A brilliant tale of terror, even if the ride is a little old and clunky.

Spiralling towers, endless deserts and impossible geometry; Frictional's return with Amnesia: Rebirth showcases why they're the masters of horror.

Amnesia Rebirth is the new masterpiece from Frictional Games. it's really hard not to recommend it, because losing it would cost you one of the best games of the year. You are warned.

Frictional Games titles are as rare as precious and Amnesia: Rebirth is not an exception. It’s a journey filled with mystery and sensational revelations that the Swedish studio offers us, determined to torment our souls one more time. The game manages to combine genres (adventure in Indiana Jones way, pure horror) while covering extremely human and intimate thematics. Far from just being an enjoyable experience, Amnesia: Rebirth leaves a particular taste of sadness and admiration for a team that decided to reach the end of its desires.

An unique atmospheric horror game that offers plenty to chew on.

Amnesia: Rebirth is definitely both better and worse than SOMA. In an attempt to blend the best of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA something went inevitably missing, nevertheless Frictional Games is back with one of the greatest survival horror games in so many aspects.

All you need to know as a horror fan, or simply a brave gamer, is that Amnesia: Rebirth is a masterfully-crafted experience. There are no next-gen graphical features such as ray-tracing to fawn over, but its visuals are still top-notch and performance is solid. Just as important, its audio and sound design is simply outstanding. They come together to immerse you in one of the most terrifying experiences ever to be put into video game form, but one that also makes you think. And that’s perhaps the best thing a game can do, regardless of its genre.

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.

In a year that produced intense titles like the Resident Evil 3 remake, Amnesia: Rebirth is another shining example of how Frictional Games’ approach to fear sets itself apart and shows another quality perspective of what the horror gaming genre can do.

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.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a worthy addition to a classic series. It buries the player deep in an oppressive atmosphere of fear like a gravedigger spading dirt onto a coffin. If the state of the world today isn’t terrifying enough for you, picking up Amnesia: Rebirth will certainly sate your lust for scares.

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.

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.

It is a journey filled with mystery and shattering revelations that the Swedish studio offers us, determined to jostle us once again.

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.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a triumphant return to form for the franchise. A few puzzles might stump you and the story can be a little hard to follow, but carefully managing resources is a fun balancing act with meaningful stakes for failure, while the environmental variety keeps you feeling vulnerable. Arriving just in time for Halloween, Amnesia: Rebirth is here to remind you of the true meaning of fear.

While this is certainly a return to form for the franchise, the game doesn't quite escape the shadow of the original, with the forced narrative aspects sometimes overtaking gameplay. Nevertheless, when judged by its own merits, Amnesia: Rebirth is a quality horror title made by passionate developers out to tell a disturbing story. At the end of the day, I'd recommend this one to any horror fan up for some interactive Cosmic Horror this Halloween season.

Amnesia: Rebirth feels like a huge step forward for the franchise and any horror fan should definitely give this a try.

Rebirth feels like a celebration of the series, with great ideas and terrifying moments that reminds us why the fathers of the new wave of survival horror remain undefeated.

Another fantastic adventure from Frictional, with a rich narrative and deep world lore, and a lot of great locations to explore and unearth their mysteries. But it is not that scary, and Frictional played too safe in terms of gameplay, without much innovation.

Although both the gameplay and the story don't stand out, the overall experience still keeps me engaged all the time.

First and foremost, Amnesia: Rebirth is an intriguing, well told story about grief, loss, dying hope and terrifying solitude. Beneath the skillfully laid out narrative you’ll also find a good horror game, though its ingredients feel a bit too familiar for Rebirth to be as scary as the first Amnesia. [13/2020, p.44]

Though its scares don't reach the heights of the original, Amnesia: Rebirth remains a must-play horror game for delivering a story more akin to a brilliant novel.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a product of a studio maturing into their skills. They’ve mastered the sense of narrative storytelling by crafting beautiful atmospheric environments instead of relying on straight horror. While the pacing can come to a crawl at certain moments, there’s no denying this is a terrifying game that fits well within the developer’s catalog.

Amnesia: Rebirth beautifully tackles the battle between light and darkness, not just thematically but mechanically too. The areas where it clicks strike an excellent balance of problem solving and pure adrenaline, even if some of the later sections drag due to uninteresting puzzles and infrequent ghoul tussles. But with a consistently engaging story throughout, Rebirth still stands as one of the most thrilling survival horror games in recent memory – one that is anything but forgettable.

The manner in which it pushes Tasi and the player to consider how far they’re willing to go in the service of a biological imperative is ingenious and a fine testament to why the Swedish development studio Frictional Games is among the more notable storytellers at work in the gaming industry.

Although neither as scary as the original nor as disturbing as SOMA, Amnesia: Rebirth is a more personal, emotional tale with plenty of horror to spare.

Amnesia: Rebirth tells a mature story about loss and human resilience. After SOMA, the new direction chosen by Frictional Games is finally clear. It's a turning point for the horror genre.

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.

The terrifying mysteries of Algerian catacombs await you in Amnesia: Rebirth, a very good next instalment of the famous horror franchise. The game mechanics are almost identical, but the emotions are new, along with the glorious, creative environments.

Amnesia is an excellent new installment in the terrifying franchise from Frictional Games. It's also a most accessible game, which will allow the arrival of new players.

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, great writing, and a truly unnerving atmosphere that can make playing the game almost uncomfortable. If a horror game manages to achieve this, small issues like a lack of gameplay innovation and limited replay value don't really matter much.

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.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a game that deserves the name of the series with its gripping story and exquisite design. Anyone who loves horror games should buy and play it.

Amnesia: Rebirth feels like the culmination of Frictional Games horror titles up to this point. It refines the ideas and mechanics that have been central to the developer's games since Penumbra: Overture in 2007, it hones in on effective scares while avoiding the frustrations of failure, and it tightens the focus on character-driven storytelling. Rebirth is an unsettling, strange, tragic story that deepens the Amnesia mythos in a lot of cool ways, while managing to be just as creepy and frightening as its beloved predecessor.

A game that doesn't do anything new but still manages to perfects the original formula of this Swedish studio. An intense horror game that fans of the genre should not miss.

Above all else, Rebirth knows how to tug at the heartstrings. The parallel story that plays out in Tasi’s stunning hand drawings will destroy any cold heart. Rebirth feels an overwhelmingly pessimistic and heartbreaking play at times, but just like SOMA, it presents some chance for optimism at its end; some antidote to its horrors. That’s the part I always loved about SOMA, and I now do about Rebirth. This is storytelling done right. It’s just a shame it couldn’t quite keep The Dark Descent’s all-pervading atmosphere along for the ride.

A worthy successor to the legendary The Dark Descent that doesn't quite match the brilliance of that game or Frictional's other masterpiece, SOMA. Nevertheless it is a quality horror game with an engaging story and plenty of suspenseful moments.

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 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 a thrilling horror story with clever puzzles, a great setting and disturbing moments like the classic Amnesia.

With Amnesia: Rebirth, Frictional's philosophy really returns. There is that talent for subtle and psychological horror, which relies on physical and explicit threats just to keep working.

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.

Rebirth doesn’t feature any new mechanics, and while the story is pretty good, one of its main themes is pregnancy, which may be hard to relate to for some players. [Issue#249, p.64]

The uneven storytelling is a shame, because if Amnesia: Rebirth had a narrative as unsettling as its play loop, it might be an all-time great. Frictional’s ability to generate tension and moment-to-moment fear is unparalleled, and SOMA showed that an equally powerful story is within their abilities. Unfortunately, Rebirth doesn’t reach those heights, though it remains a tremendously effective vehicle for scares.

Amnesia: Rebirth is intended for players who want to take part in an old-fashioned horror adventure, with all its quaint and disorienting features. But behind these aspects — which can be discouraging for some — lies a truly mastered adventure game with an exotic and terrifying atmosphere that depicts a deeply human and intimate story.

Amnesia: Rebirth offers a thrilling addition to fans of the original, but non-fans will likely face an uphill climb to enjoyment.

All in all, it's the experience of Amnesia: Rebirth that has oozed into my veins and into my memories of last week. The corrupted monsters whose wails reverberate in your skull, the hazy discovery of a world beyond our own, the pulsating vision as you step into the darkness not knowing who or what you will meet. Frictional Games has infused Rebirth with the lessons learned from SOMA and The Dark Descent, the new tools at its disposal, and its passion for this apocalyptic world. Throwing everything at the wall like this, it's understandable that some things might slide, yet its scares are something I can't shift from my mind. With Halloween approaching, maybe it's not so bad that we'll be stuck inside, if we've got Amnesia: Rebirth to send shivers up our spines.

An enthralling sci-fi thriller mixed with a touching melodrama that captures the zeitgeist. Although, unlike Penumbra, it’s not even remotely scary.

It captures the original's atmosphere of inescapable threat but struggles to engineer new possibilities within it, though its take on player death is worth a longer discussion. [Issue#352, p.110]

Amnesia: Rebirth unfortunately does not live up to the quality writing which Frictional Games exhibit in SOMA. Even though it starts strong, by the end the plot does not hold any real punches and the main tragic nature of the protagonist feels rather forced. Nevertheless, it still retains the claustrophobic and restrained horror aspects for which the developer is known for, finding the perfect balance of stealth sections, exploration and riddle solving for the genre.

Amnesia: Rebirth is a step back for Frictional Games. It offers little substance in the way of puzzles, exploration, survival, or psychological horror. Aside from an excellent sequence within a spooky fort, the rest is an uninteresting mess that relies too much on scripted detours.

Fitting my thoughts on Amnesia: Rebirth in a single paragraph feels like an impossible task. It’s an effective character-driven narrative with forgettable characters; a tense horror game with a distinct lack of horror. Rebirth is exactly what the developers set out to create, which was not the Dark Descent clone that some people were hoping for.

With a tighter script and more polish, this could've been a fantastic game that paralleled the trauma of child loss to the evil enterprise of colonial expansion. Instead, it's one that insincerely mines trauma from a colonizer's perspective... then asks you to do a half-hearted physics puzzle.