[SPOILER] Story Discussion

[Ghieri]

What about Daniel's sanity? Maybe these Gatherers aren't horribly disfigured, but Daniel sees them as such?

That actually makes some sense. After all, Daniel has "seen" some pretty convincing things.

Which leads me to question exactly how much of what we saw WAS real?

*Starts working on theory where there wasn't anything supernatural and Daniel was just a serial killer*

[CorinthianMerchant]

[FlawlessHappiness]

Stop it Corinthian

What if Alexander accidently changed channel and grunt became mickey mouse, in disney channel?
What if Alexander controlled a monster when suddenly "Arh! Bloody hell! I'm out of batteries!"
There's an ok button?
And i'd like to see what "Reveal" does.

[CorinthianMerchant]

And i'd like to see what "Reveal" does.

Reveals nude pictures.

[craven7]

I have to ask this before I open a new thread with a load of questions about the story:

Is there any plot summary / explanation for amnesia which goes into detail?

[Alex Ros]

Story discussion... let's update this great interesting thread.

That's well known that a lot of reviewers considered that Amnesia storyline is largely inspired by H.P.Lovecraft. For example even Wikipedia put Amnesia in a category: video games based on works by H.P.Lovecraft. What do you think about that in general? And what do you think in particular, is that statement fair or not? And another one question right away, no matter if Amnesia is truly inspired by H.P.Lovecraft works or not, is such an inspiration good or bad?

[Bridge]

Story discussion... let's update this great interesting thread.

That's well known that a lot of reviewers considered that Amnesia storyline is largely inspired by H.P.Lovecraft. For example even Wikipedia put Amnesia in a category: video games based on works by H.P.Lovecraft. What do you think about that in general? And what do you think in particular, is that statement fair or not? And another one question right away, no matter if Amnesia is truly inspired by H.P.Lovecraft works or not, is such an inspiration good or bad?

Inspiration isn't good or bad, it just is. You can't really control it, and usually if you try too hard it ends up being forced.

Anyway, of course it is H.P. Lovecraft inspired to some extent. Quick example: The concept of amnesia that's found quite often most notably in Shadow Out of Time, the story being told through letters and notes, the player being totally helpless against the monsters, etc. If it was heavily inspired by Lovecraft it certainly didn't reflect on the game itself, I think the "Lovecraft inspiration" gets overplayed way too much. "Lovecraftian" to me is the subtle atmosphere Lovecraft manages to create (that is present in Call of Cthulhu: DCotE) and Amnesia has none of that. It has a really thick atmosphere but it's its own thing. I consider Penumbra way more "Lovecraftian" but again, not really.

[Kreekakon]

I'll just say something I've been saying a long time:

Great creativity almost always starts from inspiration, which is usually a nice way to say "mimicking other great works", and that is in no way a bad thing.

[craven7]

In of piece of Daniel's diary there is a nearly direct quote from HPL... something like "...impossible geometry and endless deserts...". Lovecraft used terms like these in many of his stories, especially in "At the Mountains of Madness".


Also the whole atmosphäre is "lovecraftian" (and penumbra too)
Always alone, exploring deserted, ancient environments, supernatural events combined with science.
The monsters are very close to the monsters from Lovecraft, or at least they tried to get as close as possible. Of course they didn't include something like the Great Old Ones or other gods... I can hardly think of a way to SHOW them in any media...
But the implementation (not the visuals) of the monsters we know (grunt, brutes, shadow) is highly similar to the ones in Lovecraft's stories. You can hardly get a close look at them (if you are acting ingame like you would act in RL), if you try to, it hurts (mentally) and they have a very supernatural touch, escpecially the shadow.

[Alex Ros]

And what do you think could be better for Amnesia? Not to have any inspiration at all? Fully independent story? Or lovecraftian allusions are just great and must be? And what about Machine For Pigs? Would you love to get another one lovecraftian story? Or you'd prefer an independent one story?