Scare Tactics: Different forms of delivering Fear and Shock

[Fortigurn]

I would like to add another, which I thought could have been exploited to great effect in Amnesia.

The Agonizing Decision

I'm going to use an example from Amnesia.

Spoiler below!

In the cistern level, when you had to redirect the water, as you were walking through the level (apparently avoiding an invisible water monster, though I could never tell if it was real or not), you could hear somewhat indistinct moans coming from a particular location. As you grew closer to them you could see they appeared to be coming from a large chamber or crate too high to see into, and which you couldn't climb up to. It was clear someone was trapped in there (a note flashes up on the screen saying you can hear a murmur from inside).

Redirecting the water (which was the whole point of you being in the cistern), caused it to flow directly into the chamber from where the sobs were coming. As if it wasn't obvious what you had just done, a note flashed up on the screen saying 'The voice is now silent'. In re-directing the water to ensure your escape, you had just drowned one of Alexander's victims.

I would like to see this kind of situation placed before the player as an Agonizing Decision. Your time is running out (you're in danger with a time limit), and you have to decide whether or not to make this sacrifice or try and find another way. The game would present you with this kind of choice several times; sometimes there would be another way and sometimes there wouldn't (you would have to either take a chance on your action or explore to find out). The moment at which you had to decide what to do, with time running out, would heighten the tension of the Agonizing Decision. Perhaps you would come to regret your choice later, perhaps you would spend the rest of the game wondering if you had made the best choice.