The Suffering

by Midway

Product Features

• Experience nine terrifying levels -- traverse indoor & outdoor terrain, where horror waits around every corner
• As your Rage Meter fills, Torque will turn into a hideous and powerful creature
• Multiple deadly weapons, from shivs to Tommy guns -- you'll need them all to fight the horrifying monsters you'll face
• Brutal, gory details -- blood & fluids drip, pool and splatter as you travel on this chilling, stomach-turning journey
• Interact with the hardened criminals and determine their fate

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000095ZH6
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 8, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,797 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform: PlayStation2

From the Manufacturer

Midway captures the disturbing and terrifying nature of the horror genre with The Suffering, a compelling third-person action/adventure game set in the mature and gritty world of a maximum-security prison.

"The Suffering redefines terror with a chilling look into a penitentiary invaded by executed prisoners grotesquely reincarnated as the methods of execution that befell them," said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing, Midway.

Unleashing the horror throughout nine levels, The Suffering features dynamic lighting that illuminates frightening visions of horror-filled exploration and frantic combat sequences. In the dark world of The Suffering, creatures attack from the shadows and emerge from jail cells, chambers, the ground and trees, surprising the player in the most disturbing ways possible. As Torque, the main character, players encounter a cast of uniquely hardened criminals, prison guards and grotesque apparitions.

Jailed for a murder he may or may not have committed, Torque is next in line for execution when apparitions besiege the prison and inadvertently free him. Utilizing more than ten deadly weapons, Torque sets out to uncover his past and unlock the deadly secrets of The Suffering. In the game, players can transform Torque into his monstrous alter ego and unleash the power of his primal fury while battling 12 horrific creatures. Depending on how they play the game, players will arrive at three distinct endings for a unique gaming experience.

Stan Winston, renowned creature designer, enhanced The Suffering's horror-filled experience by creating the disturbing character artwork featured in the game. For more than 30 years Stan Winston has created characters, creatures and monsters for motion pictures and television. The four-time Academy Award winner is responsible for creating many of the most enduring creatures of the big screen, including the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park, the extraterrestrial monstrosities of Aliens and the fanciful character of Edward Scissorhands. He was nominated for an Academy Award for A.I. and worked on the blockbuster hit T3 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Key Features:

• Nine Terrifying Levels –Traverse indoor and outdoor terrain with horror lurking in every dark corner
• Frightening Character Morphs – Fill the rage meter and transform Torque into a hideous and powerful creature
• Deadly Weapons – More than 10 deadly weapons from the shiv to the tommy gun to aid in the survival of this freakish nightmare
• Horrific Monsters – A dozen monsters, each representing the methods of execution that befell them
• Gory Detail – Blood and gore, dripping, pooling and splattering at every level of the fright-filled journey
• Disturbing Choices – Interact with different hardened criminals and determine their fate
• Unique Endings – The game ends differently depending on how it is played
• Taboo Environments – Explore the deepest recesses of the most wicked prison environment

Product Description

The Suffering - a terrible evil was unleashed in a maximum security prison. A violent environment has been unspeakably brutal, and a young felon named Torque will have to survive & find answers in this dirty, gritty world. Explore the deepest recesses of the most horrible prison environment Dynamic lighting and shadowing effects, combined with frantic combat sequences, sure to shock & disturb players Multiple endings depending on how you play the game

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than most of the garbage being released..., March 15, 2004

By 

Anthony J Sasso (Melrose Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Suffering (Video Game)

The Suffering is a decent game. It's not absolutely amazing or groundbreaking, but it is definitely more entertaining and worthwile than most crap-action titles being released right now. With dime a' dozen shooter games hitting the shelves en masse, The Suffering mixes things up a bit. It couples intense horror sequences with satisfying shoot em'up action, creating a well balanced blood soaked blend. And it is indeed well balanced. This game puts its best foot forward as a melting pot effort, combining massive amounts of gore and profanity with a decent story, and some good ol'fashion disturbing imagery. I felt that if ever the shooting and fighting grew a bit repetitive, the game's freaky/disturbing context prevailed and pulled the game through. As much as you run around chopping up demons and blowing them full of holes, the 'darker' backbone and theme of the game is always right there making itself known. Like I said, it's a mixture; You never feel too overwhelmed with the bulletfest or the brooding story elements. The graphics are run-of-the-mill PS2 quality. Nothing to boast about, but nothing to really gripe about either. The control interface is nicely done and the ability to switch between first and third person view at any time is excellent indeed. There are four difficulty settings - Easy (for your little sister)- Medium (for wusses like me)- Hard (for people who like to get aggravated and swear blood-vengeance on their PS2 - and Insane (for people who like getting splattered thoroughly and quite often.) The game's difficulty is balanced well, and the medium setting provides a challenge without overwhelming or enraging you. Also: weapons and provisions are well supplied throughout your adventure. - It isn't one of those action-horror titles where you have to be sparing with your loot. If anything, this game encourages you to hose down everything in sight, as there is always plenty more ammo to be found as you progress. My next topic of discussion is The Suffering's use of decision based story progression, and how it ultimately determines the ending of the game. Put simply: You run into people during the game (officers, inmates etc) and you are faced with choices - You can either choose to help them and follow the, dare I say 'light' path - or you can choose to be evil and cut them down and continue on your way. One nifty element the game designers have employed here is the use of voices that your character hears inside his head when faced with such decisions. One voice is his dead wife, urging him to do the right thing... the other voice is the voice of insanity, urging him to go Scarface on everyone. It is a neat little perk and one of the game's more memorable and fun features. And the choices you make regarding people who need your help will determine how the story ends for you, as the game features multiple endings. The demons/monsters you face in the game are pretty cool and some are definitely on par with the grotesque freaks found in Silent Hill. The voice acting is well done and very entertaining at points. On a similar note, if you play this game all the way through you're going to hear the F word about 300 times. - As well as some other choice phrases that helped The Suffering earn its well deserved M rating. So I guess that's either a boon or a disappointment depending on your tastes. In closing, I recommend this release. Fun if you like blazing guns action play, and fun/intriguing if you're a horror game fan. If you have the cash to spend, I'd say go for it. There's replay value and some great action/horror elements that make this title a satisfying stand-out. And let's not forget the blood... buckets and buckets of blood. ;)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars one good horror game, February 24, 2004

By 

"zoom909" (kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Suffering (Video Game)

This is the best horror game I have played since resident evil 2. I love to get spooked but most horror games are about scaring you by giving you no ammo and running as your tactic to survive. Now don't get me wrong that adds to the spook factor but it gets hard to pick up time after time. Well, for the past several months i have been looking into The Suffering as a possible rental on a dark weekend when it came out. Just recently I played the demo and it blew me away as one of the best horror games ever.

Let us get to the point that made the game fun. You could fight. Thats it, you could fight back and actually have a chance to survive without spending ever bullet with regret. On top of that you still feel as if you are still on the brink of death as the story and monsters surround you. Now that is awesome when it comes to horror games.

Now the gore factor is a little much, even for a 18 year old guy, and the language is ridiculous but I got past that and saw what the game was like underneath. This is no kids game at all and if you are a parent looking into this for a child 16 and younger forget the game. Anyone else have fun. It is well crafted and good for a night of peeing you pants.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gruesome Monster-slaying fun., January 12, 2005

By 

A. Griffiths "Adrian" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Suffering (Video Game)

I bought The Suffering while waiting for something I really wanted to come out, but I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of effort and detail that has gone into this game. Be warned though, it's dark and horrific, and the game seems to really revel in showing all the gruesome ways people can be sliced up, mutilated and tortured. You play Torque, a man imprisoned in one of the harshest prsions ever built, and it's up to you to make sense of what is happening when staff and inmates alike start getting mowed down by bloodthirsty supernatural monsters which appear seemingly from nowhere. The story hits the ground running in the first few minutes of play, when your character suddenly finds his cell door open and the prison in total chaos. Once out of your cell, it's a matter of making your way through the prison, and outside, hoprfully to freedom.

The thing that struck me while playing was the attention to detail present in the locations. Many of the rooms have working telephones, light switches, taps, lockers etc, and even though interacting with them sometimes proves to have no effect (flushing the toilet for example!) it's a great and realistic addition to the game world. Of course many of these things are important to the action, such as unlocking doors or finding supplies, so it pays to explore just what you can do in every new location. A word of warning also, be alert or else some parts of the game will pass you by. Some pathways and rooms containing supplies and even weapons can be completely bypassed if you are not thorough in exploring, so it pays to be cautious. This, of course, is only possible once you have cleared any areas completely of marauding monsters, and it's here that the meat of the game lies.

The creatures invading the prison are pretty gruesome and relentless in their attempts to kill you. Some very Silent Hill-esque creatures inhabit this world, including agile metallic creatures with blades instead of arms and legs that just love to leap at you from the ceiling, and crawling mutants who like to pull loaded hypodermic syringes out of their skin and throw them at you like darts. Early on in the game you will be hard pushed to come through fights unscathed, so it's a blessing that healing supplies are scattered liberally throughout each stage. However, just when you find the best (in my opinion ) firearm - the shotgun - and start cackling with joy as one or two close-range blasts send the creatures flying in a hail of body parts, the game ups the challenge and starts sending wave after wave of critters at you, some of which respawn endlessly. It sounds unfair, but it's not really, as in these cases the game is either telling you to get the hell out of there, or find a way to plug up the seemingly endless stream from it's source.
In several ways, the game reminds me a lot of the similar PS2 adventure "Ghosthunter", in that you have to run around whilst manually aiming, and things seem to be far more capable of dashing around the screen than you are. But, in a great additional aspect, you can also switch to first person view at any time, and still run around, attack and jump, etc. So that's almost two games in one, if you prefer to play it that way. Plus the weapons are a lot of fun...when I found the fire axe it was definitely playtime, heh heh...

As for the plot, it's very minimal, with escaping alive being about the only important issue here. There is a sub-plot involving Torque's memory of his wife and children and what has happened to them and him leading up to to the current situation, but it's very much a peripheral issue to the main action of the game. I found Torque's constant flashbacks and visions to be rather pointless after a while, as the script doesn't give Torque any personality whatsoever (he never speaks or changes his expression during the entire game), so it's impossible to feel any sympathy or even tell what emotions he's supposed to be experiencing!

The gameplay improves further once Torque gets outside of the actual prison, as the repetition of cells and offices gives way to a variety of forests, roads, rivers and cliffs, and the freedom to explore is pretty impressive (or maybe I should say that the disguising of the restraints the game uses to stop you going where it doesn't want you to go is pretty impressive!). Towards the end of the game, you'll also make it to a delapidated asylum/residence, a shoreline complete with shipwreck, and a clifftop lighthouse, and the graphics of these locations is wonderful, well worth waiting for.

So I recommend this game. It's challenging, although some of the killing can be avoided if you just want to run past everything. Still want more? Well, actions such as your willingness to help other survivors (even when they might be actively hostile towards you) will change the ending you receive, or open up extra goodies if you keep certain NPC's alive long enough - pretty tough to do in some cases. And there are several situations featuring puzzles and traps to test your problem-solving skills. There's also an "insanity" meter which, when full, allows Torque to transform into a super-strong monster himself and dish out insane damage....to find out how and why, you'll have to play the game. It's definitely worth a look

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