Use the amulet as a compass. The spot early on with a dead british person and some notes and symbols is mostly just a curiosity (I thought the big 'x' needed interaction but no). There is another path outside basically.So I played up to the point where you are in a huge fogged cave running around aimlessly. Am I supposed to have some kind of light source that I missed at this point? This is really not fun.
Started it and played about an hour-ish. Enjoying it a lot, but feels closer to SOMA (which I adored) and walking sim vs a scary horror game that Amnesia was or survival horror scary that Pnumbra series was. It's got some creepy atmosphere, but nothing scary so far. Instead great VA work, nice visuals and interesting story initially. Not sure if it's just going to take a bit to get to the scary parts or if the game just isn't going for scares. SOMA wasn't particularly scary either and was just a damn good story in an unsettling environment. Amnesia/Pnumbra were pretty good on the scares though.
Since people are a lot further already, does the game ever get scary? I'm ok if it doesn't.
Also I had no idea there were story connections to the first game until I read the comments on this page. Just went and read the wiki summary of the original to refresh and I see the connection. Interesting.
Just finished my playthrough in 10 hours. In some ways the story felt a bit cliche, and as usual some monsters are more frustrating than scary. They also introduced a new enemy - getting stuck in geometry, which I only got "saved" from by being killed by actual enemies. Still a good game, though.
Started it and played about an hour-ish. Enjoying it a lot, but feels closer to SOMA (which I adored) and walking sim vs a scary horror game that Amnesia was or survival horror scary that Pnumbra series was. It's got some creepy atmosphere, but nothing scary so far. Instead great VA work, nice visuals and interesting story initially. Not sure if it's just going to take a bit to get to the scary parts or if the game just isn't going for scares. SOMA wasn't particularly scary either and was just a damn good story in an unsettling environment. Amnesia/Pnumbra were pretty good on the scares though.
Since people are a lot further already, does the game ever get scary? I'm ok if it doesn't.
Also I had no idea there were story connections to the first game until I read the comments on this page. Just went and read the wiki summary of the original to refresh and I see the connection. Interesting.
Played about an hour and a half and honestly...its a little boring?? The caves really didnt do much for me, and the next area was just visually kind of dull.
Hard to go from SOMA to this, where every single environment in SOMA was overflowing with an abundance of detail that helped ground the setting.
Wish there was something more spooky in the opening hours. Didnt really grab me
Ah that's too bad. I'll wait for a mod before buying it.
Is the mechanic lighting matches?I have this concern that there are players that aren't aware of the mechanic that allows you to regain your sanity when you start freaking out. The game pretty much tells you but some may miss it. Which would be tragic because it's a brilliant way of gameplay enhancing the narrative and themes.
Seriously if you're not engaging with this mechanic you're not really fully engaging with the story..
its also one reason why I think matches are a little scarce. It really pushes you to engage with the mechanic out of necessity.
Yes.
Will I be lost story-wise if I haven't played Dark Descent?
Also does this explore its horror themes similar to how SOMA tackled its sci-fi themes, or is it more lore-driven?
I'm several hours in and a bit underwhelmed honestly, I love Frictional's work but I think the pacing in this just isn't great between the tense moments, puzzling, and exploration. It leans heavily on the latter, this feels like the most walking sim Frictional game yet. When the scares and puzzles are present its pretty good, and I'm interested in the plot too, but there's a lot of time where I just feel like I'm pushing forward constantly through rather dull environments. WAY too much underground/cave stuff for my liking, and while that's a personal preference it isn't helped by the pretty low poly and low res texture work. This shit looks dated, and I say that as someone that loves me some lofi horror, but it isn't working here. There's an inconsistency with the visuals which is the issue, once you get to theit looks amazing but you're then you're back to the bland gray and tan cobblestone/cave and rock aesthetic all too soon. It's jarring.Giger inspired dimension
I also think the balance they've tried to strike between the puzzles and atmospheric elements especially in the more alien areas conflicts somewhat. I'd like to see more exploration of the surreal spaces, time spent there is all too brief compared to the duller desert and base reality environments.
I'll definitely push through to the end for the story but at this point it feels like going through the motions waiting for the narrative payoff at the end :/
Dark Descent and SOMA had me engaged throughout, bums me out this isn't landing for me in nearly the same way.
Is this more Machine For Pigs/SOMA or Dark Descent? I loved the former two, but thought the latter was a boring slog.
Not much of a horror person but have been dipping my toes in more and am thinking about trying this with a friend. Will the experience suffer much for not having played The Dark Descent? (And does that one still hold up well? I do have it in my library...)