Amnesia: The Bunker Review – Innovative Survival Horror

The Amnesia series has been around for quite some time, although it has only 4 parts with a new name. However, there was a long hiatus after Dark Descent and Machine for Pigs, and the return only came in 2020 with the title Amnesia: Rebirth. In less than 3 years, we have another episode, and as the subtitle “Bunker” suggests, it focuses on the enclosed spaces of the bunker.

• Platform: PC (review), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
• Publication date: 06/06/2023
• Developer: friction games
• Publisher: friction games
• Genre: survival horror
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: No
• Data to download: 17 GB
• Game time: about 5 hours
• Price: €24.50 (Steam)

Mysterious bunker

The game takes place in 1916 on the Western Front of the First World War. The main character is the French soldier Henri Clement, who ends up in the title bunker with amnesia (and how else), and almost all the other soldiers mysteriously disappear. However, he soon discovers that he is definitely not here, because a terrifying monster lives in the walls of the bunker. So, the task is clear – to get out. But it won’t be easy at all.

After a short introduction about combat at the front, which serves as a pretty enjoyable tutorial, the game jumps right into the bunker, and it must be said that it creates a very strong and scary atmosphere from the very beginning. I enjoyed the first tens of minutes, before the confrontation with the monster is by far the most, the fear of the unknown can always impress the most. And when all you hear is a monster passing somewhere above you, it’s a really powerful experience. In general, the sound design in this game is very good and further enhances the overall atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I have to say that after the first encounter, the monster lost some of its charm because it’s just not as scary as it could be. And it’s not just about its design, which could definitely be better, but above all about the overall graphic page, which is really sad. Especially when I played this game after I finished the new Layers of Fear, it really hit me because while Layers boasts some absolutely fantastic visuals, Amnesia is graphically behind by about 10 years. And in short, you can’t just give up on it anymore, especially when it comes to horror, where it inevitably affects the whole experience. And what I haven’t mentioned yet is that some areas of the bunker are set up as separate levels, so every time you enter them, there is a load, albeit without a loading screen, but with an uncomfortably long stuck time.

The generator should not go out!

This is a huge shame, because otherwise the new Amnesia is a great game. In terms of gameplay, this is a survival horror, but it has its own very interesting specifics. So, for example, there are really a lot of cartridges here, but very limited, you will be happy with each individual cartridge for your trusty revolver. In addition, you must take care of the generator that feeds the fires that the monster is afraid of. Once the fuel runs out and the lights go out, you won’t have a hard time. As such, racing against time is an important part of the gameplay, and your exploration expeditions deep into the bunker should be long enough to find more fuel and replenish the generator before it fails.

The room near the generator is very important, because only here you can save the game, only here you can put items in the item box, and only here you can see the map of the entire bunker, which gradually opens up. So here you have to carefully plan all the quests, which more than once made me remember the older Residents. Exploring the bunker is a lot of fun, especially with the constant tension that if I make too much noise, a monster might jump out at me. And you make noise just by using a flashlight that often needs to be stretched out to run the little motor it uses to make light. This is a very interesting mechanic that needs to be used very carefully.

In addition, there are corpses in the bunker that attract mutated rats. How to get rid of them is up to you. You can lure them out with meat, kill them with a grenade, run over them (which of course hurts you), but the best option is to set fire to the corpses, after the meat burns out the rats will no longer approach them.

Huge freedom

And that’s just part of where the game leaves you free. You gradually get new codes from individual soldiers, and with them new tools from their personal lockers, which opens up more ways for you to play through the game, almost like in immersive simulations like Dishonored. And it’s a lot of fun! It’s true, sometimes it goes to the extreme and I get stuck a few times because some things don’t quite make sense or don’t work as they should, but the pros definitely outweigh the pros. In my opinion, the fact that some things are randomly generated is also the reason for the disadvantages, on the other hand, thanks to this, the game offers a high level of replayability.

As you explore, you will find a lot of interesting news about what happened in the bunker. I really enjoyed reading the records of individual soldiers from the time before the monster, but also after it, when they tried to prevent a catastrophe. The only pity is that you learn the background of history relatively quickly, which slightly reduces the fear of the unknown.

But I can’t exactly say that I was bored during the 5 hours or so that Amnesia: The Bunker got me hooked. On the contrary, I enjoyed exploring the bunker and trying out possible ways forward. The monster is not as scary as I imagined, but he still manages to create very tense moments that completely pulled me into the game and did not let go until the very end. The new Amnesia is further proof that survival horror is back in full swing.