The suffering: ties that bind

Issues unresolved[edit]

Rendering problems at 16:9edit

When using a 16:9 resolution, objects at the left and right edge of the screen don’t get rendered, very noticeable when turning with the mouse. This is because the game is only rendering for 4:3 resolutions. The effect is fairly small when using 1920×1080 or 2560×1440, but it becomes insufferable in 4k.

Stretched encyclopedia with widescreen fixesedit

Using any of the widescreen fixes will make the right side of the screen stretched when accessing the in-game encyclopedia. This doesn’t happen when using 16:9 without the mods.

Visual artifacts with certain weapons in 4:3edit

In 4:3 resolutions, there sometimes is a visual issue with certain guns (especially the Tommy Gun). When being in first person, changing to 3rd person and then back to 1st, a lot of the character’s body will be rendered at the bottom of the screen and clipping into the gun. For most weapons (especially dual-wielded guns) this luckily doesn’t occur.

A good compromise is to play in 2560×1440 and with standard FOV (1.0). This removes the visual glitch and at the same time keeps the rendering problems low.

Video[edit]

Graphics settings.

Anti-aliasing (AA)edit

Gameplay[]

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. When critically injured, the player may also heal a very small percentage of their health by hiding from the immediate battle to recover. The player is also now limited to only carrying two weapons at a time, which now adds a sense of strategy to the gameplay.

Morality

Unlike the first game, the player’s choices determine the attacks as well as the appearance that Torque’s monster form can use. As the morality status moves in either direction, Torque’s monster form will gain new attacks depending on the direction. Some special attacks will take on traits of some of the Malefactors, such as by summoning the hooked chains of the Burrowers, the electrical attacks of the Isolationists, or the limb-mounted guns of the Triggermen. The game starts with Neutral morality, but the morality will change depending on the player’s actions. Successfully protecting others and keeping them alive shifts the morality scale towards good. Killing non-combatants, killing animals, desecrating corpses and choosing to let innocents die earns evil morality. 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 Torque’s hands will not be counted against you).

When the game has been completed, the morality level will determine what ending is shown. It will also change Torque’s appearance in the game. With a good alignment Torque remains clean and healthy looking (save for enemy blood spatter). 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 the game has been completed at least once, the player are given the option of replaying again and choosing the initial 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 and captured by soldiers from the Foundation.

With a Good Morality, Torque’s transformation will appear closer to a Hulk-like version of himself with a blue tinge and a cleanly-bladed arm.

In this story branch, Torque’s family has been murdered 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.

If the player starts the game as good, by either loading a saved game from the first Suffering or selecting good at the beginning of the game after another play through; it will be revealed that Blackmore had not intended for his men to kill Torque’s family: only scare them.

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 Neutral Morality, Torque’s transformed state will be more like the monster form he took in the first Suffering, with a slight upgrade in appearance: slight head spikes, a normal hand instead of a talon/claw, and, like all of the TTB beast forms, the blade has been moved to the right arm instead of the left arm.

In this story branch, Torque accidentally killed Carmen, which led to his older son Cory killing his little brother Malcolm and then himself. Cory does this all under Blackmore’s influence, and in revenge for Torque beating him all the time.

In the end, neither Blackmore nor Torque are able to get rid of each other, and their suffering shall continue.

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.

Evil Morality turns Torque into a red-tinged demonic version of himself with horns, a leathery hide and a jagged-bladed arm. This form is similar to the appearance of Drake/Dracula’s transformed state in the film Blade: Trinity.

In this story branch, Torque, likely possessed by Blackmore, 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.