The reviews Elysium syndrome

[Bucic]

I've read some bits of AAMFP reviews on the internet and it seems to me that the Elysium syndrome is on the loose (from the reviews of the recent Sci-Fi film). What is the Elysium syndrome? Well, basically it's the reviewer coming up with some out of thin air expectations, some of which are unrealistic, and scoring a negative point in the review for each of his expectation that the game has not met. Then, to top this, he scores down for some completely subjective evaluation of an in-game implementation, e.g. the particular reviewer fell in love with the sanity effect from the Amnesia TDD, BAM!, 2 out of 10 points down for AAMFP for not having the said effect.

[eliasfrost]

That's how sequels work, it's bound to be compared to the rest of the series. Even though AMFP is very different than TDD, it's still an Amnesia game and thus it's treated as one.

[Mastersarge]

Maybe It's the bandwagon syndrome! Where every fan jumps on the wagon to needlessly defend it without any sort of common sense or individuality.

[Bucic]

Wanna see a parade of 'why no finite lantern and no inventory'? AMFP Member Review Thread

[cantremember]

See the bright side. Amnesia's popularity as the scariest game ever made will probably boost a Machine for Pigs. Frictional Games will have plenty of coins to spend on an awesome epic sequal
A machine For Pigs was more intended to be an add-on, like Justine (but much longer).

[Bucic]

See the bright side. Amnesia's popularity as the scariest game ever made will probably boost a Machine for Pigs. Frictional Games will have plenty of coins to spend on an awesome epic sequal
A machine For Pigs was more intended to be an add-on, like Justine (but much longer).

I think you unnecessarily downgraded AAMFP there

[Cuyir]

@Bucic: Welp. You summed it up better than I could sir.

Hat's off to you.

I'll probably repeat this later tonight in some other thread but i've noticed some quite poor opinions on one of the flaws.

"The game is dumbed down, there's no gameplay or interactivity. It's too easy."

Really? A horror adventure game that's centered around atmosphere and a few puzzles thrown in was dumbed down because physics affect less items, no inventory and no sanity meter?

Really now?

Let me reiterate. A first person horror game where the only gameplay, since the days of Black Plague, has been walking, reading, puzzles, hiding and running away...has less gameplay elements and less interactivity because they removed two immersion breaking mechanics (inventory and sanity meter) and because physics affect less items in the game?
Really?

Opinions like these makes me question whether people are getting dumber or if the internet has just given these people a loudspeaker and makes them appear more numerous.

[bluel0bster]

Getting rid of the sanity really affected the horror aspect in a negative way for me, I think that's kind of a universal complaint about the game. All in all I don't care all that much, but it still detracts and is a valid point.

[MyRedNeptune]

immersion breaking mechanics (inventory and sanity meter)

That can be disputed.

[HorrorElementFilms]

I'll honestly say, that I found Amnesia A Machine For Pigs, to be one of the most enjoyable and decent games I've ever played. No, I wouldn't call it the "scariest" game ever, but that's because it wasn't meant to be. I can tell by playing this game, that this was made to convey a story. And a damn, good one at that. Most reviewers that I've seen, slam this game because it's "not scary" or "not enough gameplay". What TheChineseRoom have created, is one of the best stories a video game has ever showed to be.

It was so deep and emotionally engaging, that you couldn't help but treat it like a visual novel. I wouldn't call this game a "Survival Horror", as TDD has been labeled to be. I'd call this a horror experience. A tale of epic proportions. A stunning visual marvel.

A Machine For Pigs.