The Ongaku

Amnesia: Rebirth by Frictional Games launched for Nintendo Switch 2

Eric on
Amnesia: Rebirth by Frictional Games launched for Nintendo Switch 2
Abylight Studios has published Amnesia: Rebirth for Nintendo Switch 2, including an 'Adventure Mode' with less emphasis on horror.

Developed by Frictional Games, the Amnesia series title debuted for PC and PlayStation 4 in 2020—one decade after the launch of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Set in 1937, French engineering drafter Tasi Trianon is stranded in the Algerian desert after surviving a plane crash. Experiencing gaps in her memory upon awakening, she embarks on the search for her missing husband.

SOMA composer Mikko Tarmia sought to differentiate the sound design from prior Frictional Games titles through the use of varied acoustic instrumentation. Those techniques included the use of an alto recorder to emulate the resonant tenor of an Eastern woodwind instrument. The Finnish five-string kantele, a zither instrument associated with folk music, aided in imbuing the Herbert's Camp locale with a haunting atmosphere.

"It has a wide variety of tracks," Tarmia points out. "You are not only in dark places. You are also in the desert environment. There's a few dreams, which made it possible to make weird melodic music. A new technique I used on this game was a cluster technique. I played a dozen different cello sounds to make it sound like a weird cluster."

Amnesia: Rebirth Music Showcase, courtesy of Frictional Games

The story of merchant ship captain James Riley and his crew, detailed in Skeletons on the Zahara: A True Story of Survival, informed creative director Thomas Grip's approach to the story.

Amid development, the composer based his compositions on screenshots and videos sent by Frictional staff. For the Dark World portions of the game, subtle use of synthesizers underscored the otherwordly elements of the story, alongside thematic callbacks to the horror elements of the franchise.

"You may have recognized one of the tracks from The Dark Descent," Tarmia says. "It's in this game, too."

"The Shadow" from Amnesia: Rebirth incorporates elements of an updated mix from the prior game's chase theme. The threat, evoking the cosmic dread of the Shadow entity, is represented onscreen as a fleshy red residue on the walls that prevents the player from escaping.

As with The Dark Descent, Tasi navigates tight, flooded corridors during some pivotal dramatic sequences. The high-tension cue "Water Chase" is one instance where Tarmia utilized the staccato, stabbing motion of cello and bass.

He observes, "It sounds like heavy metal with string instruments."

Encounter music "Escape from Ghouls' Nest" encouraged him to lean heavily on percussive elements. "Ghoul Chase"—appearing during a maze section of the Hunting Grounds chapter—features a drifting, pitch-bending sound in the background.


The pair of "Amari" themes explores the concept of motherhood—representing at first, reunion, and later, loss. "It's based on a lullaby," he explains. "When I started making the themes for this game, I had a hard time deciding how I was going to utilize this lullaby. Then I realized, I only need the minor third."

Tarmia stripped down the melodic elements of the soothing lullaby, which had proved discordant with the horror themes of the game, to emphasize the minor thirds. "They were the most emotional to compose," he recalls. "It took me only one try, and I knew I nailed it." This approach delivered a powerful motif that was fully integrated within the soundtrack as a whole, culminating in the motif's final appearance in "Ending, Pt. 1."

Amnesia: Rebirth is also available for PS4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Series X|S consoles. The Windows PC edition is hosted on Steam, GOG.com, and the Epic Games Store, verified for use with the Steam Deck.

The Original Game Soundtrack is streaming on YouTube Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music Unlimited. A music crossfade trailer can be viewed on the developer's YouTube channel.


From the Steam product page:
In Amnesia: Rebirth, you are Tasi Trianon, waking up deep in the desert of Algeria. Days have passed. Where have you been? What did you do? Where are the others? Retrace your journey, pull together the fragments of your shattered past; it is your only chance to survive the pitiless horror that threatens to devour you.
YouTube Music - Amnesia: Rebirth (Original Game Soundtrack)

The Ongaku - SOMA Collector's Edition interview with composer Mikko Tarmia