Oh my god this is bad. The main character constantly talks, the game never lets you be scared or let you react to something that's happening, it's always the main character that has to explain exactly what she is seeing and feeling.

The game constantly stops the flow with flashback after flashback, sometimes not even 3 seconds apart. The only light source you have in the beginning are matches and these are the worst matches in the world. If you hold down W for too long or if you move your mouse in a way that the developers didn't like then that match just instantly dies.

The least Frictional game can do to even begin fixing the immersion is to add a mute button for the main character. I'm terribly disappointed actually. The Dark Descent is in my top 5 games of all time and I never believed that Rebirth would be as good or better than it but holy crap this is bad. It's like it's not even the same company that made Amnesia and SOMA. The gameplay is still somewhat good but immersion needs some serious patching.

Algeria attracted my attention, but the yapping I noticed in a few videos was an instant turn-off. I'm still interested if they make some changes, but so far it seems like a miss.

You are so right. I completely feel the same.

I played for 2,5 hours. Will continue tomorrow. Until now it can NEVER hold a candle to The Dark Descent, and even not to SOMA. I thought they won't go with cheap Jump-Scares, but they are everywhere! Too much disco effects were throwing into your face. Some time I die and I don't even know why .. I haven't seen a monster until now. And there are also no puzzles at all! After 2 hours the first puzzle appear.

The old Amnesia was not overloaded with special effects throwing in your face all the time. It was a chilling slow-burn nightmare! I hate these "ghost rollercoaster effects" and I don't think it's scary. And the monsters are some kind of invisible. You only hear them and they kill you without a sense.

And the map design ... beautiful graphics, beautiful desert, but that's it. Not even close to the awesome atmosphere of the castle areas in The Dark Descent.

And the portals in green light everywhere ... an atmosphere killer!

And the game breaks every minute to tell the story ... where has gone the professional story telling of SOMA?

Rebirth feels more like a conventional effect & jump scare rollercoaster and that's very disappointing, because I think this should not have been the goal.

Honestly, if The Dark Descent is a 10 out of 10, Rebirth is a 2. Even Penumbra was a lot scarier and better.

The Dark Descent was a real indie game made by 4 or 5 original FG people. Rebirth feels like an AAA blockbuster horror made by some big studio, but without a soul.

Thomas always write blog articles about game design lessons and what they learned from previous games. If you ask me they have nothing learned. This is a step backwards! But this problem happens to all developers who started with perfect games and then wants to add more "innovation".

Thomas always said how he hates when cutscenes break the flow. But this happens continuously here! The story get forced in flashbacks that breaks the game! You completely lose control of what happened in game. I really can't believe what they've done - because it's the opposite of what Frictional Games design ideology normally stands for! The first 2 hours are just a walking simulator and the levels are uninspired. One cave after another. I felt like playing Tomb Raider. But these game breaking flashbacks and the special effects jumping in your face like you were in a disco are the most annoying things.

Something went wrong during development. This is not the quality I expect from Frictional Games!

And I'm not one of those negative Steam reviewers who say the same.

Today I saw the first monster. And ... oh no! They did it like in Outlast or Alien Isolation where monsters show their faces in front of you! Do NEVER force the player to show in the face of a monster!!! In early 2010 Frictional Games said "The most fear is the unknown" or something like that! And what do they now? They break all high quality game design rules that has made them to the best horror game developer around the world. And what sould I say? The monster face does not look scary at all. There are WORLDS between the Grunt+Brute and this monster face!

Yes, the game doesn't feel to be from the same company. If Frictional Games continue this way, I lost my most favorite developer. Even Mikko Tarmia has not composed a good music.

I want the good old 5 people FG team back with Jens Nilsson who made the original Amnesia and the Penumbra series. I even liked the old physics engines more than the new, which are not precise at all. In their old games you could set boxes or other objects over another. In the new engine the physics are by far too sensitive.

I'm disapointed as well. I will reuse some words from @Porsche2000 "Rebirth feels like an AAA blockbuster horror made by some big studio, but without a soul."


Edit: Actually I changed my mind. This game has a delayed effect on me that was similar to a wave of terror. It may not happen to you but honestly given the price you must try.