ASYLUM - Scarier than the upcoming Amnesia? [New horror game found]

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First-person point-and-clicking isn't the newest or greatest system of getting around, but it has its advantages. I actually found the original MYST to be much more engaging, because RealMYST had very slow movement speed that made some of the puzzles end up being quite a chore. I'm not entirely sure how well it plays out in horror games, but the age-old PCA movement is arguably the strongest for adventure games.

For example, with predefined points from which players view the environment, the developers can pay attention to higher detail in the surroundings but also make sure that certain items are given proper visibility at all times. If you need to find a potion that is nearby some junk leaning against the wall or whatever, you will always be in the exact spot that will give you good visibility. Whereas with full 3D movement you could be only half a meter away from that predefined spot and you could completely miss the potion because some gritty artistic detail in the level is blocking your line of sight. The PCA style of movement is a sturdy means to keep accidental pixel hunting like that from ensuing.

In general, the system is very economical, and I don't think it will actually harm the game in any tangible way. It's definitely not going to be a survival horror, so as long as it stays away from the physical and focuses on the psychological, it could still play a damn fine array of tricks and end up being shit-your-pants scary.

Just to clarify, I'm a huge p&c fan and I don't really have anything against first person p&c over prerendered backgrounds. However, it just baffles me why you would create a 3D engine and then shackle it down with this unrealistic and distracting type of movement. It would have been much more effective if left unfettered, because in real life you are not confined to gridlike movement, plus the fade effect they have going on gives me a real sense of vertigo. It just immediately breaks my willing suspension of disbelief which is critical in horror games and I'm not too optimistic. It could very well be a good game, just like Legend of Grimrock is probably a good game, I just don't want to try it because of the fundamental design (that and there seems to be no story in LoG).