Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs Discussion Topic Part 1

[maarten12100]

The fact there is replay value doesn't have to affect the game at all.
Amnesia and Penumbra Black plague both have good replay value although the story is completely the same as the first play.
The reason it still thrills is that those enemy's, creepy sounds, music and mind-boggling events will keep you on the edge of your seat time after time.
For example I still get the shivers although I have seen Tuurngait a hundred times just his voice the chase the fact it used to be a human and that it'll be more intelligent than me.
I enjoyed the chases where I have to assemble the antidote while Clarence is mashing up my brain, Couldn't walk straight and 2 Tuurngaits hunting for me.

[Tiger]

The fact there is replay value doesn't have to affect the game at all.
Amnesia and Penumbra Black plague both have good replay value although the story is completely the same as the first play.
The reason it still thrills is that those enemy's, creepy sounds, music and mind-boggling events will keep you on the edge of your seat time after time.
For example I still get the shivers although I have seen Tuurngait a hundred times just his voice the chase the fact it used to be a human and that it'll be more intelligent than me.
I enjoyed the chases where I have to assemble the antidote while Clarence is mashing up my brain, Couldn't walk straight and 2 Tuurngaits hunting for me.

Are Tuurngaits the guys in Penumbra with bananapenises butt-f*cking themselves?

[Macgyverthehero]

The fact there is replay value doesn't have to affect the game at all.
Amnesia and Penumbra Black plague both have good replay value although the story is completely the same as the first play.
The reason it still thrills is that those enemy's, creepy sounds, music and mind-boggling events will keep you on the edge of your seat time after time.
For example I still get the shivers although I have seen Tuurngait a hundred times just his voice the chase the fact it used to be a human and that it'll be more intelligent than me.
I enjoyed the chases where I have to assemble the antidote while Clarence is mashing up my brain, Couldn't walk straight and 2 Tuurngaits hunting for me.

Are Tuurngaits the guys in Penumbra with bananapenises butt-f*cking themselves?

Yep.

[Damascus Rose]

Are Tuurngaits the guys in Penumbra with bananapenises butt-f*cking themselves?

Wat.

[Kman]

Are Tuurngaits the guys in Penumbra with bananapenises butt-f*cking themselves?

...

It's called an umbilical cord.

[Statyk]

I don't blame people from thinking so... I mean, this "thing" is dangling close to the danger zone and by the time you see this fucker, you're high-tailing it out of there. Your mind takes an image of that moment, it is really blurry, and next thing you know, you imagine bananapenises. I thought so at first, but I also began thinking, "Wow, why is it so huge?" And got a better look and I thought, "Oh good, just an umbilical cord"

[Kreekakon]

Therefore, it is my opinion that a more restrictive style of Game Design fits horror games better, even if it means that replay value has to be sacrificed. The emotional impact will be the greatest on the first playthrough anyway, so why not focus on making that playthrough really good instead of going for more randomized options that might benefit replay value, but may diminish the experience of the first playthrough?

Yeah I suppose. In my opinion, though even if such is the case, you can only fully appreciate a great game's story by playing it at least twice.

In the first run you'll be taken by everything by suprise, and you'll feel awesome when it's over. However you may feel a bit confused since some of the information may have slipped your mind while trying to remember so many new aspects on your first go. In your second go however, you will go into the game armed with most of everything you know from the game already, and you'll be able to understand the story better which in turn will cause you to appreciate the game much more than just playing it only once.

That's just me anways.

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Yeah I suppose. In my opinion, though even if such is the case, you can only fully appreciate a great game's story by playing it at least twice.

In the first run you'll be taken by everything by suprise, and you'll feel awesome when it's over. However you may feel a bit confused since some of the information may have slipped your mind while trying to remember so many new aspects on your first go. In your second go however, you will go into the game armed with most of everything you know from the game already, and you'll be able to understand the story better which in turn will cause you to appreciate the game much more than just playing it only once.

Oh that's definitely true! I also like to play games several times to really grasp all the nuances and details of the story and also to simply revisit a world I've come to like. Its like reading your favourite book over and over.

All I'm saying is this: If I was developing a horror game and I had to choose between for example having the monsters appear exactly where its the most effective and having them spawn randomly (to create replay value), I'd take the first option. Randomization may create variety, but its almost always noticeable and bears the danger of making a game feel more generic - especially if the only goal of the game is to create emotions.

Well maybe I should add That Dear Esther kinda has a special status here and that my theory does not really apply to it. While it has randomization, that randomization is the whole point of the game and an integral part of it. Its not really comparable to random monster placement or the like...

[GrAVit]

Yeah I suppose. In my opinion, though even if such is the case, you can only fully appreciate a great game's story by playing it at least twice.

In the first run you'll be taken by everything by suprise, and you'll feel awesome when it's over. However you may feel a bit confused since some of the information may have slipped your mind while trying to remember so many new aspects on your first go. In your second go however, you will go into the game armed with most of everything you know from the game already, and you'll be able to understand the story better which in turn will cause you to appreciate the game much more than just playing it only once.

That's just me anways.

I agree! And this is why I played through the game thrice, since the story is so good. But that's just my opinion.

[peckinpah1976]

Well, personally I think that replay value is overrated sometimes. I'm not saying its a bad thing for a game to have a certain amount of variety in different playthroughs or to have other features that make you interested in playing it more than once. But if the goal of the game is to deliver a perfectly crafted experience, to touch you emotionally and to make sure that it has the greatest impact possible, adding "replay-features" can sometimes do more harm than good in my opinion.

I don't get this at all; of course nothing will replace the experience of playing ATDD for the first time but repeat plays are still very enjoyable and don't diminish the original in any way - that's like saying a favourite film shouldn't be viewed multiple times. For me Amnesia is all about exploring the environment and despite it's darkness it's actually a world I've enjoyed revisiting regularly.