Disappointed with AAMFP

[Quizerno]

Perhaps I should have been clearer. A lot (i.e. the majority) of the criticism I have seen/read can be traced to a frustration with new, unfamiliar experiences and an expectation of the same formula with a different map and character. Not all, of course, but many.

An "unfamiliar experience" isn't the problem. The problem is that it bears little connection to original in terms of mechanics despite being marketed as the sequel.

People wanted more Amnesia, but they would have accepted some leeway. Say you remove the inventory, but make the puzzles more intricate and complex? Or you replace the sanity mechanic with needing to catch your breath after you've run from a monster?

Anyway, many of the loud noises (many made by the machine) were events occurring within the game, though not immediately consequentional to the player. The Machine moves and people are slaughtered (indirectly by YOUR hand). How is this not scary? Something doesn't need to be immediately threatening to be horrifying.

No, it doesn't need to be threatening, but it needs to mean something in order to garner any sense of connection with the player. Otherwise it's just noise.

At first, the rumbling in TDD seemed just atmospheric, but then when it became harsher and the flesh started to grow on the walls, you understood that it meant the Shadow was moving. It may not have been scary, but you knew what the purpose was.

In AMFP the noise doesn't mean anything to player other than "the machine is rumbling." So does my dryer, does that mean my dryer makes pig-people?

But I guess, here we come to a simple matter of personal preferance.

Sure. No denying that.

Haha, that was funny , but I don't think you need to use your brain a lot in TDD, either.

Perhaps not, but TDD at least gives you goals and expects that you can follow through with them.