Amnesia: Rebirth Review

Amnesia: Rebirth is one of Halloween 2020’s hottest horror games. It is also a sequel to 2010’s highly-acclaimed Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Fans of the horror genre may recognize The Dark Descent as a modern classic, leaving Amnesia: Rebirth with a whole lot to live up to. Can this series recapture the magic of the original game with its third outing, though?

A stronger narrative

In Amnesia: Rebirth, players take control of Tasi Trianon, a French drafting technician in the early 1900s. A plane crash strands the protagonist and her team of engineers in the Algerian desert. She seemingly awakes from the crash with hazy memories and many questions to answer regarding what happened.

Fans of the other two Amnesia games may sense that this is far more story-focused than the series has previously been. Those fans would be right, as the main focus of Rebirth is to tell the story of Tasi first and foremost. Naturally, that makes the game more compelling as a narrative.

The other characters are featured far too briefly to care about too much. However, Tasi is really great as a protagonist. As great as The Dark Descent was, I personally prefer this character over the largely silent hero of the first game. Although, it would be understandable if some players may find Tasi to be a bit too talkative, as she reacts to most things in the world.

A mother’s tragedy

Early in the game, it becomes quite apparent that motherhood is a huge theme for Amnesia: Rebirth. In fact, it actually plays into a mechanic that may be a minor spoiler for those wanting to experience the game as pure as possible. Said mechanic is a coping mechanism for Tasi as she braves the dark caves and dimly-lit interiors of the desert.

It’s a necessity for Tasi to control her fear and anxiety throughout her journey, as too much stress will cause her to pass out and awake somewhere else. In true Amnesia fashion, huddling near light sources can help ease these anxieties. However, Tasi also happens to be pregnant. By cradling her stomach and consoling her baby, she also calms herself.

While this is a fantastic addition to the player moveset in a narrative sense, it is ultimately just staring at the floor. Rather than seeing the brief action on screen, players are expected to look at Tasi’s shoes instead. Of course, this might be a bit boring for some players.