2013-02 Tuesday 19th, Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs Status Update

[Alex Ros]

...Originally we thought it would be a short, experimental game set in the universe of Amnesia, but thechineseroom had a vision that was bigger than that. As their work progressed, the potential for a much greater project emerged. What we ended up with is no longer what we had first imagined, but a fully fledged Amnesia game. A different kind of Amnesia, but definitely not a short experiment...

As for me that's the most interesting part of the announcement. Amnesia was strictly classical horror game in a cliche haunted house. Frictional do know it by themselves if you played Amnesia with a commentary mode. They knew it's a just horror horror and horror and a only little bit of philosophy, subtext, undertones... etc. And that "hole" is exactly what I presume is now filled. At least thechineseroom are exactly those guys who do games... not even a games, but subconscious stories with twisted experimental game-mechanics. If Frictional made their experiment with throwing away weapons system, I do believe collaboration with thechineseroom made the Amnesia universe even more unpredictable, game mechanics even more unexpected, storyline choices a lot more less-clear and they will torture your mind "did I make a right choice?", etc... I do believe they digged with experimenting with primal fear, helplessness and moral duality of everything you do and just see a lot deeper. Now it will be a lot less like Edgar Poe with haunted houses and a lot more like... I do not know like what. Something a lot more unique and self-contained.

As for immersion. The presence or absence of voice or text is NOT that thing that sucks you into a fearful fantasy world. Of course voice or text do matters, but they aren't critical. Critical are storyline, level-design and characters (including enemies). No less, no more. There's nothing to even talk about.