The primary time I performed Amnesia: The Darkish Descent, I needed to put it down and stroll away. I’m an enormous fan of horror video games, and I don’t often put them down except they’re unplayable or simply dangerous. The Darkish Descent was totally different, although, a sport that freaked me out so badly that I needed to flip the lights on and simply sit in that glow till I may catch my breath. My imaginative and prescient had develop into too darkish; I used to be out of oil for my lantern; and there have been cracking noises coming from someplace off display screen. I hadn’t been greatly surprised by a bounce scare or a disturbing creature. I used to be simply unnerved, tense, and very uncomfortable. So, , one of the best ways to be scared.
There are only a few video games which can be genre-defining in a means that really means something, however Amnesia: The Darkish Descent, developed by Frictional Video games, set the usual for survival horror within the 2010s. After a couple of years of action-oriented horror video games, most notably 2005’s Resident Evil 4 and 2008’s Useless House, Amnesia took it again to fundamentals, eradicating fight completely and relying virtually solely on environment to induce scares. This was oddly refreshing on the time, and whereas there are many Amnesia-likes out there to play lately, together with two direct sequels, Frictional continues to be a singular developer on this area for its dedication to this specific form of horror, even because it’s gone on to discover different themes and types in separate titles, like Soma.
Whereas The Darkish Descent, as a part of Amnesia: Assortment, is on the market to play on practically all fashionable consoles, it, together with Frictional’s Amnesia: Rebirth and Soma, is leaving Xbox Recreation Go on April 15. Meaning you might have just some days to play a few of these comparatively brief (The Darkish Descent is round eight hours lengthy) however extremely impactful horror video games. And when you don’t make it in time, you’ll be able to nonetheless get 20% off you probably have a subscription.
![A giant spiral staircase going to a high ceiling, with the base surrounded by candles.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5QDLlV0SLgvgFYU6iLq_-0hRm9g=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25384770/amnesia_the_dark_descent_staricase.png)
Picture: Frictional Video games
In The Darkish Descent, you play an amnesiac man named Daniel who wakes up within the eerie Gothic corridors of Brennenburg Fort. Sadly for the participant, there’s unknowable magic and eldritch horrors round each nook, and with out your reminiscence, you’ll must uncover why you’re right here and what’s happening so as to escape. Worst of all, there may be zero fight to talk of, which implies you’ll be able to’t combat again. You’ll be able to decide up objects to resolve puzzles, however when it comes to instruments, all you might have is a lantern you could repeatedly refill with oil and the occasional candle or torch within the setting, which you’ll be able to gentle with a tinderbox.
It’s vital to maintain the lights lit right here as typically as potential, as a result of in any other case, the participant’s “sanity” meter — which measures the quantity of emotional misery the character is beneath — will seem and start to rise, and consequently, the sport will develop into harder and difficult. The longer you keep at the hours of darkness, the extra your meter will rise. The sides of the display screen will develop darker and distorted, whereas monstrous sounds will begin to creep in, crowding your senses. If you happen to don’t discover the sunshine rapidly, you quickly gained’t see a lot in any respect, an enormous downside if you’re surrounded by creatures that may and will kill you in just some hits. You’re very a lot by yourself in Amnesia, and when you have some affect in your setting, you’re principally powerless.
This wasn’t a brand new expertise in gaming, even for Frictional Video games, which had begun to make a reputation for itself years prior with the Penumbra trilogy of survival horror video games. These additionally eschewed conventional survival horror fight in favor of puzzles and an emphasis on environment, which in flip would set the template for what Frictional would finally go on to good over the subsequent few years. The studio would use that data to land on a components with The Darkish Descent that simply works, particularly when you’re bored with motion and gore. Certain, having the ability to kill monsters with a shotgun will be cathartic, however at a sure level, that energy diminishes the scares’ affect, which ought to arguably be considered one of if not the most vital side of a horror sport.
Amnesia: Assortment options two video games — The Darkish Descent and A Machine for Pigs — together with Justine, a one-hour growth. Whereas A Machine for Pigs isn’t an official sequel, because it was helmed by Pricey Esther developer The Chinese language Room, and Justine is generally unrelated to the unique sport, they helped with establishing what has develop into Frictional’s Amnesia model. These are all video games in regards to the absolute worst vibes.
![A character holding up a lantern in first person. It’s illuminating a hallway with pipes on the walls.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zyjK3urRUUonqILq2e0wNTEC58M=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25384773/amnesia_machine_for_pigs.png)
Picture: The Chinese language Room/Frictional Video games
Every sport is closely impressed by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, memorably emphasizes deformed, oddly natural equipment, and options little to no fight. They use amnesia as a plot gadget to arrange the exploration and divulges, however they’re extra in regards to the skinny line between human and monster, and the lengths we’ll go within the seek for energy.
All of this additionally applies to 2020’s Amnesia: Rebirth, which options some particularly disturbing being pregnant imagery; 2023’s Amnesia: The Bunker, which iterates on the sequence with its roguelike design; and 2015’s Soma, which is principally a cyberpunk, transhumanist Amnesia sport. All of those are presently out there on Recreation Go, however solely The Bunker can be out there after April 15.
Through the years, the Amnesia sequence has develop into a horror mainstay, and every entry can stand by itself with out acknowledging the significance and affect of The Darkish Descent. Nonetheless, that first sport continues to be required taking part in even 14 years later, merely for having began all of it.