Frictional Games is celebrating the spooky season with a free update for its acclaimed WW1 horror Amensia: The Bunker, designed to make the already traumatic experience even more terrifying. And if your nerves are up to the challenge, the Halloween Update launches today.

Frictional's creative lead Fredrik Olsson began teasing a hardcore Shell Shock mode last month, detailing a few of the sadistic features it would bring, but with it now here as part of today's Halloween Update, the studio has provided a little more information on what's in store.

For starters, as previously confirmed, The Bunker's Admin Office will no longer be the safe haven it once was in Shell Shock mode; its reassuringly sturdy steel doors are replaced with wood, meaning, yes, the monster can get in. And speaking of that pursuing horror, Shell Shock mode gives it new behaviours designed to increase its unpredictability.

Elsewhere, lockers and their combinations will now appear in random locations, meaning you won't be able to rely on prior knowledge each playthrough, and saving your progress now requires using limited fuel. And if your mind immediately springs to the Fuel Storage Room, which previously offered some respite in the form of unlimited fuel, it's been locked and has its own combination located somewhere in the bunker. Not that finding it will be easy - electricity must be restored to each Bunker zone individually to illuminate your surroundings.

And finally for the big changes, a new hardcore health system means recovery from injury won't be as straightforward as it once was. Bleeding now causes players to lose health and can only be stopped using bandages. Bandages won't, however, recover health - you'll need to turn to medkits to get back into tip-top condition.

All the above is active when playing through Amnesia: The Bunker's new Shell Shock mode, but if you want to go easier on yourself, a new custom mode enables over 30 different parameters to be checked and unchecked to create a more tailored experience. Both these features are exclusive to New Game Plus mode, which is oridinarily unlocked after completing the game once on a standard difficulty. However, those eager for some immediate punishment can access New Game Plus right way using a Frictional-sanctioned cheat.

Amnesia: The Bunker's free Halloween update - which also adds a new Training Grounds practice area - launches today, 25th October, on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.