The Suffering: Ties That Bind details
On both PS2 and Xbox apparently - and just as bizarre and disturbing as before by the sound of it.
Midway's immersive, inventive and distinctly unsettling but ultimately repetitive survival-horror action title The Suffering will be followed up by an expansive sequel this autumn on both PS2 and Xbox, according to detailed reports.
The Suffering: Ties That Bind is once again being developed by Midway's now-wholly owned development subsidiary Surreal Software, following the success and critical acclaim meted out to the first title, and will continue just moments after the conclusion of the first game.
The story will begin this time in main character Torque's hometown of Baltimore. Having been stalked through a disintegrating prison by infernal creatures of unknown origin whilst simultaneously being haunted and led by his dead wife, and occasionally metamorphasising into a demonic slasher himself, Torque is certainly deserving of a rest, but it seems he won't get one. Instead the nightmarish surrealism will continue, and Surreal Software is coy about clarifying whether this is the real Baltimore or indeed what exactly is going on at all - in-keeping with a storytelling approach that preferred not to let the cat out of the bag but instead to slash at you with its claws and show you its tail every now and then.
What we do know is largely mechanical; that Ties That Bind will feature refined movement control, so jumping in particular is improved, with 15 new creatures and strengthened returning monsters, an array of new and old weapons, all open to dual-wielding with a Halo-style two-weapon limit and primary and secondary modes of fire, more melee fighting techniques, and at least one new character. The one we've heard about is a girl named Jordan who works for the Foundation, a paramilitary organisation that seeks to find the origin of the creatures that attacked the prison in the first game.
The response to The Suffering undoubtedly taught Surreal some lessons, and given the inherent quality of the first game despite its flaws we're keen to get our hands on Ties That Bind as soon as possible. We'll be sure to let you know more as soon as we do, and we suggest newcomers refer back to our review of the original for more. At the prices we've seen it going for in Blockbuster's second-hand games pile, it's a steal.