Why I did NOT buy the game.

[FudgehogPinata]

Before I begin, I would like to stress that the reason why I have created this thread is to reply to a Development Blog entry at http://frictionalgames.blogspot.com/ titled "One week after the release of Amnesia". After reading that blog entry, I felt guilty that I did not buy Amnesia and felt that I should create a new thread on this board about this in hopes that Frictional Games would read it. I would also like to stress that I am considering buying the game in the future (with or without a discount) and everything stated below are reasons why I have not bought Amnesia sooner.

The biggest reason why I did not buy the game is because of the lack of replay value. When I purchase a game, I want to be able to play it a second, third, or even fourth time without getting bored. You might say that the replay value is in the desire to see how things turn out differently in your next playthrough, or it is in the desire to see if you can beat the game faster than your previous playthrough. But I am not interested in either of those. Things that peak my interest are items, tools, etc that you can unlock from completing certain tasks, such as completing the storyline, that make the game easier or more interesting. But I can imagine that, for a game like Amnesia, it is hard to come up with an unlockable item that does not ruin the atmosphere or overall feel of the game.

The second reason why I did not buy the game is because the game is too scary. But that is the reason why it is so interesting and why I want it. In the past I have played other horror games such as Silent Hill and Haunting Ground. But none of them felt more intense, more real than Amnesia does. The gameplay trailer alone made me feel a little nervous and scared. And the demo made me feel even more so to the point where I would stop playing to rebuild the courage I lost and come back to continue because the game draws me in. I have no suggestions on how to improve this because this is actually a highlight of the game, despite it being one of the reasons why I, and some other gamers, did not buy the game.

That is all for the reasons why I did not buy the game. Before I end this message I would like to say that I believe a game with a short storyline is fine as long as it has reply value. So you, Frictional Games, should not worry about the length of the storyline in your next game. (Hopefully you will continue making games.) As long as you add content that would make the game worth playing two, three or more times, you should be alright.

Thank you for reading and good luck to you in your current and future endeavors.