Amnesia: The Bunker is the next horror experience from Frictional Games. We spoke with Fredrik Olsson, the game’s lead creative, to learn about the game that brings new mechanics to the beloved franchise.
When you think of Amnesia as a series, one of the first thoughts that come to mind is the sanity meter. It’s a mechanic that adds an extra layer of stress to the game, and by all accounts, the persistent use of the insatiable monsters is stressful enough. Trying to kill the main character in the dark. As for a feature that stood out so much in previous Amnesia games, it’s surprising that Frictional Games has scrapped the mechanics of Amnesia: The Bunker, but from what creative lead Fredrik Olsson told us, we still have You may be enthralled – a heart-pounding experience when The Bunker launches in May as one of the games coming to Game Pass.
What is Amnesia: The Bunker?
“It’s World War I and you wake up in a bunker. The exit is blocked and you have to assemble and blow up explosives. With you, monsters are creeping down the corridors and trying to hunt you down.” Your only way to survive is to make as little noise as possible, keep the lights on, and use various tools to your advantage.”
I can’t wait to see the nervous and scared players make their way through the bunker. This game is first and foremost an attempt to create a truly powerful and focused horror experience.
Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person survival horror game from Frictional Games, the team behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Soma, and more. It’s set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on May 16th, and may join its predecessor on Xbox Game Pass on day one. This installment allows players to explore a semi-open playground instead of a “linear sequence of puzzles”, the most important element of each obstacle faced by the player’s choice. “It’s a very focused horror experience. There’s one big connected environment in which the game takes place. After that, it’s up to the player to figure out what to do and how to overcome various obstacles and dangers.” It’s up to you as an individual,” said Olsson. said to us. “There are often multiple ways to accomplish a goal. For example, you can blow the door open with a grenade, lure monsters to break it down, or find hidden tunnels to bypass the door.”
How does Amnesia: The Bunker play?
Frictional likes to bring something new with each game they release, like Soma’s more narrative-focused gameplay or Amnesia: Rebirth’s save feature that lets you skip monster encounters if you die . Amnesia: The Bunker is set to continue the trend. , although there are slightly noticeable changes this time. “I would say the biggest difference lies in the fact that the game is more focused on gameplay and player agency,” explains Olsson. “The game is more open-ended than ‘unruly’. Players must rely on their creativity and resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles and planning their approach.”
Wit and Creativity One of the aspects that Frictional allows us to dabble with in this next installment is the franchise’s first use of regular weapons. This was quickly spotted by many players in the first announcement trailer. As Olson puts it, you’ll have access to “weapons like guns, grenades, gas grenades, and even fire.” They can be used against creatures that lurk in the shadows, but they’re also part of the many unreleased gameplay systems at your disposal this time around. “Compared to previous games, The Bunker contains many new elements,” said Olsson. “It’s very system-driven, and while many systems can be used as weapons, most of them can also be used as tools to progress faster. Players can decide which resources to use when must be determined.”
“We’re aiming for a completely taciturn protagonist this time around, similar to Daniel from The Dark Descent,” Olson added. Amnesia: The Bunker’s emphasis on player-driven gameplay means that the story unfolds at your own pace, rather than following a predetermined course of plot points. , placed in the center of the event. The term “emergency horror” is used in his Frictional. This means the creatures that haunt you throughout the game react dynamically to your actions without the traditional jump scares found in more linear games that can use choreographed scenes. .
Will the sanity gauge return in Amnesia: The Bunker?
As I said before, Frictional Games is really shaking up the gameplay with this installment of the Amnesia series.And perhaps in a twist we didn’t guess, the team has done away with the prolific sanity meter found in previous games. completely —What do you enjoy about it?
“In many ways, the core of Amnesia has always been about the interplay of darkness and light. We wanted Amnesia: The Bunker to continue that legacy, but this time we tried something new. For example, we didn’t want a Sanity mechanic in this game, but instead we were looking for something more tangible,” Olsson revealed. “That’s why players need to be concerned with the generators that power their bunkers in order to survive. When they run out of fuel, the lights go out and the creatures that hunt them become more active and more present. In addition to this, the main light source is an old and very noisy dynamo flash light, and you can imagine the horror when it goes black.”
That’s right, you won’t be racing to the nearest light source to stop your hero from slowly going insane in the bunker, but if you still want to stay ahead, the complex’s generators will work fluidly. you need to make sure that Don’t give the generator the fuel it needs. You end up using the clockwork flashlight as a kind of dynamo dinner bell…and you the main course.
Relationship between frictional games and Xbox
This installment is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S on May 16th. Therefore, we can also expect the results of Amnesia: The Bunker. It’s still a little early to make a list, but Olsson said the team is “trying to pursue achievements that take advantage of the free nature of the game. We encourage you to use the various tools at your disposal to fully explore the world.”
In addition to debuting on the Xbox Series X|S, it offers 4K visuals and higher framerates than previous games in the series, offering enhanced shadows, terrain and effects. Amnesia: The Bunker will also be on Xbox Game Pass from day one. Amnesia: Collection and Amnesia: Rebirth are currently available in service, available from October 2022. Olsson said it was a lot of fun working with Xbox to bring both games to Game Pass. When it comes to support, look no further. Frictional currently has two projects underway spanning a team of 25 people and dozens of contractors, so the support you get from a strong company like Microsoft will be a welcome addition when signing on to a game on Game Pass. “Having such a strong partnership really helps a small studio like ours. I couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to enjoy the
“We are really looking forward to seeing players tackle the more dynamic and emergent aspects of our game. With the randomness of resources and other elements mixed in with AI-driven threats, each player It brings a different experience to ,” said Olsson. he concluded. “We hope to see many unique situations and solutions as more people start playing the game.”
Amnesia: The Bunker launches on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass on May 16th. Do you want to face your fears inside concrete walls? Drop a comment below and let us know!