Abbot State Penitentiary a secure prison housing some of the worst criminals on the planet. The player assumes the role of Torque, a man sentenced to death for supposedly killing his wife and two children. However Torque remembers nothing so no one really knows what happened except Torque himself and that’s if he can remember the truth. Upon Torques entry into the prison something stirs within its depths and unleashes hellish creatures that begin killing everyone including the prison guards. It is at this point that the player takes control as they begin a journey to uncover the truths of what really happened with his family and the past horrors that occurred within the confines of the prison walls.

Gameplay:

The Suffering boasts a healthy mix of both first person and third person action. The player being able to switch between the two perspectives at will any time during the game. Controlling your on screen character is pretty standard for both viewpoints and players of either style games will feel comfortable right away.

The enemies that seem to spawn from Hell itself are a varied bunch of chilling deformed creatures who attack anyone on sight. These characters are well designed and reminded me of the creatures in the Silent Hill series. In fact the game plays very much like a survival horror game except with a lot more pace. I especially liked the crawling enemies that have syringes protruding from their backs. These guys throw needles at you that are filled with toxins or jump at you. Get too many needles in you and your vision begins to warp as the toxins take affect. I also like the way that if you were using the first person view and one of these creatures jumped on you the viewpoint would briefly change to third person. During this moment you see Torque struggling to prevent the creature from injecting him directly. All of the creatures seem to exhibit their own attack patterns and makes for a varied experience.

Although being a secure prison luckily the prison officers are heavily armed. The moment all hell breaks loose Torque has access to these weapons as he explores the prison, perhaps finding weapons from fallen prison officers. Ammo and guns are in plentiful supply as are the enemies who seem to haunt Torque at every turn. Weapons are what you would expect in a prison such as shotguns and pistols however there are some other types of weapons as well that torque can use such as flash bang grenades, a blade and sticks of TNT. The actual combat is very satisfying and well realised as you pump enemies with lead. You are also treated to some excellent decapitations and dismemberments with well placed shots.

Being set within a prison the atmosphere is of a very dark nature with lots of corridors and small hallways to explore. Again another similarity to Silent Hill is the use of the flashlight to illuminate the masses of dark areas you will pass through during the game. There are plenty of rooms and doors to check which takes time yet the flashlight relies on battery power which depletes when in use. The player has the added task of finding enough batteries to prevent it running out at a crucial moment.

A unique feature of the game is Torques ability to transform himself into some manifestation from within his own mind. Although not entirely real this creature is real enough to those inmates, prison officers and enemies that happen to get in the way. This power up only lasts a limited time but allows Torque to slice enemies to death in single blows. Extra moves are gained the more kills Torque gets while in this form. An excellent feature yet not entirely necessary as it’s just as easy to fill enemies with lead using the tried and trusted methods. However the game does support an extra ending for those who favour using Torques monster form .This brings me to another feature of the game where Torque is often presented with a situation where he is to make a decision. The voices in his head give conflicting opinions as the player chooses whether to help or kill people in need. The game is full of these moments whereby images flash onto the screen depending on what choices you make. In fact many images flash on the screen for effect more than anything and often break up a quiet period where you are perhaps exploring. I must admit at times these flashes can make you tense up or even jump especially if you have the volume loud enough.

Graphics:

Graphically The Suffering looks ok perhaps a little dated looking on Xbox in terms of textures etc. However due to the nature of the game it oozes plenty of atmosphere as you explore the dark recesses of the prison. With lots of hanging dismembered bodies lying around it certainly is very much a horror game. For those of you wondering about variation in the level design then yes it could be seen to be a problem at first as you play though similar looking levels. However there are a number of outdoor sections and even places away from the prison itself to explore as well. I actually think the enclosed feeling of the prison works nicely and adds to the atmosphere. The main character models are a little dated looking yet the enemies aren’t that bad but still lacking in detail especially for Xbox. This is forgivable due to the fact that they are very well designed.

Sound:

As mentioned before The Suffering is all about atmosphere and the sound does an excellent job of creating tons of it. With eerie music playing and the grating of an enemies metal blade scraping along a stone wall accompanied by your gunshots all adds to an aural rollercoaster ride. Not only are the sound effects very good there are some great performances from the voice actors/actresses they employed.

Longevity:

The Suffering is strictly a one person affair and offers no multiplayer options what so ever. The single player game does boast a number of levels of difficulty and of course multiple endings (depending on how you played the game). I think many will want to play the game more than once just to see what happens if you act pure evil or purely good.

Overall:

The Suffering is a refreshing game that blends horror and action very well. With some cool game play mechanics and heaps of atmosphere I recommend the title for those who can no longer wait for Doom 3 or are simply looking for their next action game. Despite looking not as crisp as it should on Xbox this wont hamper your enjoyment. The enclosed nature of the game may feel restrictive for some players but again I feel that this doesn’t do the game any harm in the long run as the player is constantly kept on their toes. A solid decent title.