Here's one for the people who just want to test their mettle in an artistically beautiful wilderness without being subject to the caprices of other players. The Long Dark has a beautiful painterly visual style, which combines with the melancholy musical score to give the game a soothing, dreamy quality; well, until your body's calorie count runs low and your body starts succumbing to exhaustion. Though The Long Dark technically takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, it feels like more of a wilderness simulator, as you hunt animals, avoid being hunted down by animals and try to survive the wintry wilds in one of several distinctive levels. The joy of The Long Dark comes from its powerful atmosphere, and that satisfying feeling of improving on your previous survival time with each successive game; as you slowly come to understand the lay of the land, which resources you should prioritise gathering, and how to avoid being ambushed by wolves, you slowly grow to become that beardy rugged mountain hermit that the game makes you fantasise about being.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
