The Suffering: Ties That Bind
| The Suffering: Ties that Bind | |
|---|---|
| File:The Suffering Ties That Bind Boxart.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Surreal Software |
| Publisher(s) | Midway Games |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC |
| Release | September 26, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Suffering: Ties that Bind is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2005 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 game consoles as well as the PC. It is the sequel to The Suffering, and storywise picks up immediately after the ending of that game. Players who have a game save of the different endings of the Suffering can decide with which morality to start with, starting with a different morality changes the dialogue and intro of the game.
Gameplay
The Suffering: Ties that Bind features a number of gameplay changes from the original The Suffering. The player can no longer carry around xombium bottles to refill their health whenever they need to, and instead must rely on stationary pickups located throughout the level. The player is also now limited to only carrying two weapons at a time.
Story
Template:Spoiler Torque escapes Carnate Island, the site of his imprisonment, and attempts to return to his home city of Baltimore, only to be captured by a mysterious paramilitary organization known as the Foundation. The apparent leader of the Foundation is a woman named Jordan, who wants to study Torque and his connection to the malefactors. Torque manages to escape from his captors and is prompted by the ghost of his dead wife Carmen to return to his apartment and investigate the death of his family, where he learns that a powerful crime lord by the name of Blackmore (for whom Torque worked) is ultimately responsible for their deaths. Much to his shock, however, it seems that the horrible Malefactors that had brought Carnate to ruin followed him to the mainland to continue their spree of murder and chaos, feeding upon the dark and ancient history of the city to grow strong. Torque makes his way through the city under the questionable guidance of Dr. Killjoy, who wants to help Torque understand his mental state and his past.
At the very end of the game it is discovered that Blackmore is actually one of Torque's alternate personalities, which surfaced when he was a child living in an orphanage. There are three possible endings depending on the morality of the player at the end of the game: Torque is completely overcome by Blackmore, who takes total control of Torque's personality (Evil); Torque and Blackmore are unable to overpower each other and remain in their current state of opposition (Neutral); Torque eliminates Blackmore's presence from his mind.
An interesting point in all of this is the depth of Blackmore's affection for Torque. Almost viewing his 'better half' as a best friend more than anything, he acts willing to do almost anything to bring Torque over to his side; force him to understand and embrace the reasoning that so violently drives the crime lord.
The player's morality also affects certain sequences during gameplay and a level near the end of the game, where Dr. Killjoy, the slavehunter Copperfield, and the vile Creeper look back on Torque's actions. The player's morality also affects whether the player will fight Copperfield or The Creeper.
The game has an interesting undertone that the battle between Torque and Blackmore is similar to a game of chess which Torque is playing at the beginning of the game. Blackmore sometimes refers to Torque and others around him as "pawns".
Characters
Carmen
Torque's deceased wife and the mother of his children Cory and Malcolm. Her apparition guides Torque throughout the game in an attempt to keep him on the right path. Depending on your ending from the first game her death was either directly or indirectly Torque's fault. These outcomes will also affect her interaction with Torque, as she will scold him for performing evil acts and praise him for doing good.
Dr. Killjoy
The former operator of the Carnate Institute for the Alienated who has followed Torque to Baltimore. As a doctor he wants to help Torque understand his mind and ultimately cure him of his dementia. To this end he serves as something of a guide for Torque although his methods of guidance are questionable at best.
Blackmore
A mysterious crimelord who lies at the center of Torque's struggles. He is inexplicably tied to every major event in Torque's life including his imprisonment and the deaths of his family. Later it is discovered that he is actually Torque's alter ego, who takes control of him every time he blacks out. Torque claimed during his court case that he blacked out during the deaths of his family, which is true or not depending on your morality at the end of the game.
Jordan
The apparent leader of the Foundation who has dedicated her life to studying the malefactors. Torque's connection to the malefactors has made him a target of study for her and she spends much of the game in pursuit of him. She is a cold and calculating woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She will even go so far as to sacrifice her own men to fool Torque into thinking she is on his side.
Hejirah
A former neighbor of Torque's who meets up with him near his old apartment. Hejirah appears to be a militant member of a black nationalist group and is on his way to meet up with a group of his friends at a special place where they were supposed to meet once the city collapsed. He assists Torque on his path through the city until reaching the Canal Street Mission, where he is shocked to find that none of his friends have arrived. He decides to wait for them and parts ways with Torque.
Miles
Torque's best friend and proprieter of "the Underground" a bar in the city. He seems determined to find out the identity of Blackmore and bring him down. He was set up by Blackmore, along with Torque, and sent to Eastern Baltimore Correctional. After Torque's return to Baltimore he tries to meet up with Torque, claiming that he knows how to expose to Blackmore. The two eventually meet again within Eastern Baltimore only to see Miles killed by the evil dogkeeper.
Consuela
The wife of CO Ernesto from the first game. She survived the Carnate incident and was imprisoned by the Foundation. Torque finds her locked up in the docks and can choose to free her.
Enemies
The monsters of The Suffering are now referred to as "Malefactors" by The Foundation, a secret organization dedicated to studying them. The Slayer, Mainliner, Burrower, and Marksman monsters from the original Suffering game return in this sequel, with new representations. The Slayers now represent mugging by knife-point, Mainliners represent drug addiction, Burrowers represent deaths in construction accidents, and the Marksmen represent those killed by a firing squad (when the military was called to settle a riot in Baltimore). New monsters are also introduced in this game, some of which are mentioned below.
Gorger
This creature is actually an urban legend, it looks something like a humanoid slug with nails for teeth. It represents those in Baltimore who have starved to death; unsurprisingly, it is still hungry, and will gladly try to eat Torque. Eventually, it is revealed that a reverend had a soup kitchen in Baltimore, during the Great depression he ran out of food to give out. So, as an alternative food source he served the only meat available, human, in a soup. Ever since then the Gorger was a myth that parents told to their children to exsplain when they couldn't provide enough food for them claiming, "The Gorger had eatin' some of their food." This could be another way to explain the Gorgers existence. It attacks with its strong arms, as well as a vicious overhead strike. If the Gorger pins you on the ground, it will bite you with its powerful mandibles unless you can break away.
Arsonist
Yet another new monster, this one is the incarnation of people killed in fires. It appears as two human corpses fused together by intense heat with four tentacle-like appendages. It is constantly on fire and attacks by lobbing flaming projectiles as well as charging and leaving fiery tracks behind it. Remember, if Torque catches fire, roll left or right to smother flames.
Triggerman
This abomination is the incarnation of the gun violence that is all too common on the streets of Baltimore. It looks like a fat man holding scorpion machine pistols with four gigantic, arachnid legs. It appears that several of the limbs are holding shotguns as well, which pack enough force to knock Torque down, giving the Triggerman a free cheap shot. Get too close, and it will use its legs to trample you like a horse. Toe to toe confrontations without heavy firepower are ill-advised, so find some cover and take potshots at it. The Triggerman Captains carry M60`s instead of shotguns.
Suppressor
This creature is an incarnation of the brutality inflicted upon the inmates in prisons. However, they are not the prisoners themselves. Instead, the guards are forced to live out the pain in the same way as the festers. By far the most disturbing looking creature, the Suppressor has had it legs severed at the knees, though it is surprisingly mobile for only being able to use its hands to move along. The entire face has been replaced with a single floodlight embedded into the skull, which provides the sole means of detecting you. Should Torque become caught in the light, the Suppressor will fire relentlessly with the four tommy guns embedded in its chest, and will not stop shooting until either you leave its sight, or until one of you is dead.
The Suppressor is unique in that it is mostly confined to a fixed patrol within its designated area, and is completely incapable of hearing you, making it possible to run past it without even having to fight it, assuming you stay out of its light. The Suppressor is a hardy creature, but a single well placed bullet into its light source will kill it instantly. Just be sure to step away while it thrashes about, guns blazing.
Isolationist
An Isolationist is a creature representing the agony of prisoners kept in solitary confinement. It appears as a large but obese humanoid on crutches, dragging its seemingly broken legs behind it. The Isolationist despises light and seeks to destroy it, ultimately drawing electricity into itself. This energy is released in the form of an electric current that extends in a radius around itself as well as a projectile launched from one of its crutches. Should you get too close to them, they swing their crutches left and right to bat you away. Additionally, they release cockroaches, called 'Wretches', from their stomachs to seek out and attack the player.
The Horde
An immense worm capable of burrowing underground and leaving huge tunnels in its wake. Its body appears to be composed of a multitude of writhing animals held together. It appears a few times on the streets of Baltimore doing little more than frightening Torque and clearing paths for his progression. It also appears as a boss in the machine shop of the Eastern Baltimore Correctional Facility. The Horde makes one last appearance at the Garvey Home for Children, in which it serves to endlessly spawn malefactors from its mouth.
Copperfield
A large, humanoid apparition that appears to menace Torque in various places. He carries a rifle, and wears a large coat beneath which he wears an outfit seemingly made of hides. He is the ghost of a notorious slave hunter from the antebellum South who went to great lengths to retrieve fugitive slaves. The most infamous account of his exploits revolved around his capture of several escapees at a safehouse on the underground railroad whom he fed to his hounds. In the present day he still wanders the streets employing Maulers, twisted dogs with disturbingly human faces, to continue hunting those he sees as the descendents of slaves.
The player fights Copperfield if he/she has Good or Neutral morality at the end of the chapter "The Greatest Story Never Told." After being defeated, Copperfield is eaten by his Maulers, which are no longer controlled by him.
The Creeper
The Creeper is an apparition who appears many times throughout the game and as a boss near the end of the game. He is an urban legend in the fictional Baltimore setting, where it is said that he was a violent pimp who brutalized and exploited his prostitutes, and he eventually turned to the serial mutilation and murder of his own prostitutes and other women. His dialogue and several hallucinations reveal the extent to his hatred of women (for example, in the sewers the player sees a vision of The Creeper mutilating a woman, with dozens of female corpses strewn about and strung up).
His appearance is that of a large, overweight bald man wearing a large trenchcoat. Under his coat are the slithering, limbless corpses of several prostitutes, which are attached to his body. The prostitutes have long blades extending from their mouths, and The Creeper uses them to attack his victims. Due to his misogynistic nature, he will attempt kill Jordan in some moments of the game and there is an instance, if your morality is evil enough and you keep Jordan alive, when he will capture her and apparently kill her. It is revealed though,that she has escaped and made a pact with Blackmore instead. You will fight with the Creeper in the chapter "The Greatest Story Never Told", if your morality is evil. After being defeated, the Creeper is mutilated by the prostitutes attached to his body, who exact their revenge on him.
Captains
Throughout the course of the game, variations of some of the monsters will be encountered, which are stronger and can only be killed in insanity mode. These are the Slayer, Triggerman and Arsonist Captains. Slayer/Triggerman captains can be identified by the fact that they appear to be covered in black metal armor and smoke. Arsonist captains are larger and have glowing blades attached to their spiderlike limbs. All captains spawn normal enemies of their respective type, in order to allow the player to build up their Insanity Meter.
Foundation Soldiers
Torque also faces human opponents in the form of Foundation soldiers, the members of Jordan's private army. Foundation soldiers are equipped with machine guns and body armor, and some also carry bulletproof riot shields. They use relatively smart A.I. tactics, including using cover, strafing from one location to another, and leaning around corners to shoot. The human enemies are significantly stronger than many of the other enemies found in the game, as they use powerful weaponry and are often found in groups. They are also well armoured as well, so aiming for the head helps. They are found using every weapon except the rocket launcher and M60.
Trivia: In-game References
- In the underground sewer system, Torque's son can be seen floating in the water. He says "We all float down here, daddy." This is a reference to Stephen King's It.
- When picking up a phone in the game the player can hear Blackmore saying "The only thing I've ever loved was hate." This is a reference to "The Nameless," a song performed by the band Slipknot.
- In the streets of Baltimore after escape the holding area with Jordan, you may notice a random pile of garbage. The garbage is actually copies of The Suffering and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, which is a joke that both of these products had low sales.
Morality
Unlike in the first Suffering, your choices determine the attacks your monster form can use. As your morality moves in either direction, Torque's monster form will gain new attacks depending on the direction. You start off with Neutral morality, but your morality will change depending on your actions. Successfully protecting others and keeping them alive nets you good points. Being evil is easy, simply kill everyone you come across. Neutrality is also an option, since it involves not getting directly involved with anyone and leaving them to their own fate (those who do not directly die by your hands will not be counted against you).
When you`ve beaten the game, you morality will determine what ending you get. It will also change Torque's appearance in the game. With a good alignment Torque remains clean and healthy looking. Neutral makes him look a little dirty, and an evil alignment causes his skin to become greyish and covered with open sores, while his eyes give a sinister glow.
When you have beaten the game once, you are given the option of replaying again and choosing your moral alignment at the beginning.
Good Alignment
Torque is rescued from Carnate Island by a Coast Guard member, but when the two of them reach Baltimore they are intercepted by soldiers from the Foundation.
In this story branch, Torque's family has been killed by Blackmore's goons after Torque refused to continue working for Blackmore.
In the end, Torque will kill Blackmore and erase this personality from his mind. Carmen's ghost thanks Torque for walking the right path and will hug Torque.
Neutral Alignment
Torque, having knocked out the Coast Guard member sent to retrieve him, makes his way to Baltimore, but is intercepted by the Foundation.
In this story branch, Torque's older son Cory killed Torque's younger son Malcolm and then himself, under Blackmore's influence.
In the end, Blackmore reveals that Cory killed Malcolm then himself in revenge for Torque beating him all the time.
Evil Alignment
Instead of trying to leave Carnate, Torque instead runs deeper into the island under the influence of his dementia. He blacks out, and (after being berated by Dr. Killjoy) wakes up to find himself being captured by Foundation soldiers exploring the island.
In this story branch, Torque murdered his family members with his own hands.
In the end, Blackmore's personality will dominate Torque's body. After this, it is revealed that Jordan and Blackmore have agreed upon a pact to destroy Torque's personality completely.
Monster form attack upgrades
Good morality
Level 4: Cataclysm
The most powerful attack attainable, this will kill anything in range instantly.
Level 3: Isiolationist Shockwave
A powerful blast of electricity that damages all enemies in the area for as long as you hold down the special move button.
Level 2: Guns
Several machine guns extend themselves from torque's back and fire randomly as long as the attack button is held.
Level 1: Burrower Chains
A number of chains whip out of torque's back and lash out in front of him.
Neutral morality
Ground smash
This is the basic, and also the neutral, attack. With this, Torque jumps up and pounds the floor with one claw, doing damage to any enemies within range and also stunning them.
Evil morality
Level 1: Slayer Blades
A tight circle of blades that move outward, damaging anything they hit.
Level 2: Wretches
Similar to an attack isolationists use. A wave of wretches leap out of Torque's back and chase enemies, exploding on contact.
Level 3: Arsonist blast
Flames will damage all enemies in the area for as long as you hold down the special move button. A huge wall of fire will shoot from you and damage all nearby enemies once you release the button.
Level 4: Cataclysm
The most powerful attack attainable, this will kill anything in range instantly.