Amnesia: The Bunker gives the player a gun — but at what cost?

The Amnesia games are notoriously terrifying, pitting the player against strange creatures and bizarre mysteries with only a flashlight and their wits. The third game in the series got introduced on Thursday, and it shakes up the formula to frightening effect. It’s the first game in the series to give the protagonist a gun, although it doesn’t seem like it’ll be too much help in the grand scheme of things.

The Bunker takes place during World War I, with a weary French soldier waking up in the blood-splattered bunker in question. Like prior entries, the game tasks the player with managing their stress as they navigate this new and terrifying environment with a wind-up, noisy dynamo flashlight in hand.

Unlike previous games, the gameplay is much more sandbox-y, with the player in control of setting their own priorities instead of following a more scripted narrative. Possibly the biggest reveal of the trailer was the fact that this time, the player character will get a gun — although considering it’s a revolver with limited ammunition, it probably won’t be too much help against whatever new threats are lurking in the bunker.

Frictional Games is behind the Amnesia games and SOMA, which is a promising pedigree. Amnesia: The Bunker is being developed for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and while we don’t have a release date yet, it looks like a fascinating twist on a beloved horror series.