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A skulking, stalking, shrieking terror that lurks beneath the bombshell blasted battlefields in Amnesia: The Bunker, The Beast, The Stalker, the evil bitey Mole Monster, it has a few names, but the creature you face off against in this game is no joke. It's a mutated monster straight out of your nightmares, but there's quite a tragic tale to this subterranean slaughter-beast.
Unkillable, always around, and sensitive to sound, it devastates the Bunker and all within. It seems to come out of nowhere, but it did arrive there by the most unsuspecting means. To shed some light on this darkness-dwelling demon, here's the Beast in Amnesia: The Bunker, explained.
What Is The Beast?
The Beast is the primary antagonistic force in Amnesia: The Bunker. It resembles a giant mutated Mole-like creature with the twisted, screaming visage of a man.
It's a hulking monster that's bigger than a man with large arms with even larger claws. It can burrow through the Bunker's floors and walls like a hot knife through butter and it's so resilient that it's almost unkillable.
It was first encountered by French Soldiers during World War One, and as far as we know, is the only one of its kind. The original Bunker team that found the creature were slain to a man after, but some would say their fate was deserved.
That's because before the monster arrived, those inside the Bunker had already gone through hell. Deep beneath the military site, the French had found what were thought to be ancient Roman Tunnels.
They were in fact part of an old Mithraic Cult ritual site, and the profane acts that took place there blighted those lost halls and anyone that dare step foot within.
Whilst trying to excavate the tunnels to sneak under German lines, many of the soldiers sent down to dig began experiencing vivid hallucinations and visions, with some completely succumbing to madness.
Worse still, spectral shades prowl the rabbit warren of tunnels and though they can't harm the living, they didn't exactly help.
By the time the Beast appears, the men — after rising tensions with a sadistic Officer core — mounted a failed mutiny. The mutineers were tortured and left to starve to death, if not executed on the spot.
Those that remained were the ones in charge and those that remained loyal, by choice and not.
Then, the Beast emerged.
The Origins Of The Beast
The interesting thing about the creature is that it's not a monster that appeared after digging too deep or something that fell through a portal. Instead, the denizens of this underground hideaway are hunted by something home-grown, one of their own.
The Beast is Augustin Lambert, a French Soldier who was part of the original group stationed there. Drinking from some strange water in a cavern after being injured in an ambush whilst out on patrol changed him.
This liquid was revealed to the world by a German shell and was fed to Augustin by his friend and fellow squaddie Henri Clément. The water seemed to miraculously revive him and allowed the previously grievously wounded Soldier to rescue his friend Henri during a Mortar attack.
But as Henri remained in a coma from injuries sustained during their escapades, Augustin had a much tougher time. Periodically he would transform into his monstrous form against his will and what happened next was always out of his control.
Apart from Henri, the Soldiers in the Bunker were slaughtered to a man, or at least left gravely injured. Amnesia: The Bunker begins after Henri awakens from his coma and the Beast has wiped out pretty much everyone else.
The Beasts Weaknesses
The worrisome thing about the Beast is that it seems immortal. Bullets and bayonets can injure it, but it only slows it down or briefly deters it. Then it comes back, wounds healed and with an unfathomable vengeance in its mind.
Thankfully, its eyesight is very poor. Instead, this behemoth relies on sound to navigate the pitch-black tunnels below the earth, so if one is silent, you could sneak past it. Though, it’ll probably be in the dark, as the sound of Henri’s rattling torch is enough to send it into a frenzy.
The beast is incredibly durable, but it can be deterred and driven off with the right 'encouragement'. For example, fire, explosives, and numerous gunshots will send it scurrying off to the dark corners of the Bunker, but only for a while. It always comes back.
In gameplay, sound is a major factor. Any gunshot, explosion, or loud noise will draw its immediate attention.
Any accidental banging brings a quick visit from this wailing monster, and it hangs around for a long while after appearing.
The Fate Of The Beast
The Beast does have a role to play in the finale of the game. It acts as a roadblock in the last area, and it can be fought or escaped from.
The choice that's made also impacts the ending very minorly, but it's still pretty interesting.
The Beast is encountered in an ancient arena at the heart of the 'Roman' tunnels underneath the Bunker.
If Henri chooses to fight the creature he'll have to lure the monster onto some breakable boards that can be destroyed to drop it into the seemingly bottomless abyss below.
If Henri decides to flee the monster, he just has to raise or lower bridges around the arena and then leave through a tunnel.
The Beast In The Ending Of Amnesia: The Bunker
If Henri fights the beast, it won't appear in the last cutscene of Amnesia: The Bunker where our protagonist escapes the tunnel, tumbles down a cliff, and into a ditch of the dead as a German patrol draws near.
However, if he instead runs from it, the Beast makes one last appearance in the finale. Most of the same cutscene plays out, but this time the creature also appears at the exit.
Roaring in defiance before shambling off into the woods to never be seen again, its screeches draw the attention of a nearby German patrol as the screen fades to black, and it's all left a little ambiguous.