The Suffering

The Good
Seeing as this is a horror game, I'll start of with the horror/scare and atmosphere factor of the game; the game really has its moments. The opening is calm, and then you're thrown into hell as your peers are slowly killed, you being one of only a handful of survivors (which isn't really a spoiler). The game throws all sorts of scares your way, and some really do have a lasting impression. The atmosphere is dark and mysterious, with blood and scratchings on the walls, body parts on tables and in lockers, and the enemies are quite disturbing, on the same level as those from the Silent Hill series (by the way, "disturbing" in a horror game is a good thing).

The voice acting and characters were good, with some characters that you get really interested about; such as Dr. Killjoy (I think that's his name), Hermes and Horace. The only voice acting I was disappointed in was Torque's... Only kidding, he's a mute!

The locations, although the bar-doors model is used slightly too much, are great. There's the prison, the quarry, the war bunker, the lighthouse and other areas of the island to explore, and all the places you have been to have been archived and you can look them up in a notebook to hear the story behind the location.

The story is deep, although there are no real twists, it is more than enough to keep you interested. There is a similarity between this and Silent Hill because the enemies actually represent something, and each location has its own back-story. As you progress, you battle to escape and confront the island's three inhabitants - Dr. Killjoy, Horace (who's actually a good guy) and Hermes. As you attempt to save other inmates and wardens, you must also save your self from your inner anger, a beast which you can actually play.

As you progress, you make certain decisions and actions which affect the back-story of your family, and depending on how much you turn into your dark side (the beast) using your sanity meter, this affects the ending and Torque's personality.

The graphics are getting a little old now, but they are enough quality to see you through the wonders of the island. The weapons arsenal is limited, but it sure is fun, with the option to dual-wield certain guns. What's more, the game can be explored in a first-person view also, for those who prefer shooters rather than horror.

The Bad
Some what lacking is Torque's voice - he's totally mute throughout the entire game. A few pieces of dialogue would be nice now and then, just to know what our main dude is thinking or how the beast within him is affecting his personality.

Also, the weapons are limited. I can't remember what, or how many, weapons the game had, but I remember always wishing for more weapons and had to stick with the Tommy Gun and dual Revolvers, and ever rarely using the Shiv or TNT.

The Bottom Line
Very similar to Silent Hill, this game will please all who are fans of horror or atmospheric games, with more action than other horror-based games. A good game that can be recommended.