CAR 230 Presentation Jason Cohen - Nov 5, 2018
Behind the Game: - Developed by a Swedish independent game studio named Frictional Games with an official release date being September 8th, 2010 - Mostly work in the survival horror genre - Other Works - Penumbra Series: - Overture (2007) - Black Plague (2008) - Requiem (2008) - Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013) [published] - SOMA (2015) - Currently working now on two more projects according to their instagram
The Plot & Backstory The events of this story take place in the 19th century. In this first person survival horror game, the player takes on the role of a British archeologist named Daniel. Upon discovering a mysterious orb while on an expedition in Algeria, Daniel returns to his home in London to figure out the nature of the relic. Daniel realizes something out of the ordinary is happening when people he comes into contact with after this event suddenly die bizarre deaths. Daniel receives a cryptic letter from Alexander, the baron of a castle in Prussia called Brennenburg, saying that something is hunting Daniel because of his interactions with the orb and the only way to stop it is to travel to Prussia and accompany him.
The Beginning The game begins as Daniel awakens in the halls of Castle Brennenburg. Left with him is a letter explaining that his memories have been erased due to an amnesia potion. He only knows that his name is Daniel, the year is 1839, the “shadow” of the orb is after him, and that his objective is to seek revenge and kill the baron Alexander. The game’s story is told and perceived through a couple different ways: - Letters that the player finds - reveals information about main and other characters - Daniel's past Diary entries - developes Daniel’s character for the player - Memories triggered by locations in the castle - Witness Daniel’s lost memories first hand All act to restore the broken memories of Daniel as well as reveal the events that unfolded to the player Characters in the game are voice acted.
Gameplay mechanics: Game Engine - The game uses the HPL Engine that was created by Frictional Games - Named after horror writer H.P. Lovecraft - A defining feature of this engine is advanced object interaction, which is made possible with Newton Game Dynamics - Newton Game Dynamics is a physics engine that specializes in realistically simulating rigid bodies
Gameplay mechanics: Controls - Like most first person pc games: - Left Click - Pick up item, hold to grab - W A S D keyes - Player movement - Right Click - Throw held item - Space - Jump - Mouse - Looking - Shift - Sprint - Left Control - Crouch - Tab - Bring up inventory menu
Gameplay mechanics: Visual Cues - The game provides a small reticale to give the player a sense of where they are looking. - The reticale provides small images for different actions the player can do
Gameplay mechanics: Interface Design - Player must keep track of two attributes in the game, Health and Sanity: - Health - damage received from enemies / hazards - Sanity - the mental health of the player. Staying in the dark too long, witnessing disturbing events or looking directly at enemies for too long drain sanity. The less sanity you have, the harder it is to navigate Daniel. Normal sanity Low sanity Menu showing player stats and inventory
Gameplay mechanics: Effects of the Sanity System - Paintings around the castle change based on the player’s sanity level - The less sane you are, the more distorted the painting becomes - In addition to this, the screen will become blurry when looking around, making it almost impossible to navigate - Sound Design - The lower the sanity, or when in the dark for too long, the player will hear teeth grinding as well as heavy breathing Normal Low
Gameplay mechanics: Interface Design - Escaping the dark - The player is equipped with nothing except a lantern that needs to be refueled by findable tanks of oil - Tinderboxes can also be found throughout the game that can be used to light torches, candles, etc. - Daniel’s journal can be accessed here. - Notes found, mementos, and diary entrees - They provide clues on how to bypass different puzzles Menu showing player stats and inventory
Gameplay mechanics: Interface Design - Items found throughout the game can be found in the smaller boxes in the middle - A description for each item is displayed in the larger rectangle underneath the inventory Menu showing player stats and inventory
Gameplay mechanics: Enemies In Amnesia, there is no way to defend yourself, the only way to survive is to run or hide A loud constant screech can be heard indicating that the monsters have spotted you and are pursuing Brutes The Shadow - The guardian of the orb leaves a fleshy material behind, Grunts blocking off previous doors. Will hurt you if you touch it.
Gameplay Example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRzgkyxuv5E
Custom Stories - Frictional games implemented a “Custom Stories” feature into amnesia where fans can create their own narratives using tools released for the HPL 2 Engine - This is a great way to allow the community to be creative as well as give people a reason to continue to play it after they finish the main game - This feature engaged the community and gave players a chance to be their own story teller using the engine - There are over 700 fan made mods using the custom story feature that can be downloaded online and easily added to the games files
Post Release - Amnesia after release was critically acclaimed game and to me is one of the many games that defined the “Run and Hide” survival horror genre. - Amnesia went on to inspire games such as Outlast, another popular horror game made by Red Barrels - YouTube can also be the one to thank for the games boost in popularity, where many channels would create playthrough series that attracted a pretty large number of views - Helped establish a fan base
In Conclusion I had a lot of fun with this game and was intrigued by the game design as well as the many mechanics that make it stand out to me. The puzzles, where not too challenging, pace the game and paired with the fluid and easy to learn controls, makes a fluid experience The appeal of this genre of games comes from the fact that there is no real danger, which makes the fear it presents almost enjoyable and fun to some. I for one love the horror genre and strongly recommend this game to any who wants a good scare. “ It's a tale of terror that's menacing and disturbing from the very first moments, and only amplifies the further you progress.” - IGN
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