Forums > Game Forums > The Suffering > What's your excuse for not playing this NOW? >:(
Slug Camargo (583) on 11/23/2008 9:25 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
I seem to remember having talked this up, but I can't find the thread, so if I am actually reposting, blame the search engine.
You might know I have this all-time league of superstar games in which I place a couple of highly-praised AAA titles as well as a couple of underdogs I never understood how did pass with so little notice. The Suffering is undoubtedly one of them.
It's all in there in that review, but let me sum it up for you:
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The Suffering is the first game (out of only two so far, if you ask me) that fully succeeded in mixing entertaining, fast-paced action gameplay with an unnerving, nerve-wrecking psychological horror atmosphere.
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The story in The Suffering is a multi-layered, deep tale that goes beyond the main story arc, presenting a myriad of sub-stories that will breathe life even into the very physical locations the game takes place in. In this regard, I consider The Suffering's story second only to that of Silent Hill 2, so there.
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The Suffering's storytelling blends with gameplay in the form of moral choices you make throughout the game; the moral path you choose will determine just how crooked the main character is at his core, and will therefore take you to one of three endings. This is not new, of course, but this is the first and as far as I know only game that uses this device so brilliantly: First off, you don't have the usual, cartoony, "good/bad" contrast here, but something much more mature and unsettling. Secondly, the moral path you're treading is reflected all over the place: Even the dialogues of certain NPCs and the character's physical appearance will be different; thus making not only the ending, but the entire story change. You might know I love Bioshock, for instance, but I'll be damned if I understand how is it that so much's been said about its moral choices, when The Suffering did it all -and much, much better- like 4 years before, and noone seemed to notice.
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The bad guys in The Suffering, meaning the three main "villains", are easily among the most charismatic, unforgettable pack of bastards to ever grace gaming. Each one of them is as masterfully written as he's delivered, and even though they never interact with each other, they do have this weird chemistry that makes it impossible for one to work as well without the other two. Bottom line, they could challenge Undying's Covenant siblings any day of the week =P
Now, why am I ranting again about this game? Because now you have no excuse not to find out what the fuck's about with so much fanboyism: You can pick up The Suffering FOR FREE.
Midway's classic PC shooter, The Suffering, is now available to download and play for FREE as an ad supported game. This is a full version with no time expiration sponsored by advertising.
It says there that the game is advertising-sponsored. I don't know what that means; what I do know is that I've been playing this free version for a couple hours now, and I didn't notice the slightest difference with the original one, which I played seven or eight times already so I think I would notice. Maybe it's subliminal advertising or something.
So, there. Go do yourself a favor and pick it up, will you? Worst case scenario, you'll have a fair shooter that runs OK on every modern-day pc to kill time with. It's a win-win-win situation.
You're welcome =D
The Fabulous King (1332) on 11/23/2008 9:30 PM · Permalink · Report
Thank you.
The Fabulous King (1332) on 11/23/2008 9:31 PM · Permalink · Report
So Midway is going bye-bye?
Slug Camargo (583) on 11/23/2008 9:33 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start chirinea wrote--]I just skipped all your rant to say that I already knew it and I'm right now in the middle of it. =) [/Q --end chirinea wrote--] I really want to know what each of you guys that try it have to say after playing. Like, is my fanboyism any justified or has the world done well by ignoring this and I'm just sick? =P
[Q --start chirinea wrote--] Also, Midway also made Area 51 free. [/Q --end chirinea wrote--] Yep, I found out a couple days ago, also playing it; though I can't say much just yet.
chirinea (47495) on 11/23/2008 9:53 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] [Q2 --start chirinea wrote--]I just skipped all your rant to say that I already knew it and I'm right now in the middle of it. =) [/Q2 --end chirinea wrote--] [/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]I've been wanting to play it for a while now. My brother played it a couple of years ago, and since you speak about this game like once per month, I thought it would be interesting playing it. When I heard it came out as free(ad)ware, I just started downloading it.
Well, the advertising-sponsored thing in it is that you only can play it if you have an internet connection. I discovered it just the other day that my internet went down in the middle of the night and I thought "well, time to play some Suffering then". Just to receive a message saying I couldn't, damn it.
As for if your fanboyism is justified: I read your review twice I guess, and I think you're pretty much right about everything you wrote there. But I don't know, I'm not THAT impressed by the game. I mean, the game is cool and all, but I just don't think it is the greatest thing ever. The story is interesting, but I'm not that into horror, so I think I can't judge it well. But I want to play it again so I see the different finals. I'm playing the good guy all the way through.
When I showed it to a friend of mine and used your words, saying "Max Payne meets Silent Hill", his eyes bugged out. He said "wow, I've been waiting for a game like this for so long"! I never played Max Payne or Silent Hill, just watched people playing, so I knew what to expect but I didn't have the emotional connection.
Speaking about emotions, my friend (which is a bit further in the game than I am, as he spends more time playing than I do) said the game scared him a good bunch of times. I can't say the same. I play it with headphones, in the middle of the night with the lights turned off, and all that those random flashes of weird images can drive in me is "wtf"? The only game which really scared me was Penumbra (the demo, haven't played the full game).
Anyway, I'm having fun with it. And I guess you guys are too exigent with graphics. You say the game is ugly, and I don't think so. Well, I like Odyssey² graphics, so I guess the problem is with me. =P
Sicarius (61518) on 11/24/2008 5:37 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--]What's your excuse for not playing this NOW? >:([/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--] I already bought and played it and it's successor upon release. Shame on everyone who didn't support it back then! looks at you very angry
mobiusclimber (235) on 11/24/2008 4:21 PM · Permalink · Report
That's odd, I could have sworn this game made buttloads o' cash when it was released. Like to the tune of over 1.5 million copies sold.
Slug Camargo (583) on 11/25/2008 3:09 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start mobiusclimber wrote--]That's odd, I could have sworn this game made buttloads o' cash when it was released. Like to the tune of over 1.5 million copies sold. [/Q --end mobiusclimber wrote--] Really? I don't remember reading a word about it anywhere, and certainly nothing about the whole storytelling deal I like so much. I could be fun, me defending it like it's some underappreciated lost gem, and the game actually being some sort of AAA-level seller. It goes to show just how distorted everything looks from down here =P
PolloDiablo (16852) on 11/25/2008 7:30 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] fast-paced action gameplay [/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]
That's my excuse. I do like horror-games and I did read some reviews to see if this would be a game for me, but it's much too fast and action-rich for me.
Slug Camargo (583) on 11/25/2008 11:15 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start PolloDiablo wrote--] [Q2 --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] fast-paced action gameplay [/Q2 --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]
That's my excuse. I do like horror-games and I did read some reviews to see if this would be a game for me, but it's much too fast and action-rich for me. [/Q --end PolloDiablo wrote--] But that's precisely the good thing about this one: It still manages to feel like a horror game, despite all the shooting. To be honest, it doesn't reach the level of, say Condemned and certainly not Silent Hill; but it doesn't get all Class-B action/horror movie on you like the Resident Evil's usually do, either.
PolloDiablo (16852) on 11/26/2008 1:59 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] [Q2 --start PolloDiablo wrote--] [Q3 --start Dr. Von Katze wrote--] fast-paced action gameplay [/Q3 --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]
That's my excuse. I do like horror-games and I did read some reviews to see if this would be a game for me, but it's much too fast and action-rich for me. [/Q2 --end PolloDiablo wrote--] But that's precisely the good thing about this one: It still manages to feel like a horror game, despite all the shooting. To be honest, it doesn't reach the level of, say Condemned and certainly not Silent Hill; but it doesn't get all Class-B action/horror movie on you like the Resident Evil's usually do, either. [/Q --end Dr. Von Katze wrote--]
Uhm. How can I explain... these games are all way too hard for me too, so I haven't played them. If running, or aiming, or shooting, or avoiding, is part of the gameplay it's too hard. Period. I have NO hand-eye-coordination whatsoever and the reflexes of a containership. Horror-games I like are things like Scratches, Darkness Within, Dark Fall, The Lost Crown, Barrow Hill, Rhiannon...