Also available on PlayStation 4, Switch, Linux, OSX, and Windows Amnesia: Justine was originally a self-contained story DLC for Amnesia: The Dark Descent now included in Amnesia Collection. It's a very short game - only an hour or two long depending on how quickly you figure out the puzzles - but it provides a fairly unique experience compared to the first game. Like The Dark Descent, you find yourself waking in a room with no memory. In the room is a phonograph with a recording of a woman named Justine who says that you're about to undergo a test of character. As you progress through the dungeon in which you find yourself, you encounter enemies similar to those in The Dark Descent, and like The Dark Descent, you're utterly powerless to do anything except hide. As you make your way through, you'll encounter three prisoners whose fates are tied to the puzzles you must solve. There are easy ways through the chambers of this dungeon, but those easy methods result in the prisoners' deaths; if you want to save everyone, you'll have to solve these puzzles the hard way. The aspect of character choice is what makes Justine stand out to me; I love games that have either a morality system or at least definite moral choices. Do I escape easily at the cost of a man's life, or do I put in extra effort and save him? Do I risk bloody dismemberment to save a man, or do I ensure my own safety by leaving him to die a horrible death? These sorts of choices make a game shine for me because it gives me some agency and makes me feel invested; even if they're just game characters, these men's lives are in my hands. Justine is extremely short and can easily be completed in a single sitting, but don't let that dissuade you; Amnesia Collection is already quite affordable, and its story is self-contained, so you don't need to play The Dark Descent first if you don't want to. It's a great little bite-sized horror game if you need a little spoop in your evening. My Rating - A |
I'm a teacher.And I like to play video games. I like to collect video games. I like to talk about video games, and I like to write about video games. During the day, I teach high school history; during the night, I spend my spare time gaming. Then I write about it. Archives
May 2024
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