The Long Dark Reviews

The Long Dark is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Aug 6, 2017

Calling The Long dark a "survival game" is not enough. It is a thoughtful, moving experience about loneliness in the wilderness, how to respect nature in order to be respected by it. Easily one of the best, if not the best, in the genre.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Shacknews
Top Critic
9 / 10
Oct 9, 2021

The Quiet Apocalypse isn't without problems, but Hinterland's commitment to adding new content, while refining the experience over the years, has positioned The Long Dark at the top of the survival genre's pecking order. The Long Dark is a must-play for anyone who is even remotely intrigued by it.

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9 / 10.0
Jan 9, 2019

A thoroughly thoughtful re-imagining of The Long Dark which tightens everything up deftly, The Long Dark is making grizzly-sized strides in its evolution and is essential for fans of taut, survival adventures.

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90 / 100
Aug 16, 2017

The Long Dark is a tense and harrowing experience both in Story and Survival modes.

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90%
Aug 18, 2017

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

9 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2020

The Long Dark is not only one of the best survival games available, it also features a thrilling story with twists and turns at every corner. Thanks to the multiple play modes that provide many many hours of entertainment, The Long Dark is truly the type of game to want if ever stranded on a deserted island, or stuck in a lone cabin in the middle of the Canadian Arctic.

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XboxEra
Flugel Meister
9 / 10.0
Apr 16, 2020

If you want a challenging but enjoyable title, this is definitely it.

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Andy Kelly
Top Critic
85 / 100
Aug 4, 2017

Deep, brutal, and hauntingly atmospheric, The Long Dark is a survival game done right.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 16, 2017

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.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 22, 2020

Despite some graphical concessions, The Long Dark on Nintendo Switch is an excellent port of a very good survival game

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 4, 2017

After nearly three years surviving in alpha, The Long Dark has finally launched its long-awaited story mode, and it's worth playing

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85 / 100
Nov 12, 2019

The Long Dark is an amazing spectacle of narrative brilliance and survival. The twists and unexpected turns of the story are complemented by the survival mechanics that are challenging and thought provoking. The Survival Mode gives players a sandbox to play in, and allows them to play and survive how they see fit. With the story being released in episodic expansions, there's always a reason to come back and play.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 6, 2017

Many gamers will bounce off of The Long Dark – it is extremely difficult and makes you remember about very basic stuff. The final version of the game offers a mediocre story mode and features some boring repetitiveness but overall quality is great – fans of slow exploration and learning will love it.

Review in Polish | Read full review

Pure Nintendo
Kira C
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 16, 2020

The Long Dark is a title that successfully uses the classic plot device of man vs. nature. With so much detail put into the gameplay, it can be easy to feel as cold as your player in this freezing Canadian wilderness. The endlessly entertaining survival mode lets you explore Great Bear Island to your heart's desire.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 16, 2017

The Long Dark is a satisfying experience of survival that is both realistic and has good game mechanics.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2018

The Long Dark is a well cultivated survival game with an enthralling story mode heavily influenced by the early access survival mode which granted the game success back in 2014. The Long Dark beautifully pairs together intense survival an intriguing story resulting in an entrancing and addictive experience. With more content to come in future The Lone Dark is rewarding and enjoyable game, one that makes it worth struggling through those long cold nights.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 23, 2017

The Long Dark is the perfect example of the kind of game you can make when you aren't rushed to release.

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82 / 100
Aug 22, 2017

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

8 / 10
Aug 5, 2017

The Long Dark is a strong survival title, possibly even the strongest of the entire genre. A beautiful, but dangerous Canadian wilderness provides the backdrop to a challenging, but largely satisfying fight for survival. While micromanaging every facet of your well-being while trying to survive might sound tedious in description, it actually ends up being fun, satisfying, and even tense.  With three more episodes to come for this title's story mode, there's already tons of content to chow down on. Just watch out for the wolves.

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8 / 10.0
Aug 7, 2017

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.

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