13 Days of Halloween: Game Review: Allison’s Diary: Rebirth (Xbox Series X)

Cheap, ugly and as about as scary as a broken-down funhouse that is to be retired that night, Allison’s Diary: Rebirth is a horror-themed walking simulator. Only after completing it, did it become known that the game was originally designed for VR which makes a lot of sense now. However, that doesn’t excuse the poor quality of the overall experience.

The story surrounds a young girl named Allison who apparently killed her parents and you’re going to find out why. You step into the shoes, the leaden shoes based off the speed, of a reporter. First, exploring the abandoned asylum where Allison was incarcerated after her crimes. Secondly, a cathedral that might offer answers and finally, the house she lived and murdered her parents in.

Three locations, three areas to slowly (and we mean slowly) explore. The goal being to find pages of her diary scattered around. Will you find the answers to Allison’s madness and will you be able to see it through the murky, dark visuals?

It screams volumes about the game that the first thing everyone should do is go to the options and turn the brightness up high. The second thing everyone should do is adjust the sensitivity of the camera. Too high, and it jerks around like it’s having a fit and might leave you feeling a little nauseous. Too low, and you’re going to have some difficulty turning which is a problem when it comes to dealing with the handful of enemies that appear in the game.

They will instantly kill you, appearing in front or behind you and only giving you a second to react. Die and repeat massive sections of the game because of the few and far between save spots. Funny enough, supposedly frightening sequences are decidedly less frightening when you’ve seen them several times over because of the game’s crappy save system.

Although calling any aspect, beyond the ugly visuals and short playtime, of Allison’s Diary: Rebirth frightening is a bit much. If you’ve played any first-person, horror-themed walking simulator ever, you’ve experienced the scares this game has to offer. It’s a jump scare-athon and none of it lands. It’s a collection of eye-rolling scares that have been done to death and offer nothing fresh or interesting.

Capping off this horrendous experience is the fact that the game is extremely easy, it has not replay value and can be completed in around 30 to 60 minutes. It would probably be even shorter if the main character didn’t move so slowly.