Im stuck in the third level and my "
suitorphobia" is keeping me from thinking clearly, the fact that the suitor music is constantly playing(glitch?or intended?) makes it even harder to think.I got a key for the mines and I also got a hint at some door that I had to trap a monster?.
My review is based on what I played.
The Wine Cellar-ish level
The beginning could have been done better, it's very sudden that you are thrown into it, and from what I have been playing there seems to be no clear explanation to who you are or how the fuck you ended up here. is the player having amnesia? I dunno anything but that I happen to be in some sort of wine cellar.
Original Amnesia both had an intro, giving you some basic information on Daniel, and a little later you encounter a note from your past self, giving you a clear objective and some basic knowledge on what the fuck is going on:..... well you are having amnesia my friend and you must kill an old guy.
I think the spade puzzle is a little hard considering it's the very first room in the story. Players subconsciously think that the spade is not puzzle related because it's the kind of object you can grab, the fact that the spade is well hidden in a corner does not really help. Maybe you should put the spade a little more out in the open. You could also add a memento when trying to open the door that says something like "I need to break this door open somehow" or if that's to revealing just write "I need to somehow open this door". Then you will at least be stating to the player that its about the door, avoiding having players jumping around on the wine barrels looking for another way out.
From here until the suitor encounter theres not much that pops to my mind other then the odd dagger in meat thing. I make my way to the first encounter and once I hear the door banging I start walking backwards
, I hide in a corner and once the suitor has passed I sneak my way to the room which he came from. Here I find lots of oil and stuff If I remember correctly, and considering how much you got in the first room I cant help but feel that this is a little too much, and from what I have played it seems to continue. I hear that the music has stopped so I go back to find a way out and succed my breaking the door open with my hands I believe
Mansion Level
The first thing I think when I enter the mansion level is...
WHY THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO STARE AT THIS UGLY WALL
http://i.imgur.com/mQsfRX6.jpg
When I can stare at this pretty corridor?
http://i.imgur.com/gM74b9E.jpg
just remove that pointless room......
So I move on and my first impression of this map is pretty nice it has a nice corridor and I like this room to
http://i.imgur.com/dxdu67p.jpg.
But from there it kinda goes down. Most rooms I find are kinda empty and lack detail in most areas, and the fact that most of the map is lit by a dull boxlight does not really help. The statues/armors provide some nice creepy tension when starting the level but the way they are all over the place results in you getting used to them pretty quick. Theres not that many scares in the level either, though I liked the one were you would hear a monster sound if you tried to go back.
As I went I took some pictures:
http://i.imgur.com/mT7mbz0.jpg
Why is this in here?
http://i.imgur.com/JJ6Xzk3.jpg
Lots of closets eh?I dunno if this can be stated as realistick for a room though I understand it was meant to make the player nervous. I guess it could make sence as a dressing room but then why would the statue be in there?
http://i.imgur.com/j4h1EZF.jpg
Y U NO STOP ICONS SHOWING!!??
http://i.imgur.com/f81m9cQ.jpg
I dont understand why this room had to a seperate level, or why theres a pig in here.
http://i.imgur.com/d2XxXQg.jpg
ever heard designing a house in a practical way?
http://i.imgur.com/JGdvUx4.jpg
One thing I really like is when you are able to see a place at which you have already been from another angle later in the game.
http://i.imgur.com/SIkdNO2.jpg
Theres a hole in the roof....but the floor is clean
no debris no dust...
http://i.imgur.com/RPGFOrz.jpg
put some stuff in your closets mate!
The Cellar level
When I enter the cellar level I think...seriusly this was behind that door?.
You gotta remember to make proper transitions robo, imagine if the door stood open.
The lighting in the first room is nice but when you get downstairs you end up returning to the bland boxlight. It's nice to see how you achieve an unique look with planes, but that effort is put to waste by how empty everything is.
I do find this to be the scariest level though as I dont feel safe about going forward or back most of the time. mainly because of how many encounters the level has.
I noticed a couple glitches as well:
The lubricant is still there
http://i.imgur.com/OUwSl4M.jpg
Also 2 of the encounters that are triggered by going to a location will repeat themselfes if you go back after escaping.
Verdict:
The Visuals are mostly bland, but theres a lot of places were they shine as well and I can you try your best to get unique environments despite the limitations of amnesia's assets. Levels feel very seperated and the layouts dont always make so much sence unfortunately. when it comes to scares there could have been much more on the non monster side of things, though you do make some good use of monsters in the cellar level.
I dont really feel sure about commenting on the story since I havent finished it, but It did not excite me that much of what I had played and overall I felt a good lack of purpose.
Score: 6.4/10
How can you improve?:
1. add more detail/stuff in your rooms
2. make sure to introduce things, even if on the most basic level. and give the player a little purpose
3. USE MEMENTOS!!!
4. Use more minor scares and events, simple stuff like fx a wind blowing
or a sound.
5. Keep in mind when you design your levels, that the places had other uses then being the set of your amnesia mod.
6. Use more hints in your maps, not just simple text but indirect hints through the environment and such as well.
7. Make sure you design your levels not just with that one level in mind, but also how it relates to the others. and make some proper transitions between them.
Oh and let me end it with this picture
![[Image: QVY9aAY.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/QVY9aAY.jpg)
this is what I get for not checking for misspellings
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