In The Suffering’s sequel, this level occurs after the protagonist Torque escapes from the city’s docks. It’s the first time he’s been back to Baltimore since his incarceration on Carnate Island for the accusation of killing his family. Chapter 3 follows Torque’s route through the city sewers to return to the scene of the crime — his family’s apartment.
For reasons forgotten, the version that shipped with the game was a re-edited, truncated version. Since all the original geometry still existed, it was fun to re-construct what the pre-Alpha version was. Presented here are both versions.
Pre-Alpha Version
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Shipped Version
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In retrospect, both versions feel like a cramped carnival ride — a new event happens every few yards one can only watch. I think the first version is more satisfying, however. The player’s hungry for new story and doesn’t know what to expect. So he’s naturally going to be cautious. Anticipation needs a place to grow before full-fledged combat takes over. Without fear of the unknown, the story downgrades from a chilling horror to spooky mystery.