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This game is evil.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 48 / 50
Date: March 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been a fan of horror films for over twenty-five years now and have reached the conclusion that I can no longer be scared by them. I'm not saying that to be macho. I like being scared. I want to be scared. It's the reason I still go to horror movies.

I've of course tried to get my fix from horror video games. Resident Evil, Clock Tower, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, ect. I've played whatever the critics or fans recommended as scary. To be honest, I found most of them to be laughable and some flat out boring. Playing The Suffering was like hitting the jackpot.

Some things I recommend before playing:

1) If possible play on the Xbox in Dolby Digital with a good receiver and speakers.

The sound FX are what drive this game; they're second to none. Fighting the monsters isn't really scary. It's actually comforting. What's scary are the noises you hear coming from the shadows. Something clawing it's way through the ducts behind you and to the right. The sound of men screaming, shots being fired, then flesh being torn apart to your left. A monster trying to smash it's way through the door directly in front of you which you've just tried to open but found locked. The sounds in this game are phenomenal.

2) Adjust the brightness of you T.V. to a low level.

The game will ask you to do this before you start playing. It's similar to other horror video games. You really need to have dark shadows for all those scary sounds to be effective.

3) Play in first-person mode.

Third-person mode is easier. You have a wider perspective, which makes it easier to move and see around you, but that wider perspective feels like a buffer zone between you and the monsters. You feel like you don't have to watch your back because the camera is doing it for you. First-person is a little more difficult to move around but much more intense. You feel like your really there.

4) Play alone, late at night with the lights off.

You know why.

The game starts off with you in a cell on death row. You've murdered your wife and children but don't remember because you suffer from blackouts. Soon the lights go out and you hear the other inmates being torn apart. Something pulls your cell door off and your set loose into the prison. Eventually, your given a choice of paths to take. You can either be a good guy and work with other survivors or be a bad guy and massacre everyone. Of course, I chose to kill everyone (lets face it, what gamer wont) and soon found myself suffering from horrible, and frequent, hallucinations of my murdered family and other things. And the voices, oh those voices in your head telling you to kill; that the person standing in front of you is just a piece of trash and deserve to be slaughtered by you. Though, those voices are contradicted by the voice of your dead wife telling you not to do it. That she could never love a murderer. God this is twisted.

I guess this is a good point to mention that this is the most masochistic game I've ever played. I recently finished Manhunt (which I loved) and this game blows it away. Some deaths are vivid and brutal. Innocent guard trying to help you: butcher him. Guard locked in gas chamber: gas him. Man strapped in electric chair: juice him. Parents should also know that besides the violence and gore this game also has adult language. Including a four letter profanity used to describe a certain part of the female anatomy.

This game is not your typical survival horror game. Not only is it actually scary, it's also action packed. There are plenty of things to fight and you better move pretty fast or your dead. There's also a good amount of weapons for you to use. The gameplay is more like Doom than Resident Evil (epically in first-person). You will eventually be taught, by a ghost, how to go into psycho mode. After you kill enough things your psycho meter fills up and you can transform into a raging beast. In this form you can dismember your victims with one swipe of your hand.

What can I say? I loved this game. I've looked long and hard for something to be able to scare me again. Playing this game made me feel like a little kid watching a horror movie through my fingers. This mothers intense.

Best Horror game in a looooooong time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: May 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'm only halfway through with the Suffering but I can safely say that this game is something that other horror games are not: it's fun!

First of, the controls are very easy to work with; Unlike Silent Hill 2 and Alone in the Dark where the controls seems to work against you - and thus ruining the game experience for you.

Also, the atmosphere (great sound effects!) and the creatures are awesome. I really think this is one of my the better games in my Xbox collection. It action scenes are pretty addicting...

There are some bad points about the game that I have to point out though:

1. The movie sequence in the very beginning of the game is also the worst part of the game. The character models of the inmates do not look right and the voice acting is terrible in this section.

2. There are few bugs in the Xbox version. Sometimes the lead character, Torque, gets stuck between chairs and tables, etc.

3. There is a lot of swearing so its not recommended for the kiddies at all.

Overall, I highly recommend this game to all fans of the horror genre.

Sidenote: If you like this game, you may want to take a look at the "Thing" for the Xbox.

Warning- WILL give you nightmares

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: February 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

By playing the demo and the demo alone, I have spent sleepless nights playing all difficulty leavels and examining the area. This won't be your normal, "stuck-in-a-house/mansion" horror with the undead... you'll be facing the ghosts of those who have died in this prison, from lethal injection to being gassed, these ghosts will use items related to their deaths to seek vengance... but are they really trying to kill you, or are they trying to get you to do something worse...? The plot will keep you stuck in this game, you WILL have nightmares, and you won't stop playing until you finally get all the endings... trust me, it'll be worth it. So, move back in with your parents.. the only way you'll sleep through this one is with someone in your bed. And even then.. that won't stop the nightmares... Wait.. my cell's getting really dark... What the... IT'S IN MY CE-

On the CD-O-meter, this game ranks a...:
10/10

Horror Has A New Home

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The Suffering (XBox version reviewed) is by far the most disturbing, violent, foul-mouthed, and perverse game I have ever experienced (the only one to come close is Manhunt - which is also all of the above - but in a much sleazier way....Manhunt, while a very guilty pleasure, makes you feel the need to shower after playing). The Suffering, on the other hand, is outstanding in every aspect - including the setting (a prison with a blood-soaked history steeped in violence and corruption). Into this environment, without warning, comes an unspeakable evil - and here is where the gory tale begins. Someone finally got it right when it came to translating real horror to the console game (Alone in the Dark, and the Silent Hill, House of the Dead, Clock Tower and Resident Evil series must now take a back seat...and I do not say this lightly as I am a big fan!!!). You play the game as Torque, a brutish killer on death row for the murder of his ex-wife and kids - a crime he has no memory of committing - who is suddenly freed from his cell when the carnage erupts. I cannot begin to truly describe the sense of dread that you experience playing this game - and much of it comes from fleeting images, whispered voices, sounds of graphic slaughter, and the terror-filled screams of the victims (inmates and guards alike). It is what you do not see that is the most frightening. Also the brief flashbacks that the protagonist experiences truly enhances the overall fear factor. Add to all of this the moral choices your character is forced to make when he encounters survivors. Inner voices urge him to either save and/or kill them - and whatever Torque (you) decides to do will ultimately affect the outcome of the game! From a technical point: the sound, voice acting (especially the character of Hermes, who sent chills down my spine) and overall graphics enhance the gameplay a thousand-fold. Also the designers truly understand the importance of being able to easily save (ie. at the gamer's discretion not the game's!!!) Only one quibble (and it is very, very minor): I wish there were more variety in the creatures (although the ones they have - designed by Stan Winston's studios - are truly nightmarish...and represent bizarre morphings of various methods of execution (hanging, lethal injection, electrocution, etc). This is by far the best game I have played. Highly recommended for fans of genuine horror.

Prison truly is HELL

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been waiting for this game to come out for quite some time and now that it's here, I can say that it was worth the wait. One thing for sure this game doesn't disapoint from literally scaring at any moment. From the vast numbers of enemies that pop out of nowhere, to the disturbing flashbacks and gruesome images that our main character Torque experiences. All the enemies represent various forms of executions, from firing squads to lethal ejections to beheading to even being buried alive. This game also has high replay value, considering the fact that there are 3 endings to choose from: Good, Neutral and Evil and I have to say that the most disturbing of the 3 was the Neutral ending, but I won't spoil it for you. The only real downside, which other reviewers have already mentioned is that this game is pretty short. It doesnt take too long to finish this game but because it's alot of fun you'll be playing this game over and over. As far as content goes, this game is really violent and gruesome and the language is pretty extreme and falls into the category of other gruesome but really fun games like Manhunt and Roadkill. Be forewarned that this game is NOT FOR KIDS. Parents be aware.

Best Survival / Horror Game I've Seen In Quite A While

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: March 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

"The Suffering" - Now here's a game that came out last week (nearly under my radar) and I picked up on a whim the day after it was released. Very excited to play it after the helpful guy at the gamestop by my house filled my head with anticipation of the "creepiest" and/or "scariest" game I've ever played - and you know what, he might have been right.

Looking a lot like the "Silent Hill" games (but better) and playing a lot like the "Max Payne" games, this game truly is the scariest I've ever played. The visuals are shocking and timed perfectly. The sound really adds to the ambiance of the game and the foul language and graphic violence only adds to the realism. The storyline is good too as it keeps you wondering if "Torque" (the character whom you play) is really guilty of his accused crimes. But is it fun?

Damn straight it is. A lot of fun. The controls are pretty easy to pick up, the learning curve is maybe a half hour to get used to it, but vets of this type of game should have no problem at all. You never know when the next time is, the game will make you jump and what's around the next corner. The game is very dark so it will be hard to see things most times. (And sometimes you might think you saw something, but did you?) And let me tell you, it's a lot of fun to blast away at your enemies utilizing several common place weapons, such as: Tommy Gun, Twin Revolvers, Shotgun etc. Also, you have full use of grenades, Molotov Cocktails, etc. There's a lot of action to keep you from getting bored. Don't worry about that.

There is also some puzzle solving aspects of the game, but they are usually not to difficult and are easily figured out within a few minutes of logical thinking.

Now for a few minor downsides. The game is pretty short. You're looking at around 8 hours or so to beat it. (But there is some incentive for replay value since you can achieve 3 different endings) Also, there is not much variation to the creatures that you fight. There are only around 4 different variations of commonly seen creatures in the game. Could have used a bit more variety there.

In conclusion, this is a fun game that happens to be one of, if not, the, scariest game I've ever played. I highly recommend you pick it up, especially if you're a fan of the horror-genre.

Roundup: (I have it for Xbox)
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 5/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Storyline: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Turn the lights on...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I enjoy video games, and I certainly enjoyed this one. It's a regular shoot'em up MF. But, what makes it so different is the amazing creepiness, the music, the lighting, and the fact that you can walk through almost a whole level, and and not see a thing. The background sounds are spooky, the music swells and fades... then, BAM!!! A freaky beastie jumps out of a dark corner and I jump out of my seat.

My wife would watch this game over my shoulder and get just as freaked. It was like a good scary movie that you get to walk through.

The reason I didn't give it five stars is the linear plot/play line was a bit tedious. If it were more like GTA, where you could just explore the island, that would make this a really great game.

Best Horror Game Out There!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: March 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game blows away all those other slow paced horror games out there today. The game is so fast paced with a shot of adrenalin. Your hands sweat from playing this game because you never know what is coming at you next. The puzzles are all fun to figure out but like some other people said, I wish there were more creatures and just a little longer game would have been nice. I still havent found out how to get the flamethrower yet, I guess I will have to play it a few more times.

3 THINGS TO PUT THE FEAR BACK IN YOU

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: March 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Darkness, Quietness, and the Suffering: Combining these key elements make for a fun filled, scary as anything gaming experience. I played the demo a month ago and have been awaiting the release of this game with great anticipation. And it is finally here and I'm loving every scary minute of it.

An extremely intense game, packed full of gore, harsh language, frightening images, and gruesome enemies. It is not for the timid; it is not for the weak. It can be played with either 1st person or 3rd person views, with the first person view putting the player right in the middle of the action. An overview of the story can be found in the product description, so I won't waste your eyes on that. What I will advise you is that you play this game in the dark and quietness of your room in order to achieve the fullest extent of the scare factor. Also, there are multiple endings in this game depending on how you play it through, ie. killing every inmate and officer you come across might put your ending a bit diffrently then if you were to help those same people throughout gameplay. As you can see, the replay value of this game is relatively high.

So, get into this game and "Make them suffer, before they do the same to you.."

An all-around excellent game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got The Suffering because, when my girlfriend made me go with her to Walmart at 2am to buy an Xbox, it seemed like the best game there. I was worried because I really hate buying games without knowing them first, but man, I was very pleasantly surprised.

I give credit to the game designers for creating an all around out-standing game. The first thing that jumped out at me was the harsh language. I have been a long-time Nintendo enthusiest and i was definitly not prepared for all the cursing. I have no problem with it in my personal life, and it was highly appropriate considering the game starts out on Death Row.

The second thing I noticed was the fantastic graphics. Again, this is the result of never before using an Xbox, but the design and art execution is highly impressive as well as the graphics. You start the game by travelling through a prison where almost everyone has been murdered in a horribly gruesome manner. The blood splattering on the floors and walls is absolutely incredible. The designers must have put a lot of time in studying actual crime scenes because this looks REAL!!

The enemies also look fantastic, they all reflect the various forms of capital punishment that have been administered to the prisoners over the history of the prison. Example: a small impish creature pumped full of syringes represents those killed by lethal injection.

So the game looks amazing. No question about it. But how does it play? Even better!! all of the buttons are exteremely user friendly, the weapons are acurate and realistic. and the damage inflicted upon the demons (or other humans if you choose to kill them) is very gruesome.

this is definitly not a game for kids.

The violence is constant and very disturbing. you have constant flash backs and visions (very reminescent of The Shining, by Stephen King) a lot of which involve murdered women and children.

probably the most outstanding aspect of this game is the level design. These guys really went above and beyond keeping the levels fresh and new. even though the whole game is played on a prison island, you are constantly running into new types of environments and situations and they are all fitting to the story. you travel through the prison, the excercise yards, the beaches, a deserted psycho ward, the sewer system, and the woods around the prison.

anyway, this game is a bargain at any price! as soon as i beat it i went right back through it again to kill all the other prisoners and gaurds i helped along the way the first time. whether you kill the innocent or help them totally changes the story of the game. so the replay value for this is fair. not great, cause the game is a little short, but ive played it thru twice and will definitly play a third time.

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