Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Platforms

• PC

  Sep 08, 2010

  ---

  8.4

  playscore

  8.1

  14 Critics

  9.3

  18K Players

14 critic reviews · 7 community reviews across all platforms

Critic Reviews

• 

  Joystiq

  8.0

  Amnesia's macabre sensibilities and slow pacing may not be for everyone, but horror fans looking for a truly frightening experience should turn off the lights, plug in some headphones and settle in. Personally, I play with the lights on because, despite what my parents told me about the dark, I know better.

  Reviewed on PC
• 

  Destructoid

  9.0

  Frictional seems aware that a key ingredient in the recipe for fear is a feeling of powerlessness. The player should be more the victim than the hero, helpless before whatever horrors stalk the halls and lurk in the shadows. Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developed on a shoestring budget by five Swedes, is a rare game that outshines (or rather, out-scares) the high-end, high-budget, triple-A titles that so often lay claim to the horror game mantle.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  GameSpot

  8.5

  Amnesia: The Dark Descent is undoubtedly going to take a place among the most frightening horror games ever made. It is a touch short, at maybe six or so hours of gameplay, although you can't gripe too much about that given the cheap $20 price tag as an online download. Regardless of length, this is one uncanny, unsettling, and just plain old scary experience, especially with the lights out and your headphones on.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  Game Informer

  9.3

  If Resident Evil is Aliens, Amnesia is Alien. Frictional Games has created something wholly unlike the traditional horror game. Amnesia shows us by example that gaming has entirely new realms to explore. The price of admission is only $20 through your digital retailer of choice. Do the right thing.

  Reviewed on PC
• 

  PC Gamer

  8.8

  And that's its triumph: one of grisly atmosphere over genre convention, with tension and release in keen balance. It seems rude to pick holes – some of the vocal delivery, for example, lacks the credible touch, and occasionally, you'll have no idea what the puzzle you're working on is meant to achieve; you just have to keep trying things out. But it's well worth it, and a snip at £12.95.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  IGN

  8.5

  Amnesia: The Dark Descent's puzzles aren't especially impressive and the voice acting can range from convincing to goofy, but the atmosphere Frictional has infused into the experience is as powerful as they come. It's a tale of terror that's menacing and disturbing from the very first moments, and only amplifies the further you progress. Any fan of horror, every Lovecraft fan, and any with even a hint of curiosity should give Amnesia a shot.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  Cubed3

  7.0

  For all its flaws, and there are a few of them, Amnesia: The Dark Descent manages to stay enjoyable by utilising a unique setting for its play style and a narrative that takes its time to open up and expose itself fully. While true that the scare factor wears thin early on and, at times, can be more frustrating than anything, the atmosphere holds itself together enough to circumvent a lot of these duller, annoying moments. Brennenburg Castle may not be the best place to take up camp, but it's definitely worth a visit.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  Euro Gamer

  8.0

  Amnesia's overwhelming confidence and competence as a horror game takes it so, so close to being excellent, but there's just not enough content. The horror peaks whenever you're forced to deal with some new, unknown element, and those situations can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  MeriStation

  6.0

  Desgraciadamente, no es un juego que, por su planteamiento y su cariz casi experimental, vaya a calar entre un público más amplio. Conocedor de sus propias limitaciones, Amnesia tampoco intenta ir más allá de lo que quiere hacer, y dentro de su marco de acción se perfila como una interesante propuesta. Un digno sucesor de Penumbra, aunque se queda un peldaño por debajo de su predecesor.

  Reviewed on PC

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• 

  Gamekult

  8.0

  Particulièrement terrifiant, ce titre nous proposera une exploration malsaine d'un château hanté par la folie et les souvenirs d'expériences inhumaines auxquels il nous faudra à terme essayer de mettre fin. L'absence de réels combats et la mise en exergue de l'ambiance et de l'immersion ne manqueront pas de captiver les fanatiques d'horreur pure, qui s'amuseront beaucoup à quitter le jeu comme des lâches après un passage particulièrement flippant.

  Reviewed on PC

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Community Reviews

About the game