After successfully pioneering a brand new sort 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 another time. 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 absolutely shrugs off that sense of “been there, executed that”, it appears like a greater route for the sequence.

Similar to the earlier three entries, although, Amnesia: The Bunker remains to be extra about hiding within the shadows and creating distractions fairly than partaking with the enemy. A clunky management scheme means that you can choose up and work together with virtually something within the atmosphere, opening and shutting doorways (of which there are so much) remains to be a chore, and one flawed transfer will in all probability spell your demise. That will sound acquainted to sequence veterans, however there’s simply sufficient right here to set it aside. One instance could be the incredible setting: the bunker itself.

The sport takes place in an underground bunker throughout World Struggle 1. Having awoken to search out your self deserted and trapped inside, that you must discover a approach out whereas avoiding a monster that is on the prowl. Tight, barely lit corridors join every part of the bunker, highlighting the unsanitary situations troopers needed to dwell in in the course of the 1910s. Capturing off these passages reside quarters, kitchens, and equipment designed purely to assist the struggle efforts as human life is left to waste. It is an completely dreadful place, and Frictional Video games has captured that brilliantly.

Even with out a 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 principle corridors is a job you may must 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 gentle. Most important 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 lighting, however whether or not they’re powered or not is totally right down to you. Subsequent to the principle save room is a generator demanding gasoline to energy the overhead rigging. It’s essential to enterprise out into the bunker to search out that gasoline and produce it again to maintain an inexpensive degree of visibility. With extraordinarily restricted stock area, although, you may rapidly begin to query whether or not it is best to even have interaction with the mechanic and as an alternative attempt to thrive in the dead of night.

All-round, it is a sensible backdrop that basically drives dwelling the appalling situations of a World Struggle 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 not possible to get away from how dated the sport can really feel at instances, from its clunky controls to the essential 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 capabilities mapped to the controller, they usually by no means really feel very satisfying within the first place. PS5 gamers will even need to be aware there’s solely a PS4 model accessible, 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 method to finishing targets. Whilst you’ll be handed duties to maneuver the story ahead, your foremost task is at all times to flee the bunker. The sport means that you can sort out this obligation in any approach you want — to a level. There are normally a number of strategies of getting your palms on an merchandise or other ways to manoeuvre your self right into a room. The revolver can play a big function on this, in order for you it to. Regardless of the actual fact you are in a World Struggle 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 remains 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 utterly from what got here earlier than it to essentially begin making waves once more.

Graphically, the title does little to impress past precisely capturing the terrible dwelling areas of World Struggle 1. We solely have a PS4 model right here (performed on PS5 through backwards compatibility) so there have been by no means any expectations of graphical grandeur, however the monster particularly appears to be like fairly unhealthy while you come head to head with it. As well as, one or two glitches popped up all through our playthrough, such because the map disappearing utterly when trying to view it within the administration workplace.

Conclusion

Amnesia: The Bunker sticks just a little too near what Frictional Video games has been doing for over a decade now, however with a extra free-form method to gameplay, the crew is again heading in the right direction once more. Coupled with a wonderful setting, Amnesia: The Bunker represents an enormous enchancment over its predecessor. You may nonetheless encounter the identical obstacles of previous, however this horror expertise comes advisable.