Darkwood Reviews
Unfortunately for me Darkwood is unintelligible, and I'm genuinely sad that I wasn't able to appreciate the many merits of a game because I simply had no way of actually making sense of it.
Darkwood is a fine open-world survival experience, and spins a good yarn, but doesn't quite succeed as a horror game. The ominous veneer wears off quickly enough, and you're left with a somewhat cumbersome Don't Starve clone. Darkwood has its moments and will please a certain dedicated breed, but less masochistic general gaming audiences may find the title more tedious than terrifying. Don't venture into these woods unless you're prepared to rough it.
Survival games tend to not be for the impatient or faint at heart as it is, so when you start one up and it literally tells you that it won’t hold your hand it’s hard not to be a bit nervous...
Darkwood for the Nintendo Switch will certainly scratch the itch of a survival focused gamer. This takes the premise of games like Don't Starve, then takes itself much more seriously and makes it somewhat spookier. The harshness won't appeal to everyone, and the horror themes wear thin before too long, but for the right survivalist, or glutton for punishment, this may be exactly what you were looking for.
Darkwood has an interesting world, a story that can go in different directions depending on your decisions, and a gameplay loop that's exciting at times and tedious at others.
Darkwood is a game with potential, and I certainly hope the developers take any lessons learned from it and return with the killer horror title they’ve come close to creating.
Darkwood is one of those games where it's easy to have a mixed opinion on it.
As far as survival horrors on the Nintendo Switch go, Darkwood certainly knows how to keep players alert and on their toes, as well as to make them take their own decisions to survive. Where Darkwood doesn't fully stand out is when it comes to its visual environment, as well as on solving technical issues but beyond that, this is a game that will satisfy fans of the survival horror genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Try to escape a haunting forest with an intriguing cast of characters in Darkwood.
Darkwood is really not for everyone's hands. Unforgiving and far from being linear, it's above all aimed to gamers who are experienced in the survival genre. The sound design is neat and conveys a real feeling of despair and horror, even if the visuals and the game design in general lack of variety.
Review in French | Read full review
Darkwood is on the verge of greatness. The terrifying and foreboding atmosphere it manages to create is unmatched in the genre, while the scares themselves are earned and equally alarming. The experience is somewhat held back by gameplay annoyances, but they're not enough to sway a recommendation.
Darkwood succeeds in creating a haunting atmosphere that will leave even veteran horror gamers on edge, but it has its fair share of tedious moments as well.
Darkwood does a great job of showing off its weird, unsettling world, but it struggles to tell players what they have to do. The woods are home to secrets and terrible truths alike. Though it falls short of reaching its full potential, mostly due to questionable controls and cumbersome combat, this horror game is worth the experience on the merits of its haunting atmosphere alone.
Darkwood is a work of absolute value, able to create a sense of deep and pervasive restlessness, which results in anxiety at the beginning of each night. On consoles, the game suffers from a more cumbersome gameplay. A cruel adventure, suitable for those who think they have seen everything in their videogame career.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Darkwood is a thrilling survival horror game that delivers a unique experience with its pixel art top-down graphics, great sound design and gameplay in mysterious woods full of danger lurking behind every tree and corner.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Darkwood is not a game for everyone – and that's perfect. As a survival horror game, it's one of the tensest and scariest experiences I've encountered. There is a very European soul in here, a desperation and acceptance of death that we can only see in eastern productions, giving us a hard look at something different, but equally beautiful.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Despite being such a common setting in horror, it feels like there aren’t that many big games that utilize the woods (The Forest is probably the best other example), especially to the level Darkwood does. Every decision is informed by the setting, from the survival mechanics to the enemy types to the tone and story. This cohesion of theme makes it stand out in the crowded indie horror market, providing scares that AAA games have trouble achieving. But just like getting lost in the woods, be prepared to spend some time fumbling around in the dark before finding the path.
The top-down survival horror also appeared on next-gen consoles, and although it doesn't scare that much, it looks well on PS5. But it is a fun journey.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Darkwood manages to pull off horror to a truley stunning degree. What minor gameplay annoyances that there are in the game are more than covered for by the exploration and atmosphere.
Darkwood is a simple but hugely satisfying top-down horror survival game that will have you jumping at shadows.