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 level design is intricate and rewarding, allowing for multiple approaches to challenges and encouraging exploration.
- The atmosphere and sound design are exceptional, creating a tense and immersive experience that keeps players engaged.
- The game currently lacks content, with only a few hours of gameplay available, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Enemy AI can be inconsistent, sometimes failing to react realistically 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 and lose progress.
- gameplay602 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Gloomwood has received mixed reviews, with many praising its immersive sim mechanics, stealth elements, and atmospheric design reminiscent of classic titles like Thief and Resident Evil. Players appreciate the depth of the stealth mechanics and the variety of approaches available for tackling challenges, though some criticize the AI and linearity of certain gameplay aspects. While the game currently offers a limited amount of content due to its early access status, the core mechanics and engaging atmosphere suggest strong potential for future updates.
“The gameplay is fantastic; it feels like they overhauled so much of what Deus Ex was trying to do.”
“Gloomwood is a wonderful marriage of immersive sim gameplay and Resident Evil-style survival horror with grid-based inventory management.”
“The gameplay loop is fun and engaging, if short.”
“I would write a scathing review about poor AI, linear gameplay, and the illusion of options, but quite frankly this game has tested my patience enough as it is.”
“The actual gameplay was rather disappointing.”
“After two years of development and a twenty dollar price tag, it has under 3 hours of gameplay.”
- atmosphere374 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % 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 exceptional sound design, gothic aesthetic, and the ability to evoke tension 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.
“One of the best indie games in recent years, the atmosphere alone is perfect, excellent sound design, and an interesting world.”
“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 is absolutely incredible.”
“The atmosphere alone doesn't cut it.”
“Video games are an artform, and although the mechanics are all there, the atmosphere is completely missing.”
“Even the game's atmosphere and story feel like a bit of a dud when the demo hinted at something much more fresh.”
- graphics248 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 60 % 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 Bloodborne. While some players appreciate the retro style for its charm and atmospheric qualities, others find the visuals dated and lacking in polish. Overall, the game's art direction effectively complements its immersive gameplay and horror elements, creating a unique blend of old and new that resonates well with fans of the genre.
“Absolutely amazing what a dev can accomplish when they use an art style and art direction to make a game that might be mediocre under other devs be amazing.”
“The graphics and aesthetics are on point for that era it's emulating, and the usage of modern techniques is so minimal it's almost impossible to notice.”
“Beautiful PS1-adjacent graphics with a strong and consistent dark Victorian aesthetic.”
“3+ years of development with PS1 graphics and a very small amount of game to show for it.”
“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.”
- story205 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story in Gloomwood is currently a work in progress, with many players finding it intriguing yet sparse, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and scattered notes to piece together the narrative. While some appreciate the atmospheric and mysterious elements, others express frustration over the lack of depth and clarity, particularly in its early access state. Overall, there is a strong desire for more content and development to enhance the storytelling experience as the game evolves.
“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.”
“The world, story, and characters all being revealed through notes, listening in on conversations, and lots of solid visual storytelling.”
“The story feels faint, but it's still a work in progress.”
“There are barely any story elements to keep you interested and make it worth going forward.”
“The bad: short, unfinished, and the story is lackluster and confusing.”
- humor45 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 7 % 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 interactions, and unexpected gameplay mechanics that lead to humorous outcomes, such as enemies accidentally harming each other. While some feel the humor could be more consistent, the overall lightheartedness and charm contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“It's genuinely unnerving at times, but it's also lighthearted and has its funny moments.”
“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.”
“But there's no Benny character, so it's not funny when it happens, either, unfortunately.”
“The jokes feel forced and often fall flat, making the humor feel more like a chore than a delight.”
“I expected clever wit, but instead, I was met with tired clichés that failed to elicit even a chuckle.”
- music36 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric and eerie qualities that enhance the overall experience, particularly during moments of tension and exploration. While some players find the soundtrack to be memorable and fitting for the game's dark aesthetic, others criticize it as generic or forgettable, suggesting that it lacks variety and impact. Overall, the sound design, including ambient sounds and the iconic save music, contributes significantly to the immersive atmosphere, though there are calls for a more robust musical presence throughout the gameplay.
“Great atmosphere carried by excellent art direction and ambient soundtracks.”
“The audio helps a lot with this, both the atmospheric sounds and the music that intertwine, becoming indistinguishable at times.”
“The music is perfect, the (limited) voice acting flows between camp and horror very well.”
“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.”
- replayability33 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the open-ended design and dynamic gameplay that encourages multiple approaches to encounters, some feel that the current content is limited, resulting in less replay value than expected. Despite its early access status, several reviewers highlight the potential for replayability through different difficulty levels and play styles, though some express concerns about the short length of the game affecting long-term engagement. In summary, while the game shows promise for replayability, particularly with its immersive sim elements, its current state may not fully satisfy those seeking extensive replay value.
“Because of the dynamic way you can approach encounters, the game feels like a well of replayability.”
“The gameplay, along with the different kinds of weapons, makes the game that much more enjoyable and replayable as well.”
“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.”
“Great game, not finished, (somewhat) little replayability.”
“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.”
“Ok, it seems to have potential to be the next big immersive sim game, 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.”
- grinding21 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is often perceived as tedious and slow, primarily due to frustrating AI behavior and cumbersome inventory management. While some players appreciate the atmosphere and level design, many express a desire for improvements to reduce the monotony and enhance the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the game struggles with pacing issues that detract from its potential enjoyment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Not to mention the awful AI design of all the creatures who immediately go from green (normal) to yellow (suspicious) when they spot you and become stationary looking left and right for about 8 seconds, which forces you to wait, slowing down this already tediously slow game.”
“In summary, Gloomwood, as of the time of this review, is tedious, and you play the game at the AI's pace.”
“The walking and holster position is just too slow even for a stealth game; it just gets tedious after a while.”
- stability17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 12 % neutral mentions
- 47 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is praised, with many players reporting a smooth experience and minimal bugs or glitches. While a few users noted occasional minor issues, the majority found the game to run well across various systems, including lower-end hardware. The consensus is that it delivers a robust and immersive experience reminiscent of classic immersive sims, with very few stability concerns.
“The game feels smooth to play and is generally bug free.”
“Rare is the early access indie game that runs great with expert delivery in all aspects of gameplay, sound design, and visuals.”
“I definitely recommend Gloomwood; I had no glitches or bugs, I was never detected through walls or killed unfairly, and had a blast exploring.”
“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 best 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.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % 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 instability, even on high-end systems. While some users found temporary fixes by adjusting settings like lightmap quality, the consensus is that the game requires further optimization to enhance the overall experience.
“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.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is profound, eliciting feelings of gloom, fear, and even tears from players. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a tense atmosphere and evoke strong emotional responses, with some expressing a deep connection to the narrative and characters. Overall, the game is praised for its immersive experience that resonates on a personal level, making it a memorable journey for players.
“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 cried when I couldn't play anymore because it was unfinished.”
“I don't quite know what to say other than this game made me feel a way that very few games ever have.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development for its strong atmosphere and impressive design, which contribute to a unique and immersive world.
“The atmosphere and character design are very well done, giving the world a unique feeling.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy for Gloomwood has drawn comparisons to classic titles like System Shock 2 and Thief, with some users labeling it as "Thief with guns" in its marketing. This suggests a focus on leveraging nostalgia for established franchises while potentially appealing to fans of both stealth and action gameplay.
