Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

What could be defined as a survival horror on steroids, The Suffering not only injects more action into the genre, it also raises the scare fest to a notch above the usual, which can be downright disturbing.

Set in an island-based penitentiary,you play as Torque--a silent, sideburned bruiser convicted of murdering his wife and kids--serving his first day of sentence. And just when he's beginning to realize that prison is hell, all hell breaks loose, literally.
Bizarre creatures appear on the island, sending prisoners and guards alike scrambling to escape. Unfortunately, you start at the bowels of the multi-level prison, so you're going to have to bear witness to the horrors within before getting to venture to the outside.

The game appears as a cross between Silent Hill, using shadows to set the mood ( you even get to carry a flashlight on your breast pocket!), and Manhunt, in terms of graphic violence and gore. No annoying puzzles here, and no real need for ammo conservation. Essentially third-person shooter, the game plays as such--with storytelling and atmosphere taking a backseat so as not to bog the action down.

You have dead bodies all over, and blood by the drum full. With an arsenal consisting of dual revolvers, Tommy guns, shotguns, etc., and monsters coming at you en masse, you're sure to pile up lots of bodies and splatter walls with monster gristle; you'll eventually get drenched in blood after an up-close fight. And don't forget the insanity Gauge which, when full, transforms you into a butt-kicking monstrosity, if only for a while.

There are some nice, disturbing touches in the game, like when the game slows down to show images of your dead wife or your children's bodies on the ground surrounding you, or monsters appearing beside you and suddenly disappearing. And sometimes, gruesome pictures flash across the screen for no apparent reason, accompanied by a nerve-grating sound. Cheap tricks, but they do catch you off-guard and are quite effective in producing that half-second scare.

They also contribute in unveiling your character's story. Though Torque doesn't remember killing his wife and kids, it's you behavior in the game that will reveal the truth behind this, because there are three alternative endings to this game.
Rescue fellow inmates and play honorably, and you'll receive the "good" ending. Unleash sadistic tendencies and you'll get the "bad" ending. Do a little bit of both and you'll get the "somewhere in between" ending.

Sound helps the game achieve it's full effect, with it's appropriate score and creepy voices. Though Torque doesn't talk, you'll hear voices speak inside your head once in a while. Like when you meet a warden in the first level, and he invites you to join him, you'll hear a female say "Give him a chance" while at the same time comes another sinister whisper, "F**k him." Profanity is another nice plus to The Suffering, While the F word seems unnecessary in other games, here it feels just right, maybe because of the excellent voice acting or the fact that these are hardened criminals talking.

The game's creatures are also worth mentioning, not being the typical run of the mill zombies. Here you have a creature with swords for arms and legs, so when it scuttles on the walls, you'll hear steel grating on stone. Or another that hurls syringes at you, with your screen becoming a blur when you get hit.

Gameplay is pretty linear, with doors opening once you've finished a task or pressed a button. It is also possible to play the game entirely in first-person, though the slow movement on the analog stick makes it hard to turn if you're being attacked from behind. Graphics are a bit below par but are adequate,and the action controls work smoothly.

While the Suffering won't wow anyone, it's extremely well balanced, and as a survival horror game, this one kicks ass.