[Lawtan]

16) Amnesia: The Dark Descent:

Adding to the "Alchemist" games, we have Amnesia. This game is one of the few to add a strong component to recent horror gameplay - the Sanity meter. This meter, while not as scary as some of the others (Eternal Darkness) in its effects, can add some real helplessness to the situation. Not only do you lack any means of self-defense (beyond a barrel, or Markiplier's chair), but also you have to avoid looking at your threats (and other things) lest you collapse, paintings change, and experience auditory hallucinations...while the nearest man-eating grunt is alerted to your presence/state.

It also has a rather strong storyline - akin to Lovecraft's madness, with a twist incorporated in. It is a rather solitary gameplay, unfortunately, but it's first person horror (With situations that require you to hide in the closet...and the still may get you...or a part of the game where the floor/water has a monster that you never see other than a splish-splash. The atmosphere is creepy, and the story ranges from sad to mad to creepfest.

Amnesia is another game with the ability to make custom stories/custom content, though I lack experience with it. It has allowed some creative modders to make trippy dreamworld-like games, exploring inside of the dark aspects of the mind, or alchemy, or the Cthulhu-like "Shadows"...along with minigames and other unique creatures.

I will say that Amnesia take a decent bit from Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. They both have a mysterious Horror/Victorian Science Fiction styled game theme/story. The twist in both is similar. Also, Amnesia's sanity meter is a "watered down" version of Eternal Darkness's meter (which combined the hallucinations and harder gameplay with Creepypasta and 4th wall horror). However, Amnesia seems to have more of its own universe, whereas Eternal Darkness relied heavily on the Lovecraftian mythos. Also, Amnesia has better graphics, is more widely supported, and makes more sense. I'd consider Eternal Darkness the "test run" for Amnesia.

Amnesia, overall, I recommend as an introduction to PC Game Horror.