Are you afraid of the dark? You should be.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent by Frictional Games was originally released in September of last year for PC, but may have been a gem that you've missed.  Being self published, the game was released with absolutely no advertising except for word of mouth.  However, despite such little fanfare, it went on to sell nearly 400,000 copies and counting.

Amnesia is a survival horror game in it's purest form.  You take on the character of Daniel, a young english man, who has awoken in an eastern European castle without his memories.  The only clue you are given is a note from yourself which demands you kill a man in the castle by the name of Alexander.  Armed with nothing but a lantern, you are tasked with exploring this eerie castle in search of this man and the reasoning behind the cryptic note you left yourself.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks throughout your adventure as your memories return to you.  Gameplay consists primarily of solving various puzzles as you make your way through the castle's corridors and chambers.  The puzzles are never frustratingly difficult but you must certainly maintain a keen eye particularly late in the game.  Along with the puzzles there are creatures that lurk through much of the areas.  As you are not armed, you have no defense except to run and hide from these beasts.  Fortunately there are many options such as inside large bedroom wardrobes, under stairs, or even in dark corners.  Don't stay in the dark for too long though as this will cause you to lose your sanity.  As your sanity becomes weaker it makes it increasingly difficult to control your character.  However staying in the light makes you susceptible to being chased and attacked if you stumble upon one the the monsters in the castle.

This is not a jump scare tactic game.  There are very few of those.  Amnesia brings terror to your soul through pure immersion.  The more immersed in the game you allow yourself to become, the deeper the fear.  The sounds and environments put you in the moment and you are constantly wondering what is behind the next corner.  This creates immense tension throughout the game.

This tension, however, can make the game a bit slow.  There are times where you would rather stay near a torch because moving into the dark can be such a frightful task.  Also your sanity level is regained by staying in the light, which can take several minutes for an improvement.  This is broken by a few chase sequences that are really frightful but an enjoyable change of pace from the skulking through dark halls that you'll become accustomed to.


Overall this is an excellent game for anyone who is a fan of horror.  It may not be for the faint-hearted however, as it will keep the tension level peaked at all times.  This is not a game you play to relax.  I give Amnesia: The Dark Descent 8.5/10.