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The Amnesia survival horror franchise has been dormant for a while, but the hiatus ends with its latest entry. Amnesia The Bunker makes numerous changes to expand and evolve its fundamentals over its predecessors. Following in the footsteps of the cult-classic Amnesia The Dark Descent, this brand new successor takes place in a World War 1 setting.
As per the latest "three key aspects" trailer for the game, the creative lead for the project touched upon a handful of elements.
From accessibility to dynamic gameplay, this latest entry in the Amnesia series is a major step forward. With the game's launch being just around the corner, it is good to know what you're getting into. Here's everything discussed in the new trailer.
Amnesia The Bunker is the most complex survival horror entry in the series so far
1) Player experimentation takes precedence
The previous entries in the series were largely straightforward stealth adventure titles. This time around, players have the freedom to approach problems in a handful of different ways. As they explore the bunkers of the French troops during World War 1, they will encounter various items, locked doors, and more.
With physics-driven environmental interactions returning, the trailer showcases how players can meddle with their surroundings. With the design mantra described as "immersive-sim"-esque, some may prefer creating a fire to ignite explosive barrels or break a lock using a brick. There are pros and cons to each playstyle, and some may be more beneficial than others.
2) Challenges may prove to be indomitable
Given the amount of resource management at hand and the threat of an ever-present evil, it is clear that Amnesia: The Bunker will be a challenging game. Players will be stalked around the bunkers' corridors by a mysterious hostile beast. This means countless deaths await them. That may come by running into traps and hazards or at the claws of the deadly monster.
The game also features a race against time thanks to the generator management, which is pivotal to keeping the bunker's lights up. Coupled with the ever-lurking threat of the monster when darkness falls, Amnesia The Bunker should amount to a positively heart-pounding experience.
3) Accessibility is key
Thankfully, Frictional Games believes in accessibility without dampening the experience. The game is set to feature three difficulty modes:
- Easy: For newcomers and those who find resource management hard, the game features more save points and less aggressive encounters
- Normal: A "balanced" and intended gameplay experience, which will pose a decent challenge
- Hard: Ramps up the challenge with fewer resources, not recommended for the first playthrough
While these settings arrive "at launch," players should expect more options after release. This is hinted at in the form of a difficulty setting above Hard, termed "Shell-shocked," and a Custom option allowing tweaking parameters as players desire.
4) Replayability ensures multiple playthroughs remain fun
The game features randomized elements to ensure each player's session and even subsequent playthroughs are not the same. Locations may contain key times, like an extra inventory slot, for some and nothing for others. Minor puzzles also make their way into the game, as players will find dog tags with codes to open locked lockers.
These codes are randomized, too, meaning players cannot ask others for hints to cheese through the set pieces. This is also true of traps and barrels they will encounter while sneaking through the abandoned bunker's corridors. This keeps potential scenarios fresh and exciting.
5) The monster concept seems inspired by Alien Isolation
2014's Alien Isolation was a remarkable survival horror game by developer Creative Assembly. Its highlight was the smart Xenomorph enemy who tries to hunt down protagonist Amanda Ripley as she attempts to escape the space station. The alien was exalted for its artificial intelligence that proactively reacted to player actions instead of following a generic script.
Amnesia The Bunker's monster acts in similar ways. For example, it will react to the player's frequent use of the noisy flashlight or explosive distractions and spawn accordingly. This dynamic element should keep the adrenaline pumping throughout the survival horror experience.
Amnesia The Bunker is set for release on June 4, 2023, on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
