Amnesia: The Bunker

Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person survival horror game from Frictional Games, released in 2023. French soldier Henri Clément is trapped in an abandoned military bunker during World War I. A creature moves through its corridors, reacting to noise and activity. Henri must find exits, uncover documents from the vanished garrison and stay alive with very little equipment.

Unlike a linear horror corridor, many situations arise from interacting systems: light, noise, scarce items and multiple routes through the same locked door. The game relies on a compact, interconnected environment instead of one large open map and is designed as a single-player adventure.

The full version was released on Jun 6, 2023 for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The PlayStation version is native for PS4 and playable on PS5 only via backward compatibility. For Xbox, however, Microsoft confirmed both Xbox One and an Xbox Series X|S-optimized version with Smart Delivery.

A dedicated Nintendo Switch version is announced by publisher Abylight Studios, but still has no confirmed release date. It is therefore not part of the June 2023 release and must not be presented as an already available Switch version. The existing game also received permanently available additional difficulty and customization modes, which do not form a separate edition.

The four native versions released so far are PC (Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The PlayStation Store explicitly lists a PS4 version. The note on PS5 playability refers to backward compatibility, not a separate PS5 release.

Microsoft labels the game as optimized for Xbox Series and lists Smart Delivery and Xbox Play Anywhere. The Microsoft Store also lists PC playability via the supported ecosystem. A native version for the original Nintendo Switch is announced, but Abylight has so far only marked it “Coming soon” with no date. A Switch 2 release is not confirmed.

Rather than a simple escape sequence, The Bunker consists of interconnected rooms, access points and shortcuts. Players open doors with matching keys, tools or improvised violence. A revolver can, for example, destroy a padlock, but shots and explosions make noise. The same action that opens a path can thereby lure the creature.

Items can be used and combined physically. French soldier Henri Clément finds ammunition, fuel, cloth and other materials, while locations and sequences partly vary. The threat reacts to sounds and actions, so there is no universally safe route through the bunker. The game is a single-player horror game, not a co-op campaign.

The original minimum requirements on Steam include a 64-bit Windows system, a Core i3 or AMD FX processor at 2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM, an OpenGL 4.0 graphics card on the level of a GTX 460, Radeon HD 5750 or Intel HD 630, and 35 GB free storage space. Recommended are a Core i5 or Ryzen 5, 8 GB RAM and a GTX 970, Radeon RX 5600 XT or Intel Xe-HPG graphics unit.

Steam historically lists Windows 7, 8 and 10. However, today's Steam client only supports Windows 10 or newer. The old OS listings therefore do not equal current Steam support.

A generator powers the lighting in the corridors. It needs limited fuel to run. If the light goes out, orientation becomes harder and the creature gets more chances to pressure Henri. This makes gasoline a strategic resource, not just a collection task.

The hand-cranked flashlight works independently of the generator, but has to be charged with audible cranking. Creating light yourself can therefore be dangerous. A supposedly safe stay in the administration room gives you a chance to study the map, sort supplies and plan the next trip.

A later major content update added the Shell Shock Mode and a Custom Mode with more than 30 parameters. These modes do not just change numerical values. Additional fuse boxes, changed enemy reactions, randomized positions of lockers, corpses and dog tags, and more expensive save points can restructure the bunker.

On the harder settings, even the revolver is not available from the start. A training area lets you practice important actions. According to Frictional Games, most of these settings are part of the New Game Plus options, unlocked after the first campaign playthrough. They are permanent game variants, not a limited-time Halloween event.

Henri Clément wakes up in a French bunker during World War I. The other soldiers have vanished or are dead, and the escape routes are blocked. Notes and environmental details hint at the garrison and at what has haunted the facility. The focus, however, is survival in the facility.

The story is not told like an interactive film through many tightly staged sequences. The player explores the bunker and decides for themselves which dangers to take on for certain tools, rooms or information. Frictional Games calls the freely solvable obstacles and the interlinked systems a key difference from more heavily scripted predecessors.

On Steam, German menus and subtitles are available. The spoken voice acting is listed for English. The title is a single-player experience. The PC version supports Steam achievements and the Steam Workshop, through which community content can be used. This does not mean automatic mod support on consoles.

The PlayStation Store lists the PS4 version as playable offline. For PS5, backward compatibility applies, not a separate native version. This also explains why videos labeled “PS5 gameplay” don't necessarily show a native PS5 version.