The Suffering: Ties That Bind

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 48 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 48
  3. Negative: 6 out of 48
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  1. JaydenPickens
    Feb 20, 2019
    8
    Not as good as the first part, but the game delivers the goods. It's more action-based than the original, everything is more packed with guns and fights. Some might consider this a flaw, it didn't bother me, the scary moments are still here. New enemies look creepy as hell, the voice acting is great as always, the story is not on the same level, that the original had, but still an amazingNot as good as the first part, but the game delivers the goods. It's more action-based than the original, everything is more packed with guns and fights. Some might consider this a flaw, it didn't bother me, the scary moments are still here. New enemies look creepy as hell, the voice acting is great as always, the story is not on the same level, that the original had, but still an amazing game. Pick it up. Pickens approves!… Expand
  2. Marick
    Feb 2, 2015
    3
    The Suffering: Ties That Bind is a psychological horror video game, developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games.Ties That Bind features a number of gameplay changes from the original The Suffering. The player can no longer carry around xombium bottles to refill their health whenever they need to, and instead must rely on stationary pickups located throughout the level. WhenThe Suffering: Ties That Bind is a psychological horror video game, developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games.Ties That Bind features a number of gameplay changes from the original The Suffering. The player can no longer carry around xombium bottles to refill their health whenever they need to, and instead must rely on stationary pickups located throughout the level. When critically injured, the player may also heal a very small percentage of their health by hiding from the immediate battle to recover. The player is also now limited to only carrying two weapons at a time, which now adds a sense of strategy to the gameplay.… Expand
  3. ShawnP.
    Jan 10, 2006
    9
    On my sys (being low end Pentium 4 and ATI 9600) The game play was smooth and frightening. A cinematic scenerio that was, my guess just the result of a distant vision of what if.
  4. DesM.
    Oct 3, 2006
    10
    Simply amazing stuff in this game. Some bugs will come in the way, but nothing that will stop you from enjoying the gory 'horrifying' action sequences.
  5. BillW.
    Jul 26, 2006
    2
    The game is dated. I looks and acts "old". The PC version is as buggy as an old sack of meal... or more appropriately, an old piece of it. There are places where the people you're trying to save just get hung up and won't move... so, naturally, you can't save them... there are key combos that a laptop will not reproduce, so you have to call Midway and get them to send you a The game is dated. I looks and acts "old". The PC version is as buggy as an old sack of meal... or more appropriately, an old piece of it. There are places where the people you're trying to save just get hung up and won't move... so, naturally, you can't save them... there are key combos that a laptop will not reproduce, so you have to call Midway and get them to send you a "saved game" that will put you beyond the point where you need the "unavailable" keystrokes. It's basically a P.O.S.… Expand
  6. SimonB
    Jun 23, 2008
    6
    You have an aging PC? You like recent games that work on it? The Suffering: Ties that Bind is -NOT- for you. This game I thought would be something along the lines of a F.E.A.R crossed with Painkiller. It turned out to be just that and sometimes less. I liked the whole hallucination thing and it often gave me jumps. After a while though, you get through the routine and nothing really gets You have an aging PC? You like recent games that work on it? The Suffering: Ties that Bind is -NOT- for you. This game I thought would be something along the lines of a F.E.A.R crossed with Painkiller. It turned out to be just that and sometimes less. I liked the whole hallucination thing and it often gave me jumps. After a while though, you get through the routine and nothing really gets to you anymore. The monsters are the greatest in design that I've ever seen. The description behind them is awesome too. However, as far as gameplay goes, Suffering is CRIPPLED. I understand the whole concept of having random ammo crates and shit lying about but... I don't see the point in putting them right in the player's way if the weapons used won't even have a fill up until at least later in the game. Unless you've played through, you're always going to be struggling to know which weapons the creators wanted you to use. The whole "good/bad" gauge was also pretty useless. Lots of the NPCs you want to save are often obnoxious and unless you've played through, you won't get the hint you're supposed to save them. If you do kill them well, you're one step closer to getting a bad ending. Oh yeah I should mention that most weapons, including the melee weapons, are very useless against most enemies. The ones you want to kill the fastest are usually those that attack you from range, 'cause the A.I. is so dumb, it might as well be scripted to kill itself because of its HORRIBLE pathfinding. Monsters are scary, yes. Dumb Monsters are not. When a game like Suffering lets you abuse Monsters' A.I. , it just removes the whole horror concept. When you're supposed to be scared and every Monster ends up being killed by the dozen at some point in the game... I don't know, this isn't a Resident Evil 4 and this isn't a Painkiller, because your character is bloody vulnerable at every moment. As far as storyline goes... This game is believable at some points... But most of the time, the dialogue is just wack. The afro-american girl in this game moves her head around like it's all those girls do anyways when they talk. At least they had the decency of giving the Main Character a decent sidekick... Not. He also gets the "typical black man" card. Whereas he's a bloody coward and just keeps running all the time, telling you to kill people for him. Oh and there's the main antagonist, who might as well have shoved the microphone in his throat by how rhaspy he sounds. None of the characters are memorable, including the Main Protagonist who looks and acts like an aging Logan from X-Men, minus the style. Try it but you'll be dissapointed, unless you're into jacking off to galons of blood.… Expand
  7. StevenZ.
    Apr 21, 2007
    9
    I really liked the first one, and I am really enjoying this one as well, unfortunately I encountered a dead-end bug and haven't finished the game yet, but this isn't discouraging me to find a way through and finish. Whoever played and enjoyed the first one as much as I did, will like this one just as much, though for PC it is quite glitchy.
  8. KapralDominik
    Jul 30, 2022
    6
    На редкость, действительно мрачное и жестокое путешествие по сюрреалистичному Балтимору которое незаслуженно забыто игроками и держится лишь благодаря доброй памяти (как и первая часть). Атмосфера скорее напоминает более поздний Condemned, по своему отображению пороков и грязи большого города, еще и обрабатывая это через призму городских легенд, недвусмысленных аллюзий образов монстров иНа редкость, действительно мрачное и жестокое путешествие по сюрреалистичному Балтимору которое незаслуженно забыто игроками и держится лишь благодаря доброй памяти (как и первая часть). Атмосфера скорее напоминает более поздний Condemned, по своему отображению пороков и грязи большого города, еще и обрабатывая это через призму городских легенд, недвусмысленных аллюзий образов монстров и страха перед дном социума. Геймплейная формула не устарела по сей день- стрелять весело, моральных выборов хоть и не так много, зато они решающе влияют на набор способностей вашего внутреннего чудовища. Оценка: 6.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Best PC Game of 2005
100
#100 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
53
#53 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. IGN
    81
    Unfortunately, while Ties That Bind should stand proudly beside its older brother, it doesn't do a whole lot to expand on the theme of the original -- nightmare prison visions come alive, ghosts that kill, and churning violence.
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  2. GameSpot
    72
    Ties That Bind makes few changes to the formula, stretches a thin story to somewhere near the breaking point, and delivers a bloody, curse-filled action game that might still please fans of the first game, though it's more likely that you'll feel like you played the same game last year.
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  3. Stuff
    80
    Playing the game is like watching an episode of "Oz" while a priest performs an exorcism on your liver. And if you like your gore served up hot and fresh, you've come to the right place.
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