History YMMV / TheSuffering

* EvilIsSexy: Jordan. Some might even say Blackmore.

** Horace Gage implies that he was put in prison for assault and while he agrees that he did break the law, he believes his punishment was excessive and he wasn't given a fair trial. To Horace, if they gave him a fair trial or had given him a more suitable punishment, he wouldn't have snapped and killed his wife.

** In the first game, there's actually a good reason why a lot of the bosses are quite disappointing: Dr. Killjoy is operating under the deluded belief that he's actually helping Torgue with his problems and Horace simply wants Torgue to finish his execution so he can stop the endless torture from the electric chair. The only ghost who truly desires to kill Torgue is Hermes and even then there is an explanation for why he wasn't that good at fighting; Hermes's powers aren't designed to be used for combat, they are used to execute prisoners in a contained room and not be used in chemical warfare. This is shown by how he kills the prisoners, they were simply caught off-guard and either didn't move away in time or they crashed the vehicle they were driving, unlike Torgue who knew where Hermes was and what he was capable of.

* {{Anvilicious}}: The game repeatedly points out how dangerous and irresponsible it is to treat all lawbreakers in the same way by simply throwing them in prison rather than actually making an effort to help reform them.

** The plot itself even serves as an allegory for this theme: a troubled man with ambiguous innocence accidentally serves as a catalyst that brings more monsters into society. The prison is famous for bringing out the worst in its inhabitants and it's Torgue's choice whether he maintains his innocence by helping others or succumbs to it and becomes a monster.

** In the first game, there's actually a good reason why a lot of the bosses are quite disappointing: Dr. Killjoy is operating under the deluded belief that he's actually helping Torgue with his problems and Horace simply wants Torgue to finish his execution so he can stop the endless torture from the electric chair. The only ghost who truly desires to kill Torgue is Hermes and even then there is an explanation for why he was that good at fighting; Hermes's powers aren't designed to be used for combat, they are used to execute prisoners and not be used in chemical warfare. This is shown by how he kills the prisoners, they were simply caught off-guard and didn't move away in time, unlike Torgue who knew where Hermes was and what he was capable of.

** In the first game, there's actually a good reason why a lot of the bosses are quite disappointing. Dr. Killjoy is operating under the deluded belief that he's actually helping Torgue with issues, and Horace simply wants Torgue to finish his execution so he can stop the endless torture of the machine. The only ghost who truly desires to kill Torgue is Hermes and even then there is an explanation; Hermes's powers aren't designed to be used for combat, they are used to execute prisoners and not be used in chemical warfare.

** Warden Hargrave started executing prisoners because he believed they were all evil, blatantly disregarding the non-violent ones.

** Horace Gage implies that he was put in prison for assault and while he agrees that he did break the law, he believes his punishment was excessive and he wasn't given a fair trial. To Horace, if they gave him a fair trial or given him a more suitable punishment, he wouldn't have snapped and killed his wife.

** If the good morality path is chosen, Torgue is revealed to have been innocent the entire time and he was framed by other criminals. When rescued, he's told that the court was corrupt and he can get help clearing his name.

* {{Anvilicious}}: The game repeatedly points out how dangerous and irresponsible it is to treat all lawbreakers in the same way by simply throwing them in prison than actually making an effort to help reform them.

* Anvilicious: The game repeatedly points out how dangerous and irresponsible it is to treat all lawbreakers in the same way by simply throwing them in prison than actually making an effort to help reform them.

* FridgeHorror:
** It's implied the situation in Carnate isn't out of the ordinary. In fact, it seems like a naturally occurring phenomenon. Running off of this, practically ''any area in the whole world'' can have something similar occur if there's enough misery and pain concentrated in it. All the Malefactors need to be summoned is to have the right catalyst...

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: This series, particularly the first game, isn't subtle about how the prison system is cruel and dehumanizing for both inmates and guards.

* NightmareFuel: It's a goddamn SurvivalHorror game, were you expecting [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel lollipops]] and [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments laughter?]] Okay, [[{{Funny/TheSuffering}} Maybe the latter,]] but still.

* GoodBadBugs: When played on modern operating systems, Noosemen will fall through the floor when trying to attack Torque. This makes one of the most annoying and paranoia-inducing enemies in the game completely harmless.

* NightmareFuel: It's a goddamn SurvivalHorror game, ''were you expecting [[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel lollipops]] and [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments laughter?!?!]]''

** ''The Suffering: Ties That Bind'': [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain The Creeper]], originally Luther Stickwell, is a misogynistic, homophobic SerialKiller who haunts what's left of Baltimore. In life, Luther was a former pimp who abused, raped, and murdered several prostitutes before becoming a killer of women, with a body count ranging between 50 and 200. As the Creeper, he continues his killing spree, slaughtering women in a variety of ways, whether it be decapitating them, hanging them in the sewers, burning them alive, or impaling them from behind. He keeps the [[AndIMustScream still-living]] torsos of three women under his trench coat, using them as CombatTentacles to kill his victims. He loves bragging about his past exploits to Torque, seeing real men as strong and brutal. If Dr. Killjoy pits him against Torque, Creeper will be ecstatic about killing him, thinking that he's stealing his glory. A psychotic murderer who repulses many, the Creeper manages to outdo even [[BigBad Blackmore]] in evil.

** NightmareRetardant: ...on the other hand, some players feel the ability [[MoreDakka to shoot them down with an M60]] kind of messes things up.

** ''The Suffering'': [[SoftSpokenSadist Hermes T. Haight]]—pronounced "hate"--is one of the many spirits haunting Carnate Island, and the most sadistic. In life, Hermes was the former executioner at Abbott State Penitentiary, where he killed prisoners in a variety of ways--including [[TheSpock Horace Gage]] via the electric chair, condemning him to a life as an electric phantom--before settling on [[DeadlyGas a clear, odorless gas]], having done so for decades. Becoming curious as to how his victims felt during the execution process, he studied their corpses and phone conversations before deciding to get a taste of his own gas, killing himself. As a spirit, he haunts Carnate, killing various prisoners and guards with his green gas, including ones trying to escape the island from the Malefactors. Attempting to make [[PlayerCharacter Torque]] unleash his inner beast, he later tries to kill him by trapping him in a gas-filled room. Near the end, [[EnemyMine he's forced to help Torque cross a gap]], doing so by gassing an escaping bus and using it as a bridge. A self-described professional [[JustFollowingOrders claiming to be doing his job]], Hermes enjoys the freedom death has given him in regards to killing people, managing to be worse than the actual monsters infesting Carnate.

** In 'Ties That Bind,' the Creeper was (in life) a serial killer and pimp who would murder women, mostly prostitutes. He displays massive misogynistic tendencies, as well as an intense mistrust for women, and will encourage Torque to do the same. [[spoiler:And if you're playing on the Good side of things, Jordan betrays you, leaving the player with the possibility that the Creeper's twisted advice was actually useful.]]

** In ''Ties That Bind'', Dr. Killjoy sounds less husky and more clear. That's because he's now using relatively modern television technology, rather than old time projectors. So of course he'll have better sound quality.
** Someone paying close attention to the prologue of ''Ties That Bind'' could suss out the true nature of [[spoiler:Blackmore just by watching how Torque's friend Dalls reacts when Blackmore and his goons show up. Blackmore never speaks to Dallas, only to Torque, and Dallas never reacts to anything Blackmore says or does. He can't because Blackmore doesn't really exist. The goons also speak as though they're delivering a message and not as if their boss is standing right there, because he isn't!]]

** It's implied the situation in Carnate isn't out of the ordinary. In fact, it seems like a naturally occurring phenomenon. Running off of this, practically 'any area in the whole world' can have something similar occur if there's enough misery and pain concentrated in it. All the Malefactors need to be summoned is to have the right catalyst...
* GoodBadBugs: When played on modern operating systems, Noosemen will fall through the floor when trying to attack Torque. This makes one of the most annoying and paranoia inducing enemies in the game completely harmless.

* ThatOneBoss: Hermes in the first game. Not because of the actual fight, which is [[AnticlimaxBoss very easy]], but because of the ''timing''. Once you've closed all the other vents, it should be a simple task of using the steam vent to blow him into the oven. But Hermes has a nasty habit of spawning in that vent then immediately moving away, making it a repetitive task of luring him back and trying to turn the steam valve before he flees. It turns what should be a twenty second boss fight into one that can last twenty minutes.

* ThatOneBoss: Hermes in the first game. Not because of the actual fight, which is [[AnticlimaxBoss very easy]], but because of the ''timing''. Once you've closed all the other vents, it should be a simple task of using the steam vent to blow him into the oven. But Hermes has a nasty habit of spawning in that vent then immediately moving away, making it a repetitive task of luring him back and trying to turn the steam valve before he flees. It turns what should be a twenty second boss fight into one that can last twenty minutes.

* MeaningfulName: The island the prison is on, Carnate, like Incarnate.
* {{Narm}}: The final boss fight against Blackmore should be a serious climax with your nemesis spouting taunts with his deep, soothing voice and occasionally casting lightning bolts at you... then you see his SuperMode, which sounds exactly like yours, but, instead of transforming into a hulking, blade-armed brute, his arms just extend and twist like bad rubber hose, making him look like he's scratching his head and crotch like a monkey or that he's doing a bad kung-fu pose. That, and his cowering gesture whenever you transform right in front of him can spoil the mood.