Gloomwood
- September 5, 2022
- Nate Berens
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Gloomwood" is a single-player horror shooter game set in a foggy, twisted Victorian metropolis with an intriguing story and ingenious game mechanics. The game offers a hand-crafted city for freeform exploration, a detailed stealth and sound system, and a unique arsenal of weapons for any situation. With stunning graphics, atmospheric music and in-depth player interactivity, "Gloomwood" promises a chilling and immersive experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Gloomwood offers a unique blend of immersive sim and survival horror gameplay, reminiscent of classic titles like Thief and Resident Evil.
- The game features excellent level design with multiple paths and solutions to challenges, encouraging exploration and creativity.
- The atmosphere and sound design are top-notch, creating a tense and immersive experience that keeps players engaged.
- Currently, the game is quite short, with only a few hours of content available, which may not justify the full price for some players.
- The AI can be inconsistent, sometimes failing to react appropriately to player actions, which can break immersion.
- The save system can be punishing, as players must rely on specific save points, leading to frustration if they die before reaching one.
- gameplay1,187 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Gloomwood has received a mix of praise and criticism, highlighting its engaging stealth mechanics, atmospheric design, and immersive sim elements reminiscent of classic titles like Thief and Resident Evil. Players appreciate the variety of approaches available for tackling challenges, though many note that the current early access version offers limited content, typically around 2-4 hours of gameplay, which some feel does not justify the price. Overall, while the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, there are calls for further development and refinement to enhance the experience.
“With great gameplay, excellent level design, a fantastic atmosphere, and charming graphics, there is so much to like about Gloomwood.”
“The gameplay is solid, uncomplicated yet satisfying, possesses a sufficiently tactical feel, and truly nails the way the games of the era 'Gloomwood' is meant to emulate felt and played.”
“The stealth gameplay is pretty in depth and is a lot of fun.”
“Early access for two years, yet there's only a few hours of gameplay.”
“The actual gameplay was rather disappointing.”
“This play time for the first level will almost guarantee that the game is not eligible for a refund via Steam's agreement and given its loss of nearly every actual game mechanic leaves the player tricked into owning a game that is more or less a single level long.”
- atmosphere743 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Gloomwood" is widely praised for its immersive and richly detailed design, drawing strong comparisons to classic titles like "Thief" and "Bloodborne." Reviewers highlight the game's gothic aesthetic, exceptional sound design, and the ability to evoke a sense of dread and intrigue, making exploration feel rewarding and engaging. Overall, the atmosphere is considered one of the game's standout features, contributing significantly to its appeal as a stealth and horror experience.
“The atmosphere, aesthetics, mystery, and gameplay scratch an itch in my brain that I do not have words for and it always makes me so happy when a game can do that; so far Gloomwood and the Thief games have succeeded.”
“The atmosphere in this game is very strong, and it immediately sets the mood for this game from the get-go.”
“The atmosphere of Gloomwood is phenomenal!”
“The atmosphere alone doesn't cut it.”
“Video games are an artform, and although the mechanics are all there, the atmosphere is completely missing.”
“I did not like how all locations felt too similar in terms of atmosphere and color palette; in Thief/Dishonored, each level felt different.”
- graphics499 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of *Gloomwood* are characterized by a nostalgic, low-poly aesthetic reminiscent of late 90s and early 2000s games, particularly drawing inspiration from titles like *Thief* and *Resident Evil*. While some players appreciate the retro style for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, others find the visuals dated and lacking in polish. Overall, the game's art direction effectively complements its horror themes, creating a unique blend of old-school charm and modern gameplay mechanics.
“While many would-be-retro games attempt to blend old-school graphics with modern techniques, often resulting in a mix that feels neither here nor there, Gloomwood stands out as a masterclass in capturing that authentic retro experience.”
“The graphics and aesthetics of Gloomwood are spot on for the era it seeks to emulate.”
“The mixed old/modern graphics are gorgeous, the Dishonored-inspired gameplay offers the perfect mix of stealth, action, and strategy, the AI is threatening and responsive, the story and the atmosphere, clearly inspired by Bloodborne, are wonderfully creepy and haunting.”
“The graphics are, let's say, rudimentary, and some of the mechanics are a bit janky--especially opening/closing doors--but these are things you'd expect from an early access game.”
“Visually, Gloomwood looks quite poor, lacking in both graphics and animations.”
“The dark visuals seem to be supposed to hide the lack of polygons and general 'carved by an axe' feel that you get when you see today the games of 20+ years ago.”
- story405 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of Gloomwood is described as intriguing and atmospheric, with a strong emphasis on environmental storytelling and piecing together narrative elements through exploration. While many players appreciate the mystery and potential of the plot, they note that the current content is limited, leaving them craving more depth and backstory. Overall, the game shows promise, but its early access state means the story is still developing, with players eager for future updates to expand on the narrative.
“The storytelling is phenomenal and really intriguing.”
“The story is perhaps the main highlight, despite this currently being in version 0.1, the story is intriguing and fascinating and by the time you reach the lighthouse, I found myself engrossed and eager for more.”
“It's got a gripping story so far, and has had me on the edge of my seat my entire playthrough.”
“There are barely any story elements to keep you interested and make it worth going forward.”
“The story so far is quite plain; there is a mystery on the lands you arrive which turn people sick, twisted, and aggressive, but so far very little to none is explained.”
“The bad: short, unfinished, and the story is lackluster and confusing.”
- humor91 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending genuinely funny moments with dark, unsettling themes. Players appreciate the comedic enemy dialogue, amusing mechanics, and unexpected interactions, such as enemies accidentally igniting each other. Overall, the game successfully balances lightheartedness with its more serious elements, creating a fun and engaging experience.
“The enemy dialogue is so hilarious and made what was already an incredibly fun and engaging game a 11/10.”
“The game mechanics are frequently surprising and hilarious, as huntsmen with torches come to investigate sounds near gunpowder barrels.”
“I am not very good at being sneaky, but failing at being sneaky was very funny.”
“But there's no Benny character, so it's not funny when it happens, either, unfortunately.”
- music71 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the overall mood and tension, with standout elements like the save room phonograph theme receiving particular praise. However, some players feel that the soundtrack can be sparse or generic at times, lacking memorable tracks outside of the ambient soundscapes. Overall, while the music contributes significantly to the game's eerie and immersive experience, there are calls for more variety and depth in the soundtrack.
“The audio helps a lot with this, both the atmospheric sounds and the music that intertwine, becoming indistinguishable at times.”
“The atmosphere was awesome, the music and sound design foreboding enough that even though I was comfortably side-hopping through levels, I still caught myself checking corners fearfully.”
“The sound and music are exceptional; levels are detailed and thoughtfully designed allowing for multiple play styles and replays; it is super spooky at times - I felt the pins and needles of actual fright more than a few times.”
“The things I hope they end up improving further on are the soundtrack since it's a bit too lax or dull enough that you quickly forget there are any sounds in the game besides the SFX of coughing, growling, and steps.”
“Music appears non-existent outside of the repeating jingle of the save-phonographs, but I’m unsure as to if there will be any in the final game.”
“Music/ambience is also very generic; it sounds like tracks taken from a YouTube no copyright channel, very forgettable.”
- replayability65 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the dynamic gameplay and multiple approaches to encounters that enhance replay value, others feel that the current content is limited, resulting in a shorter experience. Some reviewers highlight the potential for replayability through different difficulty levels and exploration, but note that the early access version lacks sufficient content to fully justify multiple playthroughs. Despite these concerns, the game's polished mechanics and immersive design suggest a promising future for replayability as more content is added.
“Because of the dynamic way you can approach encounters, the game feels like a well of replayability.”
“The game is very replayable; my initial first run in it was when the territory near the city was already available, but the city itself wasn't. This run took me like 8 hours, and now the same distance takes me maybe 2 hours when I explore everything. Still, I find new ways to do stuff, which is very cool and not every AAA game does that.”
“This open-ended design philosophy for its levels allows Gloomwood to be approached in a myriad of different ways, providing a great deal of player expression and replayability.”
“The game is far more straightforward in its gameplay, which means less replayability than in games like Ultrakill, which features an endless mode and scoreboards.”
“Ok, it seems to have potential to be the next big immersive sim game. So far, it's a lot of fun, but even for early access, its short two hours is not enough gameplay, and it's not very replayable. You can explore everywhere and try every option on your first sitting, so that's a downer. I would recommend skipping for now and coming back later when it's out.”
“Only 2 hours of content (I explored the map all over, that's why it's 4 hours), and the existing areas are not that replayable.”
- grinding42 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is often perceived as tedious and slow, particularly due to AI behavior and inventory management issues. Players express frustration with the pacing, feeling that it forces them to play at the AI's tempo, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the atmosphere and level design, many suggest that improvements are needed to reduce the tediousness associated with stealth mechanics and combat.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“In summary, Gloomwood, as of the time of this review, is tedious, and you play the game at the AI's pace.”
“This quickly became tedious, so I uninstalled.”
“The walking and holster position is just too slow even for a stealth game; it just gets tedious after a while.”
- stability32 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting minimal to no bugs or glitches during gameplay. While some users noted occasional minor issues, such as lighting problems or enemies getting stuck, the majority experienced smooth performance and robust mechanics, making it a standout early access title. Players have expressed satisfaction with the game's stability, highlighting its bug-free experience compared to other recent releases.
“Rare is the early access indie game that runs great with expert delivery in all aspects of gameplay, sound design, and visuals.”
“So far I've experienced no glitches, and the challenge is right in the sweet spot.”
“The game feels smooth to play and is generally bug free.”
“The fact that all actions feel clunky in a buggy sense and performance is unstable on i7 + RTX 3060 are not helping either.”
“This game is buggy in all the worst ways.”
“For the most part, I have not run across many glitches besides a couple of enemies getting stuck in stairwell A in the fishery.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting performance issues such as choppy frame rates and random drops, even on high-end systems. While some users found temporary fixes by adjusting settings like lightmap quality, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance the overall experience. Despite these challenges, some players still appreciate the game's design and potential.
“This is what peak performance looks like.”
“Each playthrough, I find some new little wrinkle of the map, some new weird detail with the AI, or some new optimization that makes sailing through the levels even smoother.”
“So far my only issue was performance, but that was solved by lowering lightmap quality.”
“The fact that all actions feel clunky in a buggy sense and performance is unstable on i7 + RTX 3060 are not helping either.”
“I found the performance to be a bit choppy in places, where even though it said I was getting well over 120fps, it felt like I was getting short bursts of 30fps here and there.”
“The first immediately noticeable problem in Gloomwood are its odd performance issues, seemingly random frame drops from looking in certain directions. From what I could gather, these seem to be linked with the game's lightmap settings; turning them to 'low' made the problem disappear completely, but a more in-depth analysis would be required to find the root of the problem.”
- emotional22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a profound emotional impact from the game, experiencing a mix of fear, sadness, and nostalgia that few titles evoke. The atmosphere and small details enhance immersion, leading to moments of genuine emotional response, including tears and a sense of longing when faced with the game's unfinished state. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to elicit strong feelings, making it a memorable experience.
“The game in its current state is 100% worth it, but if you want the full package and do not want to cry for 3 hours looking at the 'end of early access' screen, consider being patient until it comes out.”
“I don't quite know what to say other than this game made me feel a way that very few games ever have.”
“I cried when I couldn't play anymore because it was unfinished.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its strong atmosphere and exceptional character design, which collectively contribute to a unique and immersive world.
“The atmosphere and character design are very well done and give the world a unique feeling.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of Gloomwood has drawn comparisons to classic titles like System Shock 2 and Thief, with some users noting its marketing as "Thief with guns." However, specific details on pricing or in-game purchases were not highlighted in the reviews.
