Game: Amnesia: Rebirth
Platform: PC, PS4
Genre: survival horror
Style: heavy Lovecraft influences
Verdict: Recommended
Buy: Steam | PSN
I originally received a copy of Amnesia: Rebirth to review for MonsterVine.
The original Amnesia: The Dark Descent captures the Lovecraftian horror atmosphere in a way few games do, while its sequel A Machine for Pigs falls a little short.
Fortunately, its next sequel (developed in-house, unlike A Machine for Pigs) Amnesia: Rebirth returns to cosmic horror to truly feel like a Lovecraftian story once again.
That’s not all it brings back, either. Terrifying chases, puzzles to solve, and the use of light as a precious limited resource all take a key role as you make your difficult journey through the harsh desert and alien worlds of Amnesia: Rebirth.
At the same time, Rebirth feels quite different from The Dark Descent. It’s a much more character-driven story, and its introduction of the other, alien world brings in a level of high technology I didn’t expect from an Amnesia sequel.
Not everything in the story works, especially in regards to the pacing, but overall it’s still enjoyable – and it definitely builds up a sense of cosmic horror, with some nice connections to The Dark Descent. The two games feel so different it’s hard to compare them, but if you’ve been wondering whether or not Amnesia: Rebirth brings back the Lovecraftian horror that made the first Amnesia great, the answer is a definite yes.