The Suffering Review

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The Suffering PC Version

Review by Old RoosterJuly 2004

“Bloody Hell!” —Comment by Mrs. Old Rooster

It takes a good deal for my proper British wife to utter such an expletive. However, when she gingerly peeked over my gameplaying shoulder to view a particularly graphic scene from The Suffering, she just couldn’t help herself. And my response was: “Exactly, my dear.”

I love a pleasant surprise, especially since I’ve been a bit bored lately with copycat games. Picking up The Suffering “on spec” (as the Mrs. would say), I hoped it was more than a Resident Evil-type gore fest or a prison break-out. The nasty box cover hints at an electrocuted convict, perhaps coming back to life to wreak havoc. Ignore that. The Suffering is a wonderful, immersive “haunted prison island” thriller driven by an involving story with open paths, good and evil choices, and three different endings. Sure, there are plenty of monsters to dispatch (this is a “shooter” by category, after all), but the entire project is so richly embellished by the overarching storyline that the monster bashing seems quite secondary to the chilling exploration and desire to see the next cutscene.

A Nice Place to Visit (Not!)

How about a little flight or boat ride to Carnate Island? Hey, you could then be “in Carnate”—little religious play on words there; sorry. Only 10 miles off the coast of Maryland, this fictional vacation haven has a rich history, worthy of your consideration. Puritans, among my favorite folks, first settled there in the 17th century, had a few fun witch burnings, but then encountered an unexplained problem several decades later leading to the disbanding of the group. Not to be discouraged, a wealthy family purchased this garden spot in the late 19th century, enjoying the occasional trauma and strange incident until moving away 20 years later. Within the next few years, the good Dr. Killjoy founded the Carnate Institution for the Alienated (C.I.A.), using the mansion and its grounds. This was abandoned in the late 1920s, with unpleasant rumors remaining about Killjoy’s methodology. But I’m sure they’re exaggerated—barbarism and depravity, indeed. How could that be? He was a doctor, took the Hippocratic Oath, and must have been a caring man.

In the 1930s, the Feds stepped in, likely appreciating the scenic value of Carnate during Maryland springtime. They didn’t get out much, though, using the grounds as a secure POW site, with rumors of numerous executions abounding. Finally, the State of Maryland couldn’t resist the opportunity to use Carnate for its own purposes.  Employing the real estate maxim of “location, location, location,” they not only created a maximum security prison for the very worst offenders of society, but also used several methods of execution—ranging from the formalities of electric chair and lethal injection to informal allowing of prisoners to have at each other. As we said, wouldn’t you like to make a little visit, do some exploring? Talk to the “natives?” Lots of history. You can take notes, perhaps write a nice article. C’mon along.

“My First Day on the Island, I Knew My Life Was Over” —Torque

We join and play as Torque, a newly arrived prisoner, who has been convicted of the grisly murder of his wife and children. Our “hero” has no sooner settled in than an earthquake hits, shaking loose not only mortar and electrical workings, but also some most unpleasant denizens not officially enrolled in our holiday retreat. In a fashion reminiscent of the Half-Life story, but much, much, more grisly, unnatural spider-like creatures with deadly spikes drop from the ceilings and spring out from darkened alcoves. Playing Torque from a third-person perspective (first-person also an option), you attempt to work your way through and out of Abbott Prison. Not only is there the challenge of the monsters, guards and other prisoners, but also there’s an underlying mystery to be resolved, not only about Abbott and Carnate, but also about yourself. You receive messages from your dead wife and have occasions to make “good” or “evil” choices, thereby affecting your character and the game outcome. This has been done before, but not as smoothly and effectively as with The Suffering.

Even though The Suffering is technically a “port” from the console version, it plays as if it was designed for the PC from the beginning. WASD or arrow keys control Torque, with complete mouse-look and mouse button control. Key controls are minimal (map, inventory, open), with the screen very uncluttered (health, flashlight and insanity meters). You begin the game, after the earthquake shakes open your cell door, by exploring your cell wing and finding a knife and other soon-to-be-needed items—batteries, map, ammunition, Xombium, shotgun, etc.

“Look at That! Oh, My Goodness, These Are Terribly Frightening!”  —Prisoner (Sanitized Comment)

The Suffering has some very foul (or do we say “fowl” around FFC?) language and is rated “M.” Right out of the gate, you’ll hear the “f word” and the kind of rough sexual and other comments you might expect in this kind of “vacation” facility. So be warned.

Relatedly, the voice acting is outstanding and professional, aided by a terrific script. When you hear the kind of audio work done in The Suffering, you have more of an appreciation for the importance of this facet of a game, something we sometimes do not experience with other titles, especially within the adventure genre.

Accompanying this voice work are superb sound effects. Although the graphics are only moderately good (a likely carryover from console roots), the full 3D sounds are compelling. While exploring, turning on switches, gathering items, you’ll suddenly hear the nearby scream of a man who has died horribly. Scraping noises (spider blades on the floor) approach menacingly from your right speaker, moving closer and closer, more toward the center—and you! A ringing phone, overheard exclamations (“Everything’s under control—aargh …”), doors closing, wiring shorting out, your own hallucinations (or are they?)—all of these build tension between your confrontations with the specters of Abbott Prison.

The Hulk Returns

Depending on choices made throughout the game, Torque has the option of building up his Insanity Meter. This allows a frightening transformation to the “bad” Torque, producing a Hulk-like personage capable of wreaking damage and havoc that’s effective but almost out of control. Sometimes the Hulk, or Mr. Hyde, just needs to come to the fore. Contributing to the overall delusional setting are three spirits following our hero, sort of like the Ghosts of Christmas Past from Dickens, but very twisted and nightmarish.

There are a number of “key-door” puzzles throughout the game, but the most interesting and thought-provoking dilemmas come when you need to make the kind of good versus evil choice indicated above—a choice of your behavior, realizing this may have permanent effects on your personality and the outcome of your attempted escape.  Interestingly, these different paths also lead to replayability.  I’m currently in my second run-through of the game, on a different difficulty setting (four are offered), making “nice guy” choices, taking alternate routes, and finding a contrasting experience.

In terms of choices, and to be a bit more prosaic, I should comment that The Suffering installs and runs beautifully on my very moderate system (P4, 1.8, 512 RAM, nVidia 3 video card). There are sufficient options on the menu available to allow it to be playable on an even lesser system. Further, although there are console-like checkpoints for auto saving, you also have the option of saving anywhere, an important feature for many of us with short attention spans.

“Bollocks, I’m Outta Here!” —British Guard

The Suffering comes together as a remarkable survival-horror game. I used to write reviews with a breakdown of components in the game (graphics, audio, interface, etc.). But The Suffering integrates all elements so well into the final product that I hardly thought about that sort of analysis. With satisfactory graphics, outstanding audio and acting, involving mystery-like story, smooth gameplay mechanics, The Suffering moves to the top ranks, joining such titles as Clive Barker’s Undying and Eternal Darkness. If you can deal with (or maybe enjoy?) the grisly setting, monster bashing and rough language, the game comes as highly recommended—an essential purchase, Gold Star level.

What I Like Most About The Suffering

  • Overarching story is compelling;
  • Script and audio effects are first class;
  • Controls and mechanics are very PC friendly;
  • Choices lead to different outcomes.

What I Like Least About The Suffering

  • Monsters can get a bit tiresome;
  • Rough language may offend some. The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Surreal Software Publisher: Encore Software Release Date: June 2004

Available for: PlayStation 2 Windows Xbox

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Screenshots

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System Requirements

PIII 1.0 (P4 2.0 recommended) 128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended) 32 MB video card (64 MB recommended) 2 GB free hard disk space

Where to Find It

GoGamer 24.90 (PC version) (on backorder as of 7/21/04) Amazon.comPS2 version 45.90Xbox version 49.99

Prices/links current as of 07/21/04Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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