There is no better time to release a reputably scary game like around Halloween. Amnesia: Rebirth by Frictional Games is a sequel to Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Fear still plays an important role in the game and this time the plot follows an archeologist through the desert.
Tasi, your character, has crash landed in Algeria in the desert. Her plane went down suddenly on the way to Africa somewhere in 1937. Tasi must use her own resources to meet up with the rest of her companions. Like most survival games, you’ll have to wander and collect links to the story and matches. Those are very important. Because you are not alone. Something inhuman is watching and waiting.
Like previous Amnesia games, the setting is dark and poorly lit to make for a creepy atmosphere. Tasi explores caves and finds that her light source is very important for staying alive. There is a lot more going on than what Tasi realizes, which includes a lot of death and a strange alien atmosphere. Among everything going on, puzzles are common place to progress the story.
Compared to previous games, Amnesia: Rebirth seems to start in an explosive way but still seems to be a lighter version. Maybe people are jaded to the tension of the game, but things don’t start to get crazy until at least an hour or more into the game. Then everything is really business as usual. In a way this game exceeds expectations and is different.
The main problem Rebirth will face is comparison to the original, The Dark Descent. When you are following what many people consider to be the scariest game of all time, you will have your work cut out for you. A Machine for Pigs (the second game) buffered criticism by being made by another studio. Rebirth is the original’s studios sequel. To their credit, it is not just another run through a dungeon. The original concept, that you can not fight and must run, still makes for an unsettling experience.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a slow burn type of game and relies heavenly on tension to set the mood. The plot isn’t as deep as some may want it to be but some of the monster moments make up for it. Recalling and making connection to The Dark Descent also helps to keep the story fresh for fans. Overall, good game, a little light on the story, but fun none the less.
8/10
Available on PS4 and PC