The pacing (provided you don't get overly-stuck on a puzzle) makes for a tense ride with very little time to relax. The puzzles in Amnesia: The Dark Descent are good and the physics-based interaction makes some feel fresher than basic item-hunts. Since looking directly at a monster will quickly drive Daniel insane, you'll likely end up stuffing yourself in the nearest cupboard to cower each time you hear a groan in the distance or catch a glimpse of a shambling, humanoid silhouette. It's not just because the monsters look particularly creepy, but more due to the fact that if you ever get close enough to get a good look, you've usually only got a couple of seconds before you're ripped apart. Unlike most games in the genre, which present you with enemies whose danger and mystique fade after you blast them for the umpteenth time, I always feared Amnesia's foes. Amnesia isn't a wall-to-wall monster fest like so many of its survival-horror brethren. Beams settle eerily overhead, doors creak and groan, machines grind and smoke, and the monsters. The sound design is also exceptional and those with surround sound setups are in for a treat. Stepping away from the soft glow of a torch into impenetrable blackness is disconcerting, but it's amazing when the environment begins to appear around you as Daniel's eyes adjust. The effect of visually acclimating to the darkness after moving from a well lit area is incredible. The catch is, dark corners are often the best places to hide from the sanity-draining, murderous monsters. He's also got a portable oil lamp, but will need to continuously find fuel to keep it lit. Daniel can collect single-use tinderboxes, which can be used to light the castle's various candles and torches. Luckily, standing near a light source or solving puzzles will restore Daniel's sanity. Spend too much time in a dark corner and Daniel will begin to hallucinate, lose his balance, and babble madly to himself. While in the darkness (or when witnessing supernatural events), Daniel's sanity will drop. The game's use of light and shadow is appropriately atmospheric, but it isn't just set dressing. Visually, Amnesia looks great, and much of its graphical flare carries real gameplay implications. This type of mouse-based, motion-control is elegant and intuitive enough that you won't even think twice about how to interact with things after a couple of minutes - it just works. On paper, such a feature may sound mundane, at least until a demonic hellspawn is gaining on you, and you realize that doors open either inwardly or outwardly, not both ways. One of the most simplistic (and effective) examples is opening and closing doors, which is done by grabbing the door and using the mouse to swing it open or shut. The basic FPS-like controls are supplemented with the ability to physically manipulate certain objects in the environment.
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If you encounter a monster in Amnesia, you have only a few choices: run, hide, or die. There's not a single weapon for the player to use in Amnesia.
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![amnesia the dark descent monster amnesia the dark descent monster](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fPmw_c1vRuc/maxresdefault.jpg)
They help keep the player firmly rooted in the protagonist's shoes. In both cases, Amnesia's expository measures are immersive, albeit a bit unsettling.
![amnesia the dark descent monster amnesia the dark descent monster](http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Ddhv6JjopiQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
In-game, narrated cut-scenes are also fairly frequent, coating the screen with a dream-like visual filter when triggered. The game's narrative is told via collectible notes scattered around the castle, some written by Daniel himself, pre-memory loss. In fact, it's more of an adventure game with action elements. Unlike most other titles waving the banner of "survival-horror," Amnesia isn't another dimly-lit shooter filled with monster closets. Uncertain of his past, it's up to the player to piece together events from Daniel's fractured memory in order to uncover the secret of a malevolent darkness that pursues him. Amnesia is a first-person, survival-horror game that puts players in the role of Daniel, a mysterious protagonist who awakens in a dimly-lit castle. 12 Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the latest title from indie developer Frictional Games, creators of the acclaimed Penumbra series.