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Given I have yet to play “The Evil Within” I thought I’d try to find an alternative for me to enjoy this Octoberween. You’d think that would be hard to do given how generic some game titles can be these days. But you would be surprised how easy it is to find a game that fits a similar theme to what we see with “The Evil Within”. Now mind you the game I found isn’t exactly like “The Evil Within” but it has enough going for it to be a worthy contender in my eyes to be a choice title for this year. In truth only the monsters might fit in with the general theme but what this game, it adds more features in its offering that most might not realize. It’s a game I’ve been meaning to revisit since I did speak about it back in a prior list. It was only done in two paragraphs though thus it deserves another look see. So why don’t we take a look at my number 3 pick for this year: The Suffering

 

The Suffering is a survival/psychological horror title where you play as Torque, a recent prison inmate just transported to one of the worst penitentiary in all of Maryland: Abbott State Penitentiary on Carnate Island. Being sentenced to death for the murder of his ex-wife and child, though the circumstances behind the murders are a bit of a mystery given how Torque doesn’t quite remember how exactly it happened, he’s put into death row lock up with other inmates who are to receive the same fate as Torque. Though Torque himself doesn’t do much talking up arriving at death row, we learn a lot about the guy thanks in part to some foul mouth NPC’s you meet who in death row. They go on to tell how all the evidence against Torque was all circumstantial along with rumor that Torque may actually know who killed his family. The majority of the prisoners don’t care much for him (being a suspected child killer) and pretty much make plans for him to meet an untimely end before his execution date. Whether this was tough prison talk or genuine threats we’ll never know for suddenly an earthquake hits the penitentiary and mysterious creatures begin to attack both inmates and prison guards alike. Though only glances of the monsters themselves are scene at first, you get the general idea that these creatures would fit right at home in the realms of Silent Hill, Hellrasier or The House of the Dead given their grotesque design, complete with sharp blades protruding out of their bodies. Once your cell door opens up, Torque must begin his quest to escape from this new living nightmare.

Though the premise of this game may sound simple, and in some cases similar to “The Evil Within”, the presentation of this game is what makes this game earn its keep as a psychological horror tile. The monsters themselves are actually the prison’s manifestations of what had become of the prisoners from it’s past. It turns out that Abbott State Penitentiary has a darker history than most prisons of their time. As you proceed thru the levels you’ll learn that before it became the prison, it had also been used as a German POW prison during WWII as well as the site of an insane asylum and a dedicated prison for mobsters. Each enemy in this game has its own distinct character in their creation. This shouldn’t come as a shock given how special make up effects creator Stan Winston himself helped design them. Each monster has its own shock value to it, though not enough to make you lose sanity like In some games but enough to make an impression on you as you wonder what’s skittering along the walls or dragging itself toward you down that dark, narrow hallway. From creatures with shivs to giant monstrosity with machine guns on its back to even monsters with syringes for eyes, you’ll wonder what exactly happened on this island.

The game’s atmosphere also adds to the sense of foreboding as you try to make your way off the island.  Trigger events are frequent and often as you search every room, every desk and every area for extra batteries for your flashlight to ammo for the various firearms you acquire. You’ll run into guards begging for help just before something out of the shadows dispatches them. You’ll even get some WTF moment’s thanks in part to security monitors that you get to interact with in game. It might give you a chance to see what is waiting for you up ahead to witnessing a paranormal event that makes you pull a double take as you decide if what you saw on the monitors was real. Examples being a man being electrocuted in “the chair” on screen yet there is no one in it. Another instant has you seeing yourself on the security monitor as someone slowly approaches you. Of course when you look away your alone in the room but it does make you wonder what would’ve happened if you stayed watching the screen. You’ll even experience visions of past experiences on the island like the treatment of German soldiers, unethical medical experimentation of prisoners; even hints of the prison’s use in the past to house escaping slaves, all the dark aspects of America’s prison system are exposed in grisly detail. Even Torque isn’t spared in seeing ghostly visions of his ex-wife and kid as they begged to be saved or worse, begging for their lives as if he’s the one that heard them just moments before he killed them.

And to only make matters worse you have to deal with three specific apparitions, Psychologist Dr. Killjoy, Former Executioner Hermes T. Haight and murderer Horace do all they can to torment and hinder Torque as they try to “help” him in their own personal ways.  Together they are able to show Torque the ability to unleash the Rage Monster within him though also warning him if he stays in that form for too long, he’ll begin to lose health and die. Aside from Dr. Killjoys questionable methods in trying to cure Torque of his “rage beast”, Haight and Horace act more like the moral compass that Torque must use to navigate his own personal path of moral right and wrong in this nightmare. At certain scenes, scenes you’ll know are trigger moments thanks to the voices in Torque’s head, you’ll be given a “moral” choice in deciding how to handle/dispatch individuals in the game. Depending on the outcome will not only determine which ending you’ll get but also help you understand more in part on what exactly happened to Torque’s family on that fateful day. Though you’d think the “moral” choice might seem simple to choose (save the guard/prisoner or kill them) your given some curveball choice like whether to end the misery of a limbless guard or kill him living.

Though the graphics might not be considered outstanding, they do the job well in giving you the feeling of exploring and escaping this island of horrors. Some have tried to compare the game as a mix of Devil May Cry, Resident Evil and Half Life though during my play through it felt more like a more combative form of Silent Hill. The fact that your flashlight can go dead adds to the dread when you’re suddenly in a room with no lights, making you wish there was a working light switch nearby. You’re not only able to play it as a third person shooter but with a push of a button you’re able to switch to first person view seamlessly. There is even a form of auto aim offered though you might find yourself fighting it more when the monsters start to outflank you. Though you start off with a shiv, you’re able to upgrade to various weapons found on the island from revolvers to old style tommy guns. Ammo so far is plentiful as are the healing items. There are even some flash bang grenades available for the tougher enemies that need a little extra oomph to take down.

I know this might see like a stretch but The Suffering makes for an excellent alterative for someone who didn’t get around to buying the latest in survival horror. It’s even compatible with the Xbox 360 if you’re so included to give it a try. You can easily see yourself playing this game late into the night as try to unlock all the multiple endings. There is even an incentive to replay the game again at the beginning just after beating it, if only to gain more depth into what this game has to offer with its prologue. It’s a particularly nice touch that whatever outcome you choose at the end of the game does carry over in the game’s sequel. Will that game make it on my new revamped Octoberween Game Titles list one year? Perhaps but for now I hope some can come to appreciate this little lost gem of a game. Say what you will about Midway but they do have a tendency to release games, which may not be all blockbusters in their own right, that have their own unique brand of character that makes them entertaining to enjoy. So if you have a chance with an original Xbox or even an Xbox 360, you might not want to forsake the last generation just yet. I was able to score this game for $5.99 on the cheap. Sure it’s not “The Evil Within” but it makes a nice alternative for this Octoberween 2014.

My Top 11 Octoberween Game Titles for 2014

#11) Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir – 3DS: $9.99 new

#10) Resident Evil: Director’s Cut Dual Shock Version – PSOne (PSN): Free

#09) Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth – WiiWare: 1000 Wii points ($10)

#08) Dishonored – Xbox 360: (XBLA GwG): Free

#07) Ghostbusters: The Video Game – PS3: $15

#06) Alien Breed Trilogy - PS3/PSN: $7.49 sale price

#05) Corpse Party – PSP: $9.99 sale price

#04) F.E.A.R. Files – Xbox 360: $7.99

#03) The Suffering – Xbox: $5.99