Amnesia: The Bunker Assessment (PS4)

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 over again. Two sequels adopted the revolutionary unique — with a couple of years of manufacturing put aside for SOMA — however with little in the way in which 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, carried out that”, it appears like a greater route 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 slightly than participating with the enemy. A clunky management scheme means that you can decide up and work together with nearly something within the setting, opening and shutting doorways (of which there are lots) continues to be a chore, and one mistaken transfer will in all probability 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 implausible setting: the bunker itself.

The sport takes place in an underground bunker throughout World Struggle 1. Having awoken to seek out your self deserted and trapped inside, you could 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 circumstances troopers needed to stay in in the course of the 1910s. Taking pictures off these passages live quarters, kitchens, and equipment designed purely to assist the conflict efforts as human life is left to waste. It is an completely dreadful place, and Frictional Video games has captured that brilliantly.

Even with no monster on the free, the bunker is simply as scary a spot as it’s darkish, damp, and decrepit. It is a haunting, uncomfortable setting that has you on edge always — even within the seemingly protected haven of the administration workplace. Heightened by creepy audio and a chilling ambiance, simply strolling the primary corridors is a activity you will need to 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. Primary character Henri Clément is provided 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 completely all the way down to you. Subsequent to the primary save room is a generator demanding gas to energy the overhead rigging. You will need to enterprise out into the bunker to seek out that fuel and produce it again to maintain an affordable degree of visibility. With extraordinarily restricted stock house, although, you will 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 midnight.

All-round, it is a sensible backdrop that basically drives house the appalling circumstances 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 unattainable 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. Notably on a PS5 pad, the inputs really feel far too weighty; once more, particularly when doorways are concerned. It is very easy to neglect what button does what as there are all method of features mapped to the controller, they usually by no means really feel very satisfying within the first place. PS5 gamers will even wish to observe there’s solely a PS4 model obtainable, 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 most important task is at all times to flee the bunker. The sport means that you can deal with this obligation in any approach you want — to a level. There are often a number of strategies of getting your fingers on an merchandise or other ways to manoeuvre your self right into a room. The revolver can play a big position on this, if you need it to. Regardless of the very fact you are in a World Struggle 1 bunker, ammo is extraordinarily restricted — having any greater than two bullets is a luxurious. As such, it’s essential to 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, but it surely’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 will want to interrupt off utterly 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 Struggle 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 particularly appears fairly dangerous whenever 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 utterly when trying to view it within the administration workplace.

Conclusion

Amnesia: The Bunker sticks a bit of too near what Frictional Video games has been doing for over a decade now, however with a extra free-form strategy to gameplay, the group is again heading in the right direction once more. Coupled with a wonderful setting, Amnesia: The Bunker represents an unlimited enchancment over its predecessor. You will nonetheless encounter the identical hindrances of previous, however this horror expertise comes really helpful.