Amnesia: Rebirth
You can’t let out a breath. The creature is only inches away. Its sole purpose – to feed off your terror. And so you crouch in the dark, trying to stop the fear rising, trying to silence what lies within you. “I know you. I know what you're capable of.” In Amnesia: Rebirth, you are Tasi Trianon, waking up deep in the desert of Algeria. Days have passed. Where have you been? What did you do? Where are the others? Retrace your journey, pull together the fragments of your shattered past; it is your only chance to survive the pitiless horror that threatens to devour you. “Do not allow yourself anger, do not allow yourself to fear.” Time is against you. Step into Tasi’s shoes and guide her through her personal terror and pain. While you struggle to make your way through a desolate landscape, you must also struggle with your own hopes, fears, and bitter regrets. And still you must continue, step by step, knowing that if you fail you will lose everything. First-person narrative horror experience Explore environments and uncover their histories. Overcome puzzles that stand in your way. Carefully manage your limited resources, both physical and mental. Encounter horrific creatures and use your wits and understanding of the world to escape them.
Steam User 50
A followup to the 2010 classic horror game Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Rebirth simultaneously managed to impress and disappoint, terrify and bore me. The atmosphere, lore and world building is top notch. It was fantastic to see how the in-game Universe had been expanded without giving away too much of the mystery.
Set in the 1930s on an expedition to the then French Algeria, Tasi, our protagonist awakens onboard a crashed aeroplane unable to recollect the events that lead to her being there. Seemingly alone, disorientated and with no sign of her crew including that of her husband she sets out across the hot desert sands following the debris in an attempt to piece together what happened and find rescue.
The core gameplay hasn’t deviated much from Frictionals’ previous games. Sneaking past threats, solving environmental puzzles, scavenging items, and managing fuel to illuminate the darkness to prevent insanity. The game is very generous with how much the protagonist can withstand. There are a couple of mechanics that I don’t remember from previous games, the first being literally running away and then lying prone until you’re left alone and the second is talking to yourself to calm down after being involved in stressful events.
I found there was far less reliance on utilising distractions in your strategy to manoeuvre across levels, in fact I don’t remember even doing it once in an attempt to outwit the creatures, likewise no need to keep doors shut. Enemies are tough and fast but there is a heavy reliance on scripted and linear sequenced events rather than actual encounters which became very noticeable in subsequent playthroughs.
One key moment that stuck out as an annoyance was I came across a trap and thought ‘I will throw something at it to set it off’, in doing so the script that took over had my character panic like she had walked into it rather than an active choice made on her part to avoid it. The correct choice is to jump over the tripwire, not an impossibility as you jump like a heptathlete on the moon but still felt illogical at the time. Other than that, having autonomy taken away for unskippable dialogue to play out was dull - nothing quite like being forced to stare at a ladder you’re not allowed to use just because the protagonist won’t shut up and can’t multitask. haha
The main story is very slow, taking its time to reveal snippets about what is actually going on and where you are. This isn’t a bad thing, the pacing felt natural but made it difficult (especially in the beginning) to understand why I should continue and why I should care about the characters involved. There were payoffs for my patience and persistence but I can’t say I liked any of the endings. I also wish there was more opportunity during the game to explore morality options whether seen or unseen. There’s only one significant choice to make outside of the endings and as far as I can tell it doesn’t make a difference to the rest of the game.
The environments are fantastic, some of the most ambitious I have seen from this developer. Detailed and varied, new places feel like new places - they’ve come a long way from what I remember being a series of dilapidated stone hallways in ‘The Dark Descent’. The play with fear in both dark and light areas is brilliant - from the exposure and vulnerability in the bright expansive desert where you’re forced to seek shade to the cramped and claustrophobic tunnels that make you hope a light is just around the corner. Combined with the phenomenal sound design this makes for some truly petrifying moments.
‘Adventure Mode’ was introduced several months after the initial launch of the game and provides a lighter story focused experience. Key changes are: some creature encounters are almost entirely removed, those that remain don’t attack unless provoked; darkness no longer affects the protagonist and areas are more brightly lit; also no jumpscares. The trade-off being the addition of a few very simple puzzles (see: drag item). This mode is ideal for achievement collectors to pick up any missed achievements (aside from two which can only be gained in the original mode). A small testament to how good the atmosphere can be, I still felt unsettled knowing nothing could hurt me in this mode after having already beat the Original mode.
I like this game, it’s a lot better than the travesty some had led me to believe it is but it's definitely not groundbreaking and it didn’t have the same impact as The Dark Descent did. I think it does deserve a chance, and if you’re willing to take it I recommend allowing yourself to become immersed with headphones and zero distractions.
Steam User 63
This game deserves so much more love. It's really good. All the negative reviews have to be from people who loved The Dark Descent and wanted basically the same exact thing. This is not the same, but in no way is it a worse game because of that. It's different which is exactly what this series needed.
This may not be as horrifying, but it is still scary with good intense moments that keep you on edge.
The story is great, and ties in with The Dark Descent in ways that are extremely satisfying.
The engine is a good upgrade from the previous two games. With that, the gameplay is close to the same as previous games, but more enjoyable with the new engine and great graphics.
Audio and dialogue is *chefs kiss*. The dialogue of the character you play as is really well written and voiced and doesn't break immersion like some other horror games I've played. It feels genuine and adds a lot to the game.
The darkness and lack of matches coupled with the extremely fast draining lantern can be a little rough at times, but that has to be my only complaint and it is in no way game breaking. There are game modes and mods that can easily fix that if it's too annoying for you.
And they brought back custom stories..
Come on guys. Seriously don't listen to the negative reviews. While The Dark Descent is a classic and great game, this one might honestly be my new favorite. And I have over 150 hours in the original Amnesia, so that's saying something. Buy it
Steam User 46
There is a monkey in the game
Steam User 105
The negative reviews for this game are insanely nit-picky. No, this is not Dark Descent 2.0
However, the monsters are still scary, the environment is still memorable, and I would argue that the story telling is stronger in Rebirth.
Most of the negative reviews weigh far too much on comparisons to Dark Descent, and I don't think it does this game justice. And I won't be surprised if I see the same reviews for The Bunker once that comes out. Essentially, any deviation from TDD's original gameplay is a "no no" for these people.
Steam User 31
kind of laughable how many times you fall through the floor
Steam User 28
pros: the story absolutely destroyed me. bawled my eyes out
cons: no hot goth baron who taunts you teasingly throughout the game
Steam User 26
It's an excellent example of a good horror game. I really enjoyed the storyline! During the whole process,step by step, grain by grain, you get your memories together and ultimately the picture is crystal clear. There's also a great feature that I like about the game. Once you feel relief and it seems that you're almost safe,the game delivers you deeper and deeper,making you much more anxious. I definitely adore Frictional Games' stories. So this story isn't an exception. Highly recommended...
...this I have known ever since I stretched out my fingers to the abomination within that great gilded frame; stretched out my fingers and touched a cold and unyielding surface of polished glass.