When SufferingDeveloped by Midway Games, it was originally released in 2004, no one was ready for it. The game is terrifying and macabre and doesn’t hold back when it comes to putting you up against some of the deepest, darkest, and most corrupt people imaginable at the time.
Both Suffering and its continuation, Suffering: The Ties That Bindhave been available on GOG for everyone to play for years. However, the platform has recently announced that they would be withdrawn from the list in stores from September 1, 2024, at the request of the publisher. If you haven’t played any of these brilliant retro horror/action games, I can’t recommend them enough, as they are a window into what felt like a huge moment for gaming back in 2004.
Games have gotten darker in recent years, but this title was a memorable release for many because it doesn’t hide or conceal anything from you. The action takes place in a prison where the protagonist, Torque, is on death row. However, after an earthquake in the prison, supernatural creatures begin roaming the halls and killing guards and prisoners. Torque must struggle while trying to understand what happened to his wife and child, how he ended up in prison, and who he really is.
As shadowy as possible
You have to remember that 2004 was the same year we got Hello 2This Sims 2AND Holocaust 3. What The Suffering brought to the table was something that felt like physical horror. Imagine being in prison on Death Row, no less, with no idea what crimes you’re accused of.
Suddenly there is an earthquake and all the lights go out. You see a guard being brutally murdered and dragged away by a huge monster, but it is too shadowy to make out any features. You must walk the corridors as quietly as possible, using only a dagger as your defense and hope that no one finds you.
I vividly remember playing this game when it came out and feeling absolutely terrified right up until the moment I came face to face with the first supernatural enemies. You’ll have to attack guards and other prisoners, but the supernatural enemies do somewhat dampen the horror because they take away from the realism of the setting.
Throughout the story, you’ll encounter real monsters haunting the prison. Their executions twisted it, a lethal injection created a light-footed mutant with needles for arms and legs, slavers who left their cargo to be devoured by rats are now full of maggots and swinging giant chains, and many others that make them terrifying to watch and equally terrifying to fight.
Even the moments where you can lend a hand other sane people, both prisoners and guards, are not free from the discomfort and anxiety that are always lurking in the background of this game. You will have to choose how to lend a hand them and make other decisions that directly affect the game’s endings. There are three that you can receive, and each one shows something different that happens to Torque’s family.
It’s an engaging morality system that requires you to play through the game multiple times to see everything and shows the broken nature of Torque’s mind. It’s not just his mind that’s broken though, as Torque is capable of transforming into a furious, blade-wielding monster that tears apart everything and everyone around him.
I’ll admit that the transformation element of the game seemed a bit unsettling to me at the time, but it works because it shows that Torque is not immune to the supernatural things happening around him. He’s clearly a monster, but how much of a monster he is is up to you.
Continuity is the key
Suffering: The Ties That Bind raises the bar when it comes to the action side of the series. I don’t think it’s as good as the first game, but it still has some really great moments and is a fantastic example of retro horror.
A really nice touch about this game is that your save file from the original affects the beginning. This was scarce back in the day and I think it’s still pretty scarce now considering most games are expanded with DLC to fill out story arcs.
Instead of the confines of a prison island, you explore Baltimore. Enemies in this game represent the city’s crimes and underworlds, as opposed to its methods of execution, which broadens the scope of the series even though it ends here.
Although these games are not Silent Hill Or Resident Evilare heavily inspired by those survival horror precursors. They’re steeped in atmosphere, and while the action somewhat dilutes the scares, there’s a lot to like about these titles if you love retro horror games.
Do yourself a favor and don’t sit on them. They’re not terribly pricey on the PS2 if you have the hardware to run them, but these PC copies from GOG are ones you can keep and run forever. If there’s a chance you’ll play them in the future, add them to your library before they disappear, because you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Regarding delisting Suffering AND Suffering: The Ties That Bind means your guess is as good as mine. Usually, such delistings are tied to music licensing or another license expiring, which means the game has to be removed. GOG does a great job of porting aged games like these to PC, just like they did with the original Resident Evil trilogy. But GOG is just one company in a sea of games that get retired every year, and the easiest way to ensure these titles stay alive is to own as many of them as possible right now.
