Machine for Pigs is one of those games I'm going to spend a long time thinking about. Not because it's good (quite the contrary), but because it's so close to being good. I think this game might be the epitome of "great ideas executed poorly." It has:

- A great story told in a confusing way
- Beautiful level design obscured by atrocious lighting
- Exquisite music that heightens the narrative, but rarely creates atmosphere or tension
- Excellent sound design that's frequently muddled by poor mixing
- The same gameplay as The Dark Descent, sans almost everything that made that game interesting

I played this game for the achievements, and so that I could satisfy my self-imposed goal of beating every Amnesia game. Unless that's your goal too, you can safely pass on this one. Every other game in the series is leagues ahead of it.

I didn't understand this game.

Input:
- LBM to grab
- RBM to throw
- When you can grab something, a hand appears on the screen
- When you can read, a hand with paper appears
- J for journal
- M for last note
- You can drag chairs

Mechanics and features:
- Cool cursor design
- Nice interface
- Quote at the beginning of the game
- Great camerawork, very cinematic shots
- Loud sounds
- Tough breath

Yes, the gameplay is trash and sometimes barely playable. but that makes the ending even better. Combined with the music it makes this game unforgettable.

The problem is that it's an alright horror-lite game but has the Amnesia name attached to it, so it can't be helped but be judged against its predecessor. It has an alright (although predictable) plot, very interesting lore and setup, and better than expected set pieces, but it lacks some of the other hallmarks that are integral to the horror of Amnesia The Dark Descent such as physics interactable objects and AI monster(s) with a large freedom of movement that you have to avoid when solving light puzzles. If you're looking to play an Amnesia style game, you're better off skipping this one. If you're looking for a somewhat light introduction to the horror genre, then this isn't that bad.

dark descent better

A mixed bag of a game for sure, if you have played the first game, you will quickly realize this one isn't as well designed in its gameplay. But the music, art direction and story, truly were fantastic from the start, they weren't realized perfectly, but ultimately this is a game i would still recommend to anyone.

This is one of those games you have to make peace with, it could've been better, but we still got something unique to experience. Just finish it once and see what i'm talking about.

Although this game lacks the game mechanics and item interaction of its predecessor, it manages to build a good atmosphere. I enjoyed playing it.