I got this game about 2 months ago and have only just finished it. The game itself only last 7-8 hours, so why did it take me this long?
Because this "game" (If you want to call it that and not "nightmare") is probably the scariest, creepiest, most crap-your-pants-tastic game ever made.
Made by a small company called Frictional Games, creators of the Penumbra series, this game utilizes everything that make the human mind go insane. You got deformed monsters, invisible creatures, creepy sounds, echoes, voices, the small tiny sound bugs make when they crawl on the floor, extremely well done music, and scenes/pictures that will scar you for weeks.
The game takes place in the 18th century in a castle, your name is Daniel and you wake up in it with a case of amnesia. (Cliched most would say, but it works extremely well for this game) You have the task of finding out why you left yourself a note to kill the castle's owner, Alexander and the way out is shut. Your only option is enter deep into the castle. The story is well done and are told through flashbacks, notes, memos, and clues.
Amnesia is not your average Dead Space/Resident Evil horror game. It's a game where there are NO weapons, no guns, no swords. Only you, a couple of nasties, and a lantern to light your way. Stand in the dark for too long and you go bat**** insane and drool on the floor, stay in the light and you risk being seen by the nasties. The game forces you to make these choices constantly, and your lantern only lasts for so long.
Lighting is VERY well done in the game, and you will never ever, have a sense of security except for the room in which you start.
One important thing and I can't stress it enough, you HAVE to play in the dark with headphones on, without it, you might as well be watching Zombieland. The difference between having your friends around you laughing and you sitting there with cold sweat in the dark is very strong.
The thing that set this game apart from other horrors, is that there are no weapons, and monsters don't come out of the closest or at the most obvious places (see that door with blood around it? yea, don't open it) every minute of your gameplay. The game is so well done that you ALWAYS doubt whether or not a monster is really there or not. It never becomes obvious and when you think it's safe,....it's not. Many times I would spend 5 minutes + just avoiding a particular room, only to open it later and find nothing inside. This game plays with your mind, and to be honest, I don't think anyone has ever played the whole the game in one sitting. You just can't do it without ending up in a corner rocking back and forth.
For only 20 bucks on Steam, it's worth the buy.
