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.

A followup to the 2010 classic horror game [url=https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/app/57300/Amnesia_The_Dark_Descent/]Amnesia: The Dark Descent[/url], 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.