Prison, a place where criminals go after committing crimes ranging from rape to murder. But would you encounter your inner demons in jail, even on death-row? Perhaps. The Suffering, an action/horror game from Midway and Surreal Software, is the prime example of that. Here's my review on The Suffering.
Plot: The star of The Suffering is Torque, a convicted felon put on death-row for the murder of his wife and two kids. His arrival isn't welcomed with open arms since inmates don't like child killers very much. Just as Torque is about to settle down with his new life on death-row, a slight earthquake rocks the prison and something in the darkness attacks and kills Torque's fellow inmates, leaving him as the sole survivor. Now Torque must escape from jail and find the truth about what really happened to his family while fighting against monsters and his own inner demons in order to survive. 5/5
Graphics: The graphics in The Suffering are truly dark and gritty, not to mention well done. Every character and monster are near photo-realistic. What really sets the creatures apart from the monsters from other survival horror games is they are based on different execution methods. Though designed by Stan Winston Studios, the monsters look like something out of a H.R. Giger painting. Even the blood looks good. 5/5
Sound: The music in this game aren't the traditional music we would hear in most survival horror games. The music are inspired by the sounds you would usually hear in every day life. The sounds gives you the feeling of what's around the corner. True work of genius. 5/5
Gameplay: You can switch the views of the game from 3rd to 1st person perspectives. In 3rd person mode, the controls are responsive yet stiff. In 1st person mode, the controls gets rid most of the stiffness. Torque can transform into a demon with just a simple touch of a button. In his demon form, Torque can tear his enemies apart with ease. The Suffering has a moral system, any action Torque does will effect the outcome of the game. 4/5
Midway and Surreal Software certainly did a good job on The Suffering. Certainly will make Resident Evil and Silent Hill look like a couple of Disney cartoons. Be on the look out for the sequel, The Suffering: Ties that Bind.
Final Review: 5/5
