Amnesia: The Bunker Review – Dark Tunnels and Dark Deeds (PC)

Amnesia: the Bunker is the long-awaited return of the franchise, with a new setting, new features, and semi-open world to review. The changes are a welcome take on the base gameplay loop that’ll keep the series fresh especially for returning players. The experimentation with the game pays off with some of the strongest gameplay in the series. However, the story falls to the wayside a bit, and new features also come with new problems.

All in all, Amnesia retains its place amongst the best horror series in gaming. Whilst they haven’t quite recaptured the lightening in a bottle of The Dark Descent, Amnesia: The Bunker stands out as one of the stronger sequels released so far. It signals a new dawn for the series with imagination behind it.

Amnesia the Bunker releases June 6th and is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One & Series X/S.

Story – Ruins Above and Below

Opening in a mad rush through the trenches, The Bunker puts you in the shoes of French soldier Henri Clement.  After surviving your first encounter with the war you must sneak out to find your friend Lambert who hasn’t returned from patrol. After finding him in a crater and trying to escape you are wounded and awaken in a blood soaked bunker devoid of life. From here the game begins in earnest as you must escape the bunker by acquiring explosives. Whilst you do this a horrifying creature stalks you non-stop. Exploring the bunker reveals what has happened there, and the twisted deaths of your fellow soldiers. There are a few survivors, often making for the best parts of the game. Given the nature of the story though it’s best to leave it there to avoid spoilers.

The trenches outside the bunker aren’t that much safer

Part of what works well about the story is how it encourages you to explore. There’s a lot more to be gained in the game from finding all the notes that offers some great reveals and further details about what’s happening in the bunker and why. There’s a palpable sense of achievement in figuring things out. The free roaming aspect is a double-edged sword though, as there isn’t a linear narrative and sense of progression you get from the previous entries.

The War

The brutal nature of World War 1 is a great setting that adds to the sense of being trapped, with your brief glimpses of the outside world reaffirming that there is no real escape. However, the war feels like more of a backdrop than an integral part of the story. The connection could be there, especially with torture and brutality being a key part of the horror of the other realm in the Amnesia series. It felt a bit too absent from the story and a massive missed opportunity.

In a way, the story is a bit at odds with the gameplay. The gameplay is hugely improved, but comes with the challenge of how to build a story in a setting where you are free to go where you wish.

Gameplay – What Lurks in the Shadows

Amnesia: the Bunker experiments with formula of the series, adding in new aspects and abilities, so for review let’s break it down.

The Classic

The base gameplay loop is the classic survival horror recipe. You are, by and large, defenceless and are being relentlessly stalked by a monster. You need to use stealth and speed to keep yourself safe in the labyrinthian halls of the Bunker. The core of the games remains the same, after all if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. The one slight change to this is that rather than several different monsters that have designated spawns or patrols, there is only one monster. The Beast. This is a blessing and a curse.

Torches are just one of the numerous craftable items

On the one hand, the ever-present threat of the monster is fantastic. How you interact with it is up to you as it follows your noise. If you’re quiet, you can get by mostly fine. Accidently hit a trip wire, shoot something, or knock over a pile of boxes and it’ll hunt you down. On the other hand, one monster means that by the later stages of the game you are well accustomed to it. Both visually speaking and tactically. It’s only a minor downside that may be a matter of taste, as seeing too much of the monster undercuts the fear of the unknown.

Your light source has also been arguably perfected. Your handheld lamp needs to be wound up with a string. This only gives you several seconds of light whilst making noise that attracts the monster. It nails the risk-reward element of the lighting that has been crucial in the games.

The New

As you are no doubt aware if you are reading this review, Amnesia: The Bunker comes with several experimental new features for the franchise. Let’s get the big one out the way first; guns and weapons! There are two guns in the game, one is an optional find, the other is the revolver you get at the start. You can also get grenades and Molotovs. None of these will kill the monster. You can only slow it down for a couple seconds, whilst also making it angrier. Ammo is extremely rare, so risking a shot is a calculated risk for emergencies. It’s a well-tuned feature that doesn’t make you feel safe or overpowered. It prevents the tight corridors from becoming death traps. So, if you were concerned about the addition of weapons, don’t be!

Having 3 rounds is actually pretty good

The other main change is the inventory and crafting system. You have a limited number of slots to carry items, with new items letting you access new areas when backtracking or giving new options to deal with a problem. For example, the gasmask lets you get through gas traps or use gas grenades more freely, the wrench lets you open grates, and the lighter enables you to use Molotovs. It synergizes well with the planning aspect of the game that will be addressed in the open world section. With these items the environment becomes much more interactable than previous entries.

Crafting is also implemented well. Each item you can use for crafting has multiple uses and it’s up to you to prioritise what you need. An empty bottle can be a distraction, a fuel canister for the generator, or piece for a Molotov. In fact, the planning aspect is one of the best aspects of the game, at least in the opinion of this review, which leads us to the semi-open world.

The Semi-Open World and Various Approaches

The last notable aspect to the gameplay of Amnesia: The Bunker to review is the change from more linear environments to a semi-open world that you can engage with your own way. Other than the hub level you can choose to go to whichever section you wish to first. The notes and photos will give you hints as to the direction. It requires you to put some thought in, for example the lockdown wheel is in De lisle’s locker, so you must find out where his room is to get the code. It’s organic and things aren’t spelt out. It’s nice as it makes progress and realisations later about events and characters feel more earned.

The safe room is where you prepare your excursions

At the centre of the map is the safe room. Here there is a map of the bunker, a storage crate, and a generator that is required to keep the lights on and the monster away. Once it runs out you get a black out and the danger level spikes. This means you are required to plan out your expeditions. I loved this part. Prepping your inventory for a mission adds so much engagement to what you are doing.

With the semi-open world comes multiple solutions to the puzzles and problems you face. However, despite constantly being told in the loading screens, the variety of options never felt that strong. For the most part it boils down to ‘do I want to be stealthy and find a way to sneak by this door, or shall I just smash it with a brick or grenade’. Once you know your way around it becomes almost too easy. Just grenade the door and run to a cupboard or dark corner.

In part this may be because the map isn’t that big. Each area is too small to create longer form engaging puzzles. It’s a well contained smaller story, but one that could be expanded upon.

How it Comes Together

The gameplay is the best part of The Bunker, but it is not without its limitations. The new additions are brilliant, and the world design is dripping with potential. But it’s only partially executed on. The game is a refreshing take on the series, but could use a bit of bulking up so that we can really experience its potential. It’s a good sign however if it’s main flaw is that it’s great, but could be better.

Graphics and Audio – Shells, Screams and Shadows

Amnesia: The Bunker is by far the best looking and sounding of the series so far. Visually the game has some fantastically striking moments, as well as a great design for the bunker that looks and feels real. Whilst not photo-realistic, the gore is phenomenal, especially on the mutilated bodies throughout. The monster as well is a highlight for the review of Amnesia: The Bunker. The torn and twisted flesh of the beast is almost uncomfortable to look at. Despite the limited space and environment of a bunker, the devs have succeeded in making it look great and filled the space effectively.

A word of advice; burn the bodies

The audio is, as usual with Amnesia, brilliant. The general sounds of the bunker serve well to keep you on edge, with the sound of shells falling and shaking the tunnels as you roam. The game is full of strong sound effects, such as the ringing in your ears after shooting in an enclosed space. The beast’s howls and groans are a wonderful mix of guttural animal noises and a human in pain. The sound design is a powerful part of why the game is so scary. The wretched noises of the creature roaming near you is terrifying, and the sound of it in the vents and tunnels establish it as an ever-present threat waiting for you to make a mistake.

Amnesia: The Bunker was played for review with a key provided by EvolvePR.