AMNESIA: THE DARK DECENT

Never has a game scared me as much as Amnesia. Never have I wanted to switch off the TV and walk away. This game is truly terrifying. Having recently played this it's still quite fresh in my mind and let me tell you it's all good memories, scary, but good. You are Daniel who awakens in a castle with amnesia, all he can remember is that he needs to kill someone and gradually throughout the game your memory comes back to you, relatively straight forward and simple but lets not argue about that. The world is rich with information from books and notes left by people to truly immerse you in the realm, and that's the key word 'immerse'. You really do feel alone and helpless and Amnesia understands that building tension and atmosphere makes for a remarkably great experience.

When I played this with a friend we reckon it was at least a solid 45 minutes before we caught a solid glimpse of the monsters that lurk the halls. Sure we heard noises in rooms and cautiously investigated but there was nothing there. It's that fear that there's something there but you just don't know when or where it's going to strike. The game itself plays like any other first person game with a few quirky and interesting additions. The use of a mechanic for opening cupboards and doors at the speed you move your mouse is an excellent one allowing you the option to carefully inch a door open and peek in or slam a door open and run like hell. In a game like this it makes for a brilliant tension builder. Also the use of the 'Sanity metre' is well designed; in dark areas your sanity drains making your vision blurry and teeth chattering however this renders you temporarily hidden from monsters, in bright lit areas you are calm and quiet but enemies can spot you much easier so it can leave you in quite a predicament when faced with tricky hallways and tight spaces.

Frictional studios have done themselves proud producing a masterpiece like this. I feel that some of the best games I've ever played are survival horror games simply because no other game makes me feel such raw emotions and scream like a girl of course. There was certainly instances where I refused to go on simply because I heard a eerie noise from outside the cupboard I was hiding in and these memories certainly stuck with me, all I can say is for a helpful tip...don't ever let your lantern run out of oil! This is a must buy; $20 on Steam is an absolute bargain. Play with the lights off and your headphones or surround sound system and brace yourself for a scary night.

Genre: Survival Horror
Platforms: PC & Mac (download via Steam)
Score: 9.5 / 10