Amnesia: The Dark Descent - This is True Horror

  Allow me to be perfectly blunt.  The horror genre is no longer horrifying.  We've all played titles like Dead Space, a game that has proven that the horror genre has yet to fade away into obscurity, but was the experience truly terrifying? 

  Dead Space is an amazing game. EA Redwood Shores (Visceral Games), the development team behind Dead Space, borrowed game elements from Resident Evil 4 and atmospheric elements from films like Alien and The Thing to create one of the best-selling horror titles of the generation. While I admit that Dead Space is a solid horror title, I cannot help but feel shafted during the halfway point of the game. My weapons are too powerful, the ammo is too plentiful, and my suit upgrades make me feel invulnerable.  Am I supposed to be a ship engineer or an intergalactic space marine?  This feeling is especially apparent in Dead Space 2.

  Personally, not since the original Silent Hill titles have I experienced a genuinely frightening video game.  Oh, how I yearned for the next spectacularly spooky masterpiece to haunt my nightmares.  I heard talk amongst the horror gaming community about a title called Amnesia: The Dark Descent.  I did not take interest in Amnesia until many months after it released due to my blind skepticism for the title.  Needless to say,  I am quite disappointed with myself for doubting the spine-chilling fright-fest that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

  The year is 1839 and Daniel, Amnesia's protagonist, has just awakened in Brennenburg Castle, a decaying mansion with many dark secrets.  Upon awakening, Daniel is disoriented and confused as to what exactly is going on.  Daniel eventually manages to find a note written by his pre-amnesia self.  He learns from the note that he is suffering from self-afflicted amnesia and is instructed to murder a man named Alexander, the mysterious baron and proprietor of Brennenburg Castle.  After reading the note, Daniel sets out to uncover the secrets and mysteries lying deep within the walls of the eerie castle.

  

  What makes a game "scary?"  Enemies that cannot be fought or wounded?  Atmospheric tension that never loosens its grip on your psyche?  A well-paced story with interesting twists? Amnesia contains all of these elements and more.  You will not encounter many "jump scares" during your trek through Brennenburg Castle.  However, you will experience an atmosphere that haunts you every step of the way.  I never considered the "jump scare" to be a legitimate horror tactic, it's simply a human reaction to something suddenly appearing accompanied by a shrill noise.  True horror is creating a world so dreadful that you wince at the thought of walking down that dimly lit hallway.  In Amnesia you dread the unknown, not the predictable "jump scare" found in many other horror titles.

   Amnesia uses darkness as its primary weapon.  If Daniel lingers in the darkness for too long he will slowly begin to lose his sanity.  Lighting candles with tinderboxes and oil for your lamp (i.e. flashlight) are your only weapons against the ever-present darkness that Daniel will encounter throughout Brennenburg Castle.  If your sanity drops to a certain point Daniel's vision begins to blur, paintings are contorted into ghastly images, and a few other nasty things occur as well.  However, the darkness is not the only obstacle in Daniel's path, you will eventually come across actual enemies whom are basically impervious to damage.  Looking at these enemies for too long decreases your sanity which is just the icing on the cake.  There is no combat.  Daniel must remain hidden and evade these enemies if he wishes to survive.

  Throughout the castle Daniel will find notes and letters from different people associated with either Alexander or Brennenburg Castle.  Daniel will also find  diary entries and notes from his pre-amnesia self, these notes shed light on the story just as BioShock did with audio recordings.  If you have ever read an H.P. Lovecraft tale, you will feel right at home in the world of Amnesia.

  Amnesia does everything right.  Frictional Games, the independent development team behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, has created a true horror gem.  Playing Amnesia reminded me of the days when playing a horror game was actually frightening.  Remember that night you played Alone in the Dark with the lights off for the first time?  Amnesia: The Dark Descent has brought back that same sense of horror with a vengeance and has proven that "scary" video games are still out there.