Amnesia: Rebirth Reviews
Despite some boring locales and an over-reliance on the darkness just for the sake of it, Amnesia: Rebirth is an excellent horror game with some fun puzzles, well-written characters, and genuinely terrifying moments.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a more than worthy new entry in the popular series, and one of the best horror games released this year, thanks to its engaging story, very good writing and unnerving atmosphere that can make playing the game feel almost uncomfortable. And if a horror game manages to achieve this, small issues like a lack of gameplay innovation and limited replay value don't really matter.
For the few things Amnesia: Rebirth gets right, there is a mountain of reasons why it feels like Frictional Games is still stuck in 2010. This hide and seek style of gameplay has long outstayed its welcome and the game doesn't do enough to lessen the disappointing impact that brings. It's heartbreaking to say, but after the fantastic SOMA, maybe the Swedish developer shouldn't have bothered returning to what it thinks it knows best.
With wonderful voice acting and atmospheric presentation that keeps you immersed and on the edge of your seat, Amnesia: Rebirth manages to provide an exciting experience. Of course, there are a few downsides. It's not as scary as previous offerings, the AI can be a little clumsy, and the weak conclusion to the story will leave you wanting more.
Amnesia: Rebirth may not have the wow factor of modern AAA visuals, but it offers so much in its direction, effects and sound that it has an unbelievably immersive draw. What it lacks in raw gameplay mechanics it makes up for with a consistently engaging series of scenes, puzzles and set pieces. Amnesia: Rebirth is a terrifying cosmic thriller that is accessible enough for all types of players, but certainly should be a welcome addition in the library of any Horror fan.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a survival horror where the "survival" component is guaranteed, as there isn't any event that can lead to the death of the protagonist, steering the experience towards the "horror" component and making the most of the fear of the dark and a particularly distressing story made unpredictable by various plot twists. Three different endings and the ability to scare without splatter effects, but relying on the feeling of vulnerability, make this game a must play even for those used to more frenetic gameplay.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Rebirth is a deeper game than Dark Descent, which had a more visceral impact because it was a new experience and relied much more on jump scares. Still, because the questions being asked of Tasi require more thought from the player, the decisions made linger and their consequences will haunt you long after finishing the game.
Amnesia: Rebirth is a wildly ambitious horror title that seeks to be standalone and to answer a lot of of questions posed in The Dark Descent. It's gruesome in its style and tragic in its story, and whether the pain will be worth it is up to you.
The Swedish studio's latest offering tracks a plane-crash survivor as she grapples with her new, terrifying reality
An accomplished horror adventure from accomplished horror developers, Amnesia: Rebirth is a worthy entry in the Amnesia series that never quite gets as original as you might hope.
In the earlier, sandy hours, that restlessness is a boon-the work of a developer surveying the drier sweeps of a genre and divining a bright pool of ideas.
Amnesia: Rebirth won't dramatically shift the modern horror landscape like its predecessor did ten years ago, yet it's an excellent addition to the genre nonetheless. It's an excellent marriage SOMA's narrative sensibilities with The Dark Descent's more terrifying pacing, capable of standing out in the now crowded market. It won't replace SOMA as my all-time favorite horror game, but it's up there.
Amnesia: Rebirth is an excellent example of how to build tension, and the vulnerability Tasi feels throughout never gets any easier. There are great puzzles and a well-written story that keeps you gripped until the end.
Despite a few small clichés and a merely functional technical department, Amnesia: Rebirth manages to be consistent to the end, offering a profound and terrifying experience. If the woodworm insinuated by a videogame manages to escape from its content by undermining the user-container, then it will have performed the most difficult task: to push to reflection through a silent path of transference and identification, to really live outside the fictitious nightmare that created it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Amnesia Rebirth is the best game of Frictional Games and one of the best horror games of 2020. Hopefully in the future they will improve their narrative and their puzzles.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Amnesia: Rebirth is a solid return to form for Frictional. It has everything I’ve come to expect from the folks behind SOMA and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but ups the horror game in meaningful ways appropriate to this particular entry.
Amnesia: Rebirth is an excellent narrative experience with some genuinely taxing environmental puzzles and effective sense of atmosphere. What really got under my skin, was the story being told of grief, loss, panic, and desperation. Playing as the pregnant Tasi and vicariously experiencing her own growing horror is something that will stick with me for a long while, not least because this game manages to be so focused on a woman's body without any hint of sexualisation or objectification. For this, if for nothing else, Amnesia: Rebirth is a groundbreaking title in gaming horror.
A remarkable adventure and an excellent horror game. The way it mixes tension and brief reliefs will make you come back for more. And it also offers an engaging personal drama.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Making a sequel to one of the most acclaimed horror games in recent memory may be a tall order for some, but Frictional Games has done it with aplomb with Amnesia: Rebirth. Without straying far from the formula that made Amnesia: The Dark Descent so popular and feared in equal measure-the clever use of jump scares, immersive puzzles and the light-dark dichotomy-Rebirth has reinvigorated its brand of horror with a haunting narrative that's as moving as it is refreshing. Rebirth may still be a bit too much to bear for players who don't usually venture into horror, but it's a sequel that should please ardent fans and horror masochists alike.
The follow-up to Frictional Games' seminal 2010 horror game tightly hones the developer's approach to story, frights, and frustration.