References, Lovecraft and otherwise

[NGW]

Hey guys, thought maybe we could use a lil' topic here to point out references and easter eggs we find while playing.

Just a lil' one I picked up. When you're in the refinery, the first of the "Return" notes you find from Daniel makes mention of a Proffessor Herbert. First thing to come to mind: Dr. Herbert West - Reanimator.

[Sephirdorf]

One man alone in a castle with no idea of how he got there is what happens in the Lovecraft story "The Outsider". Possibly just a coincidence however?

[nofsky]

There was a mention somewhere (can't remember where) of "impossible geometry" or something along those lines. That's something Lovecraft used to write.

[bblaze]

Yeah, in the Orb flashback. I thought the same thing but wasn't sure.

[Perogi]

I believe Amnesia draws inspiration from many Lovecraftian Stories. In "The Haunter of the Dark" the protagonist finds a 'shining trapezohedron' which sports the same unearthly qualities as the orb from Amnesia (constantly changing shape, no identifiable color, etc). Looking into this trapezohedron summons the haunter, an avatar of Nyarlathotep which hunts and destroys those who have seen the trapezohedron. Much like the shadow from Amnesia. A more loose reference is from "The Color out of Space" where a meteorite carrying an unidentifiable colored orb crashes into a farmhouse. The orb bursts and releases a strange gas which proceeds to suck the life out of the farm and surrounding countryside. The whole gate concept near the end makes me think of Yog Sothoth (described as the gate in numerous stories) and of the Yith from Shadow out of Time. I'm sure there's more but that's all I got for now.

[superluser]

There was a mention somewhere (can't remember where) of "impossible geometry" or something along those lines. That's something Lovecraft used to write.

One of the loading screens.

I wonder where the name Daniel comes from. I have a theory, but I don't want to reveal it yet, lest I be accused of being ``that guy'' who thinks everything is a reference to the same thing.

[NGW]

Another much loved reference I found.

After the sewers, where you come up the ladder into the room surrounded by doors. After you go down the long stairway and into the room at the end of it, where the guy is chained up and someone is asking you to help them, to pull a lever or whatever...the metal cylinder starts talking to you, I assume it has the brain in it that belongs to the body you see chained up. Shades of my all time favorite Lovecraft story, "The Whisperer in Darkness" there.

[Perogi]

Oh another reference would be the archeological expedition the protagonist embarks on in "Shadow Out of Time". It culminates in his finding of an esoteric temple in the shifting desert sands. Similar to Daniel's trip to Algeria.

[perpetualmind]

At one point when there describing a character (I forget there name) who has the orb and is running away from the shadow, I found it extremely remeniscent of The Howling by Lovecraft.
As people have mentioned above there are seemingly alot more Lovecraft referances.

Something I have to point out is how much the game seems inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula.
I started reading the book just last week and so much of the writing in this story was incredibly remeniscent.
When Daniel is talking about his journey to castle Brennenburg it sounded VERY much like the first few chapters of Dracula.
Then the setting itsself is extremely similar, and in general the way alot of the plot and writing in handled is incredibly reminiscent.

[thrash242]

Everything Frictional makes is heavily inspired by Lovecraft, the most obviously so being Fiend. I can't imagine trying to list all the similarities...it'd take a long time.

I mean the engine they use is called HPL, is it not?