When I finished this game for the first time, I couldn't stop thinking about it. More importantly, however, it made me think about my (non-existing) live. Well, more than usual, anyway, and in a completely different way. A lot has changed since then, and I've been meaning to get back this game for a while. Primarily for three reasons:

1. To see, if the game still holds up to my first impression.

2. To get the absolute best ending. I only managed to get the regular best ending last time.

3. To see, if I can do something at the very end, I didn't manage to do last time. Novotnus knows what I'm talking about. That's all that matters.

Today I finished my second playthrough. So, does it still hold up? Absolutely! The story is great, and it still contains one of, if not the, best portrayals of depression in any media. Lars von Trier's Melancholia might be close, but I haven't seen that movie yet, so I could be wrong. In any case, I can also only speak for myself. Others might feel differently about that. I'm suffering from chronic depression since well over a decade. While playing this game, I felt really understood. That might have been the first time at all. There were a few instances, where I wished, that there were more options to express myself, because those provided didn't quite fit what I felt. However, those instances were very rare.

Susan and Mitzi are two very likable people, and I felt really strongly about them. I wanted to protect them, and put an end to those bloody parasites. I don't call Susan and Mitzi 'characters' for a reason. They just feel too real for this word. More like..., well, actual people. That is just too rare in all forms of media, but especially games. Characters feel often more like cardboard cutouts than characters, let alone actual people.

I also know now, why I couldn't remember Liz' story about that patient, last time. She never told it. When Liz asked, if I had a nightmare, I said, that it was a dream like any other. Which is true for me. However, this prevented me from hearing the story. This time, I told her of the nightmare. After hearing Liz' story, I'm sure, that I would have remembered it. That was just gross. Well, one more reason for me to stay a non-smoker.

My favourite part in the game is still the Story of the Cat Widow. That I can't stand Bryan is just an added bonus (he reminds me too much of my father), and seeing him pay a little for what he did is simply glorious.

The less said about Eye of Adam, the better. I can't stand trolls. I got enough experience with them, both on- and off-line. So, I don't feed them anymore.

In my first playthrough, when the Queen of Maggots asked me to decide, which of the last two candles to blow out, I just picked one, and hoped for the best. There was an option to refuse, but I didn't think it was real. Two reasons for that:

1. Most games (especially adventures) have non-choices. Options, that provide the illusion of choice, but don't actually affect anything.

2. Over the years, I got accustomed to do what I'm told. Most of the time, I don't even know what I want. Only what others tell me to want.

This time, however, I had enough of her bossing me around. I said "Fuck you!" and refused.

So, did I get the best ending possible? Yes, I did. Was it worth it? I'd say, yes. It's hard to achieve, but what do you expect from wonders? Or live, for that matter?

As for the very last part... Well, I did it. I still don't know how to do what this represents, but the decision is there.

Edit: Forgot a "what".

I'm really happy to hear this. It was nice, sunny day here. Good news are a great conclusion for such a nice day.
EDIT. Maybe you'd like to share some of your thoughts with the guy behind The Cat Lady? He seems to really care what people feel about his creation, and if his game helped you - even a little - in dealing with your own depression, I'm sure he'd be really happy to know about it.

I'm not sure. I have trouble putting my thoughts into words at the best of times, and this is even more difficult.

Your thoughts and observations here were really interesting. Especially things you noticed and reflected on (like the final candle scene and that ending part) which I just took for granted or simply said to myself: 'clever!' and moved on.

Ah, yes, the best ending. I achieved it without even trying. Though I did tell Mitzi to shoot the eye and got a different ending first. Though there is no doubt that I was just lucky to do all steps for the best ending.
An I reloaded the chapter after I triggered a breakdown for her. After all she went through with the first parasite, I didn't wanted to end it that way.

I really can't put my finger on my favourite part of this game. I just loved, though the afterworld-Segments really were awesome. I like mind screw segments like those.

Try Downfall, Rem's first game (if you can live with non-talkie classic-style point and click). Almost whole game takes place in a weird non-world \ mad world.
But I wouldn't recommend this one to Gaunathor - it ends on a much darker note. And I couldn't feel for the protagonist after what he did near the beginning.

The demo is very different from actual game and Agnes is not your real protagonist (but someone you already know from The Cat Lady is :))
I have the game from GamersGate (v. 2.0) and from Screen7 (v. 1.4). The only problem I know with the inventory was that I couldn't select any item when I first opened it; after the first time it worked fine. I think the bug wasn't present in S7 version, but if you wish, I can check it for you.
I can confirm that Screen7 version (so the one you can get from Desura and from http://www.quiethavenhotel.co.uk/) is fully playable to the end :)

Really? It took me over two hours to write the OP, and it still felt more like ramblings than coherent (let alone interesting) thoughts to me. Just because it is dark doesn't necessarily mean it is bad for me. It depends on how it is handled. If it is just dark for darkness sake (like the Saw and Hostel movies, or Manhunt), then it really isn't for me. However, if there is a meaning behind it, like it was in The Cat Lady, then it could work for me.

For example, the first Godzilla-movie is very dark. Seeing all the death and destruction in the aftermath of Godzilla's rampage through Tokyo is absolutely terrifying. Especially because of the constant allusions to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet, it is my favourite movie of all time. Simply because the anti-nuclear energy message and the acting is so strong. In fact, I'm going to watch it later today, in celebration of it's 59th anniversary.

Yes, really :) It deals with schizofrenia and feeding disorders. And being unable to help the other person, no matter how hard you try. It uses a lot of horror cliches (haunted hotel, masked killer that chases you, weird dreams, beings from other dimensions) but in the end it's a story about a man who tries to save his wife (and his marriage)... Nice to see a fellow Godzilla fan :)
If you like this kind of 'monster with a meaning behind it', you might like Downfall. Not recommending it was purely based on the fact that it's a pretty depressing tale and it lacks that light at the end of the tunnel which was present in The Cat Lady...

Is it really schizophrenia or is it actually multiple personality disorder? A lot of people confuse those two.

Nice! Any thoughts regarding the 2014 one? From what I saw of the trailers, it seems to look good. However, after the travesty, that was Emmerich's GINO, I try to keep me expectations down.

Well, I like the movie Seven, and that one doesn't have a happy ending either. However, it really depends on how everything is implemented (the story, the characters, etc.)

I haven't played IHNMAIMS yet, but if I like that, could I like Downfall?

Delusions. Hearing voices. Different interpretation of reality. No multiple personalities. But feeding disorders are much more important to the plot.
I kind of hoped for something like the original one (which was great on its own terms) and the 1984 one (which started my favourite Heisei series) - a new beginning, introduction for Godzilla and his power, dark and scary. From what I've seen - it looks more like another giant monsters fight.
Still, if they won't try to reboot 'Destroy all monsters' again like they did 'Final Wars' it might turn out good.

If you'll like IHNMAIMS, give Downfall a try. You can check the demo first to see if it fits you. For me, it was a single image (This one to be precise) that made me buy this game without any more introduction. I didn't know what to expect... and probably that's why the game hit me so hard and stayed with me for so long.

Okay, it's definitely schizophrenia then.

Same here.

It seems so. However, Godzilla could still prove to be dark and scary. 'GMK' did that pretty well.

Agreed. From what I've heard and seen, it doesn't seem like they are going for yet another 'alien invasion' plot, which gives me at least a little hope. However, I could be completely mistaken about this, which wouldn't surprise me at all.

Okay, I will. First, however, I need to finish Cognition, before I start IHNMAIMS.

True. I liked the new lore they gave for the monsters. Seeing Ghidorah in a different role was refreshing.
They can do something good with aliens (I really liked Hedorah, who was a kind of an alien life form; roaches from Gigan were pretty nice too) or screw up without them (like Sea Monster).
Time will tell :)
Another good game :)

Hey, don't diss Sea Monster, that was my first G-movie! Well, granted, that alone doesn't make it any good, but the main problem was, that the script was written for King Kong, not Godzilla.

In any case, it is still much better than my second G-movie, 'Godzilla vs Megalon' (or 'King Kong - Dämonen aus dem Weltall' as it is called here).

I finished Episode 1 last night, and am not sure what to make of it.

The story is quite interesting, and the music and graphics are pretty good. The voiceover, on the other hand, is quite lacking in some areas (though I've heard much worse before). The puzzles range from 'painfully obvious' to 'I have no idea why I'm doing this'.
For example, I'm making a couple pictures of the victim, but I can't do anything with those for quite a while. In the end, one of those pictures is entirely useless, because it is never needed. I was expecting a puzzle to find out the meaning behind what I photographed (trying to avoid spoilers here), but it never happens.
Then there are the bugs. Mostly graphic bugs when moving around. On several occasions, I was afraid that the game might hang. Especially when Erika was walking through the air again.

Well, we'll see if Episode 2 is better, when I get around to it later today.