Amnesia: The Dark Descent

The only thing we have to fear is Fear itself. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

***As a small disclaimer toward this review, though I do not have many recorded hours through Steam for this game, I typically had played it offline and have progressed much further than my online hours would anticipate. Also, I would like to give thanks to Demo_187 and Brother Tasty for proofreading this for me.

Horror game fanatics of many generations know this title to be one of the most influential in the genre. Amnesia: The Dark Descent -commonly referred to as, simply, Amnesia-is a first-person psychological thriller set in an aged castle-like structure. The player ventures through the massive compound without memory of previous events with the hope of departing said area, never to return. This title is certainly becoming dated, but frets revealing this with its unique exploration approach to gameplay, as well as the ominous theme that persists.

Here are a few points of interest in this engaging title:

Atmosphere - Amnesia, unlike other recent horror titles, utilizes much more sophisticated means of psychological disturbances in comparison to the usual mirage demonstrated by jump-scares. As expected, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is quite dark, to the point that extended exposure to dimly lit rooms drains Daniel’s-the protagonist-sanity; this causes the player to expend light sources such as the portable lantern and tinderboxes to illuminate the area. Violent screams and ominous groaning aide in this title’s atmosphere, as these auricle displays may or may not contribute to the actual game experience in ways other than overall feel; whether or not such sounds are relevant can only be determined through play. There are few disruptive sequenced events since each offers context to the game’s illusive story, and Daniel has created a few “Note to Self’s” for the player to find that only add to the unsettling unknown.

Story - As stated, this title’s opening entails the protagonist awakening in a seemingly uninhabited structure with no prior memory of interactions within. From here the player must quest through the house to uncover its secrets. This title-fittingly-is very psychological, maddening even, as the tale is surfaced only by exploring the massive home to horror. Just the right amount of information is revealed through playable scripted events and texts, but the full story remains outside of the player’s reach unless portions of this illusion are pieced together; even so, some questions remain unanswered to service some ambiguity. So as to not reveal anything of major importance, I will halt this segment with these final words: search well.

Trivial Gameplay - Combat-apart from flailing chairs and other loose objects at unmentionable daemons-is nonexistent. Amnesia advocates primarily as a puzzle mystery game in which player must resolve encounters with cunning rather than physical prowess. Challenges are crafted well enough to accommodate Dungeons & Dragons campaigns while retaining a similar theme to a remainder of the game. As for the controls, players maneuver with the standard W, A, S, and D key layout while also adding giving simple commands for lifting objects, illuminating wall- and table-mounted torches, accessing in-game menus, and equipping items such as the lantern; it is a simple system, but this sort of title requires no such complexity in having to remember an obscene amount of button combinations.

TL:DR - Challenges range in difficulty from moderate to complex, with an intense atmosphere throughout. Amnesia is best presented in a dark room while playing alone and utilizing a decent sound system. Uncovering journals, I realized how much I did not know, but also that this most frightening revelations could possibly be recurrent or relevant to the current protagonist’s stride; this game truly knows how to disturb the player. I highly recommend this title to anyone that enjoys explorative mystery, puzzle, or horror titles from the first-person perspective. In my honest opinion, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a legend in the horror genre, so I would not pass on this title. Thanks for reading.

Do you feel this review helped in any way? Feel free to visit my Curator Page at Spearpoint Reviews.
Originally posted November 14, 2015. Last edited May 1, 2018.