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HORRORACTION

The Suffering

2004 · Surreal Software

A dark action-horror game combining third-person shooting, psychological themes and a disturbing prison setting.

PLATFORMS

PS2XboxPC

GAMEBOX SCORE

89

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score94
Hidden Gem97
Revival Potential95

GAME DNA

experience
Survival tension · Narrative-driven
genre
Horror · Action
mood
Dark · Brutal · Claustrophobic
gameplay
Combat · Exploration · Survival · Choices
difficulty
Medium
era
2000s
pacing
Fast
perspective
Third-person · First-person
structure
Linear

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

DarkBrutalClaustrophobicCombatExplorationSurvivalChoices

ABOUT THE GAME

A dark action-horror game combining third-person shooting, psychological themes and a disturbing prison setting.

Play it for its brutal prison setting, monster designs, action-oriented horror and surprisingly interesting morality system.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

The Suffering gained a dedicated cult following and remains one of the more distinctive action-horror games of the PS2 and Xbox generation.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
2004
Developer
Surreal Software
Publisher
Midway Games

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like The Suffering

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

2003

Silent Hill 3

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Dark · Horror

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Dark mood; Horror genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: Dark13% distinctive overlap · 10.3 / 77.9 points
  • genre: Horror34% distinctive overlap · 9.0 / 26.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration · Survival51% distinctive overlap · 13.7 / 26.6 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: Third-person45% distinctive overlap · 3.1 / 6.9 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: 2000s100% distinctive overlap · 3.6 / 3.6 points

2004

Half-Life 2

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 77.8 points
  • genre: Action26% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 27.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration33% distinctive overlap · 7.9 / 23.9 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: Fast100% distinctive overlap · 17.4 / 17.4 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: 2000s100% distinctive overlap · 3.6 / 3.6 points

2008

Dead Space

51% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Dark · Horror

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Dark mood; Horror genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: Dark17% distinctive overlap · 12.3 / 72.3 points
  • genre: Horror34% distinctive overlap · 9.0 / 26.1 points
  • gameplay: Exploration · Survival34% distinctive overlap · 9.0 / 26.6 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: Third-person45% distinctive overlap · 3.1 / 6.9 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: 2000s100% distinctive overlap · 3.6 / 3.6 points

2010

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

49% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Dark · Horror

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Dark mood; Horror genre.

A close match offering a different series or DNA profile.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: Dark17% distinctive overlap · 12.3 / 72.3 points
  • genre: Horror34% distinctive overlap · 9.0 / 26.1 points
  • gameplay: Exploration · Survival34% distinctive overlap · 9.0 / 26.6 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 13.8 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

1998

Half-Life

50% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 77.8 points
  • genre: Action26% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 27.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration33% distinctive overlap · 7.9 / 23.9 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: Fast100% distinctive overlap · 17.4 / 17.4 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2010

Metro 2033

43% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Survival tension · Narrative-driven · Action

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Survival tension experiences (sustaining vulnerability and managing threats or scarcity) and Narrative-driven experiences (following and interpreting a story-led journey); Action genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Narrative-driven · Survival tension100% distinctive overlap · 62.4 / 62.4 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 77.8 points
  • genre: Action26% distinctive overlap · 7.1 / 27.5 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration33% distinctive overlap · 7.9 / 23.9 points
  • structure: Linear100% distinctive overlap · 20.3 / 20.3 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: First-person55% distinctive overlap · 4.2 / 7.7 points
  • difficulty: Medium100% distinctive overlap · 2.7 / 2.7 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points