izigame.me

note: like in many other cases this is not a strictly negative review. Blame Steam for only having 2 options.
I always brag that I've been a fan of Frictional Games since before they were even a proper company, because the first thing I played from them was Penumbra Tech demo. I loved Black Plague (my favourite), really liked The Dark Descent (fantastic pacing) and SOMA is just phenomenal. However after that something happened.
To say that Amnesia: Rebirth was a disappointment would be a massive understatement. It felt as if an entirely different team worked on it. I've only played it once and will never play it again. However despite that I tried to approach The Bunker with an open mind.
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Gameplay overview

This is a pretty big change from previous FG titles. What we have here is a hub with a single monster harassing you. Unlike in earlier FG games there's no real distinction between a "puzzle" section and "monster" section.
There's one safe room in the game and it has a generator. This generator is a major gameplay element. When you turn it on the lights come online and the monster will for the most part leave you alone (unless you make a lot of noise). When it's off then the monster will randomly wander around and you won't ever be truly safe. So you kind of dynamically swap between 'exploration' and 'monster hide&seek' through this generator. However the generator requires fuel which is a finite resource so even when you switch to the "exploration mode", you still have a time pressure.
So all the elements are technically there. We have a semi non-linear world, a threat that dynamically keeps stalking you, resource management to spice things up. On top of that a lot of the things (items, codes, traps) are randomized to increase replayablity. So what's the problem?
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Pacing

For me the biggest issue is the overall pacing. In previous FG games the pacing was in the hands of the designers. In The Bunker you determine the pacing yourself... and honestly it's pretty difficult to find the rhythm to the whole thing.
You can go in without the lights but then your visibility is almost non-existent, in addition to the constant threat. Turning the generator on should provide a much needed peace... but you're still racing against time because the fuel is constantly being drained. There is a flashlight but you need to charge it and that makes a lot of noise - and even then it only lasts for about 30s.
On Normal a completely filled generator tank lasts for about 17,5 min (less than 14 on Hard). You still have to actually get to the place you want to explore. Then you might need to do something that attracts the monster (like blow up a door) which means hiding... and suddenly it turns out you have pretty much no time. You're always rushing.
I think at the end of the day that's one of my biggest problems. You're always rushing so you never have the opportunity to just stop and soak in the atmosphere. No suspenseful exploration, no uncertainty, no build up. The monster is always there so the only thing on your mind is what is the quickest way to "explore" before the fuel runs out. I've just replayed a bit of Penumbra and it's incredible how much of a difference that makes when you're not forced to rush all the time.
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Previous FG titles were focused on immersion. In The Bunker the danger is never "fake". You may think this is better... but it also means that you're going to fail a lot, especially on the first playthrough. Dying in a horror game instantly makes it not scary, at least for me. It breaks the flow. I have to redo things I've already done and now I'm looking at it as a "gameplay challenge", not an "immersive situation". Did I mention this game has no autosaves? You can only save in your safe room, manually. Meaning that the longer the section the more frustrating the failure.
At first The Bunker reminded me of Darkwood (an absolute masterpiece, by the way). That game also has a generator mechanic. However in Darkwood you only need the generator at night and the pacing is dictated by the day/night cycle. You still have the time limit during the day... but at least you don't need to spend resources to explore so it feels like there's a rhythm to the gameplay.
My first playthrough of The Bunker was miserable because I didn't know how much fuel I could afford to waste. There are parts where you NEED the power to be on. That'll most likely make you paranoid and you'll try to explore as much as possible without lights - and that's just really tedious.
The game also doesn't have a difficulty curve. In Darkwood things gradually heat up and get harder as you progress. In The Bunker the monster is always just as threatening so there's no leeway to learn or experiment. You learn through failure which ruins the tension.
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Oldschool horror

The Bunker is reminiscent of oldschool, pre-FG horror games that were more focused on survival. Basically it gets better once you know how it works. This is a matter of opinion but personally I don't like this kind of design applied to horror. For me horror works best when it makes me forget about systems and mechanics. Like in The Dark Descent or SOMA. Some people will say that the "legit" danger makes it scarier but it just doesn't work for me. At first it's not scary because you keep failing, then it's not scary because you know how it works.
I have played it again on Hard and it's better - now I know the mechanics, how many resources there are... But the immersion falls apart. I'm only looking at it as a gameplay challenge. I'm not scared of the monster. If anything it's a nuisance that keeps annoying me.
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Minigame

The Bunker almost feels like a minigame in comparison to other FG games, like it's a small experiment. It's a single hub without much variety. The lenght mostly comes from dying and replaying. There are no interesting characters, no twists and turns in the story. In fact the story is pretty meaningless. It's basically "there's a WW1 bunker and we have broken into ancient ruins and now there's a monster with us" (where have I heard that one before?). Seriously, if there's some deeper lore in this game then I have completely missed it. I'm pretty sure it's only called Amnesia for marketing purposes. The opening sucks, the ending sucks. The gameplay, once you figure it out, can be fun but can it hold its own against other systems-driven games?
Parts of it remind me of Darkwood and Penumbra which is great. But it's still lacking. The plot is really weak, like it's a random, inconsequential side story that's only vaguely related to Amnesia.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad game. In fact it's miles better than Rebirth (then again just about anything is). On one hand I appreciate breaking away from the norm and trying something different. Also not every game needs to be a giant, epic adventure. But when I think about the sheer ambition and unrestrained creativity of SOMA and then look at The Bunker... it feels odd. This would fit between Penumbra and The Dark Descent. Maybe between The Dark Descent and SOMA.
I don't hate The Bunker. It's more like with DOOM Eternal - it really depends on what you want. Do you prefer a horror game to be about survival rather than atmosphere? Or maybe you can remain immersed despite dying over and over and having to figure out the mechanics? Then The Bunker is for you!
I don't regret playing it. But it's never gonna be my favourite anything from Frictional Games.
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RATING:
MIXED FEELINGS
An oldschool, systems-driven survival horror without much substance (and a decent amount of trial&error). Not bad but definitely not the best FG title. Acceptable detour. For people who don't mind dying multiple times in a horror game.