About an hour ago, I woke up on the floor of a castle. I remember nothing, but there’s a note to me, from myself, that says I’m being chased by a shadow and I have no hope of escape. I believe it, because the darkness consumes my. But the safety light offers is temporary. I’ve seen horrors in the shadows, and I fear they can find me in the light. I have collapsed many times, cowering in a closest or a corner. But progress gives me hope, shaking loose the shadow’s hold on my head…

Does spending 15 minutes cowering in a closet sound like fun?

I am not a fan of horror. It’s not because I don’t like to be scared — like most people, I have that twisted affliction — but I haven’t been scared by a movie since I realized my paralyzing fear of the troll in Ernest: Scared Stupid was stupid. Games are no better; not much is scary when you’re carrying a rocket launcher.

But take away the gun, and the fear can fester.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent instills fear in everything it does. You wake up in a castle with no memories, armed only with a note from yourself. In your fragile mental state, prolonged exposure to darkness triggers a descent into madness.

That descent is conveyed by deteriorating vision and imprecise control of your character. Standing in light can halt that fall, but it cannot reverse it. The only way to get a hold of yourself is to advance.
Puzzle-like obstacles are woven logically into the game world. Most aren’t hard to overcome, in theory, but you can never be sure you’re alone. Can you call a puzzle easy if you hide in a closet for 15 minutes because the door you unlocked may have let a monster in?

Because you are losing your mind, you can’t trust your senses. It’s almost comforting when you know there is a monster in the room, because you know what to avoid.

As you explore, you reveal elements of your past and why you are in the castle. I read every word of the story, because the time you spend reading diaries is the only time you know you’re safe. I welcomed the down time.

I can honestly say Amnesia is the most compelling, immersive experience I have ever had with a video game. It was too intense, at times. It didn’t haunt my dreams or keep me up at night, but I would play for an hour and then take a few days off to calm down.

You may be interested in:

1. 

   Fract Mini-Review
2. 

   IGF On Trial: Igneous
3. 

   IGF On Trial: Star Guard
4. 

   IGF on Trial: Continuity