Amnesia: Rebirth - Told A Machine For Pigs to hold it's beer

[TheAmbiguousLurker]

Lowering your sanity has penalties. You'll eventually get annoying jumpscare images flashing on screen, and you get to a point where you have to mash buttons to get out of a dazed state.

They really botched the sanity mechanic in this game. Yeah, in the first game, the mechanic didn't really hurt you gameplay-wise (well, unless you count the easily avoidable spawning flesh), but it added to the atmosphere and instilling this sense of paranoia. On a first play-through especially, it tricked you through more sound effects and fake encounters to make the player think they're in danger or that the monster is closer then they think when they're not.

Also, this game abuses the "You're about to progress, but then DETOUR!" trope like the main character abuses their unborn baby with all the death defying stunts they pull.

 

[Vapewizard]

Watching a stream and jesus fucking christ there are notes and audio logs every few steps that grind you to a halt to experience them.

That's what I was thinking too while watching a stream. Did they really have to beat the player over the head so many times to convey that MC loves her husband and they have a daughter? Don't remember much of the earlier amnesias but Soma got to the point pretty quickly from what I remember.

 

[The Fool]

I really wanna give AMFP an honorable mention here since everyone's forgotten about that one.

Jumps straight into the story, all the flashbacks and notes are basically just messages from yourself mentioning how batshit insane you actually are and how much you love pig puns, zero pity fishing (actually, the notes only incriminate you more). Like someone else said, it's pretentious at times, but it doesn't treat you like an idiot.

 

[Peep Plops]

I'd say AMFP does treat you like an idiot, if for nothing else then the fact that the game treats the reveal about the kids' fate as some big twist when it's readily apparent from the first moments you start the game.

 

[The Fool]

I'd say AMFP does treat you like an idiot, if for nothing else then the fact that the game treats the reveal about the kids' fate as some big twist when it's readily apparent from the first moments you start the game.

I actually never thought of that. I legit assumed it was more of a focus on how Mandus is so insane he won't even acknowledge the obvious reality, which, is actually the case, but, I never thought if it was trying to make that shocking or not.

 

[Varis]

I played through the entire game and got all the endings.

The game plays similarly to The Dark Descent.

Instead of having tinderboxes, you have matches that provide light temporarily and can lit up multiple torches/candles

Lowering your sanity has penalties. You'll eventually get annoying jumpscare images flashing on screen, and you get to a point where you have to mash buttons to get out of a dazed state.

You can cower on the floor by holding the crouch button. I am not sure if it serves any purpose as every time I got stuck in a corner, the monster caught me. There's also a larger emphasis on chase sequences/set pieces.

I don't think you have health, the game throws you into a button mashing sequence if you get caught; it gives you a chance to get away.

Despite mechanic changes, it feels like the game has many scripted sequences to a point where it's insulting. In one instance, there is a monster close to an object you have to interact with that makes noise. I lured the monster into a nearby room with a lock, and locked the monster in. Upon interacting with the object, characters comment on how I'm going to "attract the monster" as if it were still there.

Spoiler: Spoiler about game mechanic

Your character is also pregnant. You have a "Press button to check baby" action. Occasionally the baby kicks and you can check on it to lower your fear/increase sanity

How many hours did it take you to finish the game? Is there any re-play value, or can you choose a different ending just by reloading a save?

 

[Tachibana]

They really botched the sanity mechanic in this game. Yeah, in the first game, the mechanic didn't really hurt you gameplay-wise (well, unless you count the easily avoidable spawning flesh), but it added to the atmosphere and instilling this sense of paranoia. On a first play-through especially, it tricked you through more sound effects and fake encounters to make the player think they're in danger or that the monster is closer then they think when they're not.

Also, this game abuses the "You're about to progress, but then DETOUR!" trope like the main character abuses their unborn baby with all the death defying stunts they pull.

I swear you spend half the game trying to walk 500 meters and everything in that 500 meters goes horribly wrong.

How many hours did it take you to finish the game? Is there any re-play value, or can you choose a different ending just by reloading a save?

Roughly 8 hours. About one hour of that was spent on puzzles I couldn't figure out or shit I couldn't find. You can get all the endings by just continuing, it will put you back in a spot where you can get the two other endings. There are no gated endings like in The Dark Descent where you need to fulfill some prerequisites. There's barely any replay value as you can get the endings within a few minutes of each other.

 

[TheAmbiguousLurker]

That's what I was thinking too while watching a stream. Did they really have to beat the player over the head so many times to convey that MC loves her husband and they have a daughter? Don't remember much of the earlier amnesias but Soma got to the point pretty quickly from what I remember.

First Amnesia went like this in term of what it tells you: First note gives you an effective opening and a straight up obkective, you've done some shit you regret and murdering Alexander is your way of redemption and you're being chased by something called The Shadow. After that you get the idea that Alexander is having village people be kidnapped, you learn about Daniel finding the Orb, but you're not sure the why's yet. By the half-way mark, you've know most of Daniel's involvement and that you were performing rituals in a desperate attempt to save yourself from the Shadow and thought the people you were sacrificing were irredeemable criminals, you come to understand the hate towards Alexander for manipulating Daniel's fear, the castle has been very well fleshed out and the story you learn from here on out is just more details of what lead to Daniel taking the amnesia potion and what Alexander's plan is.

In this one, the player doesn't really get much interesting information. Your objective is basically wondering around until you find the way forward, the locations come off as a bit underdeveloped, you don't learn much about your main character so far outside of "Muh Baby" and "Muh Husband" and the flashbacks you're privy to focus more on these rather unimportant feeling moment. I haven't had the interest or will to finish the game yet, but I'm still waiting for what terrible deed the main character has committed to want to use the Amnesia potion, because so far it seems like a real dumb move considering her circumstance.

I swear you spend half the game trying to walk 500 meters and everything in that 500 meters goes horribly wrong.

The one after the tunnels under the Fortress are the best. You're just walking through the desert and suddenly you get sucked into another dimension.

 

[vittek]

Well i finished the game and the real horror was finding out what the factories are. I quite enjoyed it but yeah the game gets alot better after the halfway point when you get more game and less notes to read. It wasn't as good or gut punchy as Soma, but miles better than machine for pigs.