You know that sort of award bait where a loveable (usually non-human) character dies in a naked attempt to pull on the audience’s heartstrings? And you know how cynical viewers usually dismiss it as cheap psychological manipulation, but occasionally a work will emerge that’s so well-formed that it manages to evoke powerful emotions regardless? The Outlast games are basically that phenomenon taken to the darkest possible extreme. They’re so relentlessly crass and horrific, predatory of some of the easiest universal fears, that they should just roll off my back as unintentional parody. Instead, they freak me the hell out. Both games now share the distinction of being the only titles to make me legitimately jump in fright (usually I just inhale sharply and recoil from the screen), and while that alone doesn’t make Outlast 2 a great game, it certainly warrants a recommendation for horror fans.
Even...
Even...
- 4/24/2017
- by Jordan Hurst
- We Got This Covered
Today, Frictional Games are known as masters of horror, but in 2006, they were a group of university students at work on their thesis. The project in question? A propitiatory game engine with advanced lighting, physics and bloom. To show off their tech, they bolted on a short playable demo and named it Penumbra. Beautiful but eerie, Penumbra showed promise and a full game was commissioned with a second episode to follow a year later. Then, in 2010, Frictional’s place in the contemporary consciousness was assured thanks to a Gothic horror title set in a haunted mansion in the classic style of Lovecraft. Its name was Amensia: The Dark Descent.
Today, Amnesia‘s influence is clear to see in games like Alien: Isolation, Outlast and Layers of Fear. The Amnesia Collection bundles The Dark Descent alongside its Dlc, Justine, and a sequel titled A Machine for Pigs, giving PS4 players exclusive...
Today, Amnesia‘s influence is clear to see in games like Alien: Isolation, Outlast and Layers of Fear. The Amnesia Collection bundles The Dark Descent alongside its Dlc, Justine, and a sequel titled A Machine for Pigs, giving PS4 players exclusive...
- 11/23/2016
- by Edward Love
- We Got This Covered
Claustrophobic indie horror game Soma has surpassed total sales of 250,000 units since its release in September, developer Frictional Games has announced. While that may sound like a healthy number – even great, as far as the average indie game is concerned – Frictional says that despite the number being “a good result,” they’re “by no means earth shattering.”
Citing Campo Santo’s own indie game Firewatch in comparison – which reached 500,000 sales less than two months after release – Frictional believes the less-than-ideal sales numbers for Soma are due to its mixture of sci-fi and horror themes.
What this means is that the game might feel a bit too sci-fi for someone looking for a pure horror experience and vice-versa. While we think the mix works very well for the game, it seems quite possible that this has put off potential buyers.
Not only has this probably led to lost sales, it’s...
Citing Campo Santo’s own indie game Firewatch in comparison – which reached 500,000 sales less than two months after release – Frictional believes the less-than-ideal sales numbers for Soma are due to its mixture of sci-fi and horror themes.
What this means is that the game might feel a bit too sci-fi for someone looking for a pure horror experience and vice-versa. While we think the mix works very well for the game, it seems quite possible that this has put off potential buyers.
Not only has this probably led to lost sales, it’s...
- 3/24/2016
- by Joe Pring
- We Got This Covered
Damon’S Dark Descent – When his experience in the Phoenix stone leads him to do the unthinkable, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) finds himself without a care in the world, spiraling out of control and under the influence of a dangerous and reckless Julian (guest star Todd Lasance). Refusing to give up on his brother, Stefan (Paul Wesley) attempts to reason with Damon only to uncover the devastating reason for his descent. Elsewhere, Caroline (Candice King) begins having some dangerous side effects as a result of her supernatural pregnancy and is forced to turn to Valerie (guest star Elizabeth Blackmore) for help. Meanwhile, Bonnie (Kat Graham), Nora (guest star Scarlett Byrne) and Mary Louise (guest star Teressa Liane) attempt to track down a ruthless vampire hunter named Rayna (guest star Leslie-Anne Huff) after they suspect that she has reemerged. Zach Roerig and Michael Malarkey also star. Pascal Verschooris directed the episode written...
- 2/6/2016
- ComicBookMovie.com
When Klaus bid Mystic Falls adieu at the end of The Vampire Diaries‘ fourth season, he left Caroline with these immortal words: “[Tyler is] your first love. I intend to be your last.”
VideosVampire Diaries/Originals Crossover: Klaus, Stefan Reunite in First Footage
Of course, a lot has changed since then: Klaus moved to New Orleans, where he fell in love with an ill-fated psychologist named Cami, while Caroline found a new relationship in the arms of her long-time friend Stefan… before finding Alaric’s magical twins in her uterus. As for Tyler, well, you all know the deal.
So you can...
VideosVampire Diaries/Originals Crossover: Klaus, Stefan Reunite in First Footage
Of course, a lot has changed since then: Klaus moved to New Orleans, where he fell in love with an ill-fated psychologist named Cami, while Caroline found a new relationship in the arms of her long-time friend Stefan… before finding Alaric’s magical twins in her uterus. As for Tyler, well, you all know the deal.
So you can...
- 1/28/2016
- TVLine.com
Resident Evil 0 HD, now thirteen years removed from the original GameCube release, hardly suffers for its experimentation. I could point fingers at the item management system (and will convey its faults and fruits shortly), but Resident Evil 0 also pioneered the partner feature that would define every ensuing Resident Evil. It made its characters likable ‒ not meatheads or one-dimensional rookies ‒ and picked people’s brains during obtuse puzzles. The set dressing produced as many spine tingles as the original Resident Evil, yet critics grieved over franchise fatigue. Resident Evil 0, and thus Resident Evil 0 HD, endures as the series’ dark horse.
Can I convince you otherwise?
Resident Evil 0 HD contains one of the strongest starts for a Resident Evil game, perhaps more than Resident Evil 4. A search for the felon Billy Coen endangers Rebecca Chambers and her team when she discovers an immobilized train in Raccoon Forest. Avoiding specifics, the train soon resumes its locomotion,...
Can I convince you otherwise?
Resident Evil 0 HD contains one of the strongest starts for a Resident Evil game, perhaps more than Resident Evil 4. A search for the felon Billy Coen endangers Rebecca Chambers and her team when she discovers an immobilized train in Raccoon Forest. Avoiding specifics, the train soon resumes its locomotion,...
- 1/19/2016
- by Joshua Kowbel
- We Got This Covered
October is the month for horror games – the four premier weeks where YouTubers and Twitch streamers provide daily doses of screams and scares. From Soma to Stasis to Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, this year’s virtual festivities seem especially frightening. For every polished, terrifying delight, however, at least one dud claws its way onto Steam’s catalogue. A walking simulator for all intents and purposes, Caffeine: Episode One contains enough bugs to fill ten failures.
“Caffeine is a quirky first person adventure game with environmental puzzles and a touch of psychological horror. Set in the near future, the entire population of Earth is vigorously addicted to coffee. Massive space stations built by the biggest corporations roam the stars mining minerals to create a synthetic caffeine.”
Or so the game’s Steam page says. In the 88 minutes I spent wandering about decrepit space station halls, Caffeine: Episode One eschewed backstory...
“Caffeine is a quirky first person adventure game with environmental puzzles and a touch of psychological horror. Set in the near future, the entire population of Earth is vigorously addicted to coffee. Massive space stations built by the biggest corporations roam the stars mining minerals to create a synthetic caffeine.”
Or so the game’s Steam page says. In the 88 minutes I spent wandering about decrepit space station halls, Caffeine: Episode One eschewed backstory...
- 10/11/2015
- by Joshua Kowbel
- We Got This Covered
Soma
Developed by Frictional Games
Published by Frictional Games
Available on Windows, Osx, Linux, PS4
Exploring the mechanics of horror seems to be Frictional’s mission given the almost complete stylistic backflip they have taken with their latest game, Soma.
The majority of Soma is set in and around the futuristic underwater research facility Pathos-2 after an apparent AI takeover. Frictional’s treatment of Wau, the AI responsible for the majority of what is found in game, echoes fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s vision of Robot-as-Menace. Intentional or not this brings about a fantastic evolution in the player’s understanding of Wau’s antagonistic motivation behind what it has done to the research facility, the people within, and the surrounding environment.
After Soma‘s introduction, which acts as a tutorial without explicitly saying so and introduces the backstory of the player’s character, Simon, returning fans of Frictional’s work...
Developed by Frictional Games
Published by Frictional Games
Available on Windows, Osx, Linux, PS4
Exploring the mechanics of horror seems to be Frictional’s mission given the almost complete stylistic backflip they have taken with their latest game, Soma.
The majority of Soma is set in and around the futuristic underwater research facility Pathos-2 after an apparent AI takeover. Frictional’s treatment of Wau, the AI responsible for the majority of what is found in game, echoes fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s vision of Robot-as-Menace. Intentional or not this brings about a fantastic evolution in the player’s understanding of Wau’s antagonistic motivation behind what it has done to the research facility, the people within, and the surrounding environment.
After Soma‘s introduction, which acts as a tutorial without explicitly saying so and introduces the backstory of the player’s character, Simon, returning fans of Frictional’s work...
- 9/27/2015
- by Aaron Shanks
- SoundOnSight
There’s an oft-used saying when it comes to psychological horror: when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back. It’s one that encapsulates the isolating, unnerving nature of Frictional Games’ all-new title Soma, which debuted across PlayStation 4 and PC today with a launch trailer to boot.
As the creative minds behind both the Amnesia and Penumbra series’, Frictional has developed a knack for exploiting the best (read: most horrifying) elements the genre has to offer. For Soma, you’ll take control of Simon, a blue-collar worker tasked with discovering what really happened in the underwater research facility, Pathos-2.
Without a friendly ally in sight, it soon becomes clear that something horrible happened beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and today’s clip merely hints at the nightmares to unfold. Taking cues from some of the genre’s best entries including BioShock and Dead Space, Frictional’s...
As the creative minds behind both the Amnesia and Penumbra series’, Frictional has developed a knack for exploiting the best (read: most horrifying) elements the genre has to offer. For Soma, you’ll take control of Simon, a blue-collar worker tasked with discovering what really happened in the underwater research facility, Pathos-2.
Without a friendly ally in sight, it soon becomes clear that something horrible happened beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and today’s clip merely hints at the nightmares to unfold. Taking cues from some of the genre’s best entries including BioShock and Dead Space, Frictional’s...
- 9/22/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Ever heard of the ‘brain in a jar’ thought experiment? Imagine some mad professor (with frizzy white hair and spectacles the thickness of a Peter F Hamilton novel) has managed to harness a brain, place it within a jar and attach electrodes to it.
He then subjects the brain to a series of electrical stimuli, causing the neurons to fire.
In this scenario, the cackling professor creates a reality for this brain by stimulating certain parts of it such that the brain will truly believe that what’s being experienced and interpreted is reality. Thus, can you ever truly know for certain if the world in which you live in is not just some Matrix-esque simulation?
Now, if you haven’t wandered off to contemplate your own existence, let me introduce you to the world of Soma, the latest horror-fest from Swedish developers Frictional Games. However, before we go on,...
He then subjects the brain to a series of electrical stimuli, causing the neurons to fire.
In this scenario, the cackling professor creates a reality for this brain by stimulating certain parts of it such that the brain will truly believe that what’s being experienced and interpreted is reality. Thus, can you ever truly know for certain if the world in which you live in is not just some Matrix-esque simulation?
Now, if you haven’t wandered off to contemplate your own existence, let me introduce you to the world of Soma, the latest horror-fest from Swedish developers Frictional Games. However, before we go on,...
- 9/22/2015
- by Andrew Heaton
- We Got This Covered
I’m not sure why we like horror games, especially the ones where we aren’t even given the luxury of a weapon. Soma is a new science fiction game that follows many of the traits shown in previous Frictional games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but also makes you feel like a bad human being in the process.
The official synopsis for Soma says that in the game you are running out of food and the radio is dead. The only company you have are robots who appear to believe they are human, and all seemingly insane. Your task is to work out why you are there, what you’re going to do, and what the hell is going on.
The best way to go into Soma is completely cold. It starts in an unexpected way and keeps you guessing, for a while at least. As more of the...
The official synopsis for Soma says that in the game you are running out of food and the radio is dead. The only company you have are robots who appear to believe they are human, and all seemingly insane. Your task is to work out why you are there, what you’re going to do, and what the hell is going on.
The best way to go into Soma is completely cold. It starts in an unexpected way and keeps you guessing, for a while at least. As more of the...
- 9/21/2015
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Are you ready for a miracle?
For those of you who don’t have a clue about what the heck I’m talking about, the Steam Summer Sale is the biggest event for anyone owning a computer.
Basically, Steam (a distribution platform by Valve that allows you to buy and play PC games) throws a summer sale every year. Usually I don’t talk about sales, but this isn’t just any sale. This is the sale for video games. Most games, even the most recent ones, get their prices slashed anywhere from 60-90%. And trust me when I say there are a lot of games and deals to be found.
But with so much goodness as far as the eye can see, sometimes the Steam Summer Sale can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get lost in all of the discounts and wind up blowing your wallet on games you won’t play,...
For those of you who don’t have a clue about what the heck I’m talking about, the Steam Summer Sale is the biggest event for anyone owning a computer.
Basically, Steam (a distribution platform by Valve that allows you to buy and play PC games) throws a summer sale every year. Usually I don’t talk about sales, but this isn’t just any sale. This is the sale for video games. Most games, even the most recent ones, get their prices slashed anywhere from 60-90%. And trust me when I say there are a lot of games and deals to be found.
But with so much goodness as far as the eye can see, sometimes the Steam Summer Sale can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get lost in all of the discounts and wind up blowing your wallet on games you won’t play,...
- 6/12/2015
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
As the creative minds behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Frictional Games know a thing or two about instilling a sense of nerve-shredding terror into its game, so it’s with great excitement (and fear) that we bring you the release date of the studio’s new IP, Soma.
Haboring a similar aesthetic to Visceral Games’ Dead Space, the game is due to release for PlayStation 4 and PC on September 22, and the studio has released an extensive, spine-chilling trailer to prove it. It appears that the game is build around a first-person perspective where players are tasked with searching through the confines of the eerie Pathos-2 research facility. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learnt about research facilities in space, it’s that they often devolve into anarchy sooner rather than later – think Event Horizon or the seminal Alien.
The development of Soma was not without its problems, however.
Haboring a similar aesthetic to Visceral Games’ Dead Space, the game is due to release for PlayStation 4 and PC on September 22, and the studio has released an extensive, spine-chilling trailer to prove it. It appears that the game is build around a first-person perspective where players are tasked with searching through the confines of the eerie Pathos-2 research facility. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learnt about research facilities in space, it’s that they often devolve into anarchy sooner rather than later – think Event Horizon or the seminal Alien.
The development of Soma was not without its problems, however.
- 5/29/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
White Night
OSome Studio
Ps4, Xbox One, PC, Mac
You can practically see your breath from the moment you turn on White Night, the new title from OSome Studio. There is a dreamlike coldness to the game, one that is felt almost immediately as the player begins wandering the darkness of night in the aftermath of a shocking car accident.
Set in a sort of proto-noir 1938, this is a game that’s 50% ghost story, and 50% detective story. The supernatural elements are made clear pretty quickly, as White Night basically lifts the opening directly from the original Silent Hill, in which a ghostly woman causes a car accident, while the mystery bits evoke a Sin City comparison from the outset.
After a brief chapter that introduces the central gameplay elements , the player finds themselves inexplicably locked in a creepy mansion, with a box of matches and the frightfully unreliable electrical system...
OSome Studio
Ps4, Xbox One, PC, Mac
You can practically see your breath from the moment you turn on White Night, the new title from OSome Studio. There is a dreamlike coldness to the game, one that is felt almost immediately as the player begins wandering the darkness of night in the aftermath of a shocking car accident.
Set in a sort of proto-noir 1938, this is a game that’s 50% ghost story, and 50% detective story. The supernatural elements are made clear pretty quickly, as White Night basically lifts the opening directly from the original Silent Hill, in which a ghostly woman causes a car accident, while the mystery bits evoke a Sin City comparison from the outset.
After a brief chapter that introduces the central gameplay elements , the player finds themselves inexplicably locked in a creepy mansion, with a box of matches and the frightfully unreliable electrical system...
- 3/15/2015
- by Mike Worby
- SoundOnSight
No one really knows how well a video game sequel is going to pan out, especially if the baton is passed to new developers. When The Chinese Room took creative control of Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs – the successor to Frictional Games’ horror masterpiece, Amnesia: The Dark Descent – the reputation of the franchise was put squarely in the young and independent team’s mitts. It often works well in many ways, as it gives new studios the chance to re-imagine an already popular world in their own vision.
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey (currently selling as Dreamfall Chapters: Book One: Reborn) did a similar thing by handing control over to newcomers Red Thread Games. Except in this instance, Red Thread consists almost entirely of ex-employees from Funcom Productions, who worked on the game’s predecessors. Is that cheating a little? Well, maybe they just wanted to keep focusing on this...
Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey (currently selling as Dreamfall Chapters: Book One: Reborn) did a similar thing by handing control over to newcomers Red Thread Games. Except in this instance, Red Thread consists almost entirely of ex-employees from Funcom Productions, who worked on the game’s predecessors. Is that cheating a little? Well, maybe they just wanted to keep focusing on this...
- 11/3/2014
- by Andrew Heaton
- We Got This Covered
“A Steam sale!” you gasp. Or perhaps you just opened your email to discover that one of the items on your Wishlist is currently on special. Maybe you heard about a new Humble Bundle, one that contains a few gems that you have yet to play. In any of these situations, the standard emotion is, of course, joy. However that excitement can be quickly tempered by the absence of three important words: “full controller support”.
While there are those who enjoy hunching over their computers to play video games like the Quasimodos and Gollums that they are (I keed), for most of us, it’s highly preferable to lounge comfortably on our favorite couch or easy chair and enjoy a game like we would on our consoles. Indeed, in an age where every computer and television comes equipped with at least one Hdmi input, what reason could you possibly have...
While there are those who enjoy hunching over their computers to play video games like the Quasimodos and Gollums that they are (I keed), for most of us, it’s highly preferable to lounge comfortably on our favorite couch or easy chair and enjoy a game like we would on our consoles. Indeed, in an age where every computer and television comes equipped with at least one Hdmi input, what reason could you possibly have...
- 10/12/2014
- by Mike Worby
- SoundOnSight
The release of The Evil Within has us thinking about the power of horror games, and how they're now even scarier than horror movies...
Midnight. Darkness surrounds my coastal home, its sparse interior illuminated by shards of moonlight reflected from the sea. I look out through the tiny windows of the back door. I think I've prepared well for the long night ahead, but I've made a foolish error: I haven't got anything to eat, and I'm beginning to get hungry.
I glance left and right at the small view through the little windows. No obvious sign of danger. No tell-tale sounds of monsters snorting and shuffling in the night.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step out in the starry night, and within a few paces, I've found some mushrooms growing beneath a tree. There's nothing but the sound of the waves breaking gently on the shore.
Midnight. Darkness surrounds my coastal home, its sparse interior illuminated by shards of moonlight reflected from the sea. I look out through the tiny windows of the back door. I think I've prepared well for the long night ahead, but I've made a foolish error: I haven't got anything to eat, and I'm beginning to get hungry.
I glance left and right at the small view through the little windows. No obvious sign of danger. No tell-tale sounds of monsters snorting and shuffling in the night.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step out in the starry night, and within a few paces, I've found some mushrooms growing beneath a tree. There's nothing but the sound of the waves breaking gently on the shore.
- 10/6/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Just as Stephen King inherently understood children’s fear of clowns with It, Scott Cawthon inherently understands why anamatronic robots dressed up as creepy animals are just plain wrong.
As a kid, I loved the arcade games, prizes, and pizza at Chuck E. Cheese’s. But even then, I never understood why anyone would want to watch Chuck E. Cheese and his creepy friends play some silly songs live. Still, it never frightened me.
Until now.
Five Nights At Freddy’S, with Freddy Fazbear being an obvious homage to Chuck E. Cheese, is perhaps the most effective horror game I’ve played so far. If nothing else, it rigorously follows the three golden rules of horror:
1. Less is more.
2. Gore does not equate to horror.
3. The more nervous the audience gets, the greater the payoff becomes.
Rather than having lots of gore, giant set pieces, and an elaborate story, Five...
As a kid, I loved the arcade games, prizes, and pizza at Chuck E. Cheese’s. But even then, I never understood why anyone would want to watch Chuck E. Cheese and his creepy friends play some silly songs live. Still, it never frightened me.
Until now.
Five Nights At Freddy’S, with Freddy Fazbear being an obvious homage to Chuck E. Cheese, is perhaps the most effective horror game I’ve played so far. If nothing else, it rigorously follows the three golden rules of horror:
1. Less is more.
2. Gore does not equate to horror.
3. The more nervous the audience gets, the greater the payoff becomes.
Rather than having lots of gore, giant set pieces, and an elaborate story, Five...
- 8/19/2014
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
As time passes, I find myself becoming fonder of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Perhaps because it was a completely dreadful. And I mean dreadful in the best sense possible.
In a time when every trope has been used for the horror genre to the point that we know when, where, and how the monster will appear, a time when horror seems more like a grotesque comedy, The Dark Descent had a brutal suspense that used your imagination to put you into something terrifying.
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is a return to familiar territory. As in its predecessor, you wake up in a room with no idea what’s happened other than that you played a major role in the monstrosities that have run amok. It’s a dark descent into horror as you solve puzzles and steer clear of any monsters that come your way.
However, despite the similarities,...
In a time when every trope has been used for the horror genre to the point that we know when, where, and how the monster will appear, a time when horror seems more like a grotesque comedy, The Dark Descent had a brutal suspense that used your imagination to put you into something terrifying.
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is a return to familiar territory. As in its predecessor, you wake up in a room with no idea what’s happened other than that you played a major role in the monstrosities that have run amok. It’s a dark descent into horror as you solve puzzles and steer clear of any monsters that come your way.
However, despite the similarities,...
- 3/20/2014
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
As time passes, I find myself becoming fonder of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Perhaps because it was a completely dreadful. And I mean dreadful in the best sense possible.
In a time when every trope has been used for the horror genre to the point that we know when, where, and how the monster will appear, a time when horror seems more like a grotesque comedy, The Dark Descent had a brutal suspense that used your imagination to put you into something terrifying.
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is a return to familiar territory. As in its predecessor, you wake up in a room with no idea what’s happened other than that you played a major role in the monstrosities that have run amok. It’s a dark descent into horror as you solve puzzles and steer clear of any monsters that come your way.
However, despite the similarities,...
In a time when every trope has been used for the horror genre to the point that we know when, where, and how the monster will appear, a time when horror seems more like a grotesque comedy, The Dark Descent had a brutal suspense that used your imagination to put you into something terrifying.
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is a return to familiar territory. As in its predecessor, you wake up in a room with no idea what’s happened other than that you played a major role in the monstrosities that have run amok. It’s a dark descent into horror as you solve puzzles and steer clear of any monsters that come your way.
However, despite the similarities,...
- 3/20/2014
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
“Less is more” is a motto that cannot be expressed enough times for the horror genre. More often than not, though, it falls on deaf ears—especially when it comes to horror games, where too many times “terror” seems to be mistranslated into gross-out blood baths with relentless action. Amnesia: The Dark Descent, however, seems to understand the power of minimalism and uses it in spades.
Amnesia is steeped in the style of Victorian-era horror, which recalls the familiarity of Mary Shelley, Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe, and other gothic writers with a penchant for dreary, dark looks into the human soul. You awaken in a foreboding, long-since-abandoned mansion. Exactly how you got there is a mystery… and might remain somewhat of a mystery, depending on how much you love your narratives being delivered in epistolary papers scattered throughout the game. On the plus side, the story is also told...
Amnesia is steeped in the style of Victorian-era horror, which recalls the familiarity of Mary Shelley, Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe, and other gothic writers with a penchant for dreary, dark looks into the human soul. You awaken in a foreboding, long-since-abandoned mansion. Exactly how you got there is a mystery… and might remain somewhat of a mystery, depending on how much you love your narratives being delivered in epistolary papers scattered throughout the game. On the plus side, the story is also told...
- 2/24/2014
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
“Less is more” is a motto that cannot be expressed enough times for the horror genre. More often than not, though, it falls on deaf ears—especially when it comes to horror games, where too many times “terror” seems to be mistranslated into gross-out blood baths with relentless action. Amnesia: The Dark Descent, however, seems to understand the power of minimalism and uses it in spades.
Amnesia is steeped in the style of Victorian-era horror, which recalls the familiarity of Mary Shelley, Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe, and other gothic writers with a penchant for dreary, dark looks into the human soul. You awaken in a foreboding, long-since-abandoned mansion. Exactly how you got there is a mystery… and might remain somewhat of a mystery, depending on how much you love your narratives being delivered in epistolary papers scattered throughout the game. On the plus side, the story is also told...
Amnesia is steeped in the style of Victorian-era horror, which recalls the familiarity of Mary Shelley, Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe, and other gothic writers with a penchant for dreary, dark looks into the human soul. You awaken in a foreboding, long-since-abandoned mansion. Exactly how you got there is a mystery… and might remain somewhat of a mystery, depending on how much you love your narratives being delivered in epistolary papers scattered throughout the game. On the plus side, the story is also told...
- 2/24/2014
- by Andrew Hudson
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Rockstar
When you think about it, video game characters go through twenty-seven types of hell to keep us entertained and amused. While we battle with eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome, they’re literally battling with almost impossible odds. Fighting, running, falling and dying many Many times over, it’s a wonder they manage to crawl to the end sequence with limbs and mental stability intact.
If you have a particularly trying day at work, don’t you just feel like pouring yourself a stiff drink when you get home? (if you’re not in the pub already) If idiotic customers and confusing spreadsheets are enough to drive a person to alcohol, imagine how video game characters must feel as the credits roll by.
With that, we present eight characters who really look like they need a drink right about now.
8. Daniel (Amnesia: The Dark Descent)
Frictional Games
Although at...
When you think about it, video game characters go through twenty-seven types of hell to keep us entertained and amused. While we battle with eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome, they’re literally battling with almost impossible odds. Fighting, running, falling and dying many Many times over, it’s a wonder they manage to crawl to the end sequence with limbs and mental stability intact.
If you have a particularly trying day at work, don’t you just feel like pouring yourself a stiff drink when you get home? (if you’re not in the pub already) If idiotic customers and confusing spreadsheets are enough to drive a person to alcohol, imagine how video game characters must feel as the credits roll by.
With that, we present eight characters who really look like they need a drink right about now.
8. Daniel (Amnesia: The Dark Descent)
Frictional Games
Although at...
- 2/1/2014
- by Andrew Heaton
- Obsessed with Film
The upcoming video game "Alien: Isolation," set between Ridley Scott's "Alien" and James Cameron's "Aliens," will be very true to the survival horror genre according to creators Creative Assembly.
Creator Alistair Hope tells Edge Online: "I think this team really got a lot out of Dead Space 1 and Resident Evil. But those franchises moved in a direction that isn’t… Well, I think that fans of those originals have been marginalized and sometimes it feels like these days they're just a couple of degrees away from being Gears Of War."
It's a fair criticism, "Dead Space 3" and "Resident Evil 6" minimised or outright dropped the survival horror elements that those franchises made their name on and focused on being co-op shooters in order to try and appeal to the mass market. It didn't work, the entries were heavily panned by reviewers and underwhelmed in terms of sales...
Creator Alistair Hope tells Edge Online: "I think this team really got a lot out of Dead Space 1 and Resident Evil. But those franchises moved in a direction that isn’t… Well, I think that fans of those originals have been marginalized and sometimes it feels like these days they're just a couple of degrees away from being Gears Of War."
It's a fair criticism, "Dead Space 3" and "Resident Evil 6" minimised or outright dropped the survival horror elements that those franchises made their name on and focused on being co-op shooters in order to try and appeal to the mass market. It didn't work, the entries were heavily panned by reviewers and underwhelmed in terms of sales...
- 1/17/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
2013 was an interesting year for games, particularly in its delivery of solid, compelling narratives. While the landscape has been full of sequels and spiritual successors (not a new trend), there has been no lack of deep storylines to scratch the more intellectual itch of gamers everywhere.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
After terrifying PC gamers the world over with the harrowing Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developer Frictional games handed the reins of responsibility over to Dead Esther creators The Chinese Room, whose profoundly Victorian writing sensibilities lend a very different sort of horror to Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Scrubbing away the dank gothic dungeons of the predecessor for a brassy steampunk vibe and replacing the supernatural with the scientific, the underlying story is a slow burn that manages to work its way under the player’s skin and nest there for the duration. Not to say that the usual...
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
After terrifying PC gamers the world over with the harrowing Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developer Frictional games handed the reins of responsibility over to Dead Esther creators The Chinese Room, whose profoundly Victorian writing sensibilities lend a very different sort of horror to Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Scrubbing away the dank gothic dungeons of the predecessor for a brassy steampunk vibe and replacing the supernatural with the scientific, the underlying story is a slow burn that manages to work its way under the player’s skin and nest there for the duration. Not to say that the usual...
- 12/18/2013
- by Carl Lyon
- FEARnet
I still get chills when thinking about my first run-in with the Raccoon City infected in Resident Evil or the fun of playing Friday the 13th on the Atari 2600. Check out this new video that brings back all your horror gaming memories of Playing with Fear.
Playing with Fear is a planned feature film and web series based on our love of survival/horror gaming. UK filmmaker Anthony Carpendale currently has the project in the fundraising phase through November 30.
Dig the montage video below to see how many games you recognize, and if you’re a fan of the darker side of gaming, check out the Playing with Fear Kickstarter campaign.
For more visit the official Playing with Fear blog by Anthony Carpendale, "like" Playing with Fear on Facebook and follow Anthony Carpendale on Twitter (@IndieCrowd).
From the Press Release
To celebrate over 30 years of survival horror, UK filmmaker Anthony Carpendale...
Playing with Fear is a planned feature film and web series based on our love of survival/horror gaming. UK filmmaker Anthony Carpendale currently has the project in the fundraising phase through November 30.
Dig the montage video below to see how many games you recognize, and if you’re a fan of the darker side of gaming, check out the Playing with Fear Kickstarter campaign.
For more visit the official Playing with Fear blog by Anthony Carpendale, "like" Playing with Fear on Facebook and follow Anthony Carpendale on Twitter (@IndieCrowd).
From the Press Release
To celebrate over 30 years of survival horror, UK filmmaker Anthony Carpendale...
- 11/25/2013
- by Scott Hallam
- DreadCentral.com
It’s fair to say that the horror game has made somewhat of a small comeback in PC gaming, with Outlast being released and now Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. These two titles have brought back atmosphere and more importantly upped the fear factor, with some saying A Machine for Pigs is one of the scariest games in a long time, a claim which may be true.
In movies it’s fair to say that many horror fans have become desensitised to “fear” especially as we almost know what to expect, but with games when if the atmosphere and style choices are right they manages to tap into our almost primal fear of the things that go bump in the night. This is something that Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs does well, especially when the things that bump decide to chase you down the corridors of an industrialised Victorian slaughter house.
In movies it’s fair to say that many horror fans have become desensitised to “fear” especially as we almost know what to expect, but with games when if the atmosphere and style choices are right they manages to tap into our almost primal fear of the things that go bump in the night. This is something that Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs does well, especially when the things that bump decide to chase you down the corridors of an industrialised Victorian slaughter house.
- 11/18/2013
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Now that Halloween is upon us I've been playing quite a few horror games to get into the spirit of the season. Although I am not a huge fan of horror games myself, my incredible cowardice when it comes to scary media I feel makes me especially qualified to judge games that are merely scary from those that are truly bone chilling. That being said, here is my list of spooky games to play this Halloween.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and like its predecessor, it is absolutely horrifying. For a longer explanation, you can check out the full review here, but in short: Scary, atmospheric, and really fun.
To get the most out of this experience, hook your PC up to the TV, make sure your surround sound is working, gather friends, turn off all the lights,...
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and like its predecessor, it is absolutely horrifying. For a longer explanation, you can check out the full review here, but in short: Scary, atmospheric, and really fun.
To get the most out of this experience, hook your PC up to the TV, make sure your surround sound is working, gather friends, turn off all the lights,...
- 10/30/2013
- by Christian Mills
- GeekTyrant
As I begin this review, my heart is pained. Not because Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is bad or anything, I was just playing it and I startled so badly I think I had a mini heart attack. If you are looking for another terrifying, if a tad short, jaunt, this game is for you. If the abundance of distance noises, suspenseful music, bone chilling laughter of children, and the squeals of pigs are too much for you, do yourself a favor and stay far Far away from this game.
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is an “indirect sequel” (think Final Fantasy sequels) to The Dark Descent, which was released in late 2010 and quickly became well known as one of the best horrifying, yet entertaining, experiences video games had to offer. Considering the success of the first game, it is no surprise a sequel was released. What is interesting is...
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is an “indirect sequel” (think Final Fantasy sequels) to The Dark Descent, which was released in late 2010 and quickly became well known as one of the best horrifying, yet entertaining, experiences video games had to offer. Considering the success of the first game, it is no surprise a sequel was released. What is interesting is...
- 9/18/2013
- by Christian Mills
- GeekTyrant
Fear takes on many forms. The most common we see in video games is that direct sense of your own mortality being threatened. Forcing you to embrace the moment where you’re staring down your assailant and you have to fight for your life. Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs forgoes that and instead ops for a more “traditional” tale of horror where you’ll find yourself paranoid of what’s lurking behind every closed door and a tension so thick you could choke on it. It’s not what I expected going in, but it succeeds in creating a haunting environment that had me begging for more by the end. I’d say that’s most definitely a success.
A Machine for Pigs has you take the role of Oswald Mandus, a deprived industrialist, who awakes alone in his house being summoned by his two sons. Nothing is explicitly stated,...
A Machine for Pigs has you take the role of Oswald Mandus, a deprived industrialist, who awakes alone in his house being summoned by his two sons. Nothing is explicitly stated,...
- 9/17/2013
- by Chaz Neeler
- We Got This Covered
Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent was a genuine phenomenon when it was released, tightening the unique control scheme of their underrated Penumbra series while offering a terrifying blend of gothic and Lovecraftian horror that soiled underpants and filled YouTube with ridiculous “Let’s Play” videos of players mewling in fear at the game’s monstrous moments.
Its sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, has switched developers to Dear Esther’s The Chinese Room, and the game’s tone has seen a massive shift as a result. The writing is dramatically different, and the horror is different as well…but is it as scary as its predecessor?
Set in 1899, 60 years after the first Amnesia, the environments and the tone take on a very different style. Steampunky fixtures and electric lights have replaced the stone walls and sputtering torches, and the supernatural elements have been replaced by some truly grotesque scientific...
Its sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, has switched developers to Dear Esther’s The Chinese Room, and the game’s tone has seen a massive shift as a result. The writing is dramatically different, and the horror is different as well…but is it as scary as its predecessor?
Set in 1899, 60 years after the first Amnesia, the environments and the tone take on a very different style. Steampunky fixtures and electric lights have replaced the stone walls and sputtering torches, and the supernatural elements have been replaced by some truly grotesque scientific...
- 9/16/2013
- by Carl Lyon
- FEARnet
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
How can one describe the horror that is Amnesia? It’s not all that simple, you know. There aren’t many jump scares here. The game is much more focused on invoking the feeling of dread and helplessness – two factors that, when combined, create a very specific kind of tension. Outlast does the same thing, too. However, in Outlast the player can resort to parkour in a pinch. A Machine For Pigs has no such gimmick. The player can move at two paces: sluggish and gallop. Whereas gallop will alert every single enemy within the 100-meter radius of your presence. This way, we’re forced to go along stealthily. Fine, we say. Bring it.
This game isn’t a direct sequel to The Dark Descent, but it does continue the given storyline. It’s set sixty years after the events from the first game, and tells...
How can one describe the horror that is Amnesia? It’s not all that simple, you know. There aren’t many jump scares here. The game is much more focused on invoking the feeling of dread and helplessness – two factors that, when combined, create a very specific kind of tension. Outlast does the same thing, too. However, in Outlast the player can resort to parkour in a pinch. A Machine For Pigs has no such gimmick. The player can move at two paces: sluggish and gallop. Whereas gallop will alert every single enemy within the 100-meter radius of your presence. This way, we’re forced to go along stealthily. Fine, we say. Bring it.
This game isn’t a direct sequel to The Dark Descent, but it does continue the given storyline. It’s set sixty years after the events from the first game, and tells...
- 9/15/2013
- by Gale
- Obsessed with Film
Red Barrels has finally created a survival horror experience for this generation of gamers. From the first bloody footprints, or the static cry from the television, Outlast delivers what many “horror” games today fail to do. Instead of being terrifying, franchises such as Resident Evil and F.E.A.R. have made the transition from action-based, survival horror games to simply shooters with a few horror elements thrown in.
In an effort to expose the wrongdoings of a greedy multinational enterprise, the Murkoff Corporation, Miles Upshur will use any information he can get his hands on. Previously, Miles uncovered information linking the Murkoff Corporation to manipulating water and pharmaceutical distribution in third world countries. This time, however, Miles is sent an anonymous letter regarding gruesome human rights violations happening right in our backyard, Mount Massive Asylum in the mountains of Colorado.
Right from the beginning, the “creepy factor” in Outlast is off the charts.
In an effort to expose the wrongdoings of a greedy multinational enterprise, the Murkoff Corporation, Miles Upshur will use any information he can get his hands on. Previously, Miles uncovered information linking the Murkoff Corporation to manipulating water and pharmaceutical distribution in third world countries. This time, however, Miles is sent an anonymous letter regarding gruesome human rights violations happening right in our backyard, Mount Massive Asylum in the mountains of Colorado.
Right from the beginning, the “creepy factor” in Outlast is off the charts.
- 9/9/2013
- by Nick Shively
- We Got This Covered
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Frictional Games and The Chinese Room’s long-awaited follow-up to the sanity-shredding Amnesia: The Dark Descent, has finally penned in a release date having been left to cure for a few months longer than its originally planned release last Halloween.
The new release date is now September 10th 2013, giving you plenty of time to buy new, unsullied underthings before the inevitable deluge of horror that Halloween brings. Interestingly enough, according to Joystiq, this is not The Chinese Room’s only project: they are also working with an unnamed publisher to bring a title to next-gen consoles for a Summer 2015 release.
The new release date is now September 10th 2013, giving you plenty of time to buy new, unsullied underthings before the inevitable deluge of horror that Halloween brings. Interestingly enough, according to Joystiq, this is not The Chinese Room’s only project: they are also working with an unnamed publisher to bring a title to next-gen consoles for a Summer 2015 release.
- 8/20/2013
- by Carl Lyon
- FEARnet
Thief
A new trailer has been released for the much anticipated reboot of the "Thief" franchise. Technically the fourth game in the series, this is being developed by Eidos Montreal who also created 2011's acclaimed "Deus Ex: Human Revolution".
The trailer coincides with news of the game's release date - 25th February in North America and 28th February in Europe on both current and next gen consoles.
PlayStation 4
Sony have essentially confirmed that their upcoming press conference at GamesCom on Tuesday will finally include word on the expected release date of the upcoming PS4 console. They're also expected to announce various new exclusive titles at their presentation.
Meanwhile Sony and Viacom have struck a deal to create an online TV service for the PS3 & PS4 that will launch later this year. The service will likely include on-demand programming and cable channels from the Viacom family (such as Showtime, MTV, Nickelodeon,...
A new trailer has been released for the much anticipated reboot of the "Thief" franchise. Technically the fourth game in the series, this is being developed by Eidos Montreal who also created 2011's acclaimed "Deus Ex: Human Revolution".
The trailer coincides with news of the game's release date - 25th February in North America and 28th February in Europe on both current and next gen consoles.
PlayStation 4
Sony have essentially confirmed that their upcoming press conference at GamesCom on Tuesday will finally include word on the expected release date of the upcoming PS4 console. They're also expected to announce various new exclusive titles at their presentation.
Meanwhile Sony and Viacom have struck a deal to create an online TV service for the PS3 & PS4 that will launch later this year. The service will likely include on-demand programming and cable channels from the Viacom family (such as Showtime, MTV, Nickelodeon,...
- 8/18/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The Humble Bundle tries their hand at curated weekly deals, starting with a collection of five very different PC indies.
The five games included in the deal are "Thomas Was Alone," Botanicula," "McPixel," "The Showdown Effect," and for those willing to pay a little more than the average, 2010's "Amnesia: The Dark Descent." As of this writing, the average purchase of $2.18 is the one to beat if you want to unlock "Amnesia" (as well as the soundtracks for the included games).
Depending on who you ask, Frictional Games' first-person survival horror/adventure game kicked off a resurgence of the genre, putting you in the role of Daniel, an amnesiac Brit trapped beneath a Prussian castle. From the developer:
Amnesia: The Dark Descent puts you in the shoes of Daniel as he wakes up in a desolate castle, barely remembering anything about his past. Exploring the eerie pathways, you must also...
The five games included in the deal are "Thomas Was Alone," Botanicula," "McPixel," "The Showdown Effect," and for those willing to pay a little more than the average, 2010's "Amnesia: The Dark Descent." As of this writing, the average purchase of $2.18 is the one to beat if you want to unlock "Amnesia" (as well as the soundtracks for the included games).
Depending on who you ask, Frictional Games' first-person survival horror/adventure game kicked off a resurgence of the genre, putting you in the role of Daniel, an amnesiac Brit trapped beneath a Prussian castle. From the developer:
Amnesia: The Dark Descent puts you in the shoes of Daniel as he wakes up in a desolate castle, barely remembering anything about his past. Exploring the eerie pathways, you must also...
- 8/15/2013
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Ah Amnesia. Was there ever a scarier game? By now approximately 49 trillion of you have played through this terrifying indie title until you could no longer afford the laundry bill for your underwear. Released in 2010, Amnesia: The Dark Descent has given other horror games a run for their Andrex and it has remained a staple in petrifying interactive fiction ever since.
Other indie titles have come close to it. Slender has certainly enjoyed some time in the flickering and foreboding limelight. But first person horror titles will forever be held up to Amnesia as a benchmark for games that make our skeletal structures wilt.
So with thechinesroom’s much anticipated sequel – Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs – just around the corner burrowed in the deepest recesses of our mind where abject fear is manufactured (goodnight kids!) what can we expect from the British developer’s instalment in the series?
Are you sitting comfortably?...
Other indie titles have come close to it. Slender has certainly enjoyed some time in the flickering and foreboding limelight. But first person horror titles will forever be held up to Amnesia as a benchmark for games that make our skeletal structures wilt.
So with thechinesroom’s much anticipated sequel – Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs – just around the corner burrowed in the deepest recesses of our mind where abject fear is manufactured (goodnight kids!) what can we expect from the British developer’s instalment in the series?
Are you sitting comfortably?...
- 7/24/2013
- by Andrew Heaton
- Obsessed with Film
Despite seeing very little of it, Outlast has quickly become one of my most anticipated horror games of the year. I’ve heard it compared to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, with some who have played it going so far as to say it’s actually scarier than Frictional’s indie horror masterpiece. That’s a lofty claim, I say.... Read More...
- 6/13/2013
- by Adam Dodd
- bloody-disgusting.com
Thechineseroom’s swine-themed follow-up to The Dark Descent is one of my most anticipated games of the year, horror or otherwise. It looks incredible, some might even say absolutely terrifying, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at this new batch of screenshots. They’re insanely dark. I can’t tell what’s going on in most of them,... Read More...
- 4/21/2013
- by Adam Dodd
- bloody-disgusting.com
There’s a scene in the new remake of Evil Dead where a cast of twenty-somethings are huddled in a doomed, remote cabin in the woods discussing their slowly worsening situation. One of them has clearly become violent and has even attacked them They argue about leaving, about staying, about what’s happening to them…etc, etc, etc.
In short, it’s nothing close to scary.
Or frightening. And especially not horrific. It’s boring. This is for several reasons: we’ve seen this type of in-fighting in a hundred other horror movies, the mood has been downgraded from scary to mundane, and we, the audience, are not being held in a suspenseful way until the next scare happens. It’s just plain, old arguing.
Today’s horror movie directors all suffer from the same malady. They’ve seen entirely too many 1980′s slasher flicks that feature a monster/killer...
In short, it’s nothing close to scary.
Or frightening. And especially not horrific. It’s boring. This is for several reasons: we’ve seen this type of in-fighting in a hundred other horror movies, the mood has been downgraded from scary to mundane, and we, the audience, are not being held in a suspenseful way until the next scare happens. It’s just plain, old arguing.
Today’s horror movie directors all suffer from the same malady. They’ve seen entirely too many 1980′s slasher flicks that feature a monster/killer...
- 4/14/2013
- by Rich Newman
- Obsessed with Film
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs has been on the radar for a few reasons. One, it’s a follow up to Frictional Games’ Amnesia: The Dark Descent, which is one of the few games to reduce me to a sniveling baby. Second, it’s being developed by thechineseroom, whose Dear Esther hit me right in the feels.
Any concern that thechineseroom’s more emotional style on Dear Esther would sully the guttural terror of Amnesia has been completely washed away by this new gameplay trailer from G4, which showcases the new steampunk-y environments, as well as the anus-clenching frights that Frictional has become notorious for.
In a unique twist, the developers are asking for those with a good set of lungs to submit their "sounds of fear, panic, terror, anguish, torture, and horrid awful death,” in Wav, MP3, or Ogg format to piggies@thechineseroom.co.uk for possible inclusion in the game.
Any concern that thechineseroom’s more emotional style on Dear Esther would sully the guttural terror of Amnesia has been completely washed away by this new gameplay trailer from G4, which showcases the new steampunk-y environments, as well as the anus-clenching frights that Frictional has become notorious for.
In a unique twist, the developers are asking for those with a good set of lungs to submit their "sounds of fear, panic, terror, anguish, torture, and horrid awful death,” in Wav, MP3, or Ogg format to piggies@thechineseroom.co.uk for possible inclusion in the game.
- 11/6/2012
- by Carl Lyon
- FEARnet
The "indirect" PC/Mac sequel gets a new trailer and reminds us that nothing is so unsettling as the sound of a child's voice and the squeal of pigs.
A Machine For Pigs is a followup to the acclaimed 2011 game Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this time a collaboration between original developer Frictional Games with an assist from the indie team behind Dear Esther, thechineseroom. Precisely how it's an indirect sequel is unclear, but it sounds like it'll be mining some of the same horror territory as the original without directly calling on that game.
From the official synopsis:
The year is 1899. Wealthy industrialist Oswald Mandus has returned home from a disastrous expedition to Mexico, which has ended in tragedy. Wracked by fever, haunted by dreams of a dark machine, he recovers consciousness in his own bed, with no idea of how much time has passed since his last memory. As he struggles to his feet,...
A Machine For Pigs is a followup to the acclaimed 2011 game Amnesia: The Dark Descent, this time a collaboration between original developer Frictional Games with an assist from the indie team behind Dear Esther, thechineseroom. Precisely how it's an indirect sequel is unclear, but it sounds like it'll be mining some of the same horror territory as the original without directly calling on that game.
From the official synopsis:
The year is 1899. Wealthy industrialist Oswald Mandus has returned home from a disastrous expedition to Mexico, which has ended in tragedy. Wracked by fever, haunted by dreams of a dark machine, he recovers consciousness in his own bed, with no idea of how much time has passed since his last memory. As he struggles to his feet,...
- 10/31/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Let's talk a little about horror--particularly first-person horror.
Outlast is the first project from Red Barrels, the Montreal-based studio made up of Ubisoft vets. The trailer for the game made its debut last week via a teaser trailer, and today, they'll be releasing a full trailer for the survival horror project set inside of a very haunted asylum. I spoke with designer Philippe Morin, who's credits include Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune about the genesis of Outlast and getting survival horror right in an era where most games in the genre have traded in frantic gun battles for sustained scares.
First, a little history: Red Barrels got its start back in 2011, Morin and and a handful of Ubisoft vets left that company. Casting about for their first project, Morin says they started making a list of the kinds of games they wanted...
Outlast is the first project from Red Barrels, the Montreal-based studio made up of Ubisoft vets. The trailer for the game made its debut last week via a teaser trailer, and today, they'll be releasing a full trailer for the survival horror project set inside of a very haunted asylum. I spoke with designer Philippe Morin, who's credits include Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune about the genesis of Outlast and getting survival horror right in an era where most games in the genre have traded in frantic gun battles for sustained scares.
First, a little history: Red Barrels got its start back in 2011, Morin and and a handful of Ubisoft vets left that company. Casting about for their first project, Morin says they started making a list of the kinds of games they wanted...
- 10/31/2012
- by Charles Webb
- MTV Multiplayer
Chicago – As The CW continues to struggle to find a new hit (which could very easily change with the upcoming premiere of the very-promising “Arrow”), Warner Bros. releases two of the networks most reliable programs, arguably the two biggest success stories for the network right now in “Supernatural: The Complete Seventh Season” and “The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Third Season.”
I’ve been a fan of “Supernatural” for years although I think even diehards would admit that the show has gone downhill a bit since it was supposed to end a few years ago and has basically felt like it was coming up with new plotlines on the fly. Creator Eric Kripke admitted that he thought the show would end well before the about-to-start 8th season. Having said that, it’s still an entertaining program in no small part due to the immense screen charisma of its two stars — Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles.
I’ve been a fan of “Supernatural” for years although I think even diehards would admit that the show has gone downhill a bit since it was supposed to end a few years ago and has basically felt like it was coming up with new plotlines on the fly. Creator Eric Kripke admitted that he thought the show would end well before the about-to-start 8th season. Having said that, it’s still an entertaining program in no small part due to the immense screen charisma of its two stars — Jared Padalecki & Jensen Ackles.
- 9/17/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Mystic Falls fans, you're gonna want to see this.
When The Vampire Diaries' third season hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 11, we're getting some juicy insights into why Stefan went so dark last year. In one of the extras, entitled "Stefan's Descent into Darkness," both executive producer Julie Plec and star Paul Wesley discuss taking the character from Elena's lovey-dovey, plasma-denying beau to cold-blooded S.O.B. And it turns out, the idea to jerkify the guy was Wesley's! Sort of.
Read More >...
When The Vampire Diaries' third season hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Sept. 11, we're getting some juicy insights into why Stefan went so dark last year. In one of the extras, entitled "Stefan's Descent into Darkness," both executive producer Julie Plec and star Paul Wesley discuss taking the character from Elena's lovey-dovey, plasma-denying beau to cold-blooded S.O.B. And it turns out, the idea to jerkify the guy was Wesley's! Sort of.
Read More >...
- 9/7/2012
- by Damian Holbrook
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Back in June we got word that "The Vampire Diaries": The Complete Third Season would be hitting Blu-ray and DVD on September 11th, but no specs were available. That has now been remedied.
Along with the full list of special features courtesy of Warner Home Video, we also have a look at the Season 3 blooper reel - always a fun time!
Season 3 Synopsis:
The sexy, sinister beings of "The Vampire Diaries" are back in a thrilling Season 3. As Stefan succumbs to Klaus, Damon and Elena join forces to try to save him, rekindling their long-repressed emotions. Meanwhile the door to the other side opens wide, allowing spirits to invade and come between Jeremy and Bonnie. Caroline and Tyler grow closer, pushing their families farther apart. But when the original vampire hunter and his kin arise from their caskets after 1,000 years, every hybrid, ghost, witch, vampire, and werewolf of Mystic Falls had better beware.
Along with the full list of special features courtesy of Warner Home Video, we also have a look at the Season 3 blooper reel - always a fun time!
Season 3 Synopsis:
The sexy, sinister beings of "The Vampire Diaries" are back in a thrilling Season 3. As Stefan succumbs to Klaus, Damon and Elena join forces to try to save him, rekindling their long-repressed emotions. Meanwhile the door to the other side opens wide, allowing spirits to invade and come between Jeremy and Bonnie. Caroline and Tyler grow closer, pushing their families farther apart. But when the original vampire hunter and his kin arise from their caskets after 1,000 years, every hybrid, ghost, witch, vampire, and werewolf of Mystic Falls had better beware.
- 8/21/2012
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
So it’s come to this. Look at that picture, Valve. This is your doing! That child is now on the streets panhandling because he can’t live up the insanely high expectations you’ve placed for him. How can you live with yourself? I hope that when you fall asleep on top of your massive piles of money tonight the face of this brave young man haunts you enough that you can’t eat your second bowl of caviar. God speed, random blond haired kid I found on the internet.
Your daily reminder: If it’s not a Daily Deal or a Flash Sale, hold off on buying it until the 22nd. It’s almost guaranteed that as soon as you buy in, it’s going to be cheaper the next day. Steam seems to know these things.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent - $4.99 – Amnesia is one of, if not the best,...
Your daily reminder: If it’s not a Daily Deal or a Flash Sale, hold off on buying it until the 22nd. It’s almost guaranteed that as soon as you buy in, it’s going to be cheaper the next day. Steam seems to know these things.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent - $4.99 – Amnesia is one of, if not the best,...
- 7/19/2012
- by Chaz Neeler
- We Got This Covered
The full-bore frights of Frictional Games' Amnesia: The Dark Descent would seem like a very tough act to follow. However, Frictional Games have teamed up with Dear Esther developers The Chinese Room for a very different take on the defenseless survival classic, the oddly titled Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Am I the only one that thinks it sounds like an early 90's industrial album? Anyways, check out the first teaser after the break. Despite the now-clichéd use of low-frequency brass to trumpet the segue between each scene (oh Hans Zimmer, what have you wrought?), there's a very cool thematic shift between The Dark Descent and A Machine for Pigs, namely the new Victorian steampunk vibe and a...
- 6/21/2012
- FEARnet
By Jeffrey Matulef
Frictional Games have released the first trailer for Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, their sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent (i.e. the scariest game I've ever played).
This time out the indie studio is collaborating with Dear Esther developer, The Chinese Room. Dear Esther scribe Dan Pinchbeck is on board, as is composer, Jessica Curry. Though a sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs will star a completely different cast and be set 60 years after the events in the last game. Little is known about A Machine for Pigs' plot, but according to the newly erected official site it concerns a "wealthy industrialist" haunted by visions of an ominous machine. Something tells me there's something sinister afoot and it's not simply a trip to the hot dog factory. Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is expected this year before Halloween on PC. [Source: Frictional Games via Beefjack]. Related Posts:Video...
- 6/15/2012
- by MTV Video Games
- MTV Multiplayer
Finally, we can see what’s been going on with Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Frictional Games, who created the The Dark Descent–widely considered to be one of the scariest games of all time (and I have a week’s worth of nightmares and soiled undergarments to prove that fact–isn’t handling development of its sequel. Instead, they’ve [...]...
- 6/15/2012
- by Adam Dodd
- bloody-disgusting.com
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