Video Game Lair
  • Blog
  • Playstation 3
  • Xbox 360
  • Vita
  • 3DS
  • PC
  • Playstation 2
  • Gamecube
  • Contact

Video Game Lair
Thoughts of a Wandering Gamer

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

12/1/2010

0 Comments

 
Picture
I just played the demo for Amnesia: The Dark Descent and I'm impressed. The thing that sets good games and bad games apart for me is immersion and Amnesia has it in droves. My favorite games of all time share this in common. Games like Metroid Prime, Metal Gear Solid and Dead Space, to name a few, take the emphasis off the "game" elements and place it squarely on surviving in the world of the game. You're not looking for the morph ball to get a high score, you need it to reach new areas.

Amnesia has such a tense and strong atmosphere that I'm able to be completely immersed in the game. The sound design and visual effects that indicate your fall from sanity keep you on your toes. You're often acting on instinct rather than knowledge of the game's mechanics or design. You're not trying to win - the game states this explicitly from the beginning - but rather survive in this hellish world.

Games that put the focus on their world and integrate game mechanics deeply into the environment and story are able to immerse me and are more memorable than games that hook me with scores and special abilities that are extrinsic to the game world. The two approaches - immersion and impulse - can be equally fun, but I find immersive experiences to have more impact on me as a gamer.

I can't wait to experience the full game and be scared the whole way through!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Popular 

    Picture
    Dying Light Review
    Picture
    Journey Review
    Picture
    PS Vita Review
    Picture
    Uncharted: Golden Abyss Review

    Archives

    January 2016
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.