- This article is about the fourth game in the Amnesia series. For the primary location of the game, see Bunker (location).
Amnesia: The Bunker is a survival horror adventure video game, developed and published by Frictional Games. It was first announced on December 1, 2022 and released on June 6th, 2023.[1][7][4][5][6] It is the fourth installment of the Amnesia series.
The game is set during World War I, where the player will take on the role as the French soldier Henri Clément, as he tries to unravel the mysteries of the eponymous bunker, while at the same time trying to find his way out of it.
Frictional Games described the game as being semi-open world, with elements of the game being randomized, allowing for greater levels of replayability.[8] Deviating from past entries in the Amnesia franchise, The Bunker also introduced several new mechanics, such as a crafting system and the ability for the player to defend themselves using a revolver.[9]
Gameplay[]
Amnesia: The Bunker, like its predecessors, is a first-person, survival horror, adventure game. Except for a few events, the main enemy's behavior, et cetera, are dynamic for the game's greater replayability, unlike in the previous games.[10] While the player is trapped in the bunker, they must keep the bunker's generator fueled to ward off the beast, as exploring in darkness will have the beast wandering the bunker much more frequently, making exploration more dangerous than before. The pocket watch can tell the player how time they have before the fuel runs out. The player must use every item they can find to assist in their escape, such as blowing up wooden doors with grenades, scaring off rats with flares, lighting rat-infested corpses on fire to permanently keep the rats away from an area, taking gratings off with the wrench or disarming Traps with the bolt cutters. There is always a sense of opportunity cost when using nearly any item, as something could have been saved to be used in a more useful way later on.
No matter where the player is, the beast will always be hiding in the walls somewhere nearby, or crawling out to explore the area, meaning that the player must hide or simply stay far away from him. The bunker is dotted with tripwire traps, which can be rigged with flares, grenades or gas grenades, and the beast will almost always come to investigate when a trap has been activated. Traps exist in the form of being laid out across a hallway, or set to activate when a door opens. These traps can be disarmed with the bolt cutters, meaning that traps can become useful items once the cutters have been found, meaning that avoiding traps until said cutters are found will benefit the player.
As the beast is the main threat of the game, the player must constantly be on guard. Players should always have a plan for any type of encounter with the beast. The beast also adapts to his environment as the game goes on, which can make dealing it more and more difficult. Whenever the beast hears a sound, he will crawl through the bunker's foundation to get to the nearest hole in the wall. He will crawl out of it and scout the area under certain circumstances, although noise is the most common factor in attracting the beast's attention. If the beast spots the player, it is almost always an instant death if it gets close enough. The beast can never be killed, but can be stunned with gunshots and explosives, providing a small window of opportunity to escape.
Firing the revolver, shotgun, tripping a trap, creating an explosion or breaking down a wooden door with a brick will summon the beast, causing him to investigate the sound. Given that the beast's patterns are completely random, he can find the player in their hiding spot by pure luck, although the player manipulating their situation and creating distractions can prevent such a scenario. There are also mutated rats that act as obstacles for the player, biting them if they get too close, which means they must utilize any found items to get rid of them, or at least scare them away temporarily. Igniting a corpse that rats are feeding on will keep them away from it permanently. Rats will also scream loudly upon getting too close, which can attract the beast's attention.
There is a locker room in the main hub area of the bunker, and the player must find dog tags with codes written on them to access these lockers, which contain both standard items as well as required ones needed to make progress. The game can be played in six difficulties: very easy, easy, normal, hard, shell shock and custom. In custom mode, the player can customize any mechanic in the game, such as the amount of item spawns, the beast's behavior, how many rat corpses there are, if the gun is available at the start of the game, etc. Depending on the difficulty settings, sub-areas of the bunker will be without power, and must be powered by entering a fuse to the area's respective fuse box.
Plot[]
Setting[]
Amnesia: The Bunker is set in "a desolate WW1 Bunker".[9] The playable character, Henri Clement, is a French soldier on the Western Front, i.e. somewhere on the line of battle between France and Germany within the former, or possibly within Belgium.
"French infantry pushing through enemy barbed wire, 1915." (colorized)[11]
The game takes place sometime during the year 1916, in or after July. At this point in the war, the Battle of Verdun had been ongoing for roughly five months, since 21 February, with the French on the defensive, and the Somme Offensive had more recently begun on 2 July, with attacks conducted by the British and French against German-held positions.[12][13] Both battles proceeded with extremely costly outcomes for both the Allies (namely France and Britain) and the German Empire. By May, French casualties[note 1] at Verdun were as high as 185,000 men, and German casualties by the following month totaled roughly 200,000 men.[12] Meanwhile, during the course of the Battle of the Somme, over five months, the casualties totalled 650,000 from the Germans, 420,000 from the British, and 195,000 from the French — approximately 1,265,000 casualties on both sides.[14]
Storyline[]
The story starts with Henri Clement sprinting across an active battlefield during the First World War. The player assumes control of Henri upon entering one of the trenches. Henri traverses through the trench network, being ambushed by a squad of German soldiers, who are then gunned down by Henri's closest friend Augustin Lambert, who instructs Henri to keep pushing towards their rendezvous point. Ultimately, the Germans gas the trenches with Henri seemingly close to death before Lambert arrives, gives Henri a gas mask, and guides him to safety. (This prologue acts as the game's tutorial level.)
What follows is a blurry memory with the sound of Henri and Augustin hatting as they played a game of chance with dice. Henri wins the game with a sleight-of-hand trick and Augustin, as part of their wager, has to go on patrol that evening in place of Henri, who had been ordered by Sgt. Stéphane Joubert (In a later journal entry, Henri thinks that Joubert did this because the sergeant suspected both of them were involved in a mutiny).
The following scene is set in No Man's Land with Henri traversing the battlefield alone and at night with only his revolver. He soon comes across a deep crater filled with water. Inside the crater is Augustin, lying wounded against a rock and a signal flare he had lit earlier to signal for help. Henri climbs down and offers his friend a canteen filled with the suspiciously invigorating spring water before dragging out. As Henri carries Augustin back to French lines, they are spotted by the Germans who open fire. Henri is then incapacitated in a mortar strike, dropping Augustin and fading into unconsciousness.
Some time later, Henri wakes up in the medical ward of the Central Bunker. Henri quickly discovers that something terrible has happened in the bunker while he was in a coma as he comes across signs of violence, blood, and mutilated bodies. Salvaging a wind-up German flashlight, Henri traverses the bunker where he comes across a dying Sdt. Boisrond in the officer's mess hall. Boisrond explains that a monster had attacked the bunker garrison and directs him to blow open the exit as it had been sealed by their officers when they fled, trapping the rest of the garrison inside. He gives Henri his revolver, pleading with the latter to end his life so as to spare him a gruesome death at the hands of the Beast. Unfortunately, Boisrond is quickly killed by the Beast before Henri could carry out his wish.
Henri is now fully on his own and resolves to escape the bunker regardless of the war raging outside. He salvages various equipment throughout the bunker to enable him to break out. Throughout his journey, he collects letters, journal entries, and various bits of paraphernalia left behind by his now-deceased fellow soldiers detailing how the horrific events in the bunker transpired. From the discovery of ancient Roman tunnels leading to the German lines to a sabotage attempt by delirious soldiers and the truth behind the Beast that was now prowling the bunker.
After much effort, Henri finally triggers an explosion at the sealed entrance only to discover a tunnel leading deeper underground, into an ancient structure further below the bunker. This now leads to Henri's ultimate encounter with the Beast. In this final confrontation, the Beast will fully emerge from the tunnels and will stop at nothing to kill Henri before he escapes. Using his wits and whatever equipment he has left, Henri will either have to kill the Beast or outsmart it long enough for him to clamber over the walls blocking his escape and through a set of stairs leading upwards. Regardless of what happens, Henri follows a shaft of light at the end of the alien tunnel. He pushes himself through the rocks and debris and manages to finally escape onto the surface before tumbling down into a huge crater filled with the half-eaten remains of his comrades just as a German patrol approaches.
If Henri spares the Beast, it will emerge from the tunnel after him before it stops and roars into the sunlight. The Beast, now free, will run off into the distance. Regardless of what happens to the Beast, Henri's fate is left ambiguous as the game ends with the Germans approaching the crater, accompanied by dogs.
Characters[]
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Player character:
Soldiers:
Officers:
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Antagonists:
Others:
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Locations[]
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Inside the Bunker: |
Outside the Bunker:
Roman ruins: |
Development[]
Release[]
Marketing[]
"Face the oppressing terrors stalking the dark corridors. Search for and use the tools and weapons at your disposal, while keeping the lights on at all costs. Overcome fear, persevere, and make your way out alive."[9]
Demo[]
- Main article: Amnesia: The Bunker Demo
While the game was originally scheduled for a March release, Frictional Games announced via Twitter successive postponements of the release date. On May 12th, 2023, they announced the postponement of the full game once again, to June 6th.[4] They also announced in a subsequent that a Demo version of The Bunker would release on the prior-promised date of May 23rd.[2] The demo released May 24th to Steam.[3]
Reception[]
Pre-Release[]
Amnesia: The Bunker has been reviewed by IGN[15] and PC Gamers.[16] IGN stated "The Bunker, so far, feels like an exciting and still terrifying move forward for the Amnesia series". PC Gamers noted several details about the game.
Post-Release[]
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | PC: 77/100[17] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Adventure Gamers |   [18]
|
| Eurogamer | [19]
|
| GameSpot | 8/10[20] |
| GamesRadar | [21]
|
| IGN | 8/10[22] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 93%[23] |
| Polygon | Polygon Recommends[24] |
| Techradar | [25]
|
Trivia[]
- It is possible to indirectly measure how much in-game time has passed. This can be done via adding fuel to the generator and starting it, synchronizing the stopwatch. A generator full of fuel will run for 60 in-game minutes. This is approximately equal to 20 real-life minutes on Normal difficulty.
- The game takes place in 1916, 77 years after the events of The Dark Descent, 17 years after A Machine for Pigs, and 21 years before Rebirth.
Gallery[]
Pre-release screenshots[]
In-game screenshots[]
Review blurbs[]
News[]
Demo release[]
Post-release updates[]
Video[]
Promotional trailers[]
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Pre-release gameplay trailers[]
Release trailers[]
Notes[]
- ↑ "Casualty" refers to not only dead soldiers, but also those who are wounded, captured, or missing.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Amnesia: The Bunker is OUT NOW on: PC (Steam, Epic, GOG, Humble); Xbox One and Series X|S; PS4... Watch the launch trailer below". frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 6 June 2023. Published 12 May 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1666082519966535680.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Small bump in time - the free Amnesia: The Bunker demo is launching May 23rd!" frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 22 May 2023. Published 22 May 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1660631596930682880.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Amnesia: The Bunker DEMO is available on Steam! Trapped in a WW1 bunker, a relentless monster stalks you. Survival depends on finding tools, crafting items, and keeping the lights on. Full game launches on June 6 [steam store link]" frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 24 May 2023. Published 23 May 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1660963798612680704.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "The release of Amnesia: The Bunker has been delayed by two weeks due to unforseen certification issues. This decision is crucial
to ensure we do not ship the game with these issues. The extra time will allow us to rectify the problem and ensure the best possible gameplay experience upon release. We thank you for
your understanding and patience. Amnesia: The Bunker will be available on Steam, Epic Games
Store, GOG, PlayStation, and Xbox on June 6 On a more positive note, we have a FREE DEMO coming to Steam on May 22, so mark the date!" frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 12 May 2023. Published 12 May 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1646196488220057600?cxt=HHwWgIDR7f2-u9gtAAAA. - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Tomorrow, something wicked comes... 9 AM CEST | 7 AM UTC | 12 AM PT". frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 6 June 2023. Published 5 June 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1665766367268569127.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Amnesia: The Bunker is OUT NOW!" frictionalgames, @frictionalgames. Accessed 6 June 2023. Published 12 May 2023. Twitter. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1665979898123411458.
- ↑ "Announcing Amnesia: The Bunker!", Oskar Larsson. Accessed 24 May 2023. Published 1 December 2022. https://frictionalgames.com/2022-12-announcing-amnesia-the-bunker/.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker promises a 'semi-open world' with sandbox-style survival horror." Accessed 2 December 2022. Published 1 December 2022. PC Gamer, Future US Inc.. https://www.pcgamer.com/amnesia-the-bunker-promises-a-semi-open-world-with-sandbox-style-survival-horror/.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Amnesia: The Bunker store page. Steam, Valve Corporation. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1944430/Amnesia_The_Bunker/.
- ↑ Video of Frictional Games' Creative Lead. Published 2 June 2023. https://twitter.com/frictionalgames/status/1664663171070664708.
- ↑ File:French soldiers pushing through enemy barbed wire, 1915 (49913128013).png [Internet]. Accessed 15 June 2023. Last revised 26 March 2023. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:French_soldiers_pushing_through_enemy_barbed_wire,_1915_(49913128013).png&oldid=744088847.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Battle of Verdun." Accessed 29 May 2023. Last revised 23 May 2023. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun.
- ↑ "Battle of the Somme." Accessed 29 May 2023. Last revised 22 May 2023. Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Somme.
- ↑ "Battle of the Somme summary." Encyclopedia Brittanica. Accessed 29 May 2023. Last revised 29 April 2021. https://www.britannica.com/summary/First-Battle-of-the-Somme.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker Feels Like A New Beginning For The Series". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/amnesia-the-bunker-feels-like-a-new-beginning-for-the-series.
- ↑ "12 takeaways after an hour with the next Amnesia game, which contains exactly one gun". PCGamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/12-takeaways-after-an-hour-with-the-next-amnesia-game-which-contains-exactly-one-gun/.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker for PC Reviews". Accessed 24 June 2023. Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/amnesia-the-bunker.
- ↑ "Review for Amnesia: The Bunker". Adventure Gamers. Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 15 June 2023. https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/amnesia-the-bunker.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker review - survival horror that's dark in all the right ways". Eurogamer. Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 5 June 2023. https://www.eurogamer.net/amnesia-the-bunker-review-survival-horror-thats-dark-in-all-the-right-ways.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker Review - Shellshocked". Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 5 June 2023. Gamespot. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/amnesia-the-bunker-review-shellshocked/1900-6418075/.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker review: 'A bold new direction for the series'". Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 4 June 2023. GamesRadar+. https://www.gamesradar.com/amnesia-the-bunker-review/.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker Review". Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 5 June 2023. IGN.com. https://www.ign.com/articles/amnesia-the-bunker-review.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker review." Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 4 June 2023. PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/amnesia-the-bunker-review/.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker marks an evolution for one of the best horror series". Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 16 June 2023. Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23762290/amnesia-the-bunker-review-ps5-xbox-pc.
- ↑ "Amnesia: The Bunker Review - too scary for its own good". Accessed 24 June 2023. Published 4 June 2023. Forbes. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/amnesia-the-bunker-review-too-scary-for-its-own-good.
External links[]
- Amnesia: The Bunker official website
- Amnesia: The Bunker GOG storepage
- Amnesia: The Bunker Steam storepage
- Amnesia: The Bunker Wikipedia article
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