Games in which you felt more immersed than in Amnesia

[Googolplex]

And oh, one more thing why Amnesia is more immersive that Penumbra, it has a bloody good soundtrack which I remember note by note. I've played Penumbra twice, and can only vaguely remember the main menu music, and some monster encounter music.

I disagree here. For me Penumbra was by far more immersive than Amnesia. There are some different reasons why. One thing is the bad written texts where you got hints by the computer "You must", "Find out" etc. instead of "I must". "I" means that I'm talking or thinking to myself. Wheter "You" means an other person or the computer is talking to you. One of the greatest immersion killer ever!!! That also seems like it's a game.

An other reason is that some horror is "forced" to make the game scary as possible. That means image effects or other stuff that isn't plausible. While Penumbra (mainly Overture) always felt earnestly and more isolated. Not like a game. And I always enjoyed the green light of the glow stick, which created a very deep atmosphere!

A further reason is that Penumbra has by far more puzzles, more complex environments and trickier physics stuff to challenge my brain. It's not like Amnesia where you just have to pick up a cogwheel and put it into the right slot. You have to think a bit more in Penumbra!

That all makes Penumbra to a better experience for me.

I also like the music, both games have excellent music!
Penumbra even a bit better.

[Zgroktar]

Considering the text that is so minor issue that it is weird how anyone could take that seriously, as any other issue that could in theory be fixed by a 30 min done update. There are far more worse immersion killers than this one, you only just need to stop thinking about it, and the problem is solved. In my opinion, this segment didn't improve Penumbra just as it didn't made Amnesia worst because the thing in itself is very simple. Let's be honest, even Phillip in Penumbra never shared any deep thoughts about anything.

Considering the puzzles, yes it is true there are much more frequent and complex than in Amnesia, but that doesn't mean it is a good thing. Puzzles are much too often too superficial and artificial that they don't feel like a integrated part of the game world. For instance, you play a game with a very deep story, and you are completely entangled within it, and then you stumble upon a very obvious puzzle section and the immersion is abruptly stopped. That is my reason why I think it is a good thing there are less puzzles in Amnesia, and I hope that the same thing will continue in AAMPF. That doesn't mean I am against mental challenge in a game, but the puzzle mechanics need to be completely redone.

And by what you mean ''forced horror'' in Amnesia? Few doors suddenly opened by a wind? flash-backs? What is wrong with that?

[Googolplex]

Puzzles are much too often too superficial and artificial that they don't feel like a integrated part of the game world.

There are a lot of puzzles not realistic in Amnesia. That doesn't mean Penumbra is more realistic.

And by what you mean ''forced horror'' in Amnesia? Few doors suddenly opened by a wind? flash-backs? What is wrong with that?

The door scares happens three times in follow. First in Rainy Hall, second before you enter the Old Archives, and the third one is in the Old Archives. I think that's a bit too much of the same jumpscare. And well, the flashbacks are a bit breaking the immersion. In Penumbra it was plausible, because Philip found a radio. OK, in Amnesia it are the memories of Daniel, but not always it's logic. But I mainly mean that Amnesia sometimes wants to be scary when nothing happens and make a screen shake or something. That ruins the immersion for me. I felt more isolated when the game feels not like a game, rather more earnestly. I like the old mining shafts with the dogs behind a gate or the spider tunnel in Penumbra, that felt not like computer-enemies to me, it felt like real dangerous animals and created the most oppressive atmosphere to me, what means a better immersion at all.

[Red]

I have always find myself immersed in MGS series.
Especially MGS4.

[Zgroktar]

I was talking about puzzles in general, I agree puzzles in Amnesia have same problems as those ones in Penumbra.
Considering the opening jump scares in Amnesia, I still think they are too rarely used to be an annoyance, It doesn't use more jump scares than Penumbra in the beginning.
Considering flashbacks, they are a important part of the game's narrative, and when it comes to the screen shaking and similar effects, that should represent the effect of the Shadow possessing the castle combined with Daniel's shattering sanity, it isn't always perfectly done, but I don't see any obvious reasons why should that break the immersion.

And when it comes to enemies, Overture enemies very poorly made, and it is a good choice that Frictional sacked them. They do not feel like a natural enemy at all, especially dogs. They are scary at first, but very soon you notice several patterns of behavior which you could easily abuse. They are always patrolling a very narrow path in the same order which you notice after a very brief observation. Avoiding them is very easy, they never wander off to search randomly which would have made them much more dangerous. They are also ridiculously hard to kill, I flung a flaming gas bottle which exploded right in the dog's face, and he just rose back and kill me. That was all really annoying to me.

[Bridge]

Sorry it took me so long.
Considering the story of Amnesia in Penumbra, one can agree they aren't particularly complex. It is basically smaller scale horror plot based on a Lovecraftian universe. But however, both Amnesia and Penumbra have redeeming qualities entangled in the story, and in Amnesia that would be the conflict and the story of Daniel and Alexander which I found very intriguing. Yes, you are perfectly right if I understood your point correctly, the storytelling in Amnesia is superb, so you easily forget any obvious plot holes.

However, I do not like everything about Amnesia, for instance, I think that the ending is done badly, and I have a similar opinion about Penumbra ending; The Tuurngait trials are not done very well, and the ending itself is a little bit lacking. It seems that Frictional has a little problem with proper ending of their games. Considering Amnesia, there shouldn't be several endings, but only one ending and it should have been probably based on the one where Alexander escaped and Daniel is left to confront the Shadow. I also have very mixed feelings about Agrippa, and whether he should have been included in the game, and I could easily raise the same question about Clarence.

To answer you other question, I remember perfectly well the last third of Penumbra, and of course, it was terrifying, but nothing can compared to the feeling of dread I've got by the Transept and the Choir levels of Amnesia, when I fully realized what kind of monster Daniel is. The whole games I was terrified of the Shadow and was starting to hate Alexander with a passion, and it turned out that Daniel was even a bigger monster than both of them.. That really blown my mind.

And oh, one more thing why Amnesia is more immersive that Penumbra, it has a bloody good soundtrack which I remember note by note. I've played Penumbra twice, and can only vaguely remember the main menu music, and some monster encounter music.

We are agreed.

[LucaP1000]

I'm going to buy a PS3 soon (taking advantage of the PS4's release and no backwards compatibility) just to play Red Dead Redemption, I think it will be the best immersive game for me.

[Jacksendary]

Alan Wake, When I first played it I was sold the enemy encounters was a little over the top at times tho, but story wise I felt very immersed, and I'm still wondering how it all end! (dont wanna spoil anything)

[Walter White]

Alan Wake, When I first played it I was sold the enemy encounters was a little over the top at times tho, but story wise I felt very immersed, and I'm still wondering how it all end! (dont wanna spoil anything)

I agree!! Alan Wake is such a great game! The landscapes are awesome, the story, everything is perfect. Sam Lake is an awesome writer!
_
I can't say that I felt more immersed in Return To Castle Wolfenstein than in Amnesia, but I remember that when i was young I was playing RTCW alone and i reached the catacombs, (it's the second level, or third) and undead start showing up out of nowhere!! I got so scared that i clicked the Reset button on my pc and i uninstalled the game afterwards haha!

[Alex Ros]

Thief. But only 1st and 2nd very old games in series.

Mostly because of the sounds you were making and hearing and disturbing AI enemies. You just had to immerse into a particular environment and observe it and listen real patiently what do you hear and from which direction that sound is coming. That was crucial part of the gameplay, but that critical need in listening and hearing and choosing where to step in general unconsciously did punch you right into imagery world. And that world was alive as the world of sounds. Most of AI characters had a very lively and intriguing conversions which were slowly showing you what's going on, only a few of readable notes. 90% voiced and differently voiced characters. And what is more important half of those dialogs were just about usual life, routine. Characters had their own very different problems, someone felt in love, someone just died, someone have lost somewhere, someone deciding it's time to up the cost for his fruits, etc... Very big lively world with a real lots of characters and they were on their own, not because of you playing the game, no, you're just a guy in the shadows, the city and citizens are living without even caring that you here. You were no hero, just another one thief... maybe a bit more talented with a very gloomy sense of humor.