It also sets up a gameplay dynamic between dark and light - do you stay in the shadows to hide from enemies but risk your sanity, or light up everything you can to keep your wits? It's not something that happens often, but the lingering threat is enough to make you tread carefully even if the way forward seems clear. Sometimes the transition is harmless, but during the momentary blindness that besets Daniel as he stumbles into blackness it's entirely possible a shambling monster could round a corner and slash him down. You can still see in the darkness if you've run out of both oil and tinderboxes since Daniel's eyes will eventually adjust to the deep-blue murk of darkness, but there's a moment of adjustment, mimicking the dilation of his pupils to altered intensity of light. Tinderboxes are also scattered around amidst ancient books and in dusty cabinets and used to spark torches to illuminate passageways and candles within kitchens and torture chambers to make it less psychologically taxing as you explore. A lantern is always available to light up corridors, provided you've enough fuel to keep it lit. Staying in the light is the preferred course for those who prefer to maintain mental focus. It contributes to an feeling of isolation and helplessness that adds to the sense of terror. Sanity degrades while in the dark, causing the scene to shift like the webs of light across sands under shallow water as sounds intensify, controls are muddied, and eventually insects crawl across your field of vision. Visual cues are also crucial to reinforcing the sense of terror, as Daniel's vision is affected by ghastly sights and revelations of gruesome acts to which his previous life was connected. On the soundtrack, scratches, clicking and footsteps from unseen spaces imply an expanse of unknown rippling just beyond the limits of your perception. The sensation is created by a combination of implied and observable events. Yet what really adds a quality of unsettling authenticity to the tale is the unshakeable feeling of pursuit and inevitability of some kind of horrific climax. By itself the story is strong enough, and told effectively assuming you take the time to explore and pick up a majority of the notes. What follows is a tale told mostly in flashback as you' re beset by ghostly visions and uncover journal entries on dimly lit desks that tell of scientific expeditions that lead to the discovery of ancient terrors.
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