Another Amnesia game creeps onto screens this autumn
Et tu, Brute?
Nearly 10 years after the release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Frictional Games has announced another game for the terrifying series, and it's called Amnesia: Rebirth. Looks like another one I'll be watching on YouTube until I pluck up the courage to play it myself.
Releasing on PC and PS4 sometime this autumn, Amnesia: Rebirth is a follow-up that builds on the original game while featuring a "new protagonist, a new setting [and] a new story".
"That doesn't mean that we're just doing more of the same - in horror, repetition is a deadly sin," said creative director Thomas Grip in an announcement post. "You need to keep players on their toes at all times. We've had to twist expectations, refine old features, and up the ante on everything you've seen from us."
Grip explained Rebirth will follow in the footsteps of Dark Descent by going beyond jumpscares to create "an emotionally harrowing journey - something different, something less predictable".
"It will test you in ways you haven't experienced before, and will make you think about the things that really scare you."
The Steam page for Amnesia: Rebirth provides a few more details about the horrors that await. You play as Tasi Trianon, who wakes up in the Algerian desert and must retrace her journey by exploring, solving puzzles and managing limited resources. Sounds like a lot of grunt work to me.
News of a fresh Frictional Games title isn't exactly a surprise - the developer had teased a new game via an ARG for several months - but it's particularly exciting to see another game set in the world of Amnesia. The Dark Descent was a huge hit among traditional horror fans and YouTubers, thanks to the creeping dread of the sanity mechanic, and the pure panic of the chase scenes (which does make for entertaining viewing). Its indirect sequel, A Machine for Pigs, was developed by The Chinese Room - and used an entirely new setting while remaining in the Amnesia universe.
Frictional Games' previous title, 2015 deep-sea horror game SOMA, focused more on narrative and environmental storytelling, and garnered critical acclaim for doing so. One thing's for sure: Frictional Games does like to keep us on our toes, so we can probably expect more terrible things from its next title. In a good way.