Zero Punctuation: Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs

[Canadamus Prime]

So.... did you like it? I'm a little unclear on that. I can usually tell, but on this one I'm a little unclear.

The way I interpreted was that he liked it. He stressed the fact that it's scary, which is 50% of a horror game's job. And commented positively on the lack of sanity meter and the set design. The last bit about not feeling in any danger once you're simply caught by the enemies as opposed to butchered... I guess it undermines some of the positive, but doesn't totally turn it into a negative.

That's the part that confused me. He went one about how it's still much better than Dead Space and was improved by the lack of a sanity meter, but then talked about the lack of a sense of danger and being taken out of the experience during the whole city thing. And I'm not sure what he was talking about at the end there, was he still talking about Amnesia or was he talking about Dead Space again?

 

[Geisterkarle]

Damn you Yahtzee, now I will think of Kitten Monsters the next time I see a cat!

 

[Vicioussama]

You liked this atrocious piece of garbage, Yahtzee? lol. Well to each their own, but TheChineseRoom can serious gtfo of the game industry considering it has never made a real game. Just interactive stories. Yes, there is a difference.

I admit this game doesn't hold a candle to The Dark Decent, but why this game gets so much hate mystifies me. I loved it, and yes, it wasn't "gamey" or as scary as the predecessor, but I felt that it was at least a good game by itself, at most a worthy enough sequel. And I'm gonna be honest, I preferred the Machine to the dark corridors of Brennenburg Castle; as Yahtzee said, the whole machine did feel like this groaning monster itself.

Here's the thing, it's not a game. Nor was Dear Esther.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

So.... did you like it? I'm a little unclear on that. I can usually tell, but on this one I'm a little unclear.

The way I interpreted was that he liked it. He stressed the fact that it's scary, which is 50% of a horror game's job. And commented positively on the lack of sanity meter and the set design. The last bit about not feeling in any danger once you're simply caught by the enemies as opposed to butchered... I guess it undermines some of the positive, but doesn't totally turn it into a negative.

That's the part that confused me. He went one about how it's still much better than Dead Space and was improved by the lack of a sanity meter, but then talked about the lack of a sense of danger and being taken out of the experience during the whole city thing. And I'm not sure what he was talking about at the end there, was he still talking about Amnesia or was he talking about Dead Space again?

I think he was still making fun of Dead Space 3, but now I feel like watching the video again

 

[Breywood]

I did a double take. Harvester and Sanitarium? Man those are some old titles. Quirky, but fun.

 

[GamemasterAnthony]

For some reason...I feel this game needs a Deliverance reference. Not sure why though.

Something tells me I'm glad I pefer RPGs to horror games. 'Twould apepar merely reupholstering my chair would be sufficiently inadequate to my reaction to the horror this game may provide. (Even if the lack of dying kills the atmosphere a bit.)

 

[The Last Melon]

I burst out laughing at "Put a blindfold on and shit yourself." That's basically my memory of the original game...

 

[Shjade]

Well that opinion seems to be the minority, after the game came out all I heard was stuff like it's terrible, lacks pacing and it doesn't live up to the original Amnesia.

I might end up playing it eventually but have no motivation for it, for now I will stick with Amnesia: The Double D.

Actually, aside from "it's terrible," that's pretty much what Yahtzee's review said: lots of gameplay features missing from first Amnesia, more linear maps with less sense of urgency to move through them due to lack of consequences for getting caught, story progressively losing his interest, etc.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I didn't like it. Not scary at all. Horror games don't scare me because they have a shitty health system. It can't be a horror game if you have unlimited lives. I have this idea for a horror game where you have a limited amount of lives and a limited amount of saves, only at designated checkpoints. But you also need some hope to keep you going forward. That hope would come in a form of hidden items that reward you with an extra life if you take a risk to look around for them. So are you willing to turn left and explore the unknown dark passage that might hold a secret that could save your life, or are you simply going to turn right towards the next objective? That's how you do horror. You need to give players a choice and they have to think if a detour worth the potential risk.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

So.... did you like it? I'm a little unclear on that. I can usually tell, but on this one I'm a little unclear.

The way I interpreted was that he liked it. He stressed the fact that it's scary, which is 50% of a horror game's job. And commented positively on the lack of sanity meter and the set design. The last bit about not feeling in any danger once you're simply caught by the enemies as opposed to butchered... I guess it undermines some of the positive, but doesn't totally turn it into a negative.

That's the part that confused me. He went one about how it's still much better than Dead Space and was improved by the lack of a sanity meter, but then talked about the lack of a sense of danger and being taken out of the experience during the whole city thing. And I'm not sure what he was talking about at the end there, was he still talking about Amnesia or was he talking about Dead Space again?

I think he was still making fun of Dead Space 3, but now I feel like watching the video again

Yeah, I watched it twice and I'm still not sure.

 

[Something Amyss]

With my astounding powers of precognition, I can predict the main topic of discussion in this thread:

"WHERE'S GTA5"
"WHY AREN'T YOU REVIEWING GTA5"
"GTA PLZ"
"#BOYCOTT"

Which is totally unfair. GTA V has violence, and therefore is banned by the sophisticated society of Australia[footnote]Yes, I know it wasn't really banned, but I like the joke better than reality[/footnote]. It has to be imported from lesser, less civilised nations. This process takes time and involves sled dogs and copious bribes.

Do you know how hard it is to get sled dogs to carry a sled over water?

By now people should be used to Yahtzee reviewing games usually about two or three weeks after release.

You're expecting pattern recognition from a community that has, for the last 6 years, thrown a tantrum every time Half-Life 2e3 or HL3 hasn't been announced because Gabe Newell totally promised he was going to hand-deliver the finished copy at (event or announcement here).

I mean, people should be used to it, but that won't stop people, in all probability. Especially with big games.

Then, if people who were clammoring for his review don't like his opinion, they will declare him TEH BIAS and (if the review is too negative for them), claim he shouldn't bother reviewing a game he hates.

 

[Stabby Joe]

More positive than most other critics, particularity this site;s official review. Interesting in that regard since the most notable point of praise for them is the story yet here it's the other way around.

Hmm. Wonder if he'd like Outlast more or less? Personally I need to finish the first so this will more than likely be much further down the line, Steam sale perhaps.

 

[RJ 17]

With my astounding powers of precognition, I can predict the main topic of discussion in this thread:

"WHERE'S GTA5"
"WHY AREN'T YOU REVIEWING GTA5"
"GTA PLZ"
"#BOYCOTT"

*looks at the post directly below yours*

Crap. I was hoping for Grand Theft Auto V, but I suppose this is to be expected.

I've heard that this game isn't quite as scary as DD, and is a lot more linear (it's The Chinese Room though, what do you expect), but the story sounds bizarre and surreal enough to keep me interested. I think I'll check it out once I upgrade my computer.

My god, your powers are amazing! Grant us your wisdom, o' Charlie of Bass!

OT: Woo-hoo! First time in a long time that Yahtzee's opinion gelled pretty seamlessly with mine! There's plenty to nit-pick about this game but it's still very enjoyable with the first playthrough. It's a different kind of horror than that of the Double D, the only problem was that said horror wasn't the right "flavor" for most people who were just wanting another Double D.

It's much more like reading a Poe story and much less running helplessly from a shambling monstrosity that's wanting to chew your face off.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

OK, two things wrong with the text 'neath the video: It lists his Extra Punctuation column from last week as being the latest one instead of yesterday's, and it neglects to mention that the game is also available on Linux. And while we're at it, can we have "PC" replaced with "Windows", preferably on every video where it's relevant but at least this one?

 

[Erttheking]

Not sure what was funnier, Yahtzee shitting a hole in his computer chair or the phrase "Pull my twat out through my nose" It is now my mission in life to say that in a conversation not about Zero Punctuation and to make it make sense.

 

[themilo504]

I still have to play amnesia the dark decent, I bought it but I still haven?t played it because of reasons that have nothing to do with me being scared.

 

[SinisterGehe]

Well that opinion seems to be the minority, after the game came out all I heard was stuff like it's terrible, lacks pacing and it doesn't live up to the original Amnesia.

I might end up playing it eventually but have no motivation for it, for now I will stick with Amnesia: The Double D.

Oh it is very much play worthy experience. I recommend it - if just to see some grand visuals and atmosphere.
But yeah... There is less of it, also - you don't get threaten by pigmen that often. I "fought" a "boss" without knowing it (If you can call that thing something of a boss, more of a moving obstacle that goes away after certain actions)

Like.... It is a Chinese Room game... And that should tell you enough.

 

[PunkRex]

Why am I disappointed there were no Deliverance jokes about butt sex and squeeling?

 

[grrrz]

You liked this atrocious piece of garbage, Yahtzee? lol. Well to each their own, but TheChineseRoom can serious gtfo of the game industry considering it has never made a real game. Just interactive stories. Yes, there is a difference.

I admit this game doesn't hold a candle to The Dark Decent, but why this game gets so much hate mystifies me. I loved it, and yes, it wasn't "gamey" or as scary as the predecessor, but I felt that it was at least a good game by itself, at most a worthy enough sequel. And I'm gonna be honest, I preferred the Machine to the dark corridors of Brennenburg Castle; as Yahtzee said, the whole machine did feel like this groaning monster itself.

Here's the thing, it's not a game. Nor was Dear Esther.

It's a computer program, it's interactive, it uses animated picture (aka video) and sound as a feedback, you have to press a certain pattern of buttons in the right order to make progress and get to the end, so yeah I really don't see why it shouldn't be categorized as being a game. Besides whatever you call it the experience has to be judged on its own merits, not out of some expectations for what a game should be, or how scary it should be, or how it should be exaclty the same thing than the dark descent.
I really don't get all the hate for this game and really agree whith yathzee that despites its flaws it's still way above average of most of what's coming out of the "gaming industry" today (well maybe he didn't exactly say that).