Finally, a horror game that actually knows its job and does it exceedingly well. Kudos to Frictional Games!
I don't know about the others, but as far as Frictional Games goes, they don't qualify for the last category. Hell, they don't even fall into any of the categories I've mentioned. That's because they've consistently delivered the goods as far as the horror goes with their excellent Penumbra series and their latest masterpiece, 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent'.
You play the role of Daniel, who is suffering from a severe case of amnesia and finds himself in an old medieval castle that is falling apart. As the story progresses, Daniel regains his lost memory bit by bit as he explores the castle and comes across notes and diaries.
Yeah, you would have heard that one before, and I agree that the storyline as such is far from original. However, the key lies in the storytelling - it's all in the way the story unravels, with all its twists and turns. The game is also paced just right, so you are neither overwhelmed by the plot nor are there long lulls in the play. Of course, the pacing is rather slow, befitting the game, but if you're one of those who would not bear shooting any less than a hundred baddies a minute, you can very well stop reading this review.
The main reason for my last line was that there are no weapons in the game; absolutely none. If you were to come across a monster, the only thing that you can do is hide and hope that you were not spotted. This greatly adds to the horror element of the game. You can't just kill it in the blink of an eye, but you can very well be killed pretty quickly if it spots you.
An important aspect of the gameplay is the brilliant use of light and darkness, and herein lies the winner. You see, Daniel is not completely sane. He is a few nuts short of normal and being in the darkness only makes it worse. And as he loses his sanity, his vision starts swimming and slides in and out of focus, not to mention the bugs crawling on the screen, leading to really intense moments. In order to keep your sanity you must search for well lit places, which again are hard to come by. Candles and torches(the burning type) are scattered all over the castle and you even get a lamp early on in the game. But then again, just as hard to get are the tinderboxes, which are needed to light the candles and torches, and oil for the lamp.
This presents with some interesting gameplay choices: Stay in the dark and you'll go insane, making it easier for the monsters to find you, or stay in the light and the monsters are gonna come after you. Now this is one game where monsters don't lurk in the darkness waiting to jump on you if you come by. The light/dark element contributes a lot to the tense and eerie atmosphere. You will be on the edge most of the time and being spotted by a monster definitely gets your heart pumping. It isn't just a moment of cheap thrill, but true scare as you scamper to find a hiding spot.
Apart from the horror, there is also a puzzle element to the game, which greatly enhances the gameplay value. You didn't really think it was all about running and hiding, did you? You will have to solve a number of puzzles in order to advance through the game, and the best part about it is that it is seamlessly integrated into the gameplay. You never feel that a puzzle was put there just to make it hard for you. As you solve the puzzles, you will also notice some neat implementation of practical physics - like the weight of objects, the effect their size and so on.
One of the first things that you will probably notice when you start the game is the visuals, and that it is outdated. While the textures are varied enough, their rendering exposes the rather old graphic engine, and character modelling is even worse. However, don't let that fool you, because the game offers you some of the slickest visual effects, and you'll notice them especially when Daniel goes insane. One other drawback is that the game is too dark, so you'll find it hard if you're playing in bright room.
Complementing the creepy atmosphere are the brilliant sound effects. Everything right from the patter of rain drops to the creak of the stairs to the chilling screams that resonate from within the castle, add to the overall horror experience. Even the ominous silence becomes a sound effect of its own. The voice acting is also very natural and you could literally feel the emotions in the voices.
There is a downside (apart from the game being rather short, that is) - the game is harsh on the eyes, with all the darkness and the wobbly visual effects. It will give you a headache and even a mild sense of disorientation if you play the game for long.
VERDICT:
It is not just a game, it is an immersive horror experience. I don't give games scores greater than 9, but I have given this a 9.5. So unless you hate horror games, this is one game you MUST try. Of course, it's not for the weak hearted(literally speaking) and people suffering from chronic headaches, nausea and the sort. Oh, and another tip, turn off the lights and turn up the volume.