Amnesia: The Bunker — Everything We Know

Frictional Games' universally acclaimed survival-horror saga Amnesia is about to receive a fourth chapter, and it comes in the form of The Bunker, an “unscripted” WWI-themed story for consoles and PC.

So, what more do we know about the upcoming game, other than the fact it's being built by the same team that brought one of the most prestigious horror IPs to fulfilment way back when? Well, a fair amount, thanks to the studio conjuring up nothing but information on the project since bringing it to light back in December of last year. However, for the sake of whittling down the facts, here's everything you need to know about it.

What Is Amnesia: The Bunker?

Amnesia: The Bunker is an upcoming first-person survival-horror game by Frictional Games, creator of SOMA and Penumbra Overture. Although unrelated to its third game, Amnesia; Rebirth, The Bunker will look to retain a lot of core elements—mostly pertaining to the hide-and-seek gameplay and its dimly lit aesthetics. Other than that, though, The Bunker will follow up with a new location, characters, and a deeply disturbing World War I theme to boot.

In Frictional Games' own words: “Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person horror game set in a desolate WW1 Bunker. 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.”

Story

Just to echo Frictional Games' words, The Bunker will take place during World War I—in the pits of a shadowy bunker, no less. Abandoned and in possession of a revolver with only a single bullet left in the chamber, you, Henri Clément, a French soldier, will venture deep into the underground nexus, doing all in your power to navigate the darkness and tackle the horrors that loom around each and every corner.

“Left all alone in a desolate WW1 bunker with only one bullet remaining in the barrel, it’s up to you to face the oppressing terrors in the dark,” the blurb reads in part. “Keep the lights on at all costs, persevere, and make your way out alive. A truly intense horror experience.”

So, what's going on in the bunker, and how can you maximize your chances of surviving the trials and tribulations that are buried beneath the surface? Well, therein lies a burning question that Frictional Games has yet to pin an answer to. Whatever the case, though, the blurb seems to suggest that a certain monster will not only stalk you, but adapt to the way you play, meaning you'll have to alternate between approaches in order to make it through the bunker.

Gameplay

In a similar vein to The Dark Descent, The Bunker will foster something of a semi-open world setting—a location that, like its previous instalments, will provide completely unique experiences in each valid play-through.

True to the classic Amnesia formula, The Bunker will divide its attention between stealth-based gameplay, puzzle-solving segments, and cat-and-mouse-like chases laced with jump scares. You know, the signature blueprint as made famous by Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

According to Frictional Games: “Solve things your own way in a semi-open world. You must explore and experiment to make your way out. Figure out what’s going on down here – what has happened to the other soldiers? Where have all the officers gone? What diabolical nightmare lurks underneath this hellscape? Unravel the mysteries of the Bunker and get to know the nooks and crannies of this cruel sandbox to up your odds of survival.”

Development

Announced back in December 2022, Frictional Games, the famed team behind some of the generation's most acclaimed horror IPs, made it clear that The Bunker would be gearing up for a March 2023 launch on consoles and PC. This was later nudged back to a May release, and was confirmed via an exclusive trailer outlining the game's story.

Amnesia: The Bunker will serve as the series' fourth main entry in the timeline, and will follow on from 2020's Amnesia: Rebirth. It isn't a sequel, though it will retain a wide selection of gameplay elements and designs.

Trailer

Caught your eye? If so, then you'll be pleased to know that Frictional Games did, in fact, launch a trailer a fair ways back. And not just a run-of-the-mill cinematic teaser, but a full-fledged preview featuring a rather generous amount of gameplay, no less. You can see it for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Amnesia: The Bunker will be coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on May 16, 2023. But what about a PlayStation 5 port? Surely that's bound to be in the pipeline alongside the Xbox Series X|S version, right? Well, in theory, you'd imagine so. Having said that, Frictional Games has yet to mention anything on the matter, so it's hard to say at this moment in time.

At the time of writing, Frictional Games hasn't mentioned anything about The Bunker having any exclusive editions outside of the standard copy. Is this likely to change before it goes live? At this point, it seems unlikely, though the opportunity may present itself out of the blue over the coming months. Until then, you'll have to settle for adding it to your wishlist here.

For more information on the Amnesia: The Bunker launch, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything changes ahead of its May release, we'll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Amnesia: The Bunker when it drops later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.