Amnesia: The Dark Descent

What game makes Silent Hill look like Disney games, terrifies the life out of you, and has even the most courageous people cowering in shadowy corners for an hour? Amnesia: The Dark Descent, of course. Released for retail on February 22, 2011, this action adventure, survival horror computer game by Frictional Games was critically well received, earning two rewards from the Independent Games Festival and many positive reviews.The game was created to involve the player in the greatest ways possible, and make everything so realistic and believable that you actually feel in the game yourself. Amnesia has truly captured the value of simple mortality.

Amnesia is an exploration-based adventure game played from a first-person perspective, retaining the physical object interaction used in the developer's previous Penumbra series. This feature allows for advanced physics based puzzles and interactions such as opening doors and fixing machinery. One big thing that separates this game from other horror games is how the player is NOT equipped with any weapons to use against the gruesome creatures (complete with stiff but quick walking and a jaw that hangs from its disfigured face) that wander Brennenburg Castle. So in order to survive the player must use their wits to escape and hide from the monsters until they lose interest in finding the player.

However, monsters are very capable of tearing down doors in their path and kicking obstacles out of the way. They can move as fast as you can sprint, so you'd better sharpen your reflexes to escape unscathed. They can see the light from your lantern as well, so you have to douse that and wait in darkness until they go away. You also need to collect materials for yourself that you will use throughout the game; for example, you need tinderboxes and some oil to light your lantern. Oil happens to be rare, so use it wisely.

You also have a sanity level, so in order not to 'lose sanity' you must leave looking at one of the monsters to a bare minimum. Staying in the shadows will drain your sanity as well, so you have to limit your use of that hiding technique, adding even more uniqueness to the game.

There are loads of screenshot videos of people playing Amnesia, which provides plenty of entertainment for non-players. You only truly understand their fear if you've actually played the game. Lets just say there's lots of high-pitched screaming-from guys too-and all around freaking out at nothing (this one person got startled from a torch that he lit...it wasn't 'traditional fire')I would post a link of the most hilarious video ever, but it's school inappropriate do to the high level of awesomeness...and extreme profanity. Amnesia players have three unbreakable rules while playing the
 game:


1. No bright environment. Play the game in the complete dark. NO LIGHTS, preferably sometime in the late night when you're half asleep.
2. You must have a good quality headset. Preferably old school headphones that completely block out any other sounds, and they're better than ear buds.
3. You must play WITHOUT anyone around. Anyone. A friend, your mom, a dog, whoever. Being alone is everything.



These rules ensure that you will (probably) be scared witless just minutes into the game. A Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux platform is required.


EDIT:

After playing the demo for a little bit, I can see how this game can mess with your mind. When your character loses some 'sanity', the rooms swirl and shift, distorting your view of everything, and you might even hallucinate the monster when really he's not there. I haven't gotten to the part where the real monster actually patrols constantly, but I caught a glimpse of him when I hallucinated once. Last time I played the door that I JUST closed kept opening by itself after I turned away from it, and I kept having to close it, not really realizing that my sanity was low, pretty much causing the door to do that. It makes me wonder if it's the game that's becoming all tripped out or if that's just me. Raising the brightness of the game (so far) definitely makes it less frightening as you can actually see everything, which subtracts from the point. Also, the you have to slide the mouse to open the doors instead of merely clicking like in other games. SO...if the door pushes instead of pulls and you try to pull it with the monster hot on your heels...you're screwed. Oil for the lantern is rare, but I found an oil tank that filled me up once so that's convenient. I am currently trying to figure out how to unblock some gears, etc. If you happen to step on this crimson liquid splattered around to floors and walls you will get slapped, lowering your health after a few times of that. A journal that you have is fairly helpful, for example I have something on following the liquid trail and finding its source, and a note about a contraption being blocked by something.

This one of the tunnels that I currently have access to

On some Youtube videos I noticed some people say that female players just 'don't get it' and aren't scared in the game, contrary to my original belief that they'd be MORE scared than guys, but maybe it just seems that way since they don't immerse themselves in the game as deep as others, and maybe they don't value the mortality of their character...that's just an idea. Or perhaps it was just one person who thought that and there's no truth to that theory. It is a game that is not as much about shooting zombies, and completing the game by getting from point A to point B as fast as possible. For Amnesia to be good, you really have to submerge yourself in the story <<(very important). Whatever. I really want to play some more Amnesia, so I can get to the more dangerous adrenaline-pumping parts and figure out more puzzles. It's extremely tempting to use Google for help, but that just ruins the whole thing.

Sakura-Con

Sakura-Con  is an annual anime convention spanning three days, held during March or April at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. In the years before the twenty first century anime fans hatched a plan for an anime convention when they were unsatisfied with the amount of anime content represented at conventions such as Norwescon. Originally named Baka!-Con, (baka or ばか is Japanese for idiot,) the first convention was held at the Double Tree Inn in Tukwila, Washington in 1998. In 2000, Baka!-Con changed its name to Sakura-Con, (sakura or 桜 {alternately: さくら} is Japanese for cherry blossom).

Neku Sakuraba is the main protagonist in the game The World Ends With You

Sakura-Con's rapid growth prompted a search for larger venues. In 2004 and 2005 Sakura-Con had to limit its attendance to 5,100. Even with the attendance cap, Sakura-Con was ranked the eighth largest anime convention in North America in 2004 by paid attendance figures, and tenth in 2005. When Sakura-Con moved to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington in 2006, it roughly tripled its capacity for attendees.Since its beginning, starting with 313 anime fans, Sakura-Con has grown to be much more than a local event. In 2006, only about half the attendees were from the area.

Girl as Link

The convention features a vast array of programming and activities, such as industry guests, various discussion panels, and anime screenings. It also sports a large and lively Exhibitor's hall where one can buy many things related to anime or Japan. Various contests are hosted, including anime music video, cosplay, fan fiction, and karaoke contests, as well as a fashion show. The event hosts multiple J-Pop concerts featuring popular groups such as The Slants. An art show and auction as well as a charity auction benefiting the Make a Wish Foundation are also hosted. A variety of gaming rooms provide console/video, PC/LAN, CCG, RPG, and tabletop gaming. Cosplay is an integral part of Sakura-Con.

The awesome thing about cosplay conventions such as this one is that you can be any character you want, regardless of your occupation, background, etc. Some people feel inclined to exactly mirror their character in both costume and body shape, but this isn't really necessary or encouraged as 1. the costumes can be very difficult to obtain or create, whether you don't have the materials to make it or it's just plain expensive and 2. most anime bodies are either equipped with a tiny waist and unrealistic proportions of their chest (females) or they are seriously buff or even rail thin (males). Also, a girl can cosplay as a male character and vice versa, they usually look fine either way.

Goku

Take Goku for example of complications; it'd be extremely hard for a guy to achieve that body type, unless they are already in possession of it. Hair styling/wigs also represents a problem. Also the outfits can be very intricate and complex, but generally only the more serious cosplayers attempt to achieve the desired look. You don't have to know a lot about anime or video games either, simple know your character, and go with the flow, but obviously it's better if you do know the series, as people will ask you about it. Don't worry about fitting in; random people will run up to you and hug you, and you'll probably get engaged in conversation about your character, etc...at conventions it is VERY easy to make good friends. At Sakura-Con there are places for video gaming, so you can also have fun kicking some butt in Brawl as your character.