I was intrigued to try out The Bunker, which is the Switch’s first FMV experience, set in a dark, nuclear bunker, in the midst of a war. The lead character, John, played by actor Adam Brown, was born and raised in said bunker. His daily routine is all that he knows and his character dances between relatable and not relatable. His circumstances of living are very specific to him, but his fearful personality of the unknown connects to the player who acts as an observer through the story. The setup of this plot-based adventure, I found to be very well crafted. I wanted to know the story behind each of the characters.. I was often shown just enough wash to start to draw conclusions that raised questions about the plot, keeping me intrigued and immersed within the first half hour. But as the tale unfolded, I started to lose what had grabbed me in the beginning of the story.

The bunker itself was presented as a pseudo-character, with a very mysterious story left to be discovered. After the first hour though, I had a decent idea where the plot was headed, and the bunker itself went from an interesting, lively environment, to really just a level in a game that was trying too hard to be scary. Because of how quickly I figured out what was going on, or rather, what had happened in the bunker prior to the game starting, I went from being immersed to merely curious as to how the plot would play out. I was more interested in what had happened from point A to point B, because I solved the ending quickly, but The Bunker presents the conclusion as it’s grand finale, which for me, wasn’t very grandiose. It’s actually a really nice story. It is immersive, and I think younger players (mind that they don’t get too scared), will enjoy the story.

The nature of the genre asks for minimal player interaction, so the UI is extremely simple, and the footage is the primary focus of the game. The gameplay is split up between quick time events and point-clicking. There’s not a lot to interact with, and for someone like myself who can’t stand puzzles that require collecting items and trying to use them on every possible item in a scene, this was very pleasant. That said, for the niche of players who are looking for an intense puzzle adventure, this is not for you. The hardest aspect, is actually optional. There are several collectibles floating around, that can be completely missed if not spotted. You can’t really backtrack as you advance through the plot, because areas are often gated off after you pass through. This is probably to prevent the player from getting lost, and maintaining the pacing of the game, which is appreciated, but it makes collecting everything a problem. If you miss something, you have to finish the story and start over to get another go. Thankfully, the story is short, at about two hours.

I think the biggest thing to stress here, is that this game is for a specific kind of audience. It’s not as interactive as most games, because everything you do, prompts a cutscene. All in all, The Bunker was a fun ride. It grabbed me in the beginning with it’s presentation. The great cast, and direction of the movie shown showcased a lot of effort that paid off. There wasn’t a moment I ever cringed, or raised an eyebrow. In fact, I actually winced and closed my eyes at one part because of the graphic nature of the scene. It’s short, and replayability is pushed for because of the insertion of collectibles and a branching path ending. But I didn’t find these enticing enough to come back. Once in the Bunker, was enough for me.