Customer Reviews

The Suffering

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the better games nobody has played ... great gameplay; good story; multiple options on how you want to play it(nice - evil) ... nice assortment of creatures with differing tactics ... the weapons vs creatures is balanced ... ammo/health etc pickups spread throughout each segment = pays to explore everywhere ... some tricky battles where you don't do the obvious ... nice mix of gameplay + story .... compared to some of the poor current games, you should give this one a try = no bugs; no anti-piracy bs

I have never been creeped out so much by a game. I used to think Nocturne was a frightfest. Nothing compares to this for the outright savage feeling of being predator/prey in a violent macabre movie. The voice acting is downright chilling. The graphics, while not on the colorful side (except for blood), are supreme. The character control is very good. I can only play this in short stints. It can be very intense. This delivers in every way the promises it offers up. If you can stomach extreme gore you will find this game fascinating and great fun.

In this game, you take on the role of "Torque", a convicted man sent to die in the fictional prison of Carnate Isle where, as anticipated, a whole lot of bad business has gone down in the past and the souls are restless.

The prison is hit by what at first seems to be an earthquake, except for the sounds of your fellow inmates being eviscerated, one by one. From here on out, it is all about survival.

The game's strenghs lie first in the carefully crafted levels, throughout which you can find many optional events that reveal the isle's long and storied history of evil. Picking up a phone call, blundering down a deserted path in the woods, or breaking down a cracked wall invariably leads to some small insight into the game's surprisingly well-built back story.

The visual artistry that sustains the atmosphere is a bit hit-and-miss. Screenshots do not do the ambiant effects in this game justice. Blooming ethereal lights, clever filter effects, and superior soundwork all combine to create a convincing home for the supernatural.

The gameplay is standard shooter fare, with a smattering of simple puzzles thrown in to color the experience. In many ways, the game is very much like UNDYING, save that the pacing is more consistent and ammunition fot the game's many firearms is quite easily found.

I must admit, I like "The Suffering" ALOT. I'm a great fan of the TPS horror genre and the Silent Hill series in particular. I can't yet say whether this game is as scary as SH but already it's given me goosebumps.

The graphics are fantastic and the game is unbelievably atmospheric. Many gamers will also be pleased to know that you don't need a top of the range PC to run this game smoothly. I have relatively average specs and the game runs like a dream (Athlon XP 1700+ 512MB RAM)

The controls are also very simple to get used to and there aren't too many in-game options to confuse you. People of a weak disposition probably wouldn't appreciate this game because it does use alot of coarse language and it is very bloody. However, if you have an open mind and would like to play a game which is just a little bit different from most TPS', then I would definately recommend it to you.

The basic outline of the game is the following:

You have just been transfered to a prison on an island off the Maryland coast. The other prisoners start to divulge in irrelevant discourse amongst themselves and suddenly the electricity starts to fail and the guards and inmates all meet very gruesome deaths at the hands of various malevolent and deformed creatures who make a dramatic entrance through the prison ceiling. From that point on, it's all about you staying alive by any and all means necessary.

An enjoyable horror-based shooter at a very reasonable price. And this game runs very smoothly on my old 2GHz Pentium even with graphics on HIGH. If you liked Clive Barker's Undying, you will most assuredly also like this game.

I was a little. . apprehensive about purchasing this title. I like mature, adult themes in games, but this one looked at a few glances like a liiiiitle bit too much.

Now I have it and am on level 2, here is what I have to say.

The four stars I gave it should be four and a half. It doesn't get five because of its dated graphics, but atmospherically, its spot on.
The game is engaging from intro to the moment you are allowed gameplay exploration. Its a dark and sinister bloodbath in a hell hole penetentary where the main character 'Torque' is sent where the baddest of the bad fester away.

They don't hold any bars with this one. Course, strong language and violence from the word go. Its not a game for minors, though no doubt it has sold like hot cakes to minors already. I don't think it actually advocates violence like some games as notorious as manhunt. Its just that Torque has to employ the use of violence to stay alive. There are times when the decision has to be made to do good or bad, and if the choice is bad, you hear Torques wife crying for him to stop and change his ways. So in this respect, I think the moral is enforced.

So far my only real criticism is that you are better off engaging the monsters with the shiv that you get when you first get out of your cell, its in the body of a cell mate. The pistol to me is worthless, you can shoot 20 rounds into a single slayer before it falls or simply engage it for a few seconds hack and slash.

Strongly recommended to mature gamers who have the open mind for what the game offers.

Silent Hill move over, there's a new guy in town. The Suffering is a fun game that freaks the hell out of you.

You play Baltimore prison inmate, Torque, inside a prison gone mad. You discover why he was jailed through these clever visions you get during the course of the game that pop up when you least expect them. Expect to be jumping at every sound after an hour or so with this game; it gives Resident Evil and other major series of the genre a great run for their money.

The graphics are merely okay, though. When I see games like Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 coming out, I wonder how much effort was put into the engine. They aren't bad, just not that good either.

The atmosphere is fantastic, though. The prison inmates yell and scream at you, the monsters emit terrifying noises, and the sound effects are pitch-perfect. It really brings the package together. The voice acting is also above average.

The game really earns its "Mature" rating, though, so be forwarned.

Pros:
Great atmosphere
Truly scary
Good story
Terrifice fun
Cheap!

Cons:
Graphics are a little sub-standard
Combat can be repetitive

Highly reccomended for horror fans.

This game is one of the scariest I have played, the kind that makes you lock the doors to make sure nobody sneaks up on you. One problem though, the language isn't suitable for most, I have a hard time with it. Also, some of the graphics are so so, but overall I do recommend it.

I was expecting a mouse controlled interface like Doom or Quake. Unfortunately this game requires you to use both mouse and keyboard. The mouse controls view (you can look up and down, left and right) but the character's movement is controlled by the arrow keys. I could find no option in setup to change this. It makes it very awkward to play because you can see monsters coming at you but cannot move very quickly because you have to use one hand on arrow keys and fire and view with other hand.

The Suffering is a 1st/3rd person Action Horror game where play as Torque, a death row inmate convicted of murdering your wife and children. Your sentence is to be carried out at Carnate Island Prison, several miles off the coast of Maryland. Not known for its pleasant atmosphere, Carnate Island Prison has a questionable past which you quickly discover as you begin the game. After a violent earthquake shakes the prison, Torque finds himself free of his cell. Unfortunately, he's wasn't the only thing freed in the quake. Strange, gruesome and violent creatures suddenly appear and begin slaughtering everyone in their path. Here begins Torque's story and my review of The Suffering;


Pros

+ Very dark theme, intriguing story, plenty of gore and adult language.

+ Decent amount of weapons and ammo.

+ Plenty of in your face scares.

+ Solid voice acting.

+ Good ambient score and superbly scary creature sound effects.

+ Unique and gruesome creatures to battle.

+ Screen constantly flashes with disturbing and shadowy images which increase the fear factor of the game.

+ Rage meter fills up relatively quickly.

+ Ability to transform into your own demon-like beast allowing you to combat a larger number of enemies more easily. This ability will save you a lot of ammunition.

+ Unlockable back story info is all voice acted.

+ Playable in 1st or 3rd person views.

+ Most areas have the option to load over to a previous zone for ammo or health pick ups etc.

+ Perfect game length of 20 Levels.

+ Save anywhere, anytime.


Cons

- Torque can often get stuck on objects in the environment. This is particularly troublesome when you're trying to dodge or strafe from all of the quick moving enemies in the game.

- Various sound effects can often cut out during combat.

- Pre-patch the game would constantly freeze up on the loading screen.

- Subpar graphics for a 2004 title. It seems to be a direct port from the Playstation 2 version, which is unfortunate for PC owners expecting better graphics.

- Limited number of enemy types.

- Unlockable back story would have been more helpful if it was integrated into the game and not as an extra.

- Bosses were a tad too easy to defeat.


Apart from its dated graphics and glitchy object hang ups, The Suffering was an impressive game in the action horror genre. Adult in its theme and original in its story it's definitely an overlooked gem in the genre. If you're looking for an adult action horror shooter with plenty of good scares, a solid story and don't mind dated graphics, give The Suffering a go.