
This isn't a review for The Dark Descent, so I'm not going to bore you with a complete breakdown of why you must play this game.

It's a masterclass in narrative tension and lighting techniques. The Dark Descent is essential for horror fans. The constant search for light, which runs parallel with your mission to discover what you've forgotten and to take down the mysterious Alexander of Brennenburg, creates a push and pull that wears on the player since they must solve increasingly complicated puzzles and climb deeper into unnameable, Lovecraftian lore. To counteract it, you need to find oil and tinderboxes to keep the candles and torches lit and your lantern on.

The Dark Descent is the one that started it all - a survival horror game with an insanity mechanic that both darkens and distorts the screen and provokes hallucinations when you're faced with darkness. The Amnesia collection comes with three titles: The Dark Descent, Justine, and A Machine for Pigs.
