amnesia the dark descent своя история
Amnesia the dark descent своя история
The scoring categories are below:
Atmosphere: Lighting, ambient noises (not music), props and fog all shape the atmosphere of a game. The more sinister one feels while playing, the better the atmosphere is. Amnesia’s atmosphere is designed to frighten—therefore, a scarier atmosphere merits a higher score.
Level Design: Level design is critical to making a custom story interesting; a bunch of hallways cobbled together does not make for an appealing story. Likewise, creating an environment that is too big often results in confusion and makes the story’s location seem cluttered.
Voice Acting and Speech: Not all custom stories attempt voice acting; therefore, this category includes both speech and writing (i.e. on notes or journals). The better the legibility, the higher the score; and for voice acting, the more realistic and impressive it is, the higher the score.
Plot: A confusing plot can really hurt a good custom story. Plots that are too shallow or too complex are often harmful for the story; on rare occasions, however, they can actually benefit it.
Originality: How original is the custom story? Does it feel like Amnesia all over again? Does it have an atmosphere similar to another horror game, like Fatal Frame? Or does it feel unique, different? These all contribute to the story’s originality.
Sound and Music: Different from ambience, this determines how well the story uses music (both new and original) as well as sound devices or audio events.
Fear Factor: Terror plays a huge part of Amnesia, obviously. Some stories purposefully leave out the scares, but there are those that are at a lack for some—and others that left me with shaking knees and a pounding heart.
Frustration Level: A higher score here means the custom story was challenging, but not too hard to solve. A lower score means it was far too easy or way too difficult.
Length: Some stories are too long, others cut too short. Pretty simple.
Bugs: Glitches and minor issues are expected, but can lower a score nevertheless if they are too prominent. There are other game-killing bugs that are rare, but really harm the score.
Overall Score: Out of 100.
Nepsis is, in short, what appears to be an acid trip through the bowels of insanity. The story remains relatively unclear to me, although it ends in a rather drastic and bloody way within the depths of some gruesome torture chamber. It provides an experience that reminded me quite a bit of the original Amnesia; dark, unnerving, but more insane, especially towards the end (objects begin to hover in a white space randomly).
Atmosphere: Much of Nepsis is pitch black or poorly lit, giving rise to a spooky atmosphere. Despite a few moments in brightly lit areas, it manages to retain the dark feeling of Amnesia and its claustrophobia-inducing corridors. (7/10)
Level Design: The level design for Nepsis is, in the beginning, logical and interesting, with some new features (no spoilers given!). However, the level design begins to feel lazy in the end, up to the final location of the game, the ending torture chamber. (6/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: There is no unique voice acting in the custom story, however written English was legible and interesting, with few grammatical errors. (7/10)
Plot: Either far too confusing, or not really there at all. Half of the time I had no idea what was going on, and the ending left too much up in the air. (3/10)
Originality: A gradual descent into insanity is nothing new for Amnesia, but Nepsis manages to remain interesting even though it goes along a similar vein as the original game (in terms of sanity). (7/10)
Sound and Music: Not terribly outstanding, but it reuses the original music from Amnesia, and has good ambience. (6/10)
Fear Factor: One part in the beginning stands out as heart-poundingly scary, but the custom story lacks scares. Instead, however, it aims for a more unusual atmosphere, one that is more unsettling than truly scary. (6/10)
Frustration Level: Several of the puzzles were more challenging than they needed to be; not overly frustrating, but it left me bemused for quite some time. (6/10)
Length: The length was just perfect; not too long, and not too short. (10/10)
Bugs: No bugs or glitches to be reported. There were a few clipping textures, which keeps the story away from a perfect score in this category. (9/10)
Overall: Nepsis is an above average custom story. It was good, but the ending left me puzzled and strangely loose, which detracts from the experience. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/nepsis)
OVERALL: 67/100
Poisonous is, in short, a decent-length custom story that aims to replicate the feel of the original Amnesia. A heroic fool, desperate to save his beloved, delves into the depths of a forest castle and finds more than he bargained for. Despite being a bit unoriginal, Poisonous was an interesting story with a very impressive (and explosive) ending.
Atmosphere: Dark castle hallways, pitch-black rooms, creepy cellars—yep, that’s Amnesia. It’s not terribly original, and the atmosphere is just. meh. It’s good, but not great. (6/10)
Level Design: The level design reflects an interesting notion of going full circle—at least in the second half of the story. The first half is rather dull, a generic castle/mansion, but the cellar is where the design becomes more interesting—a roundabout basement patrolled by enemies. (6/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: Voice acting was average—I understood it, and my ears survived the encounter. But it seemed a bit forced. Written word, however, was pretty well done, with a few spelling or grammar errors scattered throughout the notes. (8/10)
Plot: The plot was simple, up front, and pulled no punches. I prefer something I can understand—and Poisonous’ story was easy to grasp as well as engaging. (9/10)
Originality: It feels like a dozen other Amnesia custom stories; in essence, the originality could use a bit of work. The explanations for the monsters, however—poisoned water—boosts the score by making the plot more interesting. (5/10)
Sound and Music: I felt that it was lacking in music or sound; there were a few pieces played, but the repetitive ambience of the cellar really got to me after a while. (5/10)
Fear Factor: Oh, there were moments, especially in the second half of the game (the cellar). I’d say that the frights were decent. (8/10)
Frustration Level: Relatively easy to figure out, not too challenging or too simple, and the chemical puzzle was a stroke of genius. (10/10)
Length: Could’ve been a little longer. But it wasn’t too long or too short. (9/10)
Bugs: I suffered a crash twice—both near the end of the custom story. Definitely an issue to be fixed, as other users suffered the same crashes. (3/10)
Overall: Despite the crashes and the dull level design of the beginning, Poisonous sticks with me thanks to its intriguing puzzles and interesting plot, with loose ends finely tied up. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/poisonous)
OVERALL: 69/100
Some crash wakes you in the night. You rise from your bed, groggy and sleepy. Naturally, you have to go and investigate, because that’s the logical thing to do, right? What follows sends your character, a slightly older Daniel, on a journey through the realm of the dead that ends with a rather inexplicably out-of-place showdown with the returned Alexander. And he’s still naked.
Atmosphere: Abduction retains most of the atmosphere of the original Amnesia, which is good. Except it doesn’t feel new. Points for at least feeling creepy. (7/10)
Level Design: The level design varies from very generic castle halls to more interesting mines and one very confusing chemical storage room. Like I said, it varies from interesting to dull. (6/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: There is no voice acting, however most written word is good. A lot of the notes are interesting and in-depth. (8/10)
Plot: Despite being a bit absurd at times, the plot was at least interesting, and managed to play upon the original Amnesia by using the same characters. Therefore, it made sense that the Gatherers made a return. However, it felt weak at times, and the story dragged on. (7/10)
Originality: Yawn. I feel like I’m playing Amnesia all over again. If I want a custom story, I want something different. Sometimes Abduction feels like a tribute to the original game, but other times I felt like it was blatantly copying levels and pasting them. (5/10)
Sound and Music: Good use of the more haunting tracks from Amnesia. Not very spectacular, but average. (7/10)
Fear Factor: There were a lot of moments that were either jump scares or quick-acting events, but the atmosphere was pretty spooky too. Successful, but not amazingly scary. (7/10)
Frustration Level: Not much challenge here. Puzzles were easy to solve, but not insultingly so. (9/10)
Length: A bit too long, really. It began to drag on eventually, and that drags the score down. (8/10)
Bugs: Not much here in terms of bugs. I got glitched into the floor three times, but no problems with other events. (9/10)
Despite the length and the simply godawfully-out-of-place ending «boss fight» with Alexander, Abduction is worth spending a boring Friday night being pursued by Gatherers. Give it a try. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/abduction)
Overall Score: 72/100.
Oooh. The title sounds scary. What is up in the attic of your pretty English countryside manor, which is not what it seems? What could your character, Derek’s father be hiding? Turns out everyone in the Attic is hiding a secret, and it almost becomes absurd at one point. However, you do get to go up into that damn Attic, and your little journey in search of your father’s mysterious secret takes you from the depths of your dark rural villa to the inexplicably bloody torture chambers of the local town hall (note to self: don’t reelect the current mayor. He has a thing for Iron Maidens).
Atmosphere: As generic as it is, the Attic has a very crisp and creepy atmosphere that will at least creep you out. (7/10)
Level Design: The level design gets more interesting the farther you go, with the outside village being extraordinarily well-designed. (8/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: No voice-acting here, and the written notes leave something to be desired. (6/10)
Plot: Derek’s father has invented laudanum. Oh. okay? And everyone appears to love blood in this village. Hurrah? Much of the custom story seemed to revolve around destruction and blood, which really didn’t fit here. (5/10)
Originality: While not terribly original in the first part, more interesting in the latter sections, especially the open-air parts. (6/10)
Sound and Music: Average use of Amnesia music. (6/10)
Fear Factor: It certainly has a creepy atmosphere. There are several jump scares as well as some more tense atmospheric areas. (7/10)
Frustration Level: Not much challenge here. Puzzles were quite easy, and it did not drag down the custom story. (9/10)
Length: Not too long, not too short. Perfect in length. (10/10)
Bugs: The download I received was completely bug-free, and nothing went wrong. That’s a big plus. (10/10)
The Attic leaves something to be desired, but as it stands it is an interesting custom story that’s not too long, and worth your time if you have about two hours to kill. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-attic)
Overall Score: 74/100.
Yes, I know. White Night is the Holy Grail of Amnesia custom stories. Well, I beg to differ, and you’ll find my own personal Holy Grail at the top of this list. White Night just did not appeal to me, and while I might get some searing vitriol over this, I will explain to you why I did not like it. A twisted, crazy full-conversion mod of insanity, White Night offers the player a fever dream of labyrinthine hallways and dark passages inside the mind of a demented man.
Atmosphere: The whole «insanity» part of White Night adds to the generally unnerving and crazy atmosphere. You will not feel comfortable while playing this. (9/10)
Level Design: What the hell. I know this is supposed to be a insane man, but it just goes beyond that. I didn’t even with most of the levels. And then there were ones that made perfect sense. It really does vary. (5/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: At least you have voice acting. It sucks, but it’s there. And the notes are actually damn interesting if you pay attention to them. (8/10)
Plot: I did not like the plot at all. I understood most of it, but parts of it left me scratching my head, and what I did understand I did not enjoy. I feel like it’s absurd, strange, over-the-top and generally just not my cup of tea. (3/10)
Sound and Music: Custom music and sounds add to the atmosphere,in a very good way, even if the plot is just what. (9/10)
Fear Factor: There was only one point where I was truly «scared». A lot of it was just unnerving moments, and that’s perfectly fine. (8/10)
Frustration Level: Some puzzles were very confusing, and left me scratching my head in confusion. Others were a bit too easy. A mix. (6/10)
Length: Since I didn’t enjoy the plot, I didn’t like how long it was. But it was paced well, and it carried the story through, so it’s length isn’t bad.. (7/10)
Bugs: Pretty well cleared of bugs. For such a big custom story, it is surprisingly glitch-free. (9/10)
White Night might appeal to some people, but it did not appeal to me. Nevertheless, it is atmospheric and will keep you guessing and confused until the end. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/white-night)
Overall Score: 74/100.
The Aztecs have arrived in South Africa. Due to a small textual error (I think), an ancient Aztec ruin suddenly exists in South Africa and a plane crash occurs, stranding a terrified scientist outside of this temple. What starts off as a search for his missing team members turns into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse inside the dark crypt with the Aztec god of suffering, something never done before with Amnesia.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere slowly builds up to a climactic cat-and-mouse game deep within the temple, and stays malevolent throughout the entire work. (9/10)
Level Design: Good level design, for the most part. The outside areas are dull, but the temple sanctum is particularly interesting. (6/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: Voice acting is okay, and speech is okay. Not much beyond that. (7/10)
Plot: I certainly enjoyed the plot, although it was a bit loose. The whole inclusion of mysterious mineral «Scientite» was absurd, but oh well. Aztecs always make things cool. (7/10)
Originality: An interesting idea that works on most levels. Aztecs are new to Amnesia, and although the textures don’t scream «Mesoamerica», it works pretty well. (8/10)
Sound and Music: Regular old Amnesia music and sounds. Eh. (7/10)
Fear Factor: It was certainly scary, with atmosphere buildup leading to good tension. (8/10)
Frustration Level: A bit hard, but not too difficult. Good for someone with logical skills. (7/10)
Length: Almost perfect in length. The ending was kinda poor, but the length was good, and the story flowed well. (9/10)
Bugs: Nothing much here. I had no issues with glitches. (9/10)
For all of its Aztec madness, La Caza still doesn’t manage to break away from plain old Amnesia, but it has good moments and has a creepy overall atmosphere. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/la-caza)
Overall Score: 78/100.
Your wife is murdered in the middle of the night by a Brute. What do? Flee to the scary old castle nearby, that’s what. Oh, it’s abandoned? Let’s go DEEPER into the dark depths of the castle. Are we being pursued by that same Brute? LET’S GO EVEN DEEPER. Despite the lacking logic of the main character, Followed by Death is interesting because it plays by a certain set of rules.
Atmosphere: It’s pretty creepy. Tension builds up well, plateauing right as you reach the «dark dungeons» part. (8/10)
Level Design: The level design actually felt pretty refreshing, especially the very open water areas. (8/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: Voice acting is better than most custom stories, even that of White Night, and despite being a bit dull the notes have value to them. (8/10)
Plot: The plot concerns an aged man, Francis Harman, an old book, and a supernatural power beyond his control. Problems ensue. Not the most original, but hey, it works. It follows a formula, and that works well for Amnesia. (7/10)
Originality: Certainly not very original in terms of plot, but level design is unique and the way the custom story starts is very different.. (8/10)
Sound and Music: You know how this goes. Same old music and sound. (6/10)
Fear Factor: It’s definitely scary. The dungeon and prison levels will have you on your toes the entire time, dodging your enemies and desperately searching for items. (8/10)
Frustration Level: It was pretty damn easy. Almost insultingly, but not quite. (9/10)
Length: Fantastic pacing. It has a perfect length, and despite being unfinished, is so far just as long as it needs to be. (9/10)
Bugs: No bugs to be seen here. (9/10)
Followed by Death is scary, atmospheric, and interesting, and is not finished yet. Keep an eye out for new parts soon! (http://www.moddb.com/mods/followed-by-death)
Overall Score: 80/100.
Edward has a family. or does he? Become Edward. Enter castle. Find things. Be horrified. You certainly have amnesia, and while the plot is kinda simple Tenebris Lake is an excellent custom story that sends you on a long journey into the depths of Tenebris Lake, a sprawling stronghold with many secrets to hide, and many a very unfriendly stranger stalking its halls. Watch out for the Doll.
Atmosphere: You won’t sleep after playing Tenebris Lake. I promise you that. From the generic darkness of the morgue to the claustrophobia-inducing tunnels of the mine, nowhere is safe in Tenebris Lake. (10/10)
Level Design: It’s very interesting, complex, unusual, and works perfectly. The mines especially are brilliant, and the sheer size is wondrous. (9/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: Voice acting leaves a lot to be desired, and notes could be more informative. Still not too bad. (6/10)
Plot: The plot is simple but easy to understand. This makes it quite middling, as it’s not very complex and is revealed through very obvious clues but does not take the player on too many twists or turns. (5/10)
Originality: Despite the basic plot, the gameplay of Tenebris Lake has changed and is different, lending it originalty. Plus, those awesome maps and the variety of custom monsters? Wonderful. (9/10)
Sound and Music: Custom music. Custom sounds. Custom. Nailed it. (10/10)
Fear Factor: Is Tenebris Lake scary? Oh gosh yes. The mines had me horrified, both because of claustrophobia and another horror, no spoilers. Everything else was equally creepy, and you’ll soon find out that corpses aren’t as dead as they seem. (10/10)
Frustration Level: Not too challenging in terms of puzzles, but hindered by the enormous maps. Sometimes it was hard to find things, and it was easy to get lost. (7/10)
Length: Quite long. Doesn’t hinder it too much, but a few small parts could’ve been cut out. (8/10)
Bugs: It had its share of bugs, but not too many. There’s one part with box stacking that will glitch the hell out of you. (8/10)
Tenebris Lake is really very good; it’s got custom monsters, new music, voice acting, and an enticingly strange Easter Egg. You will do yourself a favor by downloading it. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/tenebris-lake)
Overall Score: 82/100.
Crescent Village is a quiet burg nestled in trees and rocky hills, its economy dependant on a local mine. Little do you know that, upon visitation, that mine will haunt you for the rest of your life. The town soon becomes a nightmare sprung to life, as the dark secrets of Crescent Village come to life before your character’s eyes. The obscurity of the tiny town is wiped away very quickly.
Atmosphere: A noise here, a creak there, the flicker of a flame will have you jumping by the end. There is no place to be safe after about a third of the way through the custom story; that is, if you made it that far. Be prepared for tension. (10/10)
Level Design: The level design is neat, and befitting the small town of Crescent Village. It works wonderously, and feels extraordinary, especially once underground. (8/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: Everything about voice acting is great, especially for an unofficial custom story like this. The voices are fantastic, displaying emotion and feeling, and the notes are in excellent writing. (10/10)
Plot: The plot was interesting. The farther you get into the story, the more enthralling it becomes, and the ending is darker than you would expect. (9/10)
Originality: Uses Amnesia textures, but it’s still interestingly original. The plot will add a lot to this, and the way the maps are presented, revolving around Crescent Village, adds to the original feeling. It’s not very linear at all. (9/10)
Sound and Music: Some very creepy and unnerving custom music and good sounds really work with the atmosphere. Even the tranquil village is unnerving and uncomfortable, thanks to a low-key, menacing soundtrack. (9/10)
Fear Factor: Oh yes, it’s scary. You won’t want to face your pursuers, especially when you find out how fast they can be. (10/10)
Frustration Level: Some puzzles were very confusing, and left me scratching my head in confusion. Others were a bit too easy. A mix. (6/10)
Length: Perfect in length. It was just wonderfully paced, and had me intrigued up until the dark, unexpectedly gruesome ending. (10/10)
Bugs: One bug: a tool did not spawn for me. Reloaded, it was there. Easily fixed. (7/10)
If you want a good, damn scary custom story that will interest you, look no further than Obscurity. It’s good in terms of length, and the custom monster will have you creeping fearfully around every corner in the darkness. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/obscurity)
Overall Score: 88/100.
Oh goodness. I don’t even know where to begin with The Great Work. Archaeologist Charles Longden, while on a digging expedition in the German castle of Minneburg, realizes that his partner Jane goes missing one morning. He descends into the castle to find her. Generic start, right? Yep. But what follows drags Charles into a centuries-old war between brilliant alchemists that threatens to bring the world under the heel of the powerful, tyrannical Invisible College, which is threatened by the even more powerful Shadow, the Guardian of the Orbs, and the fate of this conflict lies within the hands of poor Charles Longden. Perfectly linked to the Amnesia world and brilliant on its own, the Great Work is a masterpiece, pure and simple.
Atmosphere: There was not one point where I felt safe. The atmosphere is wonderful, unnerving t some points and sheerly terrifying at others. It is perfect, and you won’t go through the Great Work without feeling truly uneasy. (10/10)
Level Design: The level design is wonderful. Even despite some bland, generic areas here and there, the awesome designs of areas like the Cage and the Clockwork sections make up for those. (9/10)
Voice Acting and Speech: The voice acting is excellent, and the letters feel like they were written by professional game makers. Everything feels clear and is written fantastically. (10/10)
Plot: The plot is brilliant. Two different groups of alchemists fighting each other to the bitter end, whilst waging their own war against the Shadow, all under the nose of the English public. The way Charles is pulled into it is amazing. To be frank, the plot feels like that of another game, one that stands up to Amnesia itself. It is well-grounded in actual European history and mythical lore, and that lends to the plot’s power. (10/10)
Originality: Dear god. Don’t get me started. From alchemy to original puzzles to mind games, and the very plot itself, it’s all original, almost feels like a new game. (10/10)
Sound and Music: The custom music is perfect, brilliant and fear-inducing, and the sounds are wonderful. The spawn sounds for the Remnant will never cease to chill my blood. (10/10)
Fear Factor: Two words: the Remnant. And everything else combines to make the Great Work utterly terrifying and very creepy. (10/10)
Frustration Level: And this is where score suffers. The puzzles are so damn hard most of the time, I had to consult tutorials quite often. That’s a bad thing. I became very frustrated, especially with some of the alchemy. (3/10)
Length: Drags on a bit towards the end, but clearly the length serves the story. Seven ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ chapters, ten hours of playtime for me. It was wonderful. (9/10)
Bugs: Almost no bugs at all. That’s amazing for such a big custom story. (9/10)
There is no perfect custom story, but the Great Work comes pretty damn close. It is my new Holy Grail for custom stories, and it was wonderful for the entire journey. You are doing yourself a favor by stepping into Charles Longden’s shoes and taking this great journey yourself. If you loved Amnesia, this is where your Friday night should go. (http://www.moddb.com/mods/the-great-work)
Overall Score: 90/100.
Hopefully this list will help you choose a custom story that you will enjoy! Certainly this list is not for everyone, since people appreciate different things, and if you think one custom story is better than another I respect that. If you’re at all curious about these stories, simply search ModDB; downloads are easy and fast, and you (hopefully) be entertained.
Some custom stories that didn’t make the cut, but are notable mentions:
Belphegor
Isle
Unsterblich
Emma’s Story
Through the Portal
Dark Room
Deterioration
Painful Shadows
Wake
Thank you for taking the time to read this list! If this helped you, let me know. I appreciate any comments or concerns! Again, thank you!