After successfully pioneering a brand new kind of horror expertise in 2010’s Amnesia: The Darkish Descent, developer Frictional Video games hasn’t proven a lot willingness to create one thing wholly genuine yet again. Two sequels adopted the revolutionary unique — with a number of years of manufacturing put aside for SOMA — however with little in the best way of gameplay alterations to separate them, this new third follow-up needed to make considerably of a change. Amnesia: The Bunker is undoubtedly a greater recreation than its predecessor Amnesia: Rebirth, and whereas it by no means totally shrugs off that sense of “been there, completed that”, it seems like a greater course for the collection.
Similar to the earlier three entries, although, Amnesia: The Bunker continues to be extra about hiding within the shadows and creating distractions somewhat than partaking with the enemy. A clunky management scheme permits you to decide up and work together with virtually something within the atmosphere, opening and shutting doorways (of which there are quite a bit) continues to be a chore, and one incorrect transfer will most likely spell your demise. Which will sound acquainted to collection veterans, however there’s simply sufficient right here to set it aside. One instance could be the unbelievable setting: the bunker itself.
The sport takes place in an underground bunker throughout World Conflict 1. Having awoken to seek out your self deserted and trapped inside, you’ll want to discover a method out whereas avoiding a monster that is on the prowl. Tight, barely lit corridors join every part of the bunker, highlighting the unsanitary circumstances troopers needed to dwell in in the course of the 1910s. Taking pictures off these passages reside quarters, kitchens, and equipment designed purely to assist the warfare efforts as human life is left to waste. It is an totally dreadful place, and Frictional Video games has captured that brilliantly.
Even with no monster on the unfastened, the bunker is simply as scary a spot as it’s darkish, damp, and decrepit. This can be a haunting, uncomfortable setting that has you on edge always — even within the seemingly secure haven of the administration workplace. Heightened by creepy audio and a chilling ambiance, simply strolling the primary corridors is a activity you may should psych your self up for.
What makes issues all of the extra daunting is you are by no means fairly assured to be finishing targets within the mild. Essential character Henri Clément is supplied with a wind-up torch, however powering it creates noise which attracts the monster stalking the hallways. Individually, the bunker has its personal lights, however whether or not they’re powered or not is fully right down to you. Subsequent to the primary save room is a generator demanding gasoline to energy the overhead rigging. You could enterprise out into the bunker to seek out that fuel and produce it again to maintain an inexpensive stage of visibility. With extraordinarily restricted stock area, although, you may shortly begin to query whether or not it is best to even have interaction with the mechanic and as an alternative attempt to thrive at nighttime.
All-round, it is a good backdrop that actually drives dwelling the appalling circumstances of a World Conflict 1 bunker, from its dingy, filthy rooms to the efforts wanted to maintain the lights on for a couple of minutes. It is horrible, and Amnesia: The Bunker revels in that. What lets it down is gameplay that hasn’t developed sufficient in some locations.
It is inconceivable to get away from how dated the sport can really feel at instances, from its clunky controls to the fundamental loop of hiding away from the creature when it is on patrol. Significantly on a PS5 pad, the inputs really feel far too weighty; once more, particularly when doorways are concerned. It is very easy to overlook what button does what as there are all method of features mapped to the controller, and so they by no means really feel very satisfying within the first place. PS5 gamers may even wish to word there’s solely a PS4 model out there, so options like adaptive triggers and haptic suggestions will not be lively.
What saves the package deal from being a retread of previous Amnesia experiences is a extra open-ended strategy to finishing targets. When you’ll be handed duties to maneuver the story ahead, your fundamental task is all the time to flee the bunker. The sport permits you to deal with this responsibility in any method you want — to a level. There are normally a number of strategies of getting your fingers on an merchandise or alternative ways to manoeuvre your self right into a room. The revolver can play a big function on this, if you’d like it to. Regardless of the very fact you are in a World Conflict 1 bunker, ammo is extraordinarily restricted — having any greater than two bullets is a luxurious. As such, you should use them properly. They are often shot on the monster when it will get too shut, or the firearm can create sufficient of a blast to blow a padlock off a door.
It is these dynamic selections and varied technique of entry that elevate Amnesia: The Bunker above its predecessors, however it’s not fairly sufficient to see the entry attain for the celebrities. The sport continues to be slowed down by the gameplay design of previous, with these cumbersome controls and dated gameplay loops of hiding away from the monster policing the bunker. For pretty much as good as the sport is, it could want to interrupt off fully from what got here earlier than it to actually begin making waves once more.
Graphically, the title does little to impress past precisely capturing the terrible dwelling areas of World Conflict 1. We solely have a PS4 model right here (performed on PS5 by way of backwards compatibility) so there have been by no means any expectations of graphical grandeur, however the monster specifically appears to be like fairly dangerous while you come nose to nose with it. As well as, one or two glitches popped up all through our playthrough, such because the map disappearing fully when trying to view it within the administration workplace.
Conclusion
Amnesia: The Bunker sticks slightly too near what Frictional Video games has been doing for over a decade now, however with a extra free-form strategy to gameplay, the staff is again heading in the right direction once more. Coupled with a superb setting, Amnesia: The Bunker represents an enormous enchancment over its predecessor. You will nonetheless encounter the identical obstacles of previous, however this horror expertise comes beneficial.