Long Night
- July 7, 2014
- Trickster Face
Long Night is a survival horror role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players must navigate through treacherous environments, combat terrifying creatures, and manage resources to survive. With a focus on choice and consequence, every decision made can have a lasting impact on the player's experience.
Reviews
- The game successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic survival horror games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, with fixed camera angles and a creepy atmosphere.
- The story is intriguing and features character development that keeps players emotionally invested, despite the game's short length.
- The horror elements, including the creepy visuals and unsettling sound design, effectively create a tense and immersive experience.
- The game is extremely short, often completed in under two hours, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and frustrated with the abrupt ending.
- Controls are clunky and unintuitive, leading to frequent deaths during chase sequences and making navigation difficult due to awkward camera angles.
- The game has been abandoned by its developers, meaning there will be no continuation of the story or resolution to the plot, rendering it more of a demo than a complete game.
- story42 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of the game presents a mix of intriguing elements and confusion, shifting between various genres and themes, which some players found compelling while others deemed it disjointed. Although the narrative has potential with interesting characters and a spooky atmosphere, it suffers from an unfinished feel, as it is only the first episode of an intended series that may never continue. Overall, while the storyline has depth and engaging moments, it leaves many loose ends and relies heavily on a classic horror aesthetic that may not resonate with all players.
“The good: spooky atmosphere, effective jump-scares, logical puzzles, genuinely interesting storyline (complete with clever red herrings), nice in-game graphics, and well-designed sound.”
“Tldr; overall, an interesting storyline with a lot of depth and detail.”
“Overall it is a very enjoyable experience, it is eerie, the story is interesting, and the characters are likable.”
“The world setting makes no sense, shifting from a campfire story to a B-movie slasher at the cabin setting to supernatural to dream sequences.”
“The story makes absolutely no sense, and the giant walls of text that make up the notes do little to give a sense that any more thought was put into what happens than weird things are afoot.”
“However, when you present a lot of story elements that the player can't unravel and decipher until they purchase the later episodes, it just feels weak.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its janky controls, broken mechanics, and a frustratingly short duration, often leaving players feeling unsatisfied. Many reviewers noted the repetitive elements and lack of clear explanations for game mechanics, which detracted from the overall experience. While some appreciated the horror elements and atmosphere, the consensus is that the gameplay flaws significantly hinder enjoyment and recommend caution before purchasing.
“A casually fun challenge level, moderately scary, and mechanics that were definitely imperfect but not enough to detract from the overall experience.”
“This is actually a detail I really like, because while lots of horror games have the exhaustion mechanic, this one actually comes up with a good explanation for why your character has the stamina of a two-year-old.”
“The cut scenes were well done, the atmosphere was spot on, but I honestly feel like the developers could have released more content, or at least fixed a few common bugs in gameplay before release.”
“Janky controls, broken mechanics, and ends just when it started to get really good.”
“The gameplay suffers primarily from stiff, occasionally bugged controls and repetitive elements.”
“Controls are terrible, gameplay in general is crap.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a primitive and unpolished aesthetic reminiscent of late 90s survival horror titles, akin to PS1 and PS2 visuals. While some appreciate the unique art design and atmospheric qualities that evoke nostalgia, others find the overall visual presentation mediocre and lacking in polish. Despite these criticisms, the graphics effectively contribute to the game's spooky atmosphere and storytelling, with some players expressing satisfaction with the in-game visuals and cut-scenes.
“From the first minute onwards, the game does a great job of giving back the atmosphere of the classic survival horror games from the late 90s, while sporting graphics that don't make the connection seem forced.”
“The good: spooky atmosphere, effective jump-scares, logical puzzles, genuinely interesting storyline (complete with clever red herrings), nice in-game graphics, and well-designed sound.”
“It takes me back to the classic gaming days of Silent Hill with its fixed camera angles and type of story, but with a twist of amazing artwork and up-to-date survival horror and suspense; unlike any other game I have played for a long time!”
“The graphics look halfway between a PS1 and PS2 game, and there's a slight unpolished feel to things.”
“While the graphics are primitive and performance unpolished, it has that unique art design most French games have, and it works.”
“Graphically, it's sort of okay, and the controls are decent when you're not wrestling with the camera (camera-relative controls and dramatic camera angles clash once again), but outside of that, there's really nothing that gets me itching to play episode 2.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, effectively capturing the essence of classic survival horror while incorporating modern graphics and sound design. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to build tension gradually, with a variety of unsettling elements that enhance the overall experience without relying heavily on jump scares. Despite some critiques regarding content and bugs, the atmospheric execution remains a standout feature that resonates well with players.
“The unspoken rule for horror games is... start slow, get used to the controls and to the atmosphere... and then the first enemy appears.”
“There was a good atmosphere throughout and a refreshing variety of different types of creepy, none of which were particularly jump-scarey -- another plus.”
“From the first minute onwards, the game does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of classic survival horror games from the late 90s, while sporting graphics that don't make the connection seem forced.”
“The unspoken rule for horror games is to start slow, get used to the controls and the atmosphere, and then the first enemy appears.”
“The developers took some serious inspiration from Silent Hill with surreal atmospheres, frustratingly deliberate camera angles, and view-dependent control schemes.”
“The atmosphere is creepy.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered pleasant and contributes positively to the atmosphere, though it is described as clichéd and sometimes overwhelming due to its volume compared to other sounds. Additionally, the lack of audio controls, such as the ability to disable or adjust the music, has been noted as a drawback.
“Good soundtrack, pleasant art and atmosphere in general.”
“The music, from what I gathered, was cliché; it wasn't horrible, so that's a bonus, I guess.”
“There are no audio controls -- no option to disable the music, nor a slider to adjust the volume.”
“The music isn't bad; it's just loud compared to the other sounds, and it somehow makes my head want to explode when getting frustrated with the running puzzles.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for its buggy controls and camera issues, leading to a frustrating experience. Users report that these technical flaws, combined with repetitive gameplay and a lack of coherent narrative, detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.
“But with the complete lack of conclusion or real explanation of the setting (you may piece it together from notes you find, if you care to read them all), the short duration, and the additional flaws of repetitive gameplay and stiff, buggy controls, I can't even use nostalgia as an excuse to recommend it.”
“It will never be finished, camera is stupid, sometimes buggy, and has bad controls.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a surprising emotional investment in the characters' fates within a short playtime, highlighting a rare connection for a horror game. This engagement adds depth to the experience, making it more impactful than typical entries in the genre.
“In the under two hours it took me to finish this episode, I actually felt a little emotionally invested in the characters' fates, which isn't a familiar feeling for me when it comes to horror games.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for its primitive graphics and unpolished performance; however, its unique art design, characteristic of many French games, is noted as a positive aspect that enhances the overall experience.
- character development1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is notably strong in the first half of the game, providing a slow but engaging buildup that enhances player investment. This depth sets the stage for a more dynamic second half, culminating in a cliffhanger that promises further exploration in future chapters.
“The depth of character development is impressive, allowing players to form a genuine connection with the characters as their stories unfold.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game; their growth feels organic and adds significant emotional weight to the overall narrative.”
“The first half of the game is slow but involves heavy character development, and eventually it picks up into an interesting game that ends on a cliffhanger that future chapters should continue.”
“Character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving me disconnected from the characters' motivations and growth.”
“Despite the potential for deep storytelling, the character arcs are predictable and lack the depth needed to make me care about their journeys.”