The Suffering: Ties That Bind Critic Reviews

If you like lots of guns that feel the business, lots of demons who look the business, lots of tension, lots of suspense, a great plot that keeps you guessing and interested, and buckets and buckets of blood, then you'll probably love this.

Everything in Ties That Bind creates a solid experience that still scares the ever-loving crap s*** out of us all in the office.

Simultaneously fun and extremely frustrating, compelling and flawed, mature and foul, engaging and confusing. As a game, it can be aggravating, but as a piece of interactive storytelling, it flirts with brilliance.

Satisfying survival/horror gameplay with a first/third-person shooter twist. Ties That Bind has one of the most disturbing storylines I have ever seen in a game.

Feels like more of a continuation, or expansion, for the first Suffering. There’s just not enough material that is new or unique, so if you’ve played the first game, chances are you’ll get a sense of déjà vu while playing the second.

The lack of quality weapons early on may discourage some players, but stick it out, it will get better.

It’s the kind of sequel that gamers look for, just as if you were to see a great horror film and then anxiously await the next installment to get all the answers.

There are more neutral people in the environment, but one of the original's strengths was how we were so isolated within a seemingly inescapable mote of horror. That was an excellent tension. There was also something quite Gothic about it that doesn't carry over into Ties That Bind.

Playing the game is like watching an episode of "Oz" while a priest performs an exorcism on your liver. And if you like your gore served up hot and fresh, you've come to the right place.

The control system is responsive and accurate. The graphics still illustrate some spine chilling scenes and disturbing animation of the undead characters. This game is almost guaranteed to give you nightmares.

Enough of the original's dark charm has survived to make even Carnate Island vets want to settle a spell in Baltimore. Or die trying.

Sure, the action is pretty basic—it's still kill or be killed—but with more open spaces to run around and new foes to fight, Ties is like a weekend with Russell Crowe: disturbing, bloody, and a damn good time.

There are enough things that feel distracting to keep this from becoming a classic game, but a strong enough foundation of gameplay and direction to make it a worthy addition to the console library.

It's a game that you'll want to keep playing to find out what happens next, which is always a good sign.

The story might be lacking a bit and there are a few irritating objectives, but the whole game feels like it was cleaned up and rethought.

When it comes off slightly undercooked, it's not for lack of strong ingredients.

The joy that comes from dual wielding two shotguns cannot be easily replaced.

Hardcore, ultra-bloody, action-survival horror.

It’s a great chapter to Torque's story, but some of the restrictions with the combat and linearity make it a good action title instead of a great sequel.

A satisfying follow-up to those looking for more of the same. But those looking for a significant step ahead for the series will likely be disappointed.