In the middle of World War I, you play as Henri Clement, a soldier who is haunted by his past. Amnesia: The Bunkers drops players in head first into the action. As you escape the trenches only to be forced into what would have previously been the safe haven of the Bunker, Henri wakes to find that he has to take his first and final stand against the terrors within. Something had terrified the soldiers enough to blow a hole into the Bunker, leaving Henri and other sick soldiers behind. Some lost their minds and were forced to roam the Roman Tunnels until starvation kicked in. But being dehydrated and starving for escape, are what you are experiencing even real or is there something more sinister going on? This is Vincent’s guide on the Monster in Amnesia: The Bunker.
What Amnesia games previously did is handle psychological issues in that our protagonist is slowly losing their minds through visions and hostile imaginary enemies. But The Bunker is different in this regard. Instead, the Monster is very much real. Whilst my initial thoughts were that the Monster was Lambert but in the form of Henri’s guilt after finding him at the bottom of the pit, I had sort-of guessed the Monster’s identity. I also thought that perhaps the Monster was discovered through the Roman Tunnels but once again, this was only a half-baked theory that would be broadened further after exploring the torture pit and reading through a lot of documents.
WARNING: Major Spoilers for Amnesia: The Bunker
What is the Monster in The Bunker?
The revelation of the Monster, titled as the Beast by Frictional Games (which we will refer to it as throughout) is actually both heart-breaking as it is disturbing. Documentation reveals that the French Army found something in the Roman Tunnels whilst attempting to dig towards the German lines. When you enter into the Tunnels you will find strange glistening rocks against the walls that appear to be able to float. Who knows when these rocks came to Earth or if they have been here all along but its discovery results in increased aggressiveness and paranoia in the soldiers. It makes them sick and distorts their biggest fears as they serve. Even though the rocks appear to have a psychological affect on the soldiers’ wellbeing, there is also a physical effect that takes place.
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The Story of Two Brothers in Arms
This physical alteration only happens to Henri’s best friend and comrade, Lambert. This is the soldier who saved Henri in the trenches and is later found at the bottom of the pit, surrounded by the mysterious rocks. Although in the Intro we assume that Lambert had died from the explosion, we learn that Lambert returned to the Bunker without a single scratch on him. Henri however both lost his memory and nearly died from the explosions. The effects of the rocks did something lifechanging to Lambert. It gave him more strength than ever which initially Lambert was thrilled about. But his focus on missing his daughter, whilst also feeling the paranoia of his comrades, lead to a destructive path.
Lambert speaks about being stabbed in the back in his journal. We also read about Henri’s regret and nausea that he is unable to eat due to something terrible that he did. Whilst I do not know the truth about these journal entries, I wonder if Henri had something to do with Lambert falling into that pit to begin with. Lambert had transformed into the Beast that we all know at this point. He began murdering his fellow comrades by hiding in the walls and grabbing those who passed by. He grew sensitive and scared of light which pushed him into living in the rocks that formed the shape of the Bunker, likely transforming him further due to being linked directly to the rocks.
If you happen to find the Bunny Toy make sure that you give it to the Beast by throwing it his way when he comes out to attack you. You will witness a touching scene of Lambert, the Beast, reacting to the Bunny. He will later take it to his den (the Chapel) and place it on the front table, likely praying to see his daughter again. The only thing I am confused about is depending on what you do in the final ‘boss fight’ does not change the outcome of the game, offering a different Achievement depending on the Beast’s fate. I would have loved to see something like ‘Goodbye Friend’ Achievement to link the two friends together if you escape the Bunker without killing the Beast.
That was Vincent’s guide on the Monster’s identity in Amnesia: The Bunker. We hope you enjoyed this read love this game as much as I did when playing. Thank you for reading. For more content and guides, we have a lot available at Gamer Journalist.
