Amnesia Collection is a video game compilation of three titles for PS4 and XBONE, which was originally developed and published by Fractional Games for its first game, while the sequel was developed by The Chinese Room. It is a Survival Horror game which the original game was first originally released for PC in 2010 as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, While Amnesia: Justine was originally downloadable content released year after the original game, then the sequel Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was released for PC in 2013.
I have heard a positively of the first game was praised by video game critics and the fan of the genres regarding the game as being one of the scariest game titles of horror genres and it is also being most influential game that really inspires the later horror titles with similar game style such as Outlast, Layers of Fear, and Slender: The Arrival. The sequel had never received well as the original making it the weakest title of the series which receives underwhelming feedback from its fans of the first game, while critics had given a fairer reviews, so I decided to wait for these collection to go down the price until I have finally purchased the Amnesia Collection for PS4 from the Halloween sales of PS Store.
I had a chance to play these games to see if these games are going to impress me and is it worth for playing over the hours of fearsome titles, the answer is the collection is rather an average at best because I felt that the Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the strongest horror title that I've liked the most for its clever puzzle gameplay, horror atmospheres, and interesting storylines, while the sequel had missing several of important gameplay features from the original which makes the game quite too linear and simplistic to play as its being an inferior to the original game. Its really hard for console owners to decide whether they like to buy these collection for its worth of original price because it didn't came as the separate titles, so unlike the PC owner are able to buy these game separately so they can able to enjoy the first game even more than having to get the inferior sequel.
So without go further do, lets start the review.
Presentation
In The Dark Descent that takes place in late August 1839, a man named Daniel awakens in the dark and empty halls of the Prussian Brennenburg Castle, which he had lacked of his memory from the past as he began to exploring a dark castle, while he's trying to maintain his sanity by avoiding monsters and other terrifying obstructions. The sequel A Machines for Pigs focuses on a butcher named Oswald Mandus awakens from a fever that has lasted for several months, after returning from a trip of Aztec ruins in Mexico, as he searches for his two sons in different areas of Industrial factory.
I find the story was quite interesting in both games as what makes the first story worthy is that collecting diaries in the areas which reveals the story of the Daniel's past such as his past history of his archaeological expedition at the tomb of Tin Hinan in Algeria and receiving a letter from Baron Alexander which leads him to visit at Prussian Brennenburg Castle. The main protagonist Daniel is nothing but a scaredy cat that can't keep control of his sanity when it's comes with monsters in the castle as poor Daniel always starting mumbling in dark area in fear. Baron Alexander is the psycho-paths that he became obsessed with torturing the innocent people with deadly punishment such as types of execution methods in prison rooms making him the most disturbing video game villains in horror gaming. The second story is also good for its Mandus trying to regain his memory while he searches his sons whereabouts. He gets the call from the engineer knows where his sons been located in as he has to complete the task that the engineers had given him a guidance. I find Oswald Mandus kinda okay, but doesn't have a great personalities great as the main character Daniel from the first game. He had so much cared about his children went missing as he made himself promised to get his kids safe as soon as possible.
The horror presentation in both games are looking magnificent that defines modern horror genres. The Dark Descent offers horrific settings of castle that filled with blood and gore, darker areas that went everything goes pitch black, the whole environment of castles are gritty and mysterious giving a medieval look, while the A Machines for Pigs are more of haunting tone of atmosphere and some dark elements of factory in the game are also looked creepy which fits the whole presentation of the game well. The scariest part of the first game was the types of monsters in the castle such as the grunt that has the deformed face with their mouth dropped down and the brute that has big huge blade on their hand are looked very terrifying as they can able to chase you faster around the levels which really adds up the atmosphere of the game, while A Machine for Pigs does have a machinery like Pigs are also looked terrifying with their pigs squeals screaming all the way, but not as scary as the ones in The Dark Descent. I also liked the use of special effects on sanity part of the first game where Daniel had his head cracked up causing him to lose vision which makes the screen goes blurry are the best examples of how people have reacted while being encountered by enemies depending on their level of sanity.
Overall, it has great horror presentation and interesting storylines on both games.
Gameplay
You get to select these any of the three games on the menus and its also introducing the hard mode for The Dark Descent on both PC and XBONE, while PS4 will get it soon later around the end of 2018.
In The Dark Descent, you get to take control of Daniel of exploring the mysterious castle while dealing with his sanity, solving the puzzles and avoiding monsters nearby are the main key of survival, while A Machines for Pigs takes control of Mandus searching for his two lost sons in factory.
The Dark Descent involves exploration and running to survive, while finding clues and solve puzzles by collecting notes that gathers information which can be found in different rooms as you can able to interact and open the objects such as tables, drawers and other furniture in which you can able to read whats been said on the paper that gives you clues such as mixing chemicals, activating machines, searching for keys, and other kinds of puzzle solving which leads you to the next room.
You have the items inventory screen which gives you an options to use and combine items which are very useful for its gameplay elements and you have the lamp touch which you can able to use it in the dark areas of rooms, but the oil can run out very quickly in which you need to use it wisely not to waste the lamp oil as you can able to refill the lamp oil from the inventory screen or the rooms that has oil canteen. Speaking of the lamp oil, you can also find tinderbox items which allow you to light up the candles to reduce the darkness as the darkness can also effect your sanity level leading into the fear that makes your character lose confidence, so keep the eye out of your sanity level while in the dark rooms. The game also involves stealth elements where you need to avoid being caught by the monsters nearby, so you will need someplace to hide while not to get closer to them, if so then they can chase you really fast making the player harder to evade the enemy encounter attack. Having the lamp touch on and making running noises can also attract the monsters too in which you will need to be very careful while attempting to escape, but you can also distract them by throwing small objects in random places.
You can take the health potion which increases your characters health conditions, so you need to be very careful not to get horribly damaged by these enemies. So far, I really enjoyed exploring around the castle which I felt that the game is looked bigger for its horror titles and I got to say the puzzle aspects and gameplay elements are very good for most part which really motivates me to enjoy this type of game. Getting chased around by the monsters are the highlight of the game that adds the overall atmosphere of the gameplay style, so its sort of like playing hide and seek for horror gaming. The expansion pack level called Amnesia: Justine are just the 10 mins survival mode where you get to control of woman named Justine, so it didn't have autosave functions and continues which means you will die instantly while not taking back to check point which adds up the game's challenge. The developer team are also adds hard mode on the The Dark Descent which had the same rules as the Amnesia: Justine making the game even scarier than playing on the regular difficulty.
A Machines for Pigs is completely opposite from the original. Most of the important features of originals such as ability to use inventory screen, use oils for lamp touch, sanity levels and more important stuff wasn't present in the game which did not add up the game's challenge, so I'm not able to use tinderbox to light up candles, combining items together and adding oils on lamp which I finding it quite bummer and I do find this game is too linear rather than focusing on exploration and puzzles which makes the game too easy to beat for most part. The enemy encounter in this sequel is rather slow compared with the original which I felt that they haven't bothered making the enemies go faster which really drags down my overall experiences. Unfortunately I find A Machine for Pigs had becoming a weakest of the collection which is shame that this game had tone down the gameplay quality causing to miss out the important features from the first game. I think The Chinese Room didn't have their enough effort to make a such great horror title, so it would have been made the game better if the sequel been handed to Fractional Games, a original developer of The Dark Descent, knew how to make the game properly right.
Overall, The Dark Descent has better overall gameplay for its puzzle, stealth and exploration, while A Machine for Pigs had lacked of important features from the original.
Graphics
The graphics are looked quite acceptable for most part. It has impressive visuals of dark environments making the game quite haunting, but very super dark at same time which made it very hard for players to navigate things and see whats going on while walking around the dark area. I really liked the special effects on sanity parts where the whole screen went blurry which makes the whole game look very disturbing and the lighting on the lamp are also looked nice with glossy look of the shades at the backgrounds. The wall textures on the castle and rooms are looked pretty neat with no sudden smudges around the walls. The gorey environments in whole game are quite looked gruesome which really fits the atmosphere of the game.
Overall, it has great visuals, cool special effects and detailed environments.
Music and Sounds
The music in both games are the top notch for its creepy atmospheric sounds and sinister ambience soundtrack which really suited for the modern horror aspects of the game. I also liked the soundtrack of chase sequences with dramatic themes which really shows the overall scare factor of the game. The soundtrack for The Dark Descent was composed by Mikko Tarmia, while A Machine for Pigs was composed by Jessica Curry which I personally liked the atmospheres and realism sounds of the first game, while the second ones are also good for its orchestral style. The sound effect in the first game are kinda sounds creepy as you can able to hear the realistic grunting noises of monsters are definitely sounds terrifying in good ways, while the sequel had the screaming pig squeals.
The voice cast did a great job of story narrating and character's voice quality in both games which adds the personality in the game.
Overall, it has creepy soundtrack, realistic sound effects and great voice acting.
Special Features
The PC version also featured custom story which allows you to create and play the modded level campaign and it is also including the hard mode for The Dark Descent in PC and XBONE version, while PS4 version will able to get it on the end of 2018 via patch updates.
Overall, it has custom story for PC version and hard mode for all platforms.
Advantages
Horror Presentation on both games
Interesting Storylines on both games
Puzzle Gameplay
Decent Graphics
Realistic Horror Sounds
Having Hard Mode as newer feature of original
Disadvantages
Sequel had slow enemy encounter attack and lacked of important features from the original
Sequel is the weakest of the collection
Super dark areas making harder to navigate things
Final Verdict
Presentation 8/10 - Great horror presentation and interesting storylines on both games.
Gameplay 6.5/10 - The Dark Descent has better overall gameplay for its puzzle, stealth and exploration, while A Machine for Pigs had lacked of important features from the original.
Graphics 8/10 - Great visuals, cool special effects and detailed environments.
Music and Sounds 8/10 - Creepy soundtrack, realistic sound effects and great voice acting.
Special Features 8/10 - It has custom story for PC version and hard mode for all platforms.
Overall 6.5/10 - I find the Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Amnesia: Justine are the high points of the collection, while A Machine for Pigs are considered a bitter polarising title for the fans of the first game who are expecting the sequel to be just good as the first ones, but its not good enough to impress. Unlike the PC owners are able to buy games separately on Steam, Its really difficult to recommend console owners to purchase the whole Amnesia Collection from the PS Store and XBOX Games Store for its original price, so its worth better for waiting the price goes down cheap through sales.
My second opinion is to best to stick with the Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the expansion Amnesia: Justine because its a better horror title for console owners would able to enjoy these games than the sequel.
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