For me this game came as a surprise out of nowhere, and so I did not get hyped too much. Which was a good thing. The game is not bad, but it's lacking the same feel and extremely dark atmosphere from both previous instalments; "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" and "A Machine for Pigs". (Yes, I know that last one is technically not made by Frictional). The positives are very good graphics, nice sound and a solid game play experience. I never found myself annoyed with the - sometimes constant - interruptions with audio flashbacks. Also the lack of monsters (for the large part) only heightened the immersion for me. I don't care for games where you have to hide and confront these kind of creatures all the time. But when they do emerge from the shadows I find the game isn't that scary. For some reason I confronted most of the creatures or ran away. They - or the situations I found myself in - were never that frightening. This is something I never really experienced with A Machine for Pigs. Or in the absolute masterpiece "S.O.M.A.", for that matter. It's also a shame that you don't always get time to take in the stunning visual settings around you. when getting chased by monsters. And speaking of visuals, what I found also didn't sit right with me was the abrupt change from our world and "the other world". To me it was a distraction from the narrative to jump from the dessert to the absolute hell of the alien world. As in the original game and in the Steampunk Machine for Pigs it felt more cohesive and more to the point. But in the end, not a bad game. Can recommend it if you don't put your expectations to high. And in true S.O.M.A.-fashion, they really know how to make the ending darker than dark... oh my word. Did I have nightmares after finishing the game? No, but close to it...
