The Suffering comes in at a time where the horror genre has become slightly saturated and is dominated by only a few major franchises. While these games all have their good qualities they also receive complaints about bad control, issues with ammo and inventory, and lack of innovation at points. Midway and Surreal Software have attempted to break the mold, and rest assured, fans of horror games might be pleased with this offering. 
The Suffering puts you into the shoes of a man named Torque who is getting locked away in Abbott State Penitentiary (located on the secluded Carnate Island located ten miles off of the coast of Maryland) for killing his wife and sons despite the fact that he doesn't actually remember the murders. Shortly after his arrival, the prison is shocked by a massive earthquake and the appearance of some strange creatures. Torque must fight his way out and at the same time, begins to learn about the murder of his family and a special ability he possesses.
You'll follow Torque as he battles his way out of the prison through the various cell blocks and into the surrounding area including forests and an abandoned asylum. Carnate Island is also known for its intricate system of underground caves, which you'll find yourself making your way through on more than one occasion. Along the way, you'll see other inmates and correction officers that need your help. You'll hear the voices of your wife and an evil entity that tell you why you should or should not kill them. These partners all carry their own personalities and will either cower in fear or stand toe-to-toe with the monsters at your side.
Starting with only a shiv, Torque will have a few other weapons at his disposal including a revolvers (which can
upgraded to dual), a tommy gun, fire axe, and a shotgun along with the assortment of grenades and TNT. He'll also be able to make use of some strategically placed .50 cal machine guns around the Prison and surrounding areas. In addition to conventional weaponry, Torque can also morph into a blade brandishing beast that somewhat resembles the monsters he's fighting. It's in this form that Torque gains super human strength that will sever enemies in half and clear a room in seconds. This is made possible by an “insanity meter” that will let Torque morph when full with one drawback: you can't let the meter run out or else he'll die. Unlike other horror titles, ammo and health are plentiful, so feel free to gun down whatever you encounter.
There are some glaring gameplay issues with The Suffering, however. The game's camera has a tendency to be flaky at times, resulting in a few “death by camera” moments. You'll also have to get accustomed to reloading your game after getting stuck in trees and rocks. This can be really frustrating if you haven't saved in a while. The inmates that you'll try to help can also being more trouble than they're worth. They will frequently run into your line of fire, killed by monsters in seconds, or just disappear (despite the fact you can still hear them talking right next to you). Needless to say, I wasn't able to get one of them to survive longer that a chapter or two.
The Suffering features some really creative visuals. Torque will get caked with some temporary blood and gore 
after battles which is pretty unique. The game also features some creative enemy models designed around types of executions like the syringe wielding Mainliners or the monsters with guns on their backs and blindfolds. Aside from the monsters, environments are downright creepy. You'll see piles of dead bodies – both on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. The game will also try the same tried-and-true tactics of having enemies jump out of places or images flashing on the screen. There are also some creepy characters you'll meet like Dr. Killjoy who looks like he's from a silent movie and appears via projectors in the walls. Simply put, this game is all about ambience and it pulls it off well.
The sound department is also worthy of praise. While Torque himself is silent (save for grunts and screams), you'll get quality voice acting from the games many characters, though the featured dialog is certainly not the cleanest. From the deep breathing gas chamber entity Hermes to the aforementioned Dr. Killjoy and the inmate fodder you need to help out, you'll get a good performance out of them. Ambient sounds also help to round out the creepiness of the environments. You'll have the stereotypical horror movie violin strings, far off bumps and screams, as well as a myriad of screams from the monsters you're killing.
The Suffering is a great first effort from Midway and Surreal. It really breaks the mold of the slow paced, ammo conservative games of this genre and brings you a game that shows that there's more to horror than dark environments and zombies. While there are drawbacks and some linear level design, the game offers a compelling storyline along with some great presentation that will keep you coming back to see what happens next. This game is a must try for anyone who is into mature expletive filled and blood soaked games.
Final Word
I've been looking forward to this game ever since I played it at last year's E3. It was one of the only games they wanted you to play with headphones on so you can experience the ambience of Abbot for yourself. I wanted to play mainly for the gore factor, but this game turned out to be so much more. Though, towards the end it became more of a love-hate relationship with getting stuck in the environments, but overall, it was a very satisfying experience. This game is more than just a run and gun gore fest.
- Brad Hicks (aka Dr. Swank), SwankWorld Media
