Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs review (feedback wanted)

[InvictusCobra]

Now the purpose of this thread is not to provide a review of the game per say, given that it's been out for almost two years now. It is merely because I would like to test my skills as a reviewer and see what must be improved and if I have a single bit of knack for this sort of thing. I know this is probably boring and uninteresting, but I am in need of feedback and crtique, so that I may improve and find out if I can be any good at this. Thank you in advance and without any further ado:

 

P.S: If it's tl;dr for you, I understand.

 

A Review of: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

 

How I got it: Bought on launch

 

Time to complete: 3 hours and 20 minutes (approximately)

 

Current price: 17,49€

 

Introduction

 

Ah, Amnesia. One of the most popular horror games of this decade, one of the games that made Pewdiepie popular, a benchmark for new horror games and a great influence on the genre itself. "Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs" is the sequel to Frictional Games' 2010 "Amnesia: The Dark Descent". Now developed by The Chinese Room, the creators of "Dear Esther", with Frictional Games as its publisher, "A Machine for Pigs" offers a new perspective and experience, fairly different from its predecessor. Is it as frightening and as nightmare-inducing as the first game? Let us find out, as we examine this "Machine for Pigs".

 

Story

 

We begin with what is possibly one of "A Machine for Pigs" strongest points, the narrative, which may not come as a surprise for some, given that the studio's previous work was a game completely driven by its story and with no gameplay.

London, 1899, the Industrial Age. While the exact date is never specified, from the many documents scattered throughout the game one can estimate that it is set in the final days of the year. The main character is Oswald Mandus, a wealthy businessman who owns a food processing company. In the beginning of the year, Mandus returned from a trip to Mexico, which appears to have changed him. Mandus is also the father of two boys, although his wife has already passed away by the time the game begins. The plot commences with Mandus awakening in the middle of the night from a feverish dream, only to find his house empty and that his children have disappeared without a trace. Shortly after, he begins to hear the voices of his two sons calling for him and is contacted by an unknown man, saying that if he wishes to find his sons, he must descend towards "the machine" and reactivate it, a goal that will reveal many secrets.

And thus, Mandus' trek for his offspring commences and the stage is set for a disturbing descent down "the machine", Mandus' sanity and a grim perspective of the time's society.

The story is completely separated from the events of the first game, albeit a few mentions here and there in certain documents (even then, only a specific thing is mentioned and the events of the first game are never addressed). The story possesses many themes and includes a wide variety of references, from biblical to literary ones and many elements of the narrative are drenched in symbolism (although not very subtly) and Mandus's voyage is in some ways similar to Daniel's journey through Brennenburg. However, Mandus’ quest for his two sons is also unique enough to bring new twists and surprises to the player. How far will a man go to save his children? What atrocities justify a perverse “greater good”?

The story is short, bittersweet and even though the game is not very long, the plot is fleshed out enough to deserve some merit, with a good structure and a well-made closure, albeit not without sacrificing some gameplay elements and some twists may not be so original to some.

 

Gameplay

 

The gameplay is the aspect that has suffered the most changes, when comparing the sequel to the original. "A Machine for Pigs" is much more streamlined, given that The Chinese Room decided to get rid of the sanity meter aspect (so no more hallucinations and you can look at the monsters all you want), the inventory has been removed and since electricity has already been invented, tinderboxes are no longer needed and Mandus uses an electric lantern which will never stop working. As can be seen, drastic changes have been made to Amnesia's core gameplay, which will result in a very different experience. In the beginning, I did not like these changes (in fact I still don't agree with many), but after some time I was able to recognize that some features had its own merits. For example, having to drag the puzzle items around due to the lack of an inventory is cumbersome, but it might create some tense moments of having to run from an enemy, dropping the item, and having to return to fetch it, endangering yourself once more. Furthermore, the fact that the lantern is now electrical makes it flicker and malfunction when paranormal events occur, which is a small detail that adds to the atmosphere.

As was previously stated, the gameplay has been simplified and replaced with a storyline that is constantly revealing new details and thickening the plot. "A Machine for Pigs" has almost no quiet time, the player being exposed to new information constantly, whether it be by flashbacks or internal narration, documents, journal entries, telephone calls and recordings played in phonographs. This is also highly noticeable in the horror, as it is sometimes completely dropped for the sake of exposition.

Speaking of the horror, ”A Machine for Pigs” attempts to scare the player are different from the first game. “The Dark Descent” was more of a slow burn, being set in a medieval castle with dim environments and paranormal phenomena. Due to its setting, the scares in this game are quicker, intense and often simpler than its predecessor, given that now jumpscares are more frequent and the lack of hallucinations due to low sanity makes most monster encounters lose some of their value. Instead of windy corridors, silent rooms with nothing but a faint grunt coming from the darkness or the occasional loud sound, “A Machine for Pigs” uses the devices and technology of the time to produce ambience through bellowing pipes, churning machinery and steam vents in a much quicker pace. Additionally, most encounters with monsters are more immediate and shorter compared to the first game. No longer do monsters linger in areas patrolling nor are their numbers great. Furthermore, the first game’s events were caused by supernatural entities and the unknown darkness, which is something dropped in this game, having to justify the happenings with technology and reason, losing some of the fear of the unknown the first game had.

 While still somewhat effective, the horror elements in “A Machine for Pigs” are more “in your face” and in quick succession rather than the first game’s slow crawl, that dark subtlety that would creep in your ears and confuse your mind, uncertain if the monster was really there and if he was gone for now (in fact, a scare is reused from the first game and even then it’s not as effective, given that it’s an old trick already and used differently). All in all, this game’s horror is more intense, condensed and less subtle than the previous game’s one and whilst it still gets most of the job done, players of the first one will probably not find it as terrifying as the first game.

 

Music

 

The soundtrack for “A Machine for Pigs” was composed by Jessica Curry, an award winning composer who also made the score for The Chinese Room’s previous game, “Dear Esther”. I must admit, if there is one memorable aspect in this game, it is its score.  Jessica Curry knows how to set up an ambience, whether it be a creepy and dark track to freeze the listener’s blood or an awe inducing piece to make the listener marvel at what is standing before his eyes.

The music of Amnesia was always a strong point, since even in the first game, sound effects and monstrous grunts were added to the tracks themselves to give off an impression that the player is being followed every step of the way. Certain pieces stand out amongst all of the game’s score, mainly the ones used for constructing a somber and obscure ambience or the ones utilized to highlight the grandeur of a plot twist or the tragic sadness of a revelation. The usage of gramophones throughout the game is an aspect that can maintain immersion and make the player wonder what kind of person would enjoy such a twisted creation. Be it instrumental or vocal, Curry’s work helps the game’s atmosphere immensely and sometimes sets it up on its own.

 

Graphics

 

The graphics are more of the same, except with other colours. The dark environments and dimly lit locales are still there, but with a few alterations to match the era the game takes place. With the advent of the machinery and electricity, things appear lighter on the eye and not as frightening as in the first game, with the candles, torches and oil lantern. The blue aesthetic surrounding objects and items remains only in the notes that can be picked up, and Mandus does not possess the blue “night vision” Daniel had in “The Dark Descent”, given that it is no longer necessary, due to the existence of electrical lanterns.

However, The Chinese Room was still able to maintain a very bleak and disturbing atmosphere. In terms of its graphical fidelity, the game is not too demanding, apart from a few stutters here and there (this is just my personal experience) and the loading times are brief most of the time. Then again, this franchise wasn’t exactly made with CryEngine, so it will probably remain as something ordinary, not too innovative, but not terrible either.

 

Final Verdict

 

“Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs” is quite different from its predecessor, in both good and bad ways. While it contains a heart-wrenching story that can rival the first game, the horror falls short of “The Dark Descent” and is not as strong and effective. Given that it is a much shorter experience, the horror elements had to give room for the plot to develop as the creators intended, making this a much more narrative driven experience than its predecessor. If you are looking for a nice story with a few scares and a disturbing atmosphere, then this game might please you. If you seek something as frightening as “The Dark Descent”, you will not find it here. Additionally, this game is remarkably short, which could be a very negative thing for some, given its price tag of 17,49€ but still worth it if on sale.

 

Overall, “Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs” offers a unique experience that you may love, like or hate and should not be played as the successor to “The Dark Descent”, but as something fresh, new and short. However, if you are in search of a game similar to “The Dark Descent”, I recommend Frictional Games’ own “Penumbra” franchise or Red Barrels’ “Outlast”.