Amnesia: Rebirth

Despite it's quirks at the end, this is a really good horror game. It is a very linear experience that will last you 8-10 hours, keeping you on edge just about the entire time. And while it doesn't try to play with you sigh an insanity system, it uses a different kind of insanity to much higher tension then anything before. If you loved both Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA, you are absolutely gonna love this too. If you are a fan of genuinely tense and scary games, this one will not disappoint you provided you can put up with a slow burn start and maybe a different kind of fucked up at the end for a short time (that seems to be forever). Everyone else, if you want to try horror, this is far from a bad point to start.

A game like this lives and dies by its ability to immerse the player and pique his interest. Unfortunately Rebirth failed to do either. It halts you in your tracks every few paces either with a note that may or may not be read by a voice actor that cannot be listened to while moving, or a cutscene (mostly just some flashing images). The game chooses the worst ways to tell its story, as if nobody at Frictional noticed it isn't 2010 any more and never evolved. As for the story itself, I didn't get far enough into the game to see what it was about. Maybe it turns out great, but the game didn't give me a reason to care enough to find out. Maybe a less immersive, less interesting version of Dark Descent is what you're looking for. For me it's a disappointment and a refund.

I don't remember the first thing about TDD; judging by many other reviews, I probably enjoyed Rebirth more because of that. I do remember What Remains of Edith Finch, which seems an outlandish reference when discussing the second Amnesia, but it did make me accept mothers talking to their unborn children as a narrative device. Some frequent complaints seem to matter less if you approach this as a narrative game about motherhood, loss, responsibility, seen through a survival horror lens. I'm not sure if these topics are still particularly fresh in 2020- this won't challenge your view of reality like SOMA did, but not every game has to. Not all criticisms go away by assigning the game a different genre. A:R wants you to uncover about four different pasts at the same time, and while I liked the varied ways in which all that content is delivered (the pencil drawings in particular), there are definitely moments when you're like, shut up and let me play. Also, while the fact that you can't die can be explained from the narrative, I would have liked the monster encounters to be a little more relevant at times (not counting the monsters that know you by name). I liked the visuals - there's a lot of imaginative locations waiting beyond the desert overworld - and I was amazed that it ran fluently on my 2013 PC, though no doubt it looks even better on modern systems. Different from other reviews, I also liked the light mechanics. No groping around in total darkness like in Outlast (1 at least), but a pale purplish light that leaves Tasi time to move before she goes cataleptic. If you take the time to look around, there's really no shortage of matches, mounted lights and lantern oil. On the whole, I feel it's best to judge this game on its own merits. It's not TDD, it's not SOMA, it's not a groundbreaking masterpiece- it's a good narrative game, with a lot of story to uncover, with some scary and some emotional moments. Perfect for a dark autumn weekend, simple as that.

Wow. I really liked how fear was represented, not always having to run and hide. Outstanding game! Frictional... you owe me some fingernails.

* You have very limited supplies * It is not always clear where to go, or what you're trying to do. * There are puzzles you need to solve * There are MANY documents to read and pictures to look at Those are all perfectly fine. But when you combine those with light sources that GO OUT ON THEIR OWN over time, it's awful. Do you know how frustrating it is to be running around, trying to figure out what you missed and what you're supposed to be doing, all while your supplies dwindle to nothing? It is not fun. It is never fun. Screw this game. I remember why I stopped playing now.