Rebirth stumbles when it introduces physics-based puzzles, which pair poorly with its clumsy, point-and-click-y controls. I learned not to look at corpses or monsters, the game’s screen-blurring effects that represented Tasi’s unraveling psyche made me physically uncomfortable. Every match I lit burned out too quickly, thrusting me back into the cold dark. Rebirth had me frequently on edge as Tasi’s sanity chipped away in dark hallways. Survival does not feel guaranteed, and scares are not cheap. Tasi’s journey through the desert is about more than her own survival, a story choice which Frictional reinforces on loading screens and dedicated button input to remind us of what’s at stake: Tasi is pregnant, and can pause to check in on her unborn child, an action that will soothe her when in a heightened state of fear. Rebirth feeds me story breadcrumbs through lovingly illustrated diary entries and brief storybook memories which tell a better story than the litany of rote letters, diary pages, and notes spread throughout Rebirth’s levels. Tasi must piece together the memories of both her present situation and her past through hallucinatory flashbacks. But fear of the dark, held at bay by matches and oil lanterns, persists, regardless of Tasi’s surroundings. There’s variety in the game’s environments, which span vast desert canyons, creepy caves, an abandoned fort, and otherworldly spaces. After finding refuge from the blistering desert sun, Rebirth quickly reverts to The Dark Descent’s mechanics of terrifying darkness, which can lead to insanity and death.

Rebirth initially teaches Tasi to fear the light, and take refuge in the dark. Plane crash survivor Tasi Trianon wakes up alone and addled after a plane crash. The game’s desert setting offers new layers of fear. Rebirth scares me in new ways, not just in the unknown of the dark and of terror of skittering beasts creeping up behind you. But the scares don’t feel as intense this time. I’m happy to say I did not nope out of Rebirth, in part due to the first-person horror game’s well-crafted, though often-disorienting, story of survival. Maybe all it takes is a work deadline to strengthen my resolve and power through. I’m not the breed of player who can withstand hours-long stretches feeling defenseless, so I approached Amnesia: Rebirth, Frictional Games’ sequel to the original The Dark Descent, as an opportunity to boost my immunity to horror game scares.

After one twitching attack from Lisa, I was done. Before that, I did the same with the original Outlast, and a more recent playthrough of P.T. I gave up just hours in - my second attempt at playing the game. I quickly noped out of the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent back in 2017, when the Amnesia: Collection was available through PlayStation Plus. In Amnesia, your tools for survival are to run and hide, putting a door or a bright light between you and your enemy. I prefer my scares balanced with the acquisition of a powerful shotgun or flamethrower, with which to torch a roomful of zombies. Where the Resident Evil and Silent Hill games give me the weapons to fight back against my enemies, the appeal of games like Amnesia and Outlast have long eluded me. Survival horror video games are improved with a dose of power fantasy.

Amnesia the dark descent movie