The Long Dark Reviews
The Long Dark takes an interesting approach to the bustling survival genre by adding a story-heavy campaign, and it looks to be paying off so far. The tale being told in Wintermute has not developed into anything wildly deep at this point and there has yet to be given much of a reason to care for the characters in play, but by the end of the second episode I still felt the desire to see everything through to the end. I needed to know how this unique apocalypse pans out, so the developer is clearly doing something right. The slow, methodical pacing may turn some potential players away, but those that can carry the weight of the game’s encumbering systems will find a gorgeous adventure worth the time investment.
Keep that fire burning, stay warm… and beware the wolf.
I’ve played plenty of the different survival games that are available at the moment, yet it’s The Long Dark that has hooked me in the most. The desolate wintery setting just appealed to me from the get go, whilst the tense ‘risk vs reward’ gameplay kept me entertained from start to end. Plus, I can always appreciate a story mode in a game like this – even if it’s not quite finished it… It’s not without its flaws, but overall I’d easily recommend The Long Dark to survival fans. It’s tough as nails and you’re going to die a lot, but it’s so intensely enjoyable that you won’t be able to help but to keep coming back for more.
The Long Dark is the perfect example of the kind of game you can make when you aren't rushed to release.
Surviving is difficult and for every mistake you make you are going to be punished. The Long Dark shows this the right way with an exellent gameplay, although some technical issues can get in the way sometimes. The campaign mode has its problems, but since the game is based on episodes, it can be improved and the game's whole mystery encourages you to follow its story.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While the story mode leaves something to be desired, the survival mechanics of The Long Dark's sandbox make it worthwhile. We have three more episodes of Will's journey to weave a wider story throughout the alternately unforgiving and inviting Canadian terrain. In the meantime, I'll be sitting back with my coffee mug, reflecting on my own small stories within The Long Dark.
Yes it has a few niggles but overall its a fresh look at a very stereotyped genre.
It has become one of those games interested in transmitting something else, instead of making us have an entertaining time without more. His way of facing nature is plausible (saving perhaps some other detail), such as making us go through an ordeal, whether we are beginners, the learning process, as if we are experts, for the possibility of modifying the difficulty, Because the long darkness, the real one, is what there is after each game, when it's all over. Luckily, we can face that moment again and again, try to do better, prolong it more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Long Dark is a very ambitious survival title that ages like wine. The older it is, the better it is. The fans of the survival genre should be thrilled and the casual players won't be disappointed either.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
I would highly recommend giving The Long Dark a go, especially if you’re after something different and love the idea of a survival sim with an interesting story.
The Long Dark is a satisfying experience of survival that is both realistic and has good game mechanics.
The Long Dark is a tense and harrowing experience both in Story and Survival modes.
With better job on technical aspects The Long Dark would be a pretty good game. As for now, it's better to wait for a sale and patches.
Review in Polish | Read full review
In a genre which is suffocating, The Long Dark stands out among the crowd as perhaps the best. Brutal, unforgiving survival wrapped up in a very plausible scenario where beauty kills.
Bugs and a rough story weaken what is, at its core, a great survival game.
The wilderness is satisfyingly unforgiving. The world is fun to explore, but story mode offers a lackluster narrative
A pleasingly complex and realistic survival simulator, accompanied by a story mode that so far fails to be anywhere near as compelling.
A good survival experience that could have been even better with a little more polish on its console versions.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I really, really, wanted to love The Long Dark, but a myriad of poor design choices and bugs teamed with a complete lack of instruction made it one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. You can pick some objects up, but not others, you can smash a crate to bits for firewood, but not a table, and none of this makes any sense. If you were freezing death, you'd burn the frigging table! Survival mode is by far the best way to experience the game offering some gorgeous views and real sense of achievement when you make things nice and cosy, it's just a shame that Story mode is so poorly thought out.
The Long Dark is a shot in the arm for the survival game. The story mode is a decent addition, adding some mystique to the cold wilds, yet it currently doesn't trump the personal stories you create outside of it in survival mode, where joy, hope, dread, terror, and despair come in unpredictable waves. The game's harsh, grounded style will divide opinion, but it truly feels like a fresh perspective that incorporates the risks and rewards of survival and exploration.