Zero Punctuation: Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs

[Mjarr]

Of course players can gauge how mentally unstable they are for themselves, but that's not the point; you are playing a character who is not you, and the qualities and characteristics of that character must be communicated to you effectively. The insanity mechanic does this well (I didn't even see the need for the insanity indicator in the inventory).

I disagree for it conveying any kind of real delivery in TDD - aside from discouraging staring at Lovecraftian kebab chefs - because it really boils down to two major effects:

1. You lost your spectacles and eventually go underwater.
2. You pass out from loss of sanity.

Unless there was some patch which greatly altered that mechanic since it's been a while the last time I touched TDD, even if you stared at one of the grunts half an hour as long as you weren't too close what's the actual gameplay impact? Lose your spectacles. Maybe pass out eventually, which of course might be bit tense in hot pursuit but I never even knew that could happen until I tried out for the sake of trying. Sounds of cockroaches (and once in a blue moon you see something actually weird) and submerging underwater visually is, IMHO, very poor definition of effects of insanity. They could've just broken the fourth wall with subtle effects or do much more with it, but instead you just have otherwise reasonable concept wasted for little gain aside from well, it discourages you to oogle at the sexy beasts.

(Har har at the end of the sentence.)