What do you think of the game's length?

[mikeswa88]

After playing and beating Amnesia in my opinion I would call it an experience rather than a video game and I mean that as a compliment. I enjoy your games and after playing the demo for Amnesia I knew that I'd love it too.

However, with Penumbra: Overture, I might have only played the game for 8-10 hours but by the end it felt like I'd been playing for at least 20 hours and I was completely satisfied. I did not have this same feeling with Amnesia unfortunately. I truly loved the game, but by the end it I just didn't feel like enough time had elapsed.

I'm having trouble pinpointing why exactly this is. Perhaps I was just playing to voraciously and didn't envelope myself in the story enough, I'm not sure. As I mentioned earlier, it felt more like an experience rather than a game. There was plenty to experience, but there wasn't a lot of game per se.

As for the price, I'd call it fair. For the amount of effort put into it I'm amazed it doesn't cost more. However, with future projects if the price were to increase I would expect more content. That content may be in the form of cutscenes or puzzles, anything, I just want to be able to spend more time in the amazing, rich worlds that you guys create.

[MighT42]

Although I haven't had the time to play Amnesia, yet. I stumbled over the demo yesterday on Steam and were really excited to find a successor (in a way) of Penumbra. And Penumbra was one of the most thrilling gaming experiences in roughly 25 years of computer gaming.
And this brings me right to my point:
Being in the mid thirties, having a job, a wife and even some other interests than computer gaming, for me eight to ten hours is the perfect length. If the games get any longer, I can hardly make it through to the end... If it's any longer, chances are, that I will be kept from playing the game (simply by standard day to day hustle and bustle), loose the plot, get out of the story and then I'm doomed... next I have the choice of starting all over or staring a new game...
So for me 10 hours is just perfect and I'd also pay 30$ for an intense game as Penumbra was and I suspect Amesia will be. On the other hand, by about four games a year, I'm afraid, I might not be in the typical target group.

[Gvaz]

The game length was just fine. I'd rather not be bogged down doing mundane crap, and well to be honest the puzzles only got easier as time went on.

I just wish there was more actual puzzles.

The Lever puzzle was extremely easy.

The Furnace was rather hard, because I had no idea the side room had coal in it. It looked like dirt and rocks to me.

[Macil]

I voted for "Perfect!"

I have long felt that games these days are too short -- I am glad that is not the case here. Game length, I think, is dependent on the game and its intended goals/motivations, which I think Amnesia nailed.

I admit, I felt like I must have played this game for weeks ... or years, but I think I came out around 10-12 hours.

The intensity was so off the chart, I don't think I could have handled a game that was much longer. I would have burned out and risked not finishing the game. For me, each play session was a ritual just to get started.

If the game had lasted much longer, I don't think I could have suffered the very real physical and mental consequences!

Spoiler below!

I will mention that I think a bit more time could have been spent on the end. I have no problem with the "content" or "consequences" of the ending(s) -- but rather, that the ending(s) felt a bit abrupt and not enough of a "reward" (in proportion) for the horrors I had to endure to get there.

I do appreciate multiple endings, though -- and am glad more than one was included (which I wasn't expecting).

Also .. thanks so much for the SECRET RAR file -- I loved seeing the design docs. I wish more games would show that stuff, as I'd love to make games myself someday and seeing that stuff is GREAT.

[Hannibal]

I played 10 hours and felt that was the right time for a conclusion.

I felt the price was a bargain for 10 hours of entertainment. Knowing what I know now, I would've paid more, but if the price had been higher, I may not have taken a chance with an unknown vendor.

But you can make more! Sell me a Custom Story that intros a new monster and reveals more about Agrippa.

[glottis8]

There are a lot of things that went through my mind while playing this game. It was exciting to be told to immerse one self into the game story and events. Instead of making us focus on other things like gameplay. But I still felt dissatisfied with some of the game execution. For instance, when I played the demo I swore it was one of the scariest games I've ever tried! Being a big fan of the horror genre it is hard to find a game that makes you run for you life, and experience being nervous because something you don't know or see is after you.

My point is no matter how long or short the game is I had more fun with the demo than the actual game. Why? Maybe because the narrative of the game was not at all engaging in many ways. Because I was expecting more to happen when your sanity went low. You guys I am sure referenced "Eternal Darkness", I mean, in my mind that game is perfect. That game not only scared you, it made you doubt what was going on... with things like making the game seem like a demo, or memory database being erased. They play with your mind and that as a gamer makes you hesitant on what is reality in the game. The story being kinda generic still engaged. Anyways, I think there needs to be more emphasis on the games mechanics... like really watching the monster walk around should be terrifying, i had parts where i could look at him... and nothing really happens... your sanity should have more of a repercussion on you... making everything red and blurry was just annoying. I don't know, I did enjoy the game, don't get me wrong, but from the demo I was expecting more than what I got. The length I don't think is a problem. Many games today last 8 hrs and its fine... So keep up the good work and make the next game even scarier and crazy.

[Guyra]

For me, it felt like the game had perfect length. Not too short, but not too long, either.

[elmstfreddie]

I enjoyed the length of the game, you got the whole story out, and there were some great scares.
If it were $50, I wouldn't be impressed, of course. But I'd gladly buy another $20 game that is this long!
Point being, completely worth it. The tools to develop maps is a big bonus. On top of developing maps though, I think it'd be fantastic to support the map making community a lot. I know making custom maps is what has kept many other games alive in the past (from different companies), but only because the community was strong. I guess all this would need is some kinda forum for all the map makers to congregate on or just for normal people to find the maps. Perhaps a link in the game itself (when clicking custom story, perhaps?) that would open a web page to this theoretical forum, for just about anybody to find people's custom stories.
And... I hope that made sense. PEACE.

[dvow]

I went with choice two.

On the first play though, I will admit the game was so scary, that it took a very long time to finish. That gave the illusion of length, because you were stumbling afraid through most of the game, if you didn't need to take a lengthy break now and then to get the courage to go back. This was a quality horror game. But...

Once you get over the fear, usually on the second play through, the game's actually extremely short, and can be finished in one afternoon between lunch and dinner. Amnesia has little replay value after the first scary experience of playing it, since it's short, and not entirely flexible or addictive as some other, less scary horror games. I tend to rate game length on replay value, since this factors a lot into the length of time you'll devote to enjoying the game.

I've played Silent Hill 2 a few times just because it has some great replay value, and the story, actors, and environments are all mysterious and open to interpretation--I always find something new each play. In amnesia, you mostly finish everything on your first play through, and I only went back to hear the commentary. I really doubt I'll ever play Amnesia a third time. I'll try out user made games though, but this sill doesn't make up for the lack of replay value the base game has.

20$ seemed to be an appropriate price for a very terrifying experience. If Amnesia had some serious replay value, and more complex levels of interpretation and secrets that make you want to go back, I'd gladly pay more. I saw mostly everything on the first play through though. There's no reason to go back anymore.

[harlequ1n]

After beating it on my 5th or so sitting I feel the game's lenght was perfect. The new ways of scaring the player were ace as one starts to anticipate monsters after solving puzzles, etc. It's a brilliantly paced game imho.