We get caught up in the new installment of the great classic of pure horror and survival horror created by Frictional Games
In recent times, when we talk about such influential studies that have created a school, we tend to pull names like From Software. The importance of smaller ones like Frictional Games is too often forgotten. Like the Japanese and their now-tagged Souls, the Swedes can boast of influence, in this case, in the realm of pure survival horror. The work started in the indie catacombs took them, over the years and thanks to titles like Penumbra and Amnesia, to the mainstream tabloids around the world. Without the revision of the genre that they did, we would not have excellent games like Outlast, for example. Join us in this review (don’t worry, we promise not to let you down) to see if Amnesia: Rebirth, the latest installment in the celebrated franchise, lives up to its legacy.
Frictional Games, pure terror and the identity of the video game as a medium
Frictional Games made use of its limited resources in titles where lore expands in the player’s subconscious. Their games draw on the literary tradition of absolute, inexplicable and unbeatable terror to explode in the user’s trembling hands. You cannot win, so run away, run for your life. Hide behind moldy barrels, under rough tables; stick your face against dark walls of centuries-old castles and hold your breath. Count to ten, or pray to your god, whatever it takes to keep your sanity.
Of the genres that the video game shares with other artistic manifestations, perhaps it is terror that best helps it define and differentiate itself as a medium. As if it were children watching a puppet, when we watch a horror movie we shout from our seats at the protagonists on the screen so that they do not follow the written script. Don’t go there! The killer is at your back! Don’t open that door! … Don’t open that door. As theorized in the essay Cinema and videogames: a transversal dialogue, there is the key. The actor, ignoring our warnings, will open that door to possibly find death on the other side.
In a horror video game, what happens when we are the ones who have to open that door? Of the many videos on the internet that collect the reactions of Amnesia players, there is one that gives us the answer. We see a closed door on the screen. The player stands still in front of her, and what we hear are her thoughts aloud. He is terrified. He encourages himself to move on, to turn the knob, but fear has paralyzed him. He is unable to take the step. The video game is based on action through interaction. If we do not act, the embedded plot does not advance, giving rise to a tense passage of emergent narrative. Videogames are defined as a medium, certainly, the difference is in who opens the door
Amnesia is reborn in the heartbeat of an unborn
It may sound strange to the reader that the first qualifier that occurs to us when we start playing Amnesia: Rebirth is Wonderful, and not others like Terrifying or Disturbing. And we are equally surprised. The game is slow to start, with just the right touch of strangeness before deploying its long-awaited weapons. We are in the second half of the 30s, and we are a woman who has just survived a plane crash over the skies of Algeria. Our first actions will lead us to look for our husband, who we sense alive when we cannot find his body among the smoking remains of the fuselage.
We are not going to tell more, doing so would be a disservice to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the game. Suffice it to say that the historical, pre-war context, in the geopolitical throes of the devastating European colonial empires, is forcefully transmitted through images and words. It is a time and a place where there was still room for mystery. On our way we will find archaeological sites that reveal ancient civilizations, French fortifications abandoned to the relentless advance of the desert, ancestral rites and caves that devour light like a black hole …
The game’s narrative takes us soaring through excellently written and executed situations. Everything is so saturated that it is even expressed in the beautiful charcoal prints that double as loading screens. The lighting and sound, so important in the franchise, shine again here almost like another character. We strongly recommend playing it in the dark and wearing helmets. The immersion shoots up and the experience is totally worth it.
The puzzles rely on the player’s deductive abilities and rely on the physics of the objects to be solved. If I need to get to the next floor in this elevator that has no floor, maybe I can put the boards I saw in another room on its base to get on. Unlike in other games where, when we arrive at a place, we sense how lazy it will be to resolve a situation to continue moving forward, in Amnesia: Rebirth we will congratulate ourselves on more than one occasion by saying to ourselves mentally: I will love doing what I think I have to do.
As in other installments in the franchise, we find our greatest enemy in the dark. The light will be scarce and even more so the resources to light lamps or torches. Fear will come many times because of what we do not see, so we only intuit, this is one of the great achievements in Frictional Games that remains as it is in this game: to use against the player his greatest enemy, his imagination. It all has to be said, perhaps the familiarity with previous games from the studio will detract from the punch of the seasoned user. In our case, we believe that the great narrative and the way it has to make us empathize with our protagonist is a counterweight that is well worth that sacrifice. A shame not being able to give meaning to the title of this section in these lines. You will smile accomplices when you remember it while you are caught by the game.
A mature studio in search of adventure
Amnesia: Rebirth shows that despite the years that have passed, Frictional Games still has a lot to say. The impasse that they imposed on themselves with Soma has allowed them to take a breath, cool off, recharge their batteries. The game shows them confident and mature, but also with a passion for their creature. Everything learned in previous developments is brought together in Rebirth. Despite everything, we have a but.
The strong component of classic adventure so well run in the game takes more prominence than ever. If we add that to its wonderful narrative and the lack of punch of the horror of yesteryear, we are pushed to ask ourselves some questions. Perhaps Frictional Games should take flight to new places. They show in Rebirth enough ability to do it. It can be difficult to let go of the survival horror that has brought you so much joy, and we also have a solid fan base that will want to enjoy the same poisoned candy over and over again. The chains that your own legacy has become by adding links on each new release can be hard to break.
Rebirth feels like getting lost in other ways. The exteriors in the light of a dying day and the powerful narrative component thus seem to tell it. We hope from here that Frictional Games will embolden, come out of its comfortable hiding place and face that unbeatable being that they have created themselves. We await you at the end of the tunnel with open arms, eager to hear the new stories you have to tell us.
CONCLUSION
Amnesia: Rebirth is a worthy chapter in Frictional Games’ horror book. It may not be as shocking to our nerves as the seminal installments were, but that is more than supplemented by a ravishing narrative. We really liked how he does everything. It is clearly seen that Amnesia Rebirth is the wise receptacle of maturity acquired over the years. Temporarily leaving the franchise in the hands of Chinesse Room to vent more freely with Soma returns us to a studio fully aware of its legacy. They are sure, strong, renewed within their self-marked parameters. The game keeps inside what its fans expect, but risks offering more. It may disappoint some hardliners, but we’re sure they will be countered by the enthusiasm of many new users. It is less harsh than its predecessors, a harshness that reinforced its own message, but also maintains respect at all times for the player’s intelligence. We believe that Amnesia Rebirth can become the perfect entry to the franchise.
THE BEST
- Worthy delivery of the franchise
- Excellent narrative with a well-written script
- He does not underestimate the player, he treats it from you to you
- He manages to raise a powerful lore
WORST
- Due to the accumulated experience, it does not impact as much as the previous ones
- More accessible. Maybe it bothers some, although it can be the gateway to many new players
- Are we facing a formula that does not give more of itself? Maybe it’s time to embrace new, bright and unfamiliar horizons
Very good
A game with a remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good buy, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.
