WARNING: THE VIDEOS BELOW CONTAIN DISTURBING CONTENT AND FLASHING IMAGES. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
It's been a while since we heard anything about Mad Mind Studio's debut title, Agony, which promises to take players to a no-holds-barred grisly vision of Lucifer's home-sweet-home. However, a new update on their Youtube channel features new and shocking gameplay that promises to wow and horrify everyone…but in a good way! Up until now, everyone has been assuming that Agony was another hide-and-seek simulator like Amnesia, albeit with a grislier art style. However, the new footage shows the player using the game's unique death system, which gives you a brief window to find a new vessel for your disembodied essence when killed, to possess one of the rat-tailed, flytrap-headed 'succubi' that were so terrifying in the alpha gameplay demo several months back.
I'm not sure what role the torturing of your fellow members of the damned plays in the gameplay, given there's no real explanation beyond the actual gameplay, but it would be gruesomely interesting if, in order to possess one of these monstrosities, you had to keep torturing and killing them to cling to control. Despite the morbid nature of the idea, it has a certain moralistic fascination for me; how far will you go to stay safe, even if only for a while? The demo showcased three types of demon, including the succubus, whose powers appeared to include telekinesis and pyrokinesis as she levitates and then incinerates some poor saps who get in her way.
The others are the multi-legged arm-spider from the alpha demo and a big burly brute who seems to be aware that all is not well with his fellow hellspawn, as he lunges at the player when they come near. The fast-paced gameplay featured in the trailer is an interesting departure from the sneak-and-creep of the demo, and honestly, I'm not sure what to think. If properly executed, it could be an interesting change of pace, and do much to take the game out of the 'walking simulator' category of horror I initially cubby-holed it into. Again, I can only hope that the developers' skill with gameplay matches their creative artistic sadism and depravity.
A second trailer was also released featuring some voice-lines and images from the game that we haven't yet heard. It also seems to show what could be a major character; the first bit of actual story beyond the basic premise of 'get out of hell' we've yet seen. This creepy horned lady, who I can only assume is some sort of elder succubus, seems to have some sort of relationship with the player character. But is she a slavemistress? A friend? Or something in between? Only time will tell.
