I might change this depending on the last episode, but if it keeps with the same level of quality, that's more or less in line.
I usually hate survival/craft games, but something in this one made it click. Maybe it's the cold atmosphere, maybe it's the lack of immediate threats like enemies, maybe it's that you're encouraged to be a nomad more than settle somewhere. I can't pinpoint what exactly, but something in this game just works.
It's not without its faults though. Wintermute should act as a sort of tutorial for the main mode, but even Wintermute lacks crucial explanation at times. I also think the game has menus that are too cumbersome to have weight limit as a mechanic. I won't go on a whole diatribe about inventory limitation in games, but The Long Dark isn't realistic and the team knows it because it's the very first disclaimer. These limitations need to matter. It needs to be a part of the game for more than just "oh, it would be unrealistic to carry an entire arsenal with you". The prime example of this is RE4. It has some of the most restrictive inventory systems I've ever seen, and yet it's fun to engage with it. In TLD it isn't. Menus are clunky, the map can't be marked for stashes, weight values are sometimes arbitrary, and the game requires too much gear to engage with all of its mechanics. 70% of the game is playing the game, 30% is boring clean-your-room chore.
Story is also kind of underwhelming. There's a cool concept here, but it's way too poorly delivered. Sometimes it tries to be deep and morally gray, but it just falls flat like a "philosophy for dummies" kind of thing. Which it's a shame, because I really do like the setting.
All in all it's a fun game, but one that's also painfully amateur.
I usually hate survival/craft games, but something in this one made it click. Maybe it's the cold atmosphere, maybe it's the lack of immediate threats like enemies, maybe it's that you're encouraged to be a nomad more than settle somewhere. I can't pinpoint what exactly, but something in this game just works.
It's not without its faults though. Wintermute should act as a sort of tutorial for the main mode, but even Wintermute lacks crucial explanation at times. I also think the game has menus that are too cumbersome to have weight limit as a mechanic. I won't go on a whole diatribe about inventory limitation in games, but The Long Dark isn't realistic and the team knows it because it's the very first disclaimer. These limitations need to matter. It needs to be a part of the game for more than just "oh, it would be unrealistic to carry an entire arsenal with you". The prime example of this is RE4. It has some of the most restrictive inventory systems I've ever seen, and yet it's fun to engage with it. In TLD it isn't. Menus are clunky, the map can't be marked for stashes, weight values are sometimes arbitrary, and the game requires too much gear to engage with all of its mechanics. 70% of the game is playing the game, 30% is boring clean-your-room chore.
Story is also kind of underwhelming. There's a cool concept here, but it's way too poorly delivered. Sometimes it tries to be deep and morally gray, but it just falls flat like a "philosophy for dummies" kind of thing. Which it's a shame, because I really do like the setting.
All in all it's a fun game, but one that's also painfully amateur.