Does Perma Death make a game scarier?

[Diz]

Does perma death make a game scarier for me?

Yes and no.

I think Frictional Games did the right choices with Amnesia. The way it throws you right back there, perhaps in a slightly different part of the area and a creature roaming elsewhere, it did feel randomized and scary, being thrown right back into the creepy atmosphere or terrifying situation after only a few seconds breathing room. The game relieves you of your thoughts on mechanics and saves, telling you to just focus on immersion. If you think or wonder if the game is going to be over once you die, I think that is going to have its effect on immersion and atmosphere. In Amnesia, it feels more like cheating death and coming to your senses elsewhere than it does "load back to previous area" or "try again", despite you can see yourself falling coldly to the ground.

Amnesia: Justine hints in the beginning that you will only have a single shot at the game, and after experiencing the main storymode, in addition to the DLC being really short, I believe that perma death fits really well. The player may be more aware of the mechanics of the game, yet he must be much more careful and fear for his life more than ever. I felt quite immersed in Justine, knowing that I would only have one life. While I was familiar with most of the mechanics, I knew I had to be much more careful if I wanted to beat the game, it sucked me in.

This is one of the very few cases where I enjoy the implementation of perma death.