Amnesia: Rebirth drops darkness, jump scares, and deadly monsters in new Adventure Mode
Out now on PC, in "next few weeks" on PS4.
Frictional Games' desert horror Amnesia: Rebirth has just received a free new Adventure Mode, stripping out the game's life-threatening monster encounters, jump scares, and darkness for those keen to experience its story without fear of fainting dead away.
Amnesia: Rebirth - the third game in the series, following on from Frictional's 2010 original and the Chinese-Room-developed A Machine for Pigs - launched last year, taking players on an unsettling adventure across the Algerian desert in the 1930s.
Its tale - focusing on protagonist Tasi Trianon as she traverses the hostile expanse, pulling together fragments of her past - earned much praise on release (Eurogamer reviewer Vikki Blake called it an "impressive horror subversion" and a story that "gripped me right up until the credits rolled"), and Rebirth's new Adventure Mode aims to make it more accessible to all.
Notably, Adventure Mode goes considerably further than the broadly similar Safe Mode that Frictional introduced to sci-fi horror SOMA back in 2017. Like that post-launch addition, it removes all life-threatening encounters with monster, but also jettisons the harrowing sounds and visual effects that would ordinarily impact Tasi's fear levels.
Additionally, Rebirth's environments - often incredibly dark in the original version, requiring a frequently fleeting light source to penetrate - have all been lit "to a point where you won't have the same feeling of claustrophobia and trepidation, allowing you to explore freely without worrying about monsters or Tasi's mental state."
Frictional says that while Amensia: Rebirth's serious themes and unnerving ambience are retained, "the new mode feels a lot more like an Indiana Jones type of adventure in places where it would otherwise be more of a horror experience". Adventure Mode isn't just about subtractions either; it also introduces a number of bonus puzzles designed to boost the sense of adventure and deliver an experience closer to a "true Lovecraftian mystery adventure novel."
"We believe that anyone who loves a good story-driven adventure game will be stoked about this new mode," says Frictional's Fredrik Olsson. "Not everyone is into horror and we don't want that to block people from experiencing Tasi's story".
Amnesia: Rebirth's new Adventure Mode is available now on PC and is due to arrive on PlayStation in "the next few weeks". To accompany its arrival, the game is currently discounted by 40% on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Store. Those looking for additional scares can also pick up Frictional's impressive back catalogue at 80% off.