⭐ Rating: 6.5/10 ⭐

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs takes a different approach from The Dark Descent, shifting away from complex gameplay mechanics in favor of a more narrative-driven experience. Developed by The Chinese Room, the game leans heavily on storytelling, atmosphere, and psychological horror rather than resource management and survival elements.

Pros:
✅ Strong atmosphere – The game excels in environmental storytelling, with eerie sound design and disturbing visuals that create an unsettling mood.
✅ Compelling narrative – If you enjoy deep, philosophical horror with themes of industrialization and human corruption, the story will likely intrigue you.
✅ No resource management – No sanity meter or inventory means a more streamlined experience, which some players may appreciate.

Cons:
❌ Less interactivity – Unlike The Dark Descent, there’s no real inventory system, and puzzles are minimal, making gameplay feel simplified.
❌ Short playtime – Can be completed in around 4-5 hours, making it feel more like a long interactive horror story rather than a full-fledged survival horror game.
❌ Less scary – While still disturbing, it lacks the same level of terror and tension that The Dark Descent had, due to the removal of sanity effects and fewer monster encounters.

Final Verdict:
If you go in expecting another Amnesia: The Dark Descent, you might be disappointed. However, if you’re a fan of atmospheric horror and enjoy games like Dear Esther or SOMA, you’ll likely appreciate its narrative and unsettling world. Worth playing for the story and atmosphere, but don’t expect the same level of fear and challenge as its predecessor.

💀 Recommended? Yes, but only if you enjoy story-driven horror.

massa.

The story is amazing. The gameplay is a walking sim.
It's not bad... it's just not as good as the first game.

"Amnesia: annoying blur, shake and slowdown"

I really don't get what people see in those games. "Story" is just bunch of menacing, but disconnected lines on papers and tapes. There's no beginning, middle or end. Just rambling. Whole gameplay loops is walk five steps in copypasted corridor, screen shakes a bit and slows you down, walk forward, rinse and repeat.

They should have named it Annoyance

Honestly this was a really enjoyable horror game, I'm not sure why it got absolutely ripped to shreds at the time other than it being a sequel to Amnesia.

Good game

A beautiful story doesn't save A Machine for Pigs from it's lackluster gameplay and regular crashes.

That said, I would be interested to see what a third party developer could do with the new systems developed by frictional since The Dark Descent's release.

Really eerie environment and story