Frictional Games thinks it has a way to shake up the Amnesia horror formula — throw out most of the predictability. The studio has unveiledAmnesia: The Bunker, a “semi-open” survival horror title that takes place during the First World War. You play a French soldier (an amnesiac, of course) who has little more than a revolver and flashlight to defend themselves against a mysterious creature hunting them down. There are “hardly any” scripted events, and frequently multiple ways to overcome the game’s hurdles.
The new release also promises new forms of interaction, with elements of sandbox games despite the presence of a story. You can also expect improved lighting effects and “carefully” crafted sound. And yes, you’ll still get Frictional’s signature extra-gloomy environments.
Amnesia: The Bunker releases on PlayStation, Xbox and PC (via Epic Games Store and Steam) sometime in 2023. It’s too soon to say if the open world format will help, or simply introduce the problems that sometimes creep up in those games — it won’t be very frightening if you’re wandering aimlessly. If nothing else, the approach should improve the replayability compared to other horror projects. You can come back knowing the scares won’t always pop up at the same places.