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Thank you for keeping it difficult - Printable Version

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Thank you for keeping it difficult - suibriel - 09-11-2010

I'm something of an expert when it comes to puzzle games and things, and even I've been stuck a couple of times in Amnesia. I'm happy to say that I doubt many people will be able to get through the game without a few glances of a walkthrough, and that's a good thing!

Sure, there are hints scattered about and the level design is slightly obvious, but overall (I'm playing without hints or death hints, though) I'm impressed that Amnesia wasn't totally dumbed down from previous efforts.

I've been stuck for various lengths on,

Spoiler below!
This sucked! After entering the area with the small fountain and going through everything, I simply had no idea how to create an explosive mix. I searched for easily over two hours, every single nook and cranny in every single room. I read every note and had nearly assumed I'd bugged out the game somehow. Of course during my frustration I realized, wait a second, they wouldn't make a fuss over the supply room caskets if there was nothing to do with them. And, obviously, the drill gives me the explosive mixture I needed. GAH!

and

Spoiler below!
In the sewer with the two bridges - I easily fixed the 3 rooms to match the other side but had no idea how to progress. It was so obvious after the fact though, I just didn't see the levers for the bridges - thought they were decorations :\

unt

Spoiler below!
Figuring out how to get the vaccine. I simply have no idea how normal people are going to think to use the drill on the guys head. Was it in a book somewhere? A diagram?

and

Spoiler below!
Getting the machinery to work in the place with the talking guy (sorry, forgot his name!). How the hell will people find that trapdoor? The talking guy said "look around for items, i'm sure you'll fix it" and of course, tada - I find a trap door by accident!

Granted these moments in hindsight were only due to my own lack of awareness, but I still giggle at how most people will give up after 2 minutes of not being told what to do.

Bravo!
Oh, and of course, thank you for a brilliant game.

Perhaps a bit too much arse and penis, however.

RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - nofsky - 09-11-2010

The only time I got stuck was
Spoiler below!
at the part with Agrippa and the trapdoor, I simply missed it. Found it eventually though, I noticed the sound of machinery coming from that way and found the door.

Everything else was simple and straight forward to me. I Didn't get stuck at any other places.

RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - bblaze - 09-11-2010

The elaborate hinting system nudged me in the right direction most of the time. An example:


Spoiler below!

Having to find a vaccine with the only place I haven't been to being the morgue was one of the easier puzzles. They died from that plaguey gas, so when I read that the body on the table was only dead for a day it was clear that I had to extract his blood; using the needle didn't just tell me that it doesn't work, it told me I'd need more, so I combined it with the copper tube - using that with the body told me that it can't penetrate the skull, which made me try hammer & chisel; that didn't work, so I took the hand drill.


Only got stuck once on finding the trap door near Agrippa.


It's very well done by FG - the puzzles were absolutely doable, the hints.. some more subtle than others.. but you always felt smart after you've managed to solve one!

RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - ploppytheman - 09-11-2010

I got stuck a few times but not for that long. I didn't know how to blow up the explosive so I tried throwing a rock at it which apparently worked. Besides that I got stuck looking for the torture rooms for super long because I thought the cells were the torture rooms (I mean they were caked in blood and had sound tubes).

The levers for the bridge were a bit odd as well, I thought I was missing a pipe since 2 holes aren't covered and spent 30min LF the last pipe/trying to solve the puzzle when I solved it in 5min the first time but I didn't realize I had.

Besides that the gears in the ceiling was stupid. I clicked that stupid gear several times and nothing happened so I was wandering around for another 20min... had to go to youtube to figure that one out sigh...

Everything else was complicated but sensible and very well done.

RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - Commando Peach - 09-11-2010

The only time I got legit stuck so much I quit the game was...

Spoiler below!
...trying to find the third elevator rod in the study. I had quickly looked away when my vision started blurring because of that window cracking (the one you need to break to get around the rubble), and then didn't give it more than a passing glance later on. It wasn't until I quit and restarted the level later that I saw the cinematic of it cracking and realized it was there. Aughhhhhhhh.

As for the...

Spoiler below!
...trapdoor by Agrippa, I thought I was stuck for a while too. I was convinced the machinery I needed was the machinery in the room on the left side of the Chancel with the unmoving door. Eventually I lapped the whole area, from Nave to Chancel, a few times, using my eyes and not my ears. Eventually I went back to Agrippa in hopes he'd help, and that's when I heard it and investigated.

I'm pretty sure that puzzle is there to remind you sometimes need to listen more than look.


RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - suibriel - 09-12-2010

Spoiler below!
Oh so he actually tells you about the trapdoor? That's kind of disappointing.


RE: Thank you for keeping it difficult - Commando Peach - 09-12-2010

Spoiler below!
No, he doesn't, but you can hear the gears in the machinery while you're standing next to him. I heard the noise and investigated.