. Without any weapons to fight back, this is a genuine "survival horror" game that you should pick up and lose sleep over.… Expand
  17. Klewer
    Jan 13, 2015
    8
    A true modern horror classic. Those extremely tense moments and challenging puzzles take you back to a time when survival horror was key and patience was a must. Fantastic story and atmosphere make this a must for horror fans.
  18. Eddard
    Nov 28, 2012
    8
    This Game has a amazing and fightening Atmosphere. The Graphics are a little bit old, but the Colors and Lightning are perfect. Its so horrorfying to walk through the dark corridors, because you dont have any weapon. The Puzzles make fun, but the Gameplay and the Story could be better.
  19. LonePiper
    Feb 22, 2013
    8
    Amnesia: the dark descent is a well crafted experience that manages to pull off something that a lot of games fail to do these days, and that is atmosphere. By keeping the gameplay and interface very simple, one is much more easily drawn into the world. And it is the first game I've played in a very long time that has actually succeeded in scaring me. I was skeptical at first that it couldAmnesia: the dark descent is a well crafted experience that manages to pull off something that a lot of games fail to do these days, and that is atmosphere. By keeping the gameplay and interface very simple, one is much more easily drawn into the world. And it is the first game I've played in a very long time that has actually succeeded in scaring me. I was skeptical at first that it could have such an effect on my all but dead emotions, but the first time I was being chased by a creature, thought I'd outrun it, then turned around to see it right behind me, I very nearly wet myself. Some reviewers will often say that the monsters were not scary because, if you watched them closely, their behaviour was predictable and they were easy to avoid. But if you can sit back and enjoy a game without having to test the engine's every weak point, then this game should scare you. If you were the kind of kid who pulled the beard off the mall santa, then it probably won't. But if you're a cynic who can't suspend a little disbelief every now and then, then I don't see how any game could scare you. (And for that matter, feel free to suspend a little disbelief on the matter of not being able to pick up candles. It serves the gameplay. Just accept it.)
    All this is not to say that the game is perfect there are a few items on which the game falls down. Firstly, the level design occasionally feels a little samey. It's not nearly as bad as the endless repeating corridors in the likes of Eye of the Beholder, but it is a little like that. Also the voice acting is a little painful to listen to at times. I wish I could say that it's below par, but in the gaming industry this is probably better than average. [slight spoiler alert] In particular the voice of Agrippa fails. Here's this weird, creepy undead dude missing his jaw hanging from a chain, and he sounds like a jolly fat guy with rosey cheeks wearing lederhosen and playing the accordion [spoiler over].
    These, mostly minor, complaints aside, Amnesia: the Dark Descent is a great game. The story is interesting and very well researched (look up the Brazen Bull for example), and the attention to detail was for the most part spot on. Atmosphere, immersion and tension are excellent, and the game goes for just long enough to not overstay its welcome. And most of all it's a stand out, iconic title with some true innovation amidst a pool of samey, tepid drivel.    … Expand
  20. VindiCat0Re
    Feb 24, 2013
    8
    On my opinion, i found Amnesia the dark descent horrifying... I got to be honest with you, Amnesia made me feel fear. I never played a game like this. Frictional games did here a master piece
    The monsters are not very scary but the suspance... Just the soundtrack of the game is amazing! Did you knew that each object in Amnesia has its own sound? And the felling of being hunted, defence    On my opinion, i found Amnesia the dark descent horrifying... I got to be honest with you, Amnesia made me feel fear. I never played a game like this. Frictional games did here a master piece
    The monsters are not very scary but the suspance... Just the soundtrack of the game is amazing! Did you knew that each object in Amnesia has its own sound? And the felling of being hunted, defence less and above all vulnerable makes you scared. Very scared. But amnesia put a lot of afford on the atmosphere. The light sources are few so you have to walk into the darkness a lot of times.
    The story could be a little better. Its is good but not perfect. I found myself bored of reading all those notes. I belive this game is awesome to fans of horror and im really willing to play Machine for Pigs    … Expand
  21. ERB
    Jul 28, 2013
    8
    Barrels!
  22. sft
    Apr 24, 2016
    8
    Into the light

    I’m not normally a fan of games that present you with deadly enemies and then give you no option to defend yourself, but ATDD uses this device cautiously and to good effect. Evading the enemies is fairly stressful (as it should be) but is never frustrating or annoying. ATDD is all about atmosphere, which it has by the bucketload, and story, which it has in some depth.    Into the light

    I’m not normally a fan of games that present you with deadly enemies and then give you no option to defend yourself, but ATDD uses this device cautiously and to good effect. Evading the enemies is fairly stressful (as it should be) but is never frustrating or annoying. ATDD is all about atmosphere, which it has by the bucketload, and story, which it has in some depth. Much of what has to be done in the game, by way of solving puzzles, will be familiar to anyone who has played adventure games before but here again ATDD gets the formula just right. This is the first survival horror game I’ve played that has no combat (I’ve played plenty that do) and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it performs in both the survival and the horror aspects. Graphically it’s pretty good but not outstanding. There are some nice touches of interactivity: you have to pull and push at doors and drawers in order to open and close them. And the sound design is also very atmospheric. It’s a fairly short game but it packs quite a lot into 10–15 hours of gameplay and is recommended if you like the horror genre.    … Expand
  23. Jerrika
    May 26, 2013
    8
    Unlike most games, Amnesia isn't one with predictable, dumb scares, but instead well crafted ones. The story is hard to follow, but that's the only real complaint. It really is Survival Horror themed, and has a Stealth element too as hiding from monsters is not optional. The realism is a bit too realistic, as you lose "Sanity" by staring at a monster or being in the dark, when really, theUnlike most games, Amnesia isn't one with predictable, dumb scares, but instead well crafted ones. The story is hard to follow, but that's the only real complaint. It really is Survival Horror themed, and has a Stealth element too as hiding from monsters is not optional. The realism is a bit too realistic, as you lose "Sanity" by staring at a monster or being in the dark, when really, the character isn't losing the sanity at these parts but the Player is. When you do lose your Sanity, you pass out, which can be annoying but adds a Strategic Feel. Puzzles are well-done and not too cryptic, monsters each have a different personality, etc. Buy it, its only £12.99 on Steam currently.… Expand
  24. Mr_NoFace
    Sep 12, 2013
    8
    I love this game the bad thing about Horrors these days is there rubbish and there more just shot the monsters and your done i wouldn't call them Horrors but Amnesia: The Dark Descent shows us how Horrors should be done by keep making me change my trousers but its not just all horror it has puzzle aspects as well what makes it more fun to play, while i was playing it i would freak out andI love this game the bad thing about Horrors these days is there rubbish and there more just shot the monsters and your done i wouldn't call them Horrors but Amnesia: The Dark Descent shows us how Horrors should be done by keep making me change my trousers but its not just all horror it has puzzle aspects as well what makes it more fun to play, while i was playing it i would freak out and sound like im constipated it was just the sounds and the feel of the castle that you are walking around in you always feel like your being watched but what trips the insanity off is... well you can lose your sanity you do this by staying in the dark to long or looking at one of the monsters to long what this will do is make your character harder to control your screen go a bit blurry and sometimes you see random monsters that are not there and they will change you down aka the poofers also your lantern can run out of oil so you have to keep on the look out for that while staying out of the dark and avoiding monsters… Expand
  25. gamer4life1
    Dec 1, 2013
    8
    I like this game, and even though the graphics are not polished; which might have been dev intentional, I still think it's presentation is admirable. It does a decent job of setting mood and pace. A visceral sense of danger is represented quite well and you notice the effect of environment; however there is a lot that could of been polished and while I enjoy it's current state it needed aI like this game, and even though the graphics are not polished; which might have been dev intentional, I still think it's presentation is admirable. It does a decent job of setting mood and pace. A visceral sense of danger is represented quite well and you notice the effect of environment; however there is a lot that could of been polished and while I enjoy it's current state it needed a lot more puzzles and more tweaking in the control department. For a cheap set of thrills as low budget game...yes; for a full retail price categorized game....NO!

    Horror fans can enjoy, but FPSer's might reconsider as this is not fast paced or even paced at a mediocre rate.

    8 out of 10 for overall presentation, -2 from perfect for unpolished visuals and lack of intriguing puzzles and lack of replayabilty. There is a lot of room for a perfect game here, but leaving out any tool for combat is WRONG...for one if I or anyone in that as a real life scenario is gonna grab a EFFing tool; be it chair, rock, candlestick to use as a weapon. Not being able to fight back to some degree is improbable. Using makeshift tools as weapons is what a good horror game is about.    … Expand
  26. crimsondoor
    Jan 31, 2017
    8
    This is the scariest horror game ever, period. Music and story are also good, although these are not usually talked about in reviews. My complaints are mainly the awkward and sometimes frustrating controls, short length of the game and lack of explanation on certain part of the story. They could have made use of the setting and lengthen the game to tell us more about the main charactersThis is the scariest horror game ever, period. Music and story are also good, although these are not usually talked about in reviews. My complaints are mainly the awkward and sometimes frustrating controls, short length of the game and lack of explanation on certain part of the story. They could have made use of the setting and lengthen the game to tell us more about the main characters and background of Shadow and Orbs.
    However considering that this is an indie game made by 6 people, I think the devs did a very great job. I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  27. Jerseylicious88
    Apr 11, 2014
    8
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a great horror game that has an interesting story, runs well, and has HARD puzzles. Probably because I'm bad at puzzles. Anyway the thing that really makes this game is the soundtrack and the custom levels. The best custom levels (basically the best things in the game) (oh and also in order from best to 5th best) are Amnesia: Destiny Rebellion, The Small HorseAmnesia: The Dark Descent is a great horror game that has an interesting story, runs well, and has HARD puzzles. Probably because I'm bad at puzzles. Anyway the thing that really makes this game is the soundtrack and the custom levels. The best custom levels (basically the best things in the game) (oh and also in order from best to 5th best) are Amnesia: Destiny Rebellion, The Small Horse Series, A Late Night Drink, White Night, and Laughing In The Darkness. Yeah so those are my personal favorite custom stories in the game (that I have played obviously) in order. Amnesia is the best horror game around (80% of Amnesia being the best horror game comes from the custom stories) and it is worth your time. Unless if you're not good with puzzles, because I'm not. However I still made it through (just barely) and I would rate this game a 7/8… Expand
  28. 92ross
    Oct 28, 2019
    8
    The game crashed in the lower dungeons and I was so frazzled and mentally drained that I never carried on.
  29. AEcheverria123
    Sep 26, 2014
    8
    Sin duda alguna, uno de los mejores juegos de terror del año, te hace sentirte como si estuvieras dentro, es asombroso. Se lo recomiendo a todos, (la única forma de que no te guste, es que tengas miedo)
  30. MrCommonSense
    Dec 17, 2014
    8
    This game... It is one of the only games to ever fill me with a sense of dread, And I LOVED it! Every single second! The ambiance, The sounds and lighting all work together to leave you wanting to stop but you just can't! The ONLY reason I didn't give a 10 is because the game IS rather linear and the graphics are pretty dated but that is to be expected of an indie publisher. BUY IT NOW!
  31. KamikazeSAT
    May 19, 2019
    8
    Is one of the best survival horror games in history, like Penumbra Franchise. Great Game 8/10
  32. LifeHistory
    Apr 19, 2017
    8
    I love amnesia one of the best horror games I've played and its the origin of its genre. Good game loved everything except the level design which was a bit repetitive, when it had the potential to have fantastic level design. All in all totally a must play for a horror fan.
  33. DDilettante
    Jan 17, 2015
    8
    "Hey there, so I like to play games that scare me."
    Oh cool, well you've picked the right ga-
    "Like, pants-****ingly scary. I don't want to be able to sleep." Y-yeah, sure. Like I was saying, this game would be perfect for y- "And I also like the odd puzzle or two to complete in the story" Okay, well you're in luck, because this has that t- "While I'm simultaneously ****ing my    "Hey there, so I like to play games that scare me."
    Oh cool, well you've picked the right ga-

    "Like, pants-****ingly scary. I don't want to be able to sleep."
    Y-yeah, sure. Like I was saying, this game would be perfect for y-

    "And I also like the odd puzzle or two to complete in the story"
    Okay, well you're in luck, because this has that t-

    "While I'm simultaneously ****ing my pants"
    You have issues.

    So yes, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is quite a scary game. The scariest, in fact, that I have come across. You play as Daniel in this Survival Horror game, who wakes up in a castle with no memory of how he got there (bing! title!).

    Unlike horror games such as F.E.A.R, where you can defend yourself against monsters; here, you have no means of fighting back. It's a frightening game of hide-and-seek. And the fear trickles in. It doesn't reveal everything straight away, so the anticipation of running into a monster really eats away at you.

    It's not just your health that you have to keep track of, but your sanity. If you remain in the dark too long, or look at something that doesn't make any rational sense, your sanity starts to deplete. This makes your screen blurry, and your controls less responsive, making for a harder experience. Thankfully, you've got a lantern and can find oil and tinderboxes along the way to keep you in the light.

    The story is actually compelling, the Gothic art-style is perhaps outdated now, but fits the game perfectly. You may quit due to fear and frustration from the few puzzles you come across, but this is definitely worth pushing through to reach the end, where there are some rather confronting torture chambers.    … Expand
  34. russiangamer
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Отличная игра. Очень атмосферная, с интересной механикой. Пожалуй, первые пара часов для меня были самыми страшными - потом уже более менее привыкаешь и хорошо ориентируешься. Сюжет интересный и ещё здорово воссоздано ощущения человека, потерявшего воспоминания: бродишь по локации и персонаж вдруг что-то вспоминает; ну и записки, конечно, помогают. Рекомендую!Отличная игра. Очень атмосферная, с интересной механикой. Пожалуй, первые пара часов для меня были самыми страшными - потом уже более менее привыкаешь и хорошо ориентируешься. Сюжет интересный и ещё здорово воссоздано ощущения человека, потерявшего воспоминания: бродишь по локации и персонаж вдруг что-то вспоминает; ну и записки, конечно, помогают. Рекомендую!
  35. Wiebe
    Feb 26, 2020
    8
    Best horror game out there, build up is great and game elements add to the admosfer, it can get really spooky if you play in the dark. Only minus is bad graphics and sometime other gameplay elements can get a bit dull.
  36. ReezeTheVampire
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    Amnesia doesn't need an introduction and doesn't need me to talk about it. This is one of the best games ever made second only to Frictional Games' later title SOMA. Absolutely terrifying, brilliantly written, and forever memorable.
  37. FromKanga
    Jul 9, 2017
    8
    Amnesia: the dark descent is a good game which surprised me, I've always had a problem with horror games where you just walk around until a jumpscare comes out of nowhere, it's more annoying than scary but thankfully amnesia doesn't really belong in that category for me.

    The story wasn't as complex and thought provoking as "Soma" and it wasn't as interesting and tragic as "Amnesia: a    Amnesia: the dark descent is a good game which surprised me, I've always had a problem with horror games where you just walk around until a jumpscare comes out of nowhere, it's more annoying than scary but thankfully amnesia doesn't really belong in that category for me.

    The story wasn't as complex and thought provoking as "Soma" and it wasn't as interesting and tragic as "Amnesia: a machine for pigs" but it still manages to keep me entertained until the end...BUT the last quarter of the game dissapointed me, it got a bit too ridiculous and it took me out of the story and the endings were all anti-climatic and dissapointing... but other than that it was intriguing.

    The gameplay wasn't great but it has more interesting ideas unlike some other games (outlast), you have a lantern but you can't use it all the time because otherwise the torch will ran out, but you can't stay in the dark because it increase your insanity level which will make the screen blurry.
    BUT other than that, the gameplay wasn't great, the puzzles were annoying at times but it did save it from being just another walking simulator.

    What made this game made a great horror game was the atmosphere, the audio and the presentation are perfect, it's stressful and I do found this game scary at times.
    I rarely find a game scary but this game genuinely creeped me out and that really surprised me, they weren't any cheap scripted jumpscares most of the time, the ambiance and the themes of torture really unsettled me, it was a feeling a rarely felt in a game and I appreciate that.

    So even if I think it's a flawed and at times overrated, amnesia: the dark descent was an effective horror game, I wish the gameplay and the story gave me more of an impact but the atmosphere and the themes behind the story made this game scary and worth it.    … Expand
  38. RagingPoet
    Feb 23, 2018
    8
    8.5 out of 10.
    Amnesia provides even more polished survival horror experience than Penumbra Black Plague. It has very little jumpscares and a lot of atmosphere.
  39. UncleEd
    Dec 27, 2018
    8
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a critically acclaimed first person horror game which breathed new life into the genre. Those who played earlier titles of Frictional Games, namely Penumbra series, could probably see this coming as it was already clear that Frictional Games was trying something different, focusing on immersion rather than classic gameplay.

    The first thing that was new with    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a critically acclaimed first person horror game which breathed new life into the genre. Those who played earlier titles of Frictional Games, namely Penumbra series, could probably see this coming as it was already clear that Frictional Games was trying something different, focusing on immersion rather than classic gameplay.

    The first thing that was new with Amnesia was the use of darkness as a core design element. Rule 1: You are scared of what you do not know. Having a very low range of vision means the player won’t see the monsters lurking around until they are very close and as soon as a monster becomes visible, the player gets to turn back and run; which brings us to the second innovative idea: removal of combat. Rule 2: You are scared when you are desperate. In Amnesia, you are weaker than everything else. You are basically a coward, a chicken that loses its mind by the mere lack of light or by facing a monster. Finally, the immersive sound design -as in most other successful horror video games- helps to create a scary atmosphere.

    Having said all that, I still did not love Amnesia as much as the first two Penumbra titles. I have found storytelling lacking in comparison to the aforementioned games, which was a big blow to the overall immersion. Also, the more I played the game the less I got scared because it did not take long until I figured out how to avoid monsters. Towards the end, the game felt much less scary to me than other horror titles I love such as Dead Space or Silent Hill.

    In any case, one has to respect Frictional Games for having the guts to try something new and achieving to make a game that has influenced many others. I don’t think Amnesia is the scariest game of all time as many others seem to believe, but it is a good game nevertheless, a must play if you are a horror enthusiast.    … Expand
  40. bronzi
    Sep 24, 2019
    8
    Wonderful story and atmosphere and quite disturbing indeed.
    By the end of the game I was really frustrated by how obtuse many of the puzzles are. I had to look up the solutions a fair few times, and often the solution is just nonsensical--throwing stones at an object to move or a break it, when a stone could clearly not move or break said object, as a generic example.
    That sort of thing    Wonderful story and atmosphere and quite disturbing indeed.
    By the end of the game I was really frustrated by how obtuse many of the puzzles are. I had to look up the solutions a fair few times, and often the solution is just nonsensical--throwing stones at an object to move or a break it, when a stone could clearly not move or break said object, as a generic example.
    That sort of thing tested my patience and took me out of the game, especially near the end, but it wasn't enough to ruin the experience.    … Expand
  41. Nazar228
    Aug 11, 2018
    8
    Very cool psychological horror with a cool storyline. Best psychological horror game!
  42. KARF4GEN
    May 11, 2018
    8
    Если вы любите немного попугаться, сидеть в углу и решать головоломки это игра для вас.
    Очень понравился сюжет и его подача, что не отменяет того, что "убийца дворецкий" было понятно практически сразу.
  43. Jackermy
    Aug 6, 2020
    8
    Quite good horror with atmosphere of danger and scary moments. Cool puzzles and feel of fear before monsters. Good physics and unique mobs. If u want some adrenalin - you must play in this game.
  44. Gelaos
    Sep 18, 2018
    8
    Really scary. No jump scares or gore, just perfectly demonstrated feelings of isolation in face of undefeatable danger. In last third it looses it's atmosphere (because by that time you're used to anything the game throws at you) but overall this game is strong experience.
  45. NightGeisha
    Jan 2, 2019
    8
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a good example from what a horror game should be.

    The game is immersed in a mysterious story, full of puzzles and scary moments. The game is challenging and intense, it is quite likely to have one or several scares especially if you play it with headphones with the volume at maximum. Graphically it is not bad by 2010 standards, I highlight the "light and    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a good example from what a horror game should be.

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

    Graphically it is not bad by 2010 standards, I highlight the "light and dark" effects that are sometimes quite well designed.

    Overall an excellent experience, with a good story, which kept me interested even though I am not a fan of this genre of games.

    Here is small YouTube vide with the first minutes of the gameplay if you wanna check it out: https://youtu.be/q-V8_uvbG2s    … Expand
  46. POstAL_QueeN
    Nov 23, 2018
    8
    Когда-то давно я слышал о ней, и даже скачивал и играл, но полностью не проходил. Всего лишь удалось зацепиться за понятие "психологического хоррора", с элементами беготни от разного рода пугающих вещей, а также с поиском ответов на поставленные загадки по ходу игры (кстати выполнены они достойно, не то что бы трудно, но это как раз таки и не мешает игре, они в первую очередь интересные.Когда-то давно я слышал о ней, и даже скачивал и играл, но полностью не проходил. Всего лишь удалось зацепиться за понятие "психологического хоррора", с элементами беготни от разного рода пугающих вещей, а также с поиском ответов на поставленные загадки по ходу игры (кстати выполнены они достойно, не то что бы трудно, но это как раз таки и не мешает игре, они в первую очередь интересные. Не обязательно быть чем-то ни решаемым, чтобы иметь сверхъестественный характер). Прошло довольно длительное количество времени, в плане общего понятия "психологический хоррор" очень многое поменялось. Что-то в лучшую сторону (хоть и не многое), а что-то стало совершенно отстойным и неиграбельным. Но отметить достойные проекты можно, хотя бы взять игру "Alien: Isolation", научно-фантастическая работа, которая действительно удалась. То есть данный жанр может существовать в теории, но создавая очередной проект, можно серьезно облажаться.

    "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" - это игра, которая смогла определить характер и полноценную значимость психологических хорроров. Есть моменты когда получается, есть когда почти выходит, а есть идеал. Рассуждая про игры данного жанра, я хотел бы углубиться в свои чувства при игре, то есть что я чувствовал и что творилось у меня в голове. Это куда более правильно и интереснее, по отношению именно к данной игре. А чувствовал я примерно следующее, я думал как бы не сдохнуть - конец. Тут можно начать говорить, что мол как примитивно и поверхностно для подобного жанра, всегда надо прятаться и сюжет уходит на второй план. Но тут я готов поспорить. У термина не сдохнуть, есть большое количество интерпретаций и искажаемых определений. В данном случае я подразумеваю ответвление. Да, именно его, сейчас изложу более детально и с примером. При игре ты действительно прячешься много и тебя везде поджидает страх смерти, и сам страх тебя тоже не покидает. А это потенциальная, а потом еще и действительная игра в прятки. Но есть большое, но. Когда ты ищешь определенную цель или тебе надо действительно изучить локацию, чтобы достичь результата, ты вместе с этими прятками получаешь хороший разряд изучения окружающего мира. Да ты вынужден прятаться, но игра не забывает о тебе и за хорошую изворотливость награждает тебя результатом. Может показаться странно, и что мол так и должно быть всегда. Но потом вы понимаете, что если бы не эта беготня с прятками, было бы еще куда все примитивнее. После беготни вы не только приходите за целью, вы еще и изучаете локацию. Потому что подсознательно знаете, через что вам пришлось пройти, чтобы попасть сюда. И говорите себе что надо выжать все соки из этого места. Придерживаясь такой механике, у игры получилось создать атмосферу вечного страха, чаще легкого, но присутствует он всегда.    … Expand
  47. Nameless2131
    Feb 6, 2020
    8
    10/10 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  48. Thejodjeremie
    Jun 3, 2020
    8
    The game is very scary and interesting. The story is great and brutal. It kept me on the edge if my seat especially whenever a monster was close by.
  49. ChesterField
    May 1, 2020
    8
    Excellent horror and survival game that already has an intriguing story but still wins with the stories that the community creates in its mods. Mandatory for lovers of the genre.
  50. KapralDominik
    Jul 20, 2022
    8
    Жуткое и атмосферное приключение по старинному замку, которое перестает наводить страху, если заучить элементарные паттерны передвижений монстра, но при этом продолжает пугать благодаря грамотному геймдизайну, обворожительно ужасающей истории и все той же леденящей душу царице атмосфере. Итого: 8.Жуткое и атмосферное приключение по старинному замку, которое перестает наводить страху, если заучить элементарные паттерны передвижений монстра, но при этом продолжает пугать благодаря грамотному геймдизайну, обворожительно ужасающей истории и все той же леденящей душу царице атмосфере. Итого: 8.
  51. bancandrei
    May 14, 2020
    8
    This game showed us what a horror game should be like. Remarkably few have followed suit. Still one of the best experiences of its kind. It is an experience you do not forget and the atmosphere is truly fantastic. That's why the ending is a bit disappointing.
  52. BobTK
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    The game mechanics are a little clunky but over all had a good time with this one. If you want to give an old game a go this is one of the good ones, if you like new games then stay away, this one does not hold up when compared to modern games like soma.
  53. Awanka
    Jan 8, 2021
    8
    Great classic horror game with a bleak and twisted story, and interesting morally ambiguous characters. Playing this game exposes oneself to not just fright scares, but a lot of uncomfortable emotions. This was crafted with love by people who know a lot about horror. The reason I can't rate it higher is that it's a clunky game. The engine is just functional, and monster encounters areGreat classic horror game with a bleak and twisted story, and interesting morally ambiguous characters. Playing this game exposes oneself to not just fright scares, but a lot of uncomfortable emotions. This was crafted with love by people who know a lot about horror. The reason I can't rate it higher is that it's a clunky game. The engine is just functional, and monster encounters are more annoying than they are scary. They come out of nowhere, you can't really avoid them a lot of times, and the best way to deal with them is to get yourself killed so they despawn. This game has a great insanity mechanic btw. It's only second to Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.… Expand
  54. TEG_17
    Feb 5, 2022
    8
    Очень атмосферная, жутковатая и с классной историей игра.
  55. SharkGamer1000
    Nov 21, 2020
    8
    one of the best horror games.

    Good: Great story, creature design, soundtrack, fear at all times in the dungeons

    Bad: the artificial intelligence of the enemies sometimes fails and the puzzles become difficult because the pieces are difficult to get.

    My opinion: If you are looking for a horror game, I definitely recommend this game
  56. prostopopez
    Mar 29, 2022
    8
    A well-planned linear plot, memorable locations and musical accompaniment make this game a worthy representative of the genre.
  57. BioShip0706
    Aug 11, 2023
    8
    Amnesia is one of the most revolutionary horror games, youtubers like pewdiepie and markiplier were born thanks to this fantastic game, I spent hundreds of hours on the game and its custom stories, Original setting but perhaps a little repetitive, tedious but interesting puzzles, monsters are 3 but still manage to strike terror. The lantern is always etched in my heart. Rating 8.5
  58. MrWeezee
    Jul 30, 2011
    7
    Personally, I don't find that Amnesia: The Dark Descent is that scary anymore. Not as scary as Penumbra. But nothing else in the horror genre can top this. Hands down.
  59. GolovA
    Sep 11, 2017
    7
    If you've played Penumbra - little needs to be said about this one. If not - little can be said. Just play either.
    Amnesia relies on the story and atmosphere - and both are well developed in the game.
    Scary factor is not that high - yet it is there and always present. The game play does become somewhat stale closer to the end (you are kind of trying to accomplish different things by    If you've played Penumbra - little needs to be said about this one. If not - little can be said. Just play either.
    Amnesia relies on the story and atmosphere - and both are well developed in the game.
    Scary factor is not that high - yet it is there and always present.
    The game play does become somewhat stale closer to the end (you are kind of trying to accomplish different things by doing them in the same way - walking around, basically), but the level design and visuals are doing a good job of keeping the game fresh.

    I did get confused by the story at the very end, still - i finished it and it was a good run.

    En Resumen:
    Not bad. Penumbric, Atmospheric, good voice acting, a bit stretchy in the end.    … Expand
  60. DeadBones
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    For the first half, a nicely atmospheric horror adventure. It kind of lands somewhere between Penumbra 1 and 2, gameplay wise, keeping to the same style but bringing back some of the real danger and stealth elements that were (sadly, I think) toned down for the sequel. Still, most of your time is spent crawling through the dark, keeping track of your tinderboxes and lantern oil and lookingFor the first half, a nicely atmospheric horror adventure. It kind of lands somewhere between Penumbra 1 and 2, gameplay wise, keeping to the same style but bringing back some of the real danger and stealth elements that were (sadly, I think) toned down for the sequel. Still, most of your time is spent crawling through the dark, keeping track of your tinderboxes and lantern oil and looking for ways to progress deeper into the castle.

    Around the halfway point, however, the game somewhat falls apart at the seams. The second half feels a lot more low-key compared to what came before it, and sadly fails to live up to the truly nerve-shattering set piece moments of the first. The whole experience loses some of its very compelling sense of dread and mystery as you go on, especially as it often fails to throw any real surprises at you.

    Amnesia loses even more of its luster if/when you figure out its one big trick for keeping you on your toes - for me, this coincided with getting into the latter half of the game. Suffice it to say that it made the formerly exciting and horrifying monster encounters less so, though even then it managed to sneak a few satisfying scares right in my face.

    In the end, it's worth playing through if you're at all interested in the type of games Frictional makes. Still, the first half seemed to promise so much more, and if only it had lived up to itself Amnesia would have been an exceptional game rather than a good, interesting but flawed one.    … Expand
  61. JimCorbett
    Jun 3, 2012
    7
    I didn't expect much out of this game as I am not a fan of the horror genre, but I was plesantly surprised by it. The ability to pick up and move a good amount of things in the environment was greatly executed. The slow pacing followed by sudden shrieks or lourd noises kept me on my toes throught the whole game. I just wish some of the puzzles were more well thought out. Some of them wereI didn't expect much out of this game as I am not a fan of the horror genre, but I was plesantly surprised by it. The ability to pick up and move a good amount of things in the environment was greatly executed. The slow pacing followed by sudden shrieks or lourd noises kept me on my toes throught the whole game. I just wish some of the puzzles were more well thought out. Some of them were very difficult while others were quite easy. I wish they had implemented the ablility to stack boxes or other items to reach other areas better. The story was quite interesting at first but it began to lose steam towards the end and i ended up kinda forgetting what was going on when i did reach the end. I also felt that the ending scene was unfulfilling as well, no matter which of the 3 different endings I received. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, those that are fans of the genre should definitely look into it. If you're looking for more action, then stay away.… Expand
  62. signcontrast
    Jul 7, 2012
    7
    For the price, it's not a bad game. Steam had it on sale for $5 or $10 when I bought it. If you're looking for something original, this game tries some things brazenly. In the end, it becomes repetitive. Thank goodness it's fairly short. I generally take a long time to finish games, as I'm something of a completionist, but this game was done in 12 hours. Games like Deus Ex: HR tookFor the price, it's not a bad game. Steam had it on sale for $5 or $10 when I bought it. If you're looking for something original, this game tries some things brazenly. In the end, it becomes repetitive. Thank goodness it's fairly short. I generally take a long time to finish games, as I'm something of a completionist, but this game was done in 12 hours. Games like Deus Ex: HR took me closer to 50 hours, and games like Skyrim took about 100 hours. -------
    ----
    That said, those are the game's two major flaws: narrow world which makes it short, and a repetitive game play. In the beginning, when the game play hasn't had a chance to wear on you, it's a fine and novel game. You sneak around, you get scared, you run, you plan your escape routes methodically, you wonder what is going on in this hellish world. All wonderful things. And if you're like me, you'll relish the immersion, so you'll put on a pair of headphones, turn up the volume, and turn off the lights. Make sure the kiddies are asleep because you won't want them catching a glimpse of this little horror bit. It'd give them nightmares. But it doesn't do this through cheap thrills and gore - though there's a little of that. Much of it is done through understated mixtures of sound and visuals. ----------
    ----
    Still, eventually you long to be able to use some of the things you find to at least hinder creatures. It feels like I should be able to use some simple lamp oil to set these nasties on fire - especially if I felt like wasting my precious oil, or if I'd been especially careful about saving it, as I was. And eventually you get the hang of the AI, but I can't complain too much about that. For what it's worth, the AI is better than new games like Deus Ex: HR. Probably the worst offending part of the repetitive gameplay is that the game actually gets easier if you reload more than twice. That's sad. Being a completionist, I *enjoy* the challenge of retrying the occasional situation a third or fourth time. That should be rare, since it breaks the immersion, but so does a monster totally disappearing from a zone because I happened to be taking a sip of beer on the first playthrough, and didn't quite get it right on the second playthrough. It detracts from the game's serious attraction: brutal and unforgiving horror survival. That gameplay would also be seriously enhanced with more to do in the game and more to explore other than the single dungeon. There were many times I asked myself, why would I stay in such a deathtrap?? I'd like to at least break a window and climb outside in the snow and discover that I couldn't travel far without the wolves attacking. Perhaps that would lead to some interesting gameplay with me exploring the stables and finding a demolished wagon, or perhaps I'd find that the roads leading to this castle were treacherously steep as poor Jonathan Harker discovers in Bram Stoker. These diversion would make sense, give me a break from the monotony of the castle, and immerse me in the world a little.------
    ---
    All in all, though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the game for the pennies I paid. The game studio deserved my money, and perhaps we'll see more developed games from them in the future.    … Expand
  63. Mezurya
    Feb 11, 2012
    7
    While I feel it doesn't live up to the hype of Penumbra, it is still a great game. It may not be very scary, but it does give you a rush of adrenaline when you need to evade enemies. The puzzles are pretty original and symbolic, and you get a good feel for Daniel's psychosis, even though he never speaks when you are playing as him. The very beginning areas of the game, to me, were prettyWhile I feel it doesn't live up to the hype of Penumbra, it is still a great game. It may not be very scary, but it does give you a rush of adrenaline when you need to evade enemies. The puzzles are pretty original and symbolic, and you get a good feel for Daniel's psychosis, even though he never speaks when you are playing as him. The very beginning areas of the game, to me, were pretty boring. It kept me from playing the game for a few months (I forgot that I owned it for a while), but I eventually began to enjoy it. This game has become the popular "scariest game in the world" on Youtube, and you it's almost impossible to find a Partner who hasn't done a Let's Play of it (while also slapping a video of his face over the gameplay so you can see him pretend to be terrified). I think you'll enjoy it, but please, don't ham it up and pretend this game made you cry for your mommy. So in conclusion, I think this game is worth checking out, but more for the puzzles, and not for the scares.At its core, it is fun, and that's what matters. I recommend the Penumbra games if you want more. And I do mean a whole lot more.… Expand
  64. ns0l
    Mar 14, 2014
    7
    Great gameplay. Perfect designs. Dark creepy atmosphere. I really liked that game, but the most thing you do is searching lockers for matches and oil.
  65. iseeall
    Jul 29, 2013
    7
    An interesting game for a while, but i dropped it after a few hours (at the invisible boss). It does give the feeling of fear sure. Unfortunately it's low-budget nature shows pretty soon. There is just locks and keys. You proceed from one lock to another. I know, this is the standard of the genre, it's just that today's games use more varied locks something that a low-budget game justAn interesting game for a while, but i dropped it after a few hours (at the invisible boss). It does give the feeling of fear sure. Unfortunately it's low-budget nature shows pretty soon. There is just locks and keys. You proceed from one lock to another. I know, this is the standard of the genre, it's just that today's games use more varied locks something that a low-budget game just couldn't afford.
    The invisible boss requires you to jump too accurately and run too fast. After a few times dying I didn't see why I should frustrate myself further. But it was fun at start, so 7/10.    … Expand
  66. Setsudo
    Feb 2, 2013
    7
    Story original. Graphisms correct. The ambiance is intense and frightening as said. You walk in the darkness and have to care about your health and mental. A good product. Don't hesitate on that title
  67. HasAnyoneReally
    Nov 13, 2013
    7
    You get as much out of this game as you put in, allowing yourself to become fully immersed to experience the best play through you can experience. How every the voice acting of the main character, Daniel held this game back for me. Completely average and out of place, every time I picked up a note from Daniels diary i felt like i was being taken too far out of the game.
    However the    You get as much out of this game as you put in, allowing yourself to become fully immersed to experience the best play through you can experience. How every the voice acting of the main character, Daniel held this game back for me. Completely average and out of place, every time I picked up a note from Daniels diary i felt like i was being taken too far out of the game.
    However the atmosphere outweighed this and makes it only a minor complaint.    … Expand
  68. ThePatronGamer
    Nov 5, 2013
    7
    I would rate it higher but it's too scary to get through. I'm liking it so far except for the fact that there is no direct, you have to wander until you somehow solve a puzzle.
  69. Krizuwe
    Jan 22, 2014
    7
    Es la primera vez que juego un juego de survival/terror en pc y mas en primera persona. Lo mejor del juego es la ambientación, se salen, esta genial, estas constantemente en tensión y no sabes desde donde puede venir el siguiente peligro. El problema es que jamás ha llegado a asustarme ni meterme miedo. El sonido también es un gran punto a favor, a pesar de no estar doblado, la música delEs la primera vez que juego un juego de survival/terror en pc y mas en primera persona. Lo mejor del juego es la ambientación, se salen, esta genial, estas constantemente en tensión y no sabes desde donde puede venir el siguiente peligro. El problema es que jamás ha llegado a asustarme ni meterme miedo. El sonido también es un gran punto a favor, a pesar de no estar doblado, la música del juego es espeluznante. Pero no todo lo del juego es oro, lo que menos me ha gustado ha sido la trama, no he terminado de entenderla muy bien y tiene bastantes flecos, no me ha llegado a enganchar y la trama para mi es fundamental porque el juego me ha parecido muy aburrido, y el otro punto negativo que le veo al juego es que no puedes jugarlo con mando, para alguien que no esta acostumbrado a jugar con ratón y teclado (me incluyo yo) puede llegar a ser frustrante jugar.... En conclusión es un gran juego de suspense (no de terror) pero que no me ha llegado a dejar con buen sabor de boca...esperaba algo mas.… Expand
  70. Iluvatar21
    Apr 29, 2014
    7
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    One of the FEW games that can scary your *** off. It's near perfect but it's too long, also the levels feel the same after 75% of the experience. A MUST PLAY.
  71. fijiboy
    May 30, 2014
    7
    so much detail was put into this game to appeal to every sense of fear a person has. the atmosphere is chilling and dark, no where feels safe and when you have to run, you do not want to look back. I don't know what makes the monsters so scary, but let me tell you, playing the game and watching a video on youtube is a totally different story. I don't think its the scariest game I've everso much detail was put into this game to appeal to every sense of fear a person has. the atmosphere is chilling and dark, no where feels safe and when you have to run, you do not want to look back. I don't know what makes the monsters so scary, but let me tell you, playing the game and watching a video on youtube is a totally different story. I don't think its the scariest game I've ever played, but definitely the most consistently scary, there is not a second in this game where I was just able to run down a hall all willy nilly without checking behind my back. the story is quite creative, but just isn't portrayed in the most appealing way, I never wanted to read any of the notes or journal writings after the first two or so, which unfortunately are sometimes needed to figure certain puzzles. although I did feel scared when nothing was actually happening... there still wasn't anything happening, which made some of the places that are free of monsters feel pretty boring, but the parts where there are monsters totally make up for it. a must play game for any horror or pc gamers, you will not be disappointed, it is very short though, took me just over 4 in a half hours to beat… Expand
  72. SuperkenGaming
    Nov 25, 2016
    7
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent
    More about frustrating you than scaring you.
    Amnesia the Dark Decent is one of the more critically acclaimed survival horror games of all time… And while me found it to be great at being a puzzle game... I didn’t find it great at being a survival horror game… You play as Daniel exploring a dark castle…. The dark plays a huge part in this game as there is a    Amnesia: The Dark Descent
    More about frustrating you than scaring you.
    Amnesia the Dark Decent is one of the more critically acclaimed survival horror games of all time…
    And while me found it to be great at being a puzzle game... I didn’t find it great at being a survival horror game…
    You play as Daniel exploring a dark castle….
    The dark plays a huge part in this game as there is a sanity gauge…
    If you stay in the dark too long it messes with your mind and things get blurry….
    Thankfully you can light candles and torches with tinderboxes found throughout the world and you have a lantern to carry around…
    There’s a catch though…
    Light attracts enemies… and you’re defenseless… so you have to hide in the shadows and not look directly at enemies to survive…
    However to today’s standards set by games like outlast.. Enemy encounters are more of an eye roll than a terror…
    Checkpoints are extremely forgiving making these encounters hardly matter all... so really they kind of just annoy you in the many maze like sections of the game…
    My ultimate complaint of this game is that it isn’t balanced with any bit of awareness in mind…
    Its balanced in a way that the game expects players to be in locations for only a few seconds…
    But this isn’t how things turn out beyond the first hour or so…
    There’s a massive focus on adventure game like puzzles here
    And these puzzles take a great deal of time to complete
    And they never stop.
    Ever
    its puzzle
    after puzzle
    after puzzle
    after puzzle…
    To solve this puzzle you have to find 3 to 6 different items in different areas, combine them… put them in the right spot, and do it again, and again…
    But it’s not even that simple…
    Remember the dark castle part?
    That lantern you’re carrying around… it needs oil too work…
    And oil is far too scarce in this game…
    Leading you to be lost in a dark maze feeling around for an object or an area to progress…
    And it’s an insane nuisance…
    The Dark isn’t Scary.. It’s just annoying...
    This is a puzzle game for crying out loud…
    I need to see things…
    Way too much back tracking for oil to run out as fast as it does or to be as limited as it is.
    The game is basically solve these way too frequent puzzles by feeling around in the dark while we annoy you with levels that feel like mazes and sometimes an enemy to get in your way.
    Amnesia is still a great game!
    It’s just not great at what it sets out to do...
    It gets your brain going, it gets the wheels spinning...
    But it doesn’t get your heart racing…
    If you like to be annoyed while you try to figure out puzzle solutions... this is a great game...
    But if youre looking for something to make sit on the edge of your seat while you desperately cling onto hopes of finding a solution to escape… this isn’t it..
    The pacing is too slow, and the gameplay balance in nonexistent…
    I give Amnesia: the dark decent
    a 7/10    … Expand
  73. Jackies
    Aug 17, 2016
    7
    It is a great horror. One of the scariest I've ever played. It screwed with me so much I had to play it only during the day. But let's be honest here - the puzzles were kinda boring.
  74. Jestzer
    Jan 13, 2018
    7
    Like many horror games, it starts off great, creating a great, scary atmosphere, with interesting gameplay and story, but by the end, you're exhausted. The puzzles become frustrating and uninteresting, and the scariness is quickly lost when you realize death is completely inconsequential, similar to Bioshock. Its narrative isn't the strongest, but the story is strong enough to keep youLike many horror games, it starts off great, creating a great, scary atmosphere, with interesting gameplay and story, but by the end, you're exhausted. The puzzles become frustrating and uninteresting, and the scariness is quickly lost when you realize death is completely inconsequential, similar to Bioshock. Its narrative isn't the strongest, but the story is strong enough to keep you interested. However, what your character physically does in the ending of the game is ridiculous and anticlimactic. While a lot of this game is fun, it ultimately left me with a sour taste in my mouth.… Expand
  75. frederik1478
    Aug 24, 2021
    7
    It was a nice experience and I was scared the first half of the game, I would recommend this game to you if you like to be frightened the only problem with the game is that I had to use some walkthrough to find out what I was supposed to do, the best thing about this game is the atmosphere that effects and sound effects they are phenomenal to make you feel uncomfortable and frightened.It was a nice experience and I was scared the first half of the game, I would recommend this game to you if you like to be frightened the only problem with the game is that I had to use some walkthrough to find out what I was supposed to do, the best thing about this game is the atmosphere that effects and sound effects they are phenomenal to make you feel uncomfortable and frightened. The only problem is the half way through the game the enemy stop being scary because you killed by dem and you Begin to get killed by the multiple times it loses the terrace effect and just become another game enemy. It's a game I would recommend and even better it's very cheap… Expand
  76. Goiti_2002
    Nov 3, 2022
    7
    Lo recomiendo con peros, la inteligencia artificial de los enemigos son un poco muy me, me gusto la forma que tiene el juego de contarte la historia, los puzzles no son puzzles que te hacen sentir un niño de 4 los por lo sencillos que son (cosa que es de agradecer).
    es un juego interesante para una persona que tiene un ordenador muy poco potente de hace ya bastantes años.
  77. tadnid
    May 12, 2023
    7
    It was a decent experience. It was an important step forward 13 years ago and inspired important games like Outlast. By today's standard it certainly shows its age. I did not find the game particularly scary (Outlast had me sitting on the edge of my seat a lot more). The story is good. Graphics are dated, some mechanics quite cumbersome. Difficulty is more on the easy side; I had a lot ofIt was a decent experience. It was an important step forward 13 years ago and inspired important games like Outlast. By today's standard it certainly shows its age. I did not find the game particularly scary (Outlast had me sitting on the edge of my seat a lot more). The story is good. Graphics are dated, some mechanics quite cumbersome. Difficulty is more on the easy side; I had a lot of unused resources in the end, and enemies get adjusted to you, so if you die, they bother you less. Puzzles were nice, there may be more here than standard horror games.

    Some editions come with the Justine DLC. I didn't bother with that one much as this side story does not save your progress, so you have to finish it in one go.    … Expand
  78. 2-D
    Dec 13, 2020
    7
    Really creepy atmosphere with quite a compelling narrative but unfortunately feels extremely dated at times in its gameplay which also is unbearably repetitive at times.
  79. kitru
    Feb 22, 2021
    7
    Good game, I liked the system of interaction with objects. Due to the lack of the ability to counteract the monsters, an increased sense of helplessness is created. Monsters in general are not scary, because half of them are invisible :)
  80. SilentLev
    Sep 16, 2022
    7
    В плане хоррор-составляющей первая часть Амнезии даёт фору подавляющему большинству проектов в жанре и по сей день. Новый проект продолжил идеи Томаса Грипа и лишь променял один мрачный и гнетущий сеттинг заброшенных катакомб Гренландии на другой мрачный и гнетущий сеттинг опустевшего старинного замка. И прихватив оттуда кипу стрёмных врагов, усилив их жуткий облик ещё сильней. Да, сталоВ плане хоррор-составляющей первая часть Амнезии даёт фору подавляющему большинству проектов в жанре и по сей день. Новый проект продолжил идеи Томаса Грипа и лишь променял один мрачный и гнетущий сеттинг заброшенных катакомб Гренландии на другой мрачный и гнетущий сеттинг опустевшего старинного замка. И прихватив оттуда кипу стрёмных врагов, усилив их жуткий облик ещё сильней. Да, стало страшней, однако интереснее ли? Где-то после первой трети игры заинтересованность для меня начинает стремительно пикировать вниз, и доигрывал я проект уже по инерции. Да, по своей первобытной жути она затмевает почти всё, во что я играл. В остальном, наименее любая игра шведской студии.… Expand
  81. Magnanimous_j
    Dec 13, 2010
    6
    There are things this game does fantastically. The sound is amazing, the atmosphere is incredible. The monsters are scary as hell. There were a couple times when after a few minutes of hiding from a monster, listening for his footsteps and creeping little by little out into the light, trying to figure out where he was; only to have him appear and charge me: The second or two before heThere are things this game does fantastically. The sound is amazing, the atmosphere is incredible. The monsters are scary as hell. There were a couple times when after a few minutes of hiding from a monster, listening for his footsteps and creeping little by little out into the light, trying to figure out where he was; only to have him appear and charge me: The second or two before he killed me, my skin actually tingled and I involuntarily drew breath. I felt the feeling of actual terror.

    The puzzles were another high point. They were intuitive and fun, you needed just enough brainpower to solve them that you feel satisfied afterward without just guessing randomly until you get it. The story, while standard spooky fare was more than adequate and the voice acting was better than most AAA titles. Won't win any oscars, but it wasn't bad enough to take you out of the story, like some games that cost 10X more to make.

    The graphics were Average at best, but the lack of visual POW never took you out of the moment. My big issue with the game was the mechanics. You have to constantly manage your light sources, which seems like an afterthought. Since you have no weapons in the game, they can't add challenge by making you manage ammo, so they just use light. Which was distracting because you have a lantern that burns out faster than Gordan Freeman's flashlight (and doesn't recharge) and a bunch of tinder boxes. These appear to be as big as beer cans, but for some reason can only be used to light ONE light source each. And as important to your survival that a single candle is... you can't pick it up and take it with you, even though it is obviously just sitting on a table. It feels like they decided that the game was too easy and needed something to make it more of a challenge.

    And I get why you can't have weapons, the feeling of sheer horror as some abomination sees me from across a dark cellar is something I have never felt in a video game before... but... there are weapons literally everywhere. In your puzzles, you use huge wrenches, fireplace pokers, metal rods, flammable lamp oil, shovels, BOMBS. but your character never thinks to use one on the roughly man-sized monsters that are wandering all over the place. The last thing that really bothered me about the game is one of the first things you see when you fire it up: Some tip of advice that says something along the lines of "don't play this game to win, instead, let yourself become engrossed in the story" or something to that effect. Just because you're an indie studio, don't ask me to give you the benefit of the doubt. Just make a great game. In closing: This game has some really mind-blowing elements. You can tell the creators really love electronic gaming and bring a level of craftsmanship that a lot of the mega-titles can't touch. The sound is some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But in the end, a lot of the game play mechanic is contrived and serves only to artificially add complexity. To everyone who gave 9s and 10s:Lets hold indie developers to a HIGHER standard, not a lower one. Because they have the passion and innovation to truly create the next great games: not the EA team working on the latest Nazi Shooting FPS ported from XBOX.    … Expand
  82. Dylanmc12
    Mar 3, 2011
    6
    This games Gameplay got hit by a rock, so did it's music and character's, but it's immersion was instead rewarded with a gold medal ... And then hit by it.
    Amnesia told us : "That a isn't scary because one of the monster's have **** growing out of their knee's or the overarching plot, it's scary because of immersion, and being completley ... Alone ..."
    And hey! For an indie game the    This games Gameplay got hit by a rock, so did it's music and character's, but it's immersion was instead rewarded with a gold medal ... And then hit by it.
    Amnesia told us : "That a isn't scary because one of the monster's have **** growing out of their knee's or the overarching plot, it's scary because of immersion, and being completley ... Alone ..."
    And hey! For an indie game the voice-talent is prety good.    … Expand
  83. Grizmondus
    Sep 15, 2011
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It certainly is a creepy game, that can get the best of you at times. The level design, in some places anyway, is pretty solid, and you actually feel like you're in a massive castle. And then the horror elements come in. At first, they are genuinely scary. Monsters are intimidating in every way, be it by the growls they let loose to let you know of their presence, the tell-tale footsteps and grinding noises, and the possible rage they get into when they spot your sorry behind. They've definitely roused their fair share of scares from a number of players. But I'm not really one of them.

    For starters, the AI in this game is almost non-existent, following a seemingly on-rails methodology. This is ALWAYS the case in the game. Yes, there is pretty much one monster that doesn't follow this system, but it's for the only genuinely scary part of the game which doesn't last. When a monster appears, simply hide somewhere, wait for it to go out of sight, and it'll disappear from the level outright. The trend never dissipates, which is disappointing in the very least. This definitely makes the monsters more of an obtrusion than an actual enemy that could pose a threat to you. Even sadder is the fact that Penumbra did a better job in this regard.

    Music is pretty good, though. Mikko Tarmia is the composer, and he knew what he was doing with the game's soundtrack. Rather than give a sense of total isolation like Penumbra did, this one makes you feel like the walls are closing in. Graphics are mixed. There are solid effects here, like the SSAO lighting and higher-than-average polygon count, considering the low budget at work. Monster designs are a plus, so Frictional did a good job here. However, you can't help but feel like it is outdated. Hardly to the fault of the developers though, who may have earned enough cashola to warrant an improved engine.

    Physics is sort of important here. You can interact with pretty much anything in the game world, but other than opening doors, flipping levers & switches, and picking up items or notes, you don't do much of anything that makes you want to interact with the game world. While they did add the ability to fully rotate some objects, there isn't really a reason to. It could have been used to better effect, like say, to investigate an object that might have a nook or cranny containing a key or some other thing. Story is alright. There's little to involve you in the game, and there's no narrative. Every bit of the story comes from the notes and mementos you come across in the game. Plus, you might find yourself wanting some kind of landmark to come around to break the monotony you happen upon. You only come across one character that kind of interacts with you, but it's kind of creepy and you would have to have a suspension of disbelief to cope with it.

    You can play custom stories, even with things you make yourself, because the developers added features to elongate the game's replay factor. At least they accomplished that.

    It's a disappointing title, considering that Penumbra (sans 'Requiem') was a solid series of horror adventure games. This one is convoluted, gets predictable quite fast, and could have been improved in so many ways (don't make the enemies so pointless, for starters, as they are only there to give you the chills or scares for a few moments). Hopefully, though, they've learned their lesson and they try something better next time.    … Expand
  84. Budget_Security
    Oct 16, 2014
    6
    Refined old-fashioned horror for the discerning gentleman. This is the quintessential 'haunted castle' experience. Scary enough, but in a restrained way, without as much depravity as some other horror games. Pacing is deliberately slow and focuses more on the suspense and what you hear around the corner. No other game manages to make me feel so helpless - you can't fight, you can only hideRefined old-fashioned horror for the discerning gentleman. This is the quintessential 'haunted castle' experience. Scary enough, but in a restrained way, without as much depravity as some other horror games. Pacing is deliberately slow and focuses more on the suspense and what you hear around the corner. No other game manages to make me feel so helpless - you can't fight, you can only hide or run. The controls are refreshingly simple and work very well. The graphics and level design are a bit mediocre, and gameplay may lack a bit of variety, which prevents it from being truly great. Still, I can easily recommend this. The mod scene is one of the best around, with some great single-player custom stories that compete with the base game for quality.… Expand
  85. eternalsnows
    Jul 23, 2013
    6
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a very unique and enjoyable gaming experience. Right up until the last hour or two of playtime, that is. Before then it's creepy and atmospheric: you'll find yourself nervously looking around corners, jumping at sudden noises, and yelling as invisible demons chase you through tunnels, smashing doors that you throw closed behind you. There are a smattering ofAmnesia: The Dark Descent is a very unique and enjoyable gaming experience. Right up until the last hour or two of playtime, that is. Before then it's creepy and atmospheric: you'll find yourself nervously looking around corners, jumping at sudden noises, and yelling as invisible demons chase you through tunnels, smashing doors that you throw closed behind you. There are a smattering of old school adventure game elements to contend with, but the puzzles are all easy and don't detract from the experience. This changes towards the end. The puzzles start to take center stage and there are long stretches of wandering around, scanning the floor for items to pick up, pulling levers, and randomly trying to combine inventory elements. Granted, it never gets as unintuitive as Sierra or LucasArts games did, but it is a letdown given how intense the game was up until that point.

    And the ending is so, so lame.

    Amnesia: TDD is well worth experiencing for the first half alone, but overall it doesn't live up to its potential. I'm looking forward to seeing if the upcoming Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is able to correct these flaws and deliver a more cohesive experience.    … Expand
  86. Dco326
    Sep 20, 2022
    6
    Iskreno meni se nije dopala igrica, story mi je hit and miss, gameplay postane jako dosadan i to ej to.
  87. Babutto
    Jun 20, 2023
    6
    Not a big fan of such games but it's decent.

    Pros.:
    - Story.
    - Suspense.
    - Variety of endings.
    - Super stable game.

    Cons.:
    - Just boring (for me).
  88. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    6
    Was definitely on a another level to other first person horror games and it makes sense that this started the FPS horror renaissance. However, the title isn't very scary and the art direction is mediocre.
  89. KolesAdlerov
    Sep 3, 2022
    6
    Scripted bullsh!t. Broken difficulty. The true Penumbra 3.0

    Gameplay: combat mechanics 0/10 stealth 3/10 atmosphere [stupid consolish checkpoints/loadings] 9/10 Gameplay as immersive horror (prison only) 5/10 Story [amazing plot, awful presentation] 8/10 Graphics 4/10 Sounds & music [annoying "scratching bugs" sound] 8/10 . There are no innovations or "well done"    Scripted bullsh!t. Broken difficulty. The true Penumbra 3.0

    Gameplay:
    combat mechanics 0/10
    stealth 3/10
    atmosphere [stupid consolish checkpoints/loadings] 9/10
    Gameplay as immersive horror (prison only) 5/10

    Story [amazing plot, awful presentation] 8/10

    Graphics 4/10

    Sounds & music [annoying "scratching bugs" sound] 8/10

    .
    There are no innovations or "well done" points. Just a journey.    … Expand
  90. Blahonga
    Feb 7, 2011
    5
    I wish someone had told me it's a PUZZLE GAME. Basically you walk around and solve puzzles while the game throws every haunted house cliche there is plus the kitchen sink at you. If you like atmospheric and mildly scary puzzle games, this is for you.
  91. duckypwns
    Dec 11, 2011
    5
    This game is not as great as everyone says. It's not scary or "immersive". People love to throw that word around, but the thing is, you can "immerse" yourself in ANY game - The question is why did you choose to do it with Amnesia, as opposed to any of the other games in the world? And honestly, I couldn't tell you. You spend a large portion of the game walking around in an open room,This game is not as great as everyone says. It's not scary or "immersive". People love to throw that word around, but the thing is, you can "immerse" yourself in ANY game - The question is why did you choose to do it with Amnesia, as opposed to any of the other games in the world? And honestly, I couldn't tell you. You spend a large portion of the game walking around in an open room, nothing to fight, nothing significant to do. When you first encounter an enemy, you can't fight it. Your character is apparently afraid of them, so I guess you have to be too, even though they're not actually scary. And I mean what's the worst thing that can happen? You would die and have to reload the game? That is the worst possible case scenario. It's not like something is going to come out of the screen and torture you if you do badly or something. I know I'm mostly talking about the philosophy behind the game, and not the gameplay itself, but that's because there's really not much to talk about as far as gameplay. You just walk around doing insignificant little things, like finding matches so that you can light torches, so that you don't have to watch the annoying screen effects when your character starts to go crazy because of the darkness. This game simply has no appeal to me. If you aren't into horror related games, don't buy in to the hype. It's just a very generic, typical horror game. Nothing more, nothing less.… Expand
  92. karmasleeper
    Aug 12, 2011
    5
    The most intense and immersive game in recent memory. Throughout this entire game, terror and suspense had me edging constantly through the world, carefully managing my lantern and tinder supply, and apprehensively peering around corners into pitch black darkness hoping nothing was waiting for me ahead. That is, until I realized how easy it was to dodge monsters. The reason I only rateThe most intense and immersive game in recent memory. Throughout this entire game, terror and suspense had me edging constantly through the world, carefully managing my lantern and tinder supply, and apprehensively peering around corners into pitch black darkness hoping nothing was waiting for me ahead. That is, until I realized how easy it was to dodge monsters. The reason I only rate it a 5 is because once you figure out the enemy AI and once you understand how to conserve tinder boxes and lamp oil by not lighting every candle you come across, the challenge (and more importantly the terror and anxiety) largely evaporates. If you're cautious, it's super easy to avoid enemies without them ever seeing you even when the game punishes you for being in dark areas near monsters for too long as your sanity drains, vision blurs, and stealth level decreases. Monitoring your sanity does not require you to constantly light your lantern. All you need to is maneuver through natural light sources or light an out of the way candle to rest near. Monster AI and pathing seemed odd. Too often I would be spotted by a monster and forced to duck into a small room with no way out or no place to hide. All I had to do was crouch in a corner near the door. The monster would open the door or bash it in, stand in the door way for a few seconds, and then leave never actually entering the room. After a while, this got really old, and monsters felt more like an annoyance to sit through rather than a threat. Exiting the room into a narrow hallway or dead end with only one way out, the monster simply vanished, no where to be found. I even went so far as to look for trouble, finding no monsters. Monster appearences seemed to me to occur only after steps in a puzzle for a certain location were completed. For example, gaining an item needed to advance or unlocking a door would trigger an event which I would unfailingly avoid through the method described above. The only challenge left in the game were the puzzles themselves which were excellent. They required just enough thought that you felt accomplished solving them and they weren't so difficult as to feel tedious or mind numbing and forced. The pacing and placement of these puzzles was also excellent. The story was also engaging though the three endings leave a lot to be desired. Unlocking the different endings is as simple as reloading save to the final minutes of gameplay. Nothing you do throughout the game affects which ending you will receive - only what you do at the very very end of the game. If you're a horror game fanatic, you'll enjoy this game more than I did. Otherwise, it'll feel like a puzzle game with a half baked stealth mini game of avoiding monsters thrown in the break the flow.… Expand
  93. rtrind
    Jul 7, 2011
    5
    I appreciate games that deviate from the standard shoot everything that moves, and like the early Silent Hill games, this game delivers it. I have only two gripes with the game that ruin it for me. First, the light mechanic looks like an after-thought. Why can't I take an obvious light source on the table? It's not like this is glued to it. Second, the jump mechanic was awful to me, makingI appreciate games that deviate from the standard shoot everything that moves, and like the early Silent Hill games, this game delivers it. I have only two gripes with the game that ruin it for me. First, the light mechanic looks like an after-thought. Why can't I take an obvious light source on the table? It's not like this is glued to it. Second, the jump mechanic was awful to me, making an entire flooded section be so difficult to pass that I literally turned the game off and never picked it up again.… Expand
  94. Necrotaur
    Jun 13, 2012
    5
    Amnesia is one of the most overrated games out there. It *does* have decent puzzles and a fairly interesting story, but I would not call it 'scary', unless maybe you're someone that can't go to sleep after reading a Goosebumps book. I give it credit for being different, in that you're not some sort of macho space marine killing ghost alien bugs, but I don't really want to play the oppositeAmnesia is one of the most overrated games out there. It *does* have decent puzzles and a fairly interesting story, but I would not call it 'scary', unless maybe you're someone that can't go to sleep after reading a Goosebumps book. I give it credit for being different, in that you're not some sort of macho space marine killing ghost alien bugs, but I don't really want to play the opposite end of the spectrum either, where my character is such a pant-wetting wimp that crouching in a dark corner of a room causes him to go insane. The monster AI is simplistic and exploitable, and as others have said, once you know what's going on they are easy to avoid. Meh overall.… Expand
  95. wesker2012
    May 28, 2012
    5
    I wanted to love this game but it ended up pretty average.
  96. alanmacd
    Nov 18, 2014
    5
    I wanted to like this game. I saw the "reaction" trailers which made it look deliriously scary. I read about how it was the "most frightening game ever made." I sat down with great anticipation and...ugh. Slow. Monotonous. Poor graphics. Little investment in the storyline. I couldn't finish it.
  97. starsh3ro
    Nov 1, 2012
    4
    very random game, cant mention anything special.
    you walk arround and solve more or less obvious puzzles.
    graphics look a bit old, the sounds are ok, it has some basic physic effects. a weird story... if you find this game scary you might should take a look in a dictionary for the definition of this word. a ingrown toenail is a lot more scary than this. when its on sale buy it    very random game, cant mention anything special.
    you walk arround and solve more or less obvious puzzles.

    graphics look a bit old, the sounds are ok, it has some basic physic effects. a weird story...

    if you find this game scary you might should take a look in a dictionary for the definition of this word. a ingrown toenail is a lot more scary than this.

    when its on sale buy it only if you are really bored, the regular price of 15    … Expand
  98. SchizoTyler
    Jul 27, 2012
    4
    Too much wobbly camera. Extremely annoying looped sounds in certain areas. Character in game freaks out every time he sees his shadow. Its really difficult to immerse myself in the game if every minute I'm telling my character to "chill out it was just a shadow". "Daniel", the character you play as, freaks out way too often at just about everything and it completely tore me out of theToo much wobbly camera. Extremely annoying looped sounds in certain areas. Character in game freaks out every time he sees his shadow. Its really difficult to immerse myself in the game if every minute I'm telling my character to "chill out it was just a shadow". "Daniel", the character you play as, freaks out way too often at just about everything and it completely tore me out of the experience. I can see why some people would like this game if you can get past some of the very questionable design choices, but this game is very overrated in my opinion. Also wasn't really all that scary from what I played, its just a glorified atmospheric game of hide and seek with a main character who has a panic attack every time he sees his own shadow.… Expand
  99. Joben
    Dec 21, 2012
    4
    Atmospheric and creepy for a while...then it gets boring. There's something that really breaks immersion for me. You can't fight at all. You can't even shove things away when you get close. You can't pick up any sort of weapon despite passing dozens of reasonable objects like shovels and knives. This leads to a problem. All the monsters have to be lame enough that you can just walk awayAtmospheric and creepy for a while...then it gets boring. There's something that really breaks immersion for me. You can't fight at all. You can't even shove things away when you get close. You can't pick up any sort of weapon despite passing dozens of reasonable objects like shovels and knives. This leads to a problem. All the monsters have to be lame enough that you can just walk away from them. The sense of danger just goes out the window once you figure out the game mechanics. A "Horror" game isn't scary once you realize you are literally no danger whatsoever for 90% of the play time. It's not terrifying, it's a fun-house ride. Complete with blinking lights and people making "OOOoooooo" noises from around corners.

    If you really try to get immersed in it, I guess it could be a pretty creepy experience. But it's not a all that great as a GAME. Which is a pity, because it's been quite a while since we had a horror game that was both fun to play and actually scary. We might have to go all the way back to System Shock 2 in 1999. Although i suppose F.E.A.R. or Call of Cthulhu Dark Corners of the Earth might be honorable mentions.    … Expand
  100. Demon2017
    Jun 18, 2022
    4
    Игра, породившая волну ужастиков, где надо убегать от ебаки. Но как же она хайпанула и придурки пошли играть. Хотя, как по мне, это убожество, как и все её подражатели.
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PC Game of 2010
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2010
17
#17 Most Shared PC Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. XGN
    Apr 19, 2011
    90
    Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the scariest game in years. You'll get an extremely creepy vibe from the castle and all of the mysterious things that are happening there. The voice overs and the ending of the game aren't great, but this shouldn't bother anyone seeing how you'll be extremely scared when you play this on your own in a dark room.
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  2. Absolute Games
    Jan 31, 2011
    83
    Amnesia offers an experience so rich that we're willing to forgive its weak ending, imperfections of the engine, and low-bugdet production values.
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  3. Thunderbolt
    Jan 29, 2011
    90
    At times it's a struggle to play purely because of how scary it can be, and it's not often you can say that about a video game. Just remember: lights off, headphones on, and try not to go insane.
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