When the Light Dies
- October 28, 2024
- Electric Monkeys
Get on Steam"When the Light Dies" is a survival game with roguelite elements, where players must fend off monstrous hordes in a desolate, frozen wilderness with a limited oil lantern light source. As light levels drop, so does sanity, resulting in faster and deadlier enemies. Utilize an array of weapons to hold back the approaching darkness and maintain survival.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of survival mechanics, including light, sanity, and temperature management, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The shooting mechanics are satisfying, and the game has a solid atmosphere with nice graphics and character art.
- Despite its current limitations, the game shows great potential and is enjoyable, with a fun gameplay loop that keeps players engaged.
- The game suffers from a lack of variety in content, including limited enemy types, skills, and character designs, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
- The user interface and upgrade systems need improvement, as players find them confusing and not rewarding enough.
- Many players experience frustration due to balance issues, such as a steep difficulty curve and slow resource recovery, which can hinder progression.
- gameplay33 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of survival mechanics and twin-stick shooting, offering a satisfying challenge with engaging mechanics like light, heat, and sanity management. While the moment-to-moment action is enjoyable, some players find it can become repetitive and express frustration with stamina and aim mechanics that hinder the experience. Overall, the game presents a solid foundation with potential for deeper exploration of its unique themes and mechanics.
“The game combines brutal survival mechanics with a relentless twin-stick shooter, with some shades of vampire survivors.”
“When the light dies, gameplay is solid, and the shooting feels great, with just the right challenge.”
“The temperature, sanity, and light mechanics are so nice and refreshing if you play lots of games similar to this one!”
“The aim mechanics are bad.”
“Stamina cost for firing is a dumb mechanic; try making stamina just not recover while shooting as if you're still walking rather than making my gun cost stamina for no reason other than to make me have to periodically hold down right mouse button for ten minutes during combat just to get stamina back since it takes forever to start regenerating.”
“Make sanity drain and recover slower; right now it's basically a pointless mechanic that just acts as a gate on using the painfully slow and largely useless occult abilities.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is described as dark and oppressive, effectively enhancing the gameplay experience with its eerie tone. Players appreciate the cohesive environment that complements the varied toolset and impactful mechanics, although some note that the difficulty curve can be quite steep. Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's engaging premise and enjoyable early progression.
“Okay, so this is a weird game… kind of like a mashup between 20 Minutes Till Dawn and Don't Starve, but with a much darker, more oppressive atmosphere.”
“Use the eerie atmosphere to allow for a more varied tool set, like dark arts and abilities.”
“Great atmosphere, fun premise, well-paced early game unlocks.”
“Okay, so this is a weird game… kind of like a mashup between '20 Minutes Till Dawn' and 'Don't Starve', but with a much darker, more oppressive atmosphere.”
“Use the eerie atmosphere to allow for a more varied toolset, like dark arts and abilities.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are highly praised for their quality, with users noting that the visuals and art style are top-notch and the game runs smoothly.
“The theme and visuals are top-notch!”
“I also love the art style.”
“The graphics are nice and the game runs well.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious and lacking creativity, particularly due to the incremental nature of stat upgrades. However, some also appreciate the challenge and potential for enjoyment in farming and repetitive gameplay.
“Having 5 stats and just 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% upgrades feels tedious, lacking imagination, and not fun at all.”
“Kind of grindy, but I suppose all games like this tend to feel that way.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally solid but tends to become repetitive, lacking significant variety across different stages. While it serves its purpose, it doesn't stand out as particularly memorable.
“As it's early access, there are of course some rough spots; the music and audio get a bit repetitive, and the environments for each stage could use a bit more variety.”
“The music is solid, but nothing to write home about.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find humor in the game's character design, particularly noting the amusing similarity among unlocked characters, differentiated only by their moustaches.
“I think it's funny that the various characters I unlocked all look the same, just with different mustaches.”
“The witty dialogue and absurd situations had me laughing out loud throughout the game.”
“I love how the game pokes fun at classic tropes while still being genuinely entertaining.”
