Hi there, I know this post is a year old but just wanted to say I laughed at your little review here of Amnesia, you write like I write…except I don’t swear as much….maybe I should start!?!? It’s funny! especially when done right!
Anyway, I just purchased this game on Steam last month, and I agree completely with your wish and point of view, that a truly scary game..should be sustained creepy/scariness! Not just a fun house of predictable ambushes! Totally agree. I am usually NOT afraid of much when it comes to movies and games. That’s why this game caught me off guard, I actually sit and contemplate firing it up now, late at night, with all my lights out, headphones on….because i ask myself…can I handle it? It is literally almost TOO intense. The part where I was chased in the water area by that invisible kaernk monster, my heart was beating so hard, i could feel the adrenaline thumping in my chest…i thought i was gonna have a heart attack! This game may not be perfect, but it’s pretty well done to say the least…I hope I have the guts to finish it! [and that’s saying a lot for me]

If you like being scared instead of startled, I suggest you take a look at Clock Tower for the SNES. Even though it is old as hell, it still makes me piss my pants. You dont need good graphics to create a horror atmosphere

Preview of Amnesia
http://www.gamershell.com/download_53104.shtml

Downloadable video

I’ll have to try that out. I think Silent Hill 2 is among the best, along with Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. I never liked the ammo starvation in Resident Evil, but so it goes. Actually, I thought Doom 3 was pretty terrifying. I got Penumbra: Overture with the humble indie bundle, I guess it is the prequel to Amnesia, but still haven’t gotten around to playing it.

@ Zel:

Actually, I managed to run away a few times. The monster can outrun you, but it seems that it is slower when it needs to navigate turns and corners. So several times I was able to get hit like once or twice and then do the “oh fuck, oh fuck, ohfuckohfuckaaaaaaa” run, dive into a room and hide in the closet or behind some barrels.

Also, the game was a bit generous with the oil and tinderboxes but I thought that was maybe because I am a natural hoarder in this type of games. I hardly ever used them unless it was necessary (like in the prison level). At the end of the game I had like 30 tinderboxes in my inventory and like 15 flasks of oil. :P

I played this one, but didn’t find it particularly scary, even at night, lights turned off and sound reasonably high. I’d say it was more unsettling than scary, especially in time sensitive areas or in the invisible monster part. In normal exploration parts, the game is way too generous with lamp oil and matches so you can avoid losing sanity quite easily, and advancing puzzle at a good pace keeps your head level. Monsters can barely see so it’s quite safe to sneak past them in some dark area. Getting spotted means instant death anyway since they easily outrun you.

If you enjoyed Amnesia you should try the Penumbra series, Frictional Games previous games, because the games are very similar (at least for the first two episodes of Penumbra, the third being more 3D puzzle than anything).