After seeing some success with the release of Amnesia: The Bunker back in 2023, developer Frictional Games seemingly wants to go back to the franchise’s roots for its next project. In a recent financial report, the studio has mentioned a “new version” of the first game in the franchise – Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The report noted that the release was planned for the end of 2026. However, no official announcement has been made.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent was released all the way back in 2010, and while Frictional Games certainly had quite a bit of experience with the horror genre thanks to its Penumbra series, the release of Amnesia catapulted the studio’s fame. The survival horror title puts players in the shoes of a man who wakes up in Brennenburg Castle with no memories of who he is or what he is doing there. The only clue available is a note he seemingly wrote to himself, which reveals that he gave himself amnesia so that he can find the castle’s proprietor, Baron Alexander.
What set the title apart from other horror games of the time was its complete lack of any action. While there were plenty of horrifying things to encounter throughout Brennenburg, the fact that the protagonist couldn’t fight back at all added an entirely new layer of tension. Much of the gameplay revolved around simple stealth mechanics and plenty of puzzle solving.
Amnesia was also popular for its unique gameplay, which had players interacting with the environment in realistic ways. This meant that doors had to be swung open or shut, and drawers had to be pulled open. The title also features a sanity mechanic that involved facing hallucinations after experiencing too many creepy things or staying in the darkness for too long. The storytelling was also noteworthy, largely relying on the environment itself to push the narrative forward. Along with this, players could also find notes written by other denizens of the castle to get a better idea of the events leading up to the game’s beginning.
While the follow-up – 2013’s Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs – was developed by The Chinese Room, the studio would return to developing the games itself with 2020’s Amnesia: Rebirth. Check out our review for more details.
The most recent entry in the series has been Amnesia: The Bunker. The title put players in the shoes of French soldier Henri Clément trapped in a deep bunker during World War 1. A major addition to the franchise with this game was giving players the ability to fight back thanks to the availability of guns. However, ammo remains scarce, so the player will also have to rely on their wits rather than only using their weapons.
In our review, we gave Amnesia: The Bunker a score of 8 out of 10 thanks to its tense atmosphere, non-linear exploration and sandbox-style gameplay, as well as a compelling mystery. We did, however, find the controls to feel a bit clunky. The fact that some situations require trial and error also led to some frustration.
