The Suffering (Xbox) Review

A Cult-Classic Action Horror Game

F ollowing in the sadistic shadow of games like Silent Hill, The Suffering from Surreal Software crawled its way out of the depths of hell in 2004 and gave us a new take on the horror gaming experience.

Playing the role of Torque, an inmate serving time on death row at Abbot State Penitentiary for the brutal murder of his wife and children, a crime that he has no memory of, he must fight his way free from incarceration when an earthquake unleashes supernatural threats from Carnate Island’s cruel history.

We are given little information about the lead character Torque. Richard Rouse III, creative lead and writer of the game, noted that it was an early decision to keep Torque a mystery, giving him almost a Neanderthal appearance. Primal, so that his strength shone through. “I see this as a way for the player to look at Torque as a blank canvas and for us to make our own decisions on how we choose to play his story.”

Never before had a game teased my moral compass like The Suffering did. The horror junkie in me reveled at the idea that I was in control of being cruel to an NPC that was walking just a little too slow for my liking. The demon's voice… “he will only slow you down… kill him…” matched my intrusive thoughts so I was happy to oblige. Pulling the electric chair lever on a poor innocent guy and watching his head smoke was kinda satisfying!

Of course, the game is supposed to test your moral stability and most people agree that murder shouldn’t be fun. Resisting the urge to paint the town red opened up different endings for Torque’s story based on the choices made. Your angel decisions would reward you with the voice and your late wife telling you what a good boy you are, but I found it a challenge to follow this road and get a perfect good ending. I accidentally shot an innocent NPC a few times due to clunky controls or pressed the monster button by mistake, instantly disappointing my wife…

What is a horror game without its monsters? The Suffering pulled out all of the stops, bringing in Stan Winston to help design some of the most iconic creatures I have ever seen in a horror game — rivaling Silent Hill’s own Pyramid Head — being incarnations of many forms of executions that were a part of Canate Island’s cruel past. Hermes T. Haight, a former executioner, haunts Abbot State as a cloud of green gas after committing suicide in his gas chamber and teases Torque with how much he enjoys seeing his victims suffer. Horace P. Gauge is a victim of the electric chair and a tormented soul who identifies with Torque’s dark path and his inner demons. Torque can become a monster himself.

Giving another element of choice, The Suffering allows you to play fully in first person! It was nice to see the game from another perspective. Because the game was a lot more combat-heavy than other horror games at the time, the first-person mode was good for faster enemies but the controls were a little clunky, and with traversal around the level it was hard to maintain it throughout.

By the time the sequel Ties That Bind came, Midway, the publisher behind the series were already on a downturn, and unfortunately, even though it was a success at launch, The Suffering franchise was unable to save the company. Maybe The Suffering suffered from being a new IP at a time when more established horror franchises were dominating the limelight. We will never know… It is a shame that The Suffering is a cult classic with so much to offer but has been sentenced to life without parole in the archives of time with no mention of a re-release or remaster on the horizon.

DEVELOPED BY:

Surreal Software

PUBLISHED BY:

Midway Games

*This review was originally published in Issue #1 of Fearzine Magazine which was distributed in June 2024.

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