My main problem with AMFP: Observer vs. Participator

[Alardem]

The problem with immersion is I didn't feel like I was the character Mandus wading through the game. The found documents weren't read by a voice actor as in Dark Descent, so I lost that connection to the characters I made in DD. There was just something that made me not connect with the character like I did with Daniel. Maybe it was the plot, maybe it was the fact you couldn't fully interact with your surrounding, maybe because the only voice that was heard was the man on the phone.

As for valuing the life of the character, that is also a bit about immersion to me. I didn't feel like I was actually living the game, having to worry about my wounds and my sanity. No worries about Laudanum. No worries about your mental health. Just avoid the monsters easily. No need to hide really either. The monsters weren't as persistent either. By simplifying the game in this way, to me, it lost something.

In short, AMFP, to me, wasn't even equally as good as DD. The Chinese Room could have done better.

These are all subjective complaints. But I have to disagree particularly about the health system - every Frictional game has included regenerating health in its mechanics, which makes the health items redundant/unnecessary if you manage to hide long enough. They only really help when in an extended chase, and realistically you would not be able to apply drugs to yourself when a horrific abomination is devouring your flesh.

Of course, both games mess up when it comes to making death something to fear rather than welcome. Perma-death, as in Justine, is one thing - but I'd much prefer having you suffer a hideous, explicit demise. Think about being forced to endure a monster tearing your body apart, spilling blood and making the most horrendous sounds of bones cracking and slippery flesh ripping - all accompanied by your character's ear-splitting screams. I think that's much more of a deterrent to how Amnesia has treated death as a convenient 'skip monster' option.