The Long Dark

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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"The Long Dark is an exploration-survival game set in a frozen wilderness after a geomagnetic disaster. Players must manage resources and face the challenges of harsh weather and dangerous wildlife to survive. The game features both a stand-alone Survival Mode and a story-driven Wintermute Mode."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 34,964 reviews

story3,420 positive mentions

grinding491 negative mentions

story
12,618 mentions
27 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story of "The Long Dark," particularly in its Wintermute mode, is described as engaging and atmospheric, with a mix of survival elements and narrative depth. Players appreciate the well-crafted characters and voice acting, although some criticize the pacing and reliance on fetch quests, which can detract from the overall experience. While the story mode is still incomplete, with only four of five episodes released, many players find it a compelling introduction to the game's mechanics and a worthwhile addition to the survival gameplay. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy immersive storytelling alongside challenging survival mechanics.
- “The long dark, where do I even start with this masterpiece of sandbox storytelling.”
- “The episodic narrative adds a layer of mystery, allowing players to gradually uncover the intriguing story as they confront the challenges of their surroundings.”
- “In conclusion, 'The Long Dark' emerges as a standout title in the gaming landscape, offering a rich and challenging experience that seamlessly melds striking visuals with compelling storytelling.”
- “We've been waiting literally years for the story mode.”
- “The game released nearly six years ago, it's still not finished and now you're allocating resources to a DLC that could be spent on finishing the main story?”
- “The story mode is unfinished, and it appears to be lacking in vision and content.”
gameplay
5,049 mentions
34 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Long Dark" is characterized by its immersive survival mechanics, which require players to manage hunger, thirst, warmth, and fatigue in a harsh, post-apocalyptic environment. While many players appreciate the game's atmospheric design and the depth of its mechanics, some criticize the repetitive nature of tasks and the lack of intuitive tutorials, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of exploration and survival, appealing to fans of the genre despite its occasional frustrations.
- “If you enjoy the gameplay loop of finding resources to sustain yourself, The Long Dark adds a lot of exploration and mystery to it to keep it engaging well beyond other survival games.”
- “The thoughtfulness of the mechanics and the hardcore experience make me really think to survive.”
- “With its uncompromising realism, deep mechanics, and recently added DLC content, The Long Dark continues to captivate my attention and challenge my survival instincts like no other.”
- “What makes it even worse is that TLD's mechanics are not very deep; the task of feeding yourself or any other task is always very simple, very straightforward, and very repetitive.”
- “As such, The Long Dark just ends up being a busywork/time-wasting simulator. The mechanics are shallow, and surviving is tedious and time-consuming, not difficult.”
- “It's a big shame; the game has a lot of potential and could be enjoyable and successful if it only did a few things differently. As it stands, it's a game that basically fails at everything. As soon as you manage to stabilize your situation, you realize you could survive forever, then you see how shallow the game mechanics are, at which point the vast majority of players stop playing and never come back.”
graphics
4,354 mentions
52 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Long Dark" have received mixed reviews, with many players praising its unique art style that resembles a watercolor painting, creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere. While some criticize the graphics as simplistic or cartoonish, others appreciate how this aesthetic enhances immersion and complements the game's survival mechanics. Overall, the visuals are seen as charming and effective, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact, despite not being cutting-edge or hyper-realistic.
- “The stunning graphics and meticulous attention to detail contribute to the game's allure, creating an environment that feels both haunting and beautiful.”
- “The art style is reminiscent of a group of seven painting, capturing the stark beauty of the environment and making every step through the snow-covered landscape a visually pleasing experience.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous, making you feel the chill of the wilderness, and the combination of art style and sound design creates a perfect immersion in the unforgiving but breathtakingly beautiful world.”
- “The graphics are very poor; I didn't realize how bad they were. I have games ten years older that look better.”
- “The graphics look like some mutated abomination of Victoria 3, Humankind, and Telltale.”
- “Overall, a solid 7 out of 10 solely for the gameplay, but I can't look past the hideous graphics.”
atmosphere
2,677 mentions
73 % positive mentions
26 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "The Long Dark" is widely praised for its immersive and haunting quality, effectively capturing the desolation and harshness of a post-apocalyptic Canadian wilderness. Players appreciate the game's stunning visuals, atmospheric sound design, and the emotional weight of solitude, which together create a unique and engaging survival experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall ambiance and environmental storytelling are considered standout features that draw players into its chilling world.
- “Renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, realistic survival mechanics, and atmospheric ambiance, the game plunges players into a post-apocalyptic world where survival is a relentless struggle.”
- “The atmosphere and immersion are spectacular!”
- “The long dark is a beautifully crafted, atmospheric experience of a survival game.”
- “The game has an atmosphere of constant struggle and loneliness, a feeling that no other game has ever been able to capture for me.”
- “The atmosphere is oppressive and lonely in a manner no other game has been able to replicate.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is on a whole nother level than any other game, and I can't find any other game that does atmosphere so perfectly than this.”
music
1,408 mentions
55 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "The Long Dark" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the game's immersive experience. Players appreciate the minimalist approach, where music is used sparingly but strategically, often accompanying significant moments to evoke feelings of solitude and tension. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and sense of isolation in the harsh wilderness.
- “The music fits just beautifully.”
- “The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the game's bleak yet mesmerizing world.”
- “The music, the hand-painted textures, and the storyline are what captured my heart.”
- “The music is sparse, which works well for the loneliness of the setting.”
- “The music was so depressing I had to turn it off.”
- “The music only complements the beauty and inspires you ever onward.”
grinding
549 mentions
2 % positive mentions
9 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "The Long Dark" is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that the survival mechanics lead to a monotonous gameplay loop of performing the same actions repeatedly. While some appreciate the realism and challenge of resource management, others find the lack of engaging content and the slow pace of progression frustrating, often likening it to a "busywork simulator." Overall, the game can be enjoyable for those who appreciate grinding, but it may deter players seeking a more dynamic and varied experience.
- “It is slow-paced but not boring, fairly realistic but not tedious, and is clearly made with genuine affection for its setting and characters.”
- “On first impressions the pacing is great, not too grindy but I feel a sense of achievement completing little tasks.”
- “Game mechanics totally deliver with just enough realism to keep things fun and tense but not tedious and tiring.”
- “The gameplay loop is, unfortunately, incredibly tedious.”
- “The long dark is a tedious gaming experience where even at the casual difficulty you find yourself looking for food and water more than trying to progress the story.”
- “The entire game is extremely tedious walk to point A to point B for something incredibly useless.”
replayability
451 mentions
48 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with many players highlighting the diverse game modes, including survival and story modes, as well as customizable difficulty settings that enhance the experience. The procedural generation of items and the vast, immersive environments contribute to a sense of freshness in each playthrough, making it a favorite among survival game enthusiasts. Overall, players report an almost infinite replay value, ensuring that the game remains engaging long after initial completion.
- “One of the best games for replayability, especially when you consider the continual content add-ons.”
- “The long dark offers great replayability, with various game modes to explore.”
- “With its immersive atmosphere, realistic mechanics, minimalist narrative, and high replayability, the game stands out as a remarkable example in the survival genre.”
- “Not much replay value because there are no choices really to be made that will change the outcome of the game.”
- “Overall a good game but the main story has no replayability.”
- “While providing a decent experience for casual players, this game is in development for years now and the developers fail to provide any sense of replayability or challenging gameplay for experienced players which makes it boring very fast.”
stability
373 mentions
12 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as frequent freezes, crashes, and AI issues. While some users note that the game can run smoothly and is mostly bug-free, others express frustration over persistent problems that have remained unresolved for years. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern for many players, impacting their overall enjoyment and experience.
- “The game looks great, is bug free and absolutely captivating.”
- “For an early access game, this has been very much a bug free experience for me so far.”
- “It's relatively bug free, I have over 100 hours on this game and it's crashed once.”
- “This game is so laggy and buggy it's unplayable.”
- “Freezes randomly and often enough to make very little progress.”
- “The long dark survival mode is so buggy it is almost unplayable in the current form.”
emotional
252 mentions
92 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a deep connection with players, often leading to genuine feelings of joy, sadness, and anxiety. Many reviewers highlight the game's immersive atmosphere, touching storylines, and beautifully crafted soundtracks that enhance the emotional experience, making it one of the most impactful survival games available. However, some players express frustration with pacing and story execution, suggesting that while the emotional highs are significant, the narrative can sometimes feel disjointed or lacking depth.
- “The game allows players to interpret the story for themselves, creating a personal connection and emotional involvement with the protagonist and their desolate surroundings.”
- “The story is incredibly well written, and it has a good balance of heartwarming and utterly bone-chilling moments.”
- “This game forges such a strong emotional bond between player and protagonist that I simply can't praise it enough.”
- “It would be nice if there was less emotional baggage in the relationship.”
- “All the eager waiting for Wintermute et al really did not pan out: this is a boring story filled with terrible writing, mopey boring characters and rigid quest design that while clearly designed to guide a player through what the game has to offer actually winds up underselling the whole thing.”
- “Extremely boring story (after the plane crash, I nearly chewed off my wrists), way too much drama to be fun.”
optimization
204 mentions
31 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, including high CPU usage, stuttering, and crashes, particularly on lower-end systems and certain platforms like Mac. Conversely, others report smooth gameplay and good performance on higher-end machines, especially after recent updates that improved stability and graphics. Overall, while some players find the game well-optimized, many express a need for further improvements to enhance the experience across various hardware configurations.
- “The long dark is a great survival game, one of the few video games that I keep coming back to; it has come a long way, especially in terms of story and performance.”
- “It is extremely optimized, the art style is pretty and looks really good, and the core gameplay rarely ever gets tiring.”
- “Overall, a very pretty, atmospheric, well-optimized, slick and, most importantly, enjoyable game that is well worth the purchase.”
- “Turning off threaded optimization, turning on vsync, turning off two dozen services, uninstalling old games, tweaking settings in the NVIDIA control panel do nothing.”
- “The second is native performance on Linux: it has been getting progressively worse for years now, I have frequent lag even on low settings, which is definitely not caused by my hardware, as it works flawlessly with Proton.”
- “The game needs optimization; there are memory leaks and you have to restart your game every 30 minutes to an hour because it starts to lag like hell.”
humor
128 mentions
95 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often described as unintentional, stemming from quirky bugs and absurd scenarios, such as characters getting trampled by moose or encountering bears in ridiculous situations. Players find amusement in the game's mechanics and dialogue, despite some criticisms about the lack of intentional humor and engaging storytelling. Overall, while the game has its funny moments, many reviewers note that it can also lead to frustration, making the humor feel hit-or-miss.
- “It's so amusing to see videos of long-time vets of this game encountering funny things like bears lying in midair.”
- “Of course game-breaking bugs are no fun, but little funny quirks like that really add something memorable and special.”
- “I was laughing my head off when I realized your character needs someone to teach him how to do this in the story mode.”
- “This is not funny anymore.”
- “It's like a game that's not funny.”
- “Nothing is more grating, more disgusting, more annoying, less cute, and almost criminally not funny as listening to my character chew loudly into my ear as part of a core gameplay mechanic.”
monetization
44 mentions
7 % positive mentions
23 % neutral mentions
70 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling recent DLC releases as cash grabs, especially given the original game remains unfinished after several years. While some players appreciate the absence of microtransactions and ongoing updates, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment over perceived exploitation and a lack of genuine commitment to improving the core game. Concerns about the developers prioritizing profit over player experience are prevalent, leading to calls for better consumer protection against such practices.
- “I find it amazing that the devs are still supporting a game such as this with no form of microtransactions with frequent updates that are of good quality that improve the game in many aspects.”
- “The game's store bio brags that there are no zombies, but there also is no paid DLC, no microtransactions, and no wild balance shifts, just constant, incremental improvements.”
- “Absolutely a great game, plus free updates in the sea of microtransactions.”
- “They started another DLC cash grab and somehow they were able to sell it even if they had their original game still unfinished. Crazy!”
- “Unfinished for 5 years now and the devs lied about their timeline so they could go for cash grab DLCs instead.”
- “You've taken a great game and turned it into a cash grab.”
character development
24 mentions
17 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of depth and relatability. While some appreciate the rewarding skill progression and unique character designs, others criticize the slow pacing, excessive cutscenes, and insufficient narrative engagement that hinder emotional investment. Overall, improvements in character development and storytelling are recommended to enhance player immersion and connection.
- “The game also has some character development aspects which I find quite rewarding, as you develop your skills, find and craft new items.”
- “Amazingly written game with beautiful animations and scenery along with thoughtful storyline and character developments.”
- “To summarize, a wonderful game with unique characters and character development and a fresh style of survival.”
- “In summary, while I wanted to enjoy this game, the slow story, excessive cutscenes, lack of character development, and improper pacing made it difficult to become fully immersed or invested.”
- “The attempt at character development falls short as the NPCs and the main character are not relatable or endearing to any real degree.”
- “Characters such as the main two, Mackenzie and Astrid, see little character development other than 'character adapt to wilderness.' The entire story feels like a long list of fetch quests.”