The Suffering is a raw, snappy PS2 survival horror. Haunted prison, twisted monsters and moral choices. More action than fear, but with a rare oppressive mood. A real surprise.
Your verdict
Category
Survival1 player18+
Description
A Surreal Software and Midway survival horror released in 2004, the first The Suffering entry. Torque, on death row in Carnate Island prison, witnesses a demonic uprising that turns inmates into monsters. Third-person combat with weapons and the Insanity transformation system, oppressive atmosphere with tormented character dialogues. An American survival horror overlooked but brilliant.
Suffering, The review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
The art direction gives flesh to capital punishment. On the prison island of Carnate, the monsters are executions made flesh: blades for arms for beheading, bodies bristling with needles for lethal injection, forms wrenched by hanging. Around them the carceral world rots, weeping walls and gutted cells, while the hero himself, gripped by insanity, turns into a misshapen creature. An imagery of punishment come alive.
The hero, Torque, arrives on death row not knowing whether he is guilty. Condemned for the murder of his wife and children, he has forgotten everything, and the story keeps him, and us, in the dark as long as possible. His choices, through the nightmare, lean toward redemption or monstrosity, and decide which version of himself prevails.
The German edition of The Suffering, released on a market known for its strict handling of violent content, in its own local variant. This version interests collectors attentive to the regional specifics of a gory horror title. Its interest lies in this specific German packaging rather than marked scarcity.
Is Suffering, The still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2004 on PS2, Surreal Software's project blends third person shooting and visceral horror in a penitentiary haunted by creatures embodying methods of execution. Torque, an amnesiac death row inmate, crosses a nightmarish prison where his moral choices steer the story and the hero's transformation into a monster. The oppressive atmosphere, the disturbing bestiary and the nervous pace install an effective tension. The production and an uneven artificial intelligence show their age. A singular blend of action and horror, recommended for fans of shooting tinged with dread and of branching dark narrative.
