Fans of theAmnesiafranchise should prepare for another terrifying journey courtesy of Frictional games. Hot off the heels ofAmnesia: Rebirth- the 2020 reintroduction to the seminal classicAmnesia: The Dark Descent -Amnesia: The Bunkeris twisting the franchise again. Instead of exploring the dark depths of ancient alien tunnels in 1930s Algeria,The Bunkeris taking players to a desolate World War 1 era bunker. While few details are known about the upcoming game,Amnesia: The Bunkermust deliver on its promise of being a “truly intense horror experience” compared to its predecessor.
Amnesia: The Bunkerhas stiff competition from its predecessor, asAmnesia: The Dark Descentis one of the most horrifying video games of all time. The franchise pioneered the use of ominous atmosphere and sensory elements, withDark Descentfrequently twisting what the player sees and hears depending on the protagonist’s level of fear. Despite the change in location and arguably more complex plot seen inRebirth, the game relies on mechanics in previous games, making it less scary than avidAmnesiafans might have hoped. Hopefully,Amnesia: The Bunker’sfocus on new mechanics and enemies might be the much-needed shake-up the franchise needs.
RELATED:Amnesia: The Bunker Gameplay Shows Creative Ways to Get Through Doors
Amnesia: Rebirth Struggled In The Shadow of Soma and More Innovative Horror Games
DespiteAmnesia: The Dark Descent’simpact on the horror genre, it’s been almost two decades since its initial release. In the decade-long hiatus beforeAmnesia: Rebirthwas released,horror games likeResident Evil 7: BiohazardandOutlastinnovated on the mechanics that made theAmnesiafranchise so iconic. From upgraded environmental and atmospheric horror mechanics, hiding from enemies, to more sophisticated portrayals of fear and paranoia, modern horror games might be at the cutting edge of innovation for video games and have twisted classic horror tropes numerous times.
Unfortunately forAmnesia: Rebirth,it was released at the height of popularity for modern horror games, competing with ultra-popular titles likeThe Last of Us Part 2andVisage,which pushed the genre forward dramatically. WhileAmnesia: Rebirthreceived critically favorable reviews for the environmental and sound design mechanics that define the franchise, its focus on puzzle solving, evading enemies, and cosmic horror was no longer as innovative as before. In fact,Rebirthhad heavy competition from itsFrictional Games' counterpartSoma,as the 2017 game has been included withAmnesia: The Dark Descentas a top-selling, influential horror game.
Amnesia: The Bunker Should Honor The Legacy of the Franchise While Experimenting With The Horror Genre
Fortunately, it seems as thoughAmnesia: The Bunkeris taking notes from the success ofSoma,adding in new gameplay mechanics not seen in previous installments of the franchise. For instance, not only is the Great War-era bunker a refreshing location for theAmnesiafranchise, but players will be able to shoot enemies with a revolver. Adding crafting mechanics and randomized gameplay is also a pleasant surprise, giving new life - and varied playability - to a once-contained series of games. While it’s stillunclear what the narrative ofAmnesia: The Bunkerwill involve- and what kinds of enemies are lurking - hopefully, the game will raise the bar for storytelling for the entire franchise.
Based on the descriptions ofAmnesia: The Bunkerprovided by Frictional Games, it seems the upcoming game will emphasize player choice and consequences. Given thatexisting horror franchises likeUntil Dawn, The Quarry, and others already focus heavily on choice, it’ll be interesting to see howThe Bunkercan innovate on existing mechanics. It would be great to see how using bullets, crafted items, stealth, accumulated fear, and more could change the outcome of not onlyAmnesia: The Bunker’sending but each turning point in the game. This could include friendly NPCs becoming monstrous enemies like in theDead Spaceremake, or fear-states that change gameplay completely.
Amnesia: The Bunkerlaunches March 2023 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
