HowAmnesiaUnlocksTheSecretsToSurvivalHorrorByJoshuaKasten[04.19.12][Aspartofacontinuingseriesofnarrativereviews,TheGuildhallatSMUstudentJoshuaKastenexamineshowAmnesia:TheDarkDescent'swell-realizedgameworldgoesalongwaytowardsencouragingasuspensionofdisbelief.]OverviewAmnesia:TheDarkDescentisasurvivalhorrorgamebyFrictionalGames,asmallindependentEuropeandeveloperwhosepreviousworkshaveallbeensurvivalhorrortitlesinthesamegameplayveinasAmnesia.Amnesia:TheDarkDescentfollowsthestoryoftheamnesiacDanielasheexploresCastleBrennenburgintheyear1839,inadesperateattempttoavoidthecosmicforcethatistryingtodestroyhim,slaythemasterofthecastle,anddiscoverwhoheis.ThewriterstookprimaryinspirationfromH.P.Lovecraft-particularlyhisshortstory,TheOutsider.Horror,confusion,andinsanityarekeythemesinboththeplotlineandthegameplaymechanics.Whileanamnesiacprotagonistisanoverusedtechniqueinvideogamestories,Amnesiaovercomessomeoftheflawsandexpectedfailingsofthenarrativedevice,thusmakingitworthyofinvestigation.CharactersDanielDanielisaBritishman,roughlyinhismid-30s.Atthebeginningofthegamehehaswillinglythrownawayallofhismemoriesforanunknownpurpose,andspendsmostofthegamepiecingtogetherwhathecanfromthetornpagesofhisjournal.Beforethegamebegins,Danielwasanarcheologistwhoinadvertentlyencounteredanobjectofincrediblepowerwhileonanexpedition.Indoingso,hecausedapowerfulentityknownas"TheShadow"tobegintostalkhim,killingeveryoneDanielknewinitsattempttoreclaimthatartifact.JournalentriesthroughoutthegamedetailDaniel'sincreasinglydesperateattemptstoescapeTheShadow-aquestwhichultimatelybringshimtoCastleBrennenburg.CorneliusAgrippaHeinrichCorneliusAgrippa,basedoffandnamedafterthereallifetheologianandoccultist,appearsneartheendofthegameasafriendlyspirittrappedinahorribleandmutilatedhuskofahumanbody.Once,hedidoccultresearchalongsideAlexander.AftertheybegantodisagreeaboutthenatureofAlexander'sexperiments,Alexandertrappedhisspiritinthehusk,inordertokeephimaliveandmakeuseofhisvastoccultknowledge.Inthegame,Agrippaofferstohelp