Amnesia: The Dark Descent - [Game] - (Zulszaek)

 First-Person Survival Horror for Windows, Mac OS X & Linux.


The first time you open the game, you see a disclaimer that reads thusly.

"Amnesia should not be played to win. Instead, focus on immersing yourself in the game's world and story.

The world of Amnesia is a dangerous place and you are extremely vulnerable. Do not try to fight the enemies encountered. Instead, use your wits. Hide, or even run if necessary.

The interplay between light and dark is very important to the game and because of this it is vital to set up the gamma correctly. Also make sure to play in a dark room and wear headphones for the best effect."

The game is horrifying. The amount of detail put into making every empty room, every tiny, distant sound, every flicker of light as foreboding and nervewracking as possible is incredible. Your footsteps echo hauntingly through the ghostly hallways. Any time a bit of crumbling mortar falls near enough for you to hear but out of sight enough for you to not know if it was a monster or not, your character will begin audibly hyperventilating and panicking. The only way to survive is to hide from monsters in the dark, but the longer you remain in the dark, the more your sanity drains. You are helpless against them, completely unable to defend yourself except to run into the nearest room and barricade the door. Enormous, unknown creatures roar furiously at you through the walls and through caved-in chambers. Is that someone screaming for help, or is it simply your mind playing with you due to the effects of your rapidly degenerating mental state? No matter where you are, you never feel safe. The more insane you become, the more distorted things are. Hallways will twist and fall out of focus. Paintings hanging on the walls will inexplicably warp into grotesque mockeries of their former depictions of nobility. Hallucinations, both auditory and visual, plague you constantly.

Anyway, all ruthless plugging aside, Amnesia is a horrific masterpiece of a game. I highly recommend it to anyone who has any interest in entering a world rich in fear, with incredible immersive potential. Even if you're not normally into horror, you should play it anyway because it's just that good of a game.

And astoundingly, it wasn't even made by a large gaming conglomerate. It's five Swedish dudes working from their homes. There are a few working torrents for the game, but I suggest buying it. It's only $20, and the money is going to feed these dudes.

If you would like to purchase the game or check out some videos, here is the link to the official website: Amnesia: The Dark Descent