The Entrance Hall, as the name suggests, is Castle Brennenburg's main entrance, and is accessed from the Old Archives. It is the third location visited and the first Hub level found in Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Daniel's main objective here is to gain access to the Refinery by destroying a wall of fleshy residue blocking the entrance to it, in order to move further into the bowels of the castle and ultimately reach the Inner Sanctum.
The Entrance Hall is a large area consisting of a long hallway leading from the main gate, and a large open area with a staircase leading downwards to the Refinery, and another staircase leading to a second-floor from where the Archives can be reached.
The area is in a partial ruin when the game takes place. Some pillars and a staircase have collapsed, there's a hole in the ceiling and some doors are mysteriously boarded up, most likely by Alexander's servants who were reinforcing weaker structures that the Shadow threatened to collapse.[1]
This is also the very first place where the player encounters a flashback, triggered not long after entering the area.[2] In it, Daniel and Alexander can be heard discussing the location of the Inner Sanctum.
Layout[]
The player enters the Entrance Hall through the Old Archives, but cannot return there after leaving. The Entrance Hall connects to several other locations:
When entering the area, there is a long hallway to your left, which leads to a large door. There are a few items to be found here.
To your immediate left is a large chest containing an tinderbox and an oil potion.
Further along, there is a tinderbox on the middle bookshelf, as well as an oil potion between the last bookshelf and a few crates.
The passage to the Refinery is blocked by the Shadow's fleshy residue. You will need to remove it to proceed.
A note in the Laboratory details how to make a strong acid, which you can use to dissolve the residue.
Another note mentions that the chemicals required to create the acid have been moved to the Wine Cellar, the door which is locked. You will have to find the key in the Archives.
On your way upstairs to the Archives, there is a tinderbox next to the rubble blocking a doorway to the left.
A tinderbox is found on the steps to the right just before the door to the Archives.
Making progress causes more of the Shadow's organic matter to appear in the Entrance Hall. Avoid it the best that you can, as standing on it hurts you.
Once you have obtained the acid, use it on the residue to clear it, which will allow you to exit to the Refinery.
When going up the stairs for the first time, Daniel will instinctively turn around as he hears a female voice crying, "No! Get away from me!". The voice is identical to the voice of the girl who Daniel stabbed to death in the Storage. If Daniel decides not to go up the stairs, and enters the Laboratory instead and writes the memento for the needed chemicals, along with the chemistry pot, the same voice will be heard once Daniel re-enters the Entrance Hall.
When Daniel interacts with the entrance gate of the castle, he will lose some sanity as the fleshy residue the Shadow leaves behind appears. This is also the gate which Daniel leaves through in the "Revenge Ending".
Through the use of a glitch which abuses the games system for saving and loading, the Refinery can be reached without destroying the residue. This trick is used frequently by speedrunners. However if you are going to use this glitch, it is recommended that you enter the Laboratory first and take the Chemistry Pot first, as you will need it in Storage.
