My amnesia thoughts (can include spoilers)

[gandalf91]

Well seeing that Frictional Games nearly went bankrupt I don't think you can really criticize them for budget problems, most games reuse textures so that's not really that much of a problem. Also the whole attack mechanism wasn't great in overture so its better that it was missing. And to be honest throwing vases at them doesn't really sound that effective anyway .

You misunderstood me. I wasn't complaining the lack of attack mechanism, but that the engine's physics are barely ever used for anything useful. if it's not part a of puzzle you probably won't even be able to pick it up at all. Small crates, lone books and small vases are some of the very few exceptions and there isn't anything creative you can do. Blocking a door doesn't work to stop a monster.

In the first hallway I had some fun picking up books and throwing them around, but during actual gameplay it's pointless to touch anything that isn't glowing or isn't a drawer. Half the stuff I wanted to push around was made as part of the game world and completely unmovable. Even though bigger objects could be moved (like wooden beams) if it was part of the puzzle.

It's about immersion and a sense of realism. It doesn't have to be exploited to achieve any specific purpose.