This year we’re putting together a list of 31 Retro Horror games. Games that have come from dead console generations, back to haunt us. Sadly, not all of these games will be available for you to play due to the complicated nature of video game preservation. However, we’re going to note if it’s possible to play them on modern hardware. We’ll be covering games from the Seventh Generation (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) and earlier. So basically anything before 2006.
Day 14
The Suffering
The Suffering is a fantastic game that blends first person shooter that blends action with horror. You’re not exactly defenseless, but game protagonist Torque has to deal with a lot of issues. For one, he’s on death row. He’s been accused of murdering his family. The other issue Torque has to deal with? An infestation of creatures that are killing guards and inmates alike.
While The Suffering wasn’t unique in many ways, it executed its action horror premise extremely well. The atmosphere was fantastic, the creature design would make Clive Barker salivate, and most importantly: it was fun to play. There was also a morality system that changed that game’s ending.
The thing that stands out the most is perhaps the creature design. The monsters in The Suffering are based on methods.
The Suffering also has an insanity meter, but unlike other horror games, filling this meter enables Torque to turn into a literal monster.
This bit of retro nostalgia comes with a sad story about its creators. Developer Surreal Software went on to release a sequel with The Suffering: Ties That Bind. These two games were the latest in a string of successes for the studio, but their parent company Midway Games was bought out by Warner Bros. Eventually, Surreal Games merged with Monolith Productions, making the real horror here the video game industry and its ability to devour itself. Unfortunately Ties That Bind was less well received and considered second rate compared to its predecessor.
But we still have The Suffering and our memories. Unfortunately, if you want to play The Suffering today you’ll need access to retro hardware and an old copy of the game. It was available to download on myabandonware.com, but ironically it was taken down because it was reclaimed and put for sale on gog.com. Sadly, the store page for the game no longer exists.
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