Reviews - UncommonStuff

A Machine for Pigs was supposed to be a much shorter game. On playing it, I can see how this has moved from quite a good short experience to a 3 hour directors cut with all the padding put back in. It shouldn't have been this way. This game should have been 9 or 10/10.

We have two of the most interesting indie developers out there working together – The Chinese Room and Frictional. Both are well known for their style of game play. Frictional scare the hell out of you while giving you very interesting puzzles to content with. The Chinese Room tell very emotional stories within stunning landscapes. If all these elements came together we would have had one of the greatest horror survival games ever. Sadly these elements seemed to jar and sometimes work against each other.

** Spoilers **

In the original Amnesia, the monsters weren't your only threat. It was light and sanity. When you were confronted with a threat you really had to work on your wits. Do I have enough light to get past. Should I retreat and sort my head out. In AAMFP it quickly became apparent that the monsters are little threat to you. If you see one whilst taking the clockwise path, just take the anticlockwise path. This really is horror survival casual gaming or survival lite.

What the Chinese Room brought to the table was a great feeling of emotion. The ending is really satisfying, but to anyone who has played “Dear Esther” you can see it coming a mile off. The assent. The swelling music. The emotional voice over. I almost expected to hear words like Donnelly & Damascus.

I have much respect for both studios. I will be first in line for The Chinese Room's “Everybody's gone to the rapture.” But I really feel that with a little bit more polish AAMFP could have been the game everybody wanted.

On reflection I think the burden of this being an Amnesia game almost does it a disservice. Remove all those demands and expectations and you are left with a really good game.

This is by no means the greatest offering from Tale of Tales, but it's a great way to spend a few hours.

It's a game to meander through. It's a game to play with a bottle of wine and an open mind. It's something to relax to and experience. For that reason it makes a great addition to any indie game library.

Anything that stands in opposition of your usual gaming experience gets my thumbs up.

It may not be one of the greatest games out there, but the sheer experience should be applauded from on high. Without any real narrative you are left to construct something for yourself. Think sinister 80's disco, commercial television and retro gaming smash up.

What a high!

Spoiler Free

First things first...

A game without graphics! It's a difficult concept to sell without a playable demo. Hopefully the developers will rectify this shortly.

However, if you are like me, a game that relies solely on audio is intriguing. It's also very difficult to pull off. Thankfully there is a short tutorial that will guide you through the early stages.

You start in your apartment in an apparent power cut, but you soon realise that something a little more sinister is happening. As you begin to realise that you have gone blind, strange and disturbing noises break through the darkness.

I have to say that it was a little tricky at first, but it only goes to make the whole experience more authentic (how bruised would you be if you suddenly went blind?). Relying on sound alone to make your way through the world helps make this one of the most immersive game experiences. There is a UI on the screen which players may find helpful, sadly I found it distracting. It helped me to close my eyes and ignore everything apart from the sound. As soon as I did that I was making my way through in no time.

A few negatives

More than one voice over may be triggered at anyone time. This is really confusing.

The UI is a distraction. Maybe allow the player to turn it off completely.

The positives

Really well executed idea.
Great use of sound.
Very scary
and very VERY immersive!

8/10 - Great product for the price!

It's been quite a wait! But from what I have seen so far, this game is worth far more than the asking price. Loads of atmosphere to immerse yourself in. 10/10.

Just completed process. I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. The use of lighting, cut scenes and sound create a sense of urgency that was quite unsettling. There is enough traditional gameplay to keep most people happy.

Are there multiple endings? I take it from the “Inevitable” that there is only one ending, but a number of unusual experiences to explore along the way. Loved the overall style, look forward to seeing what you do next!

Excellent, albeit short, adventure game.