So we are all acutely aware that the end is near. There is an eclipse coming this afternoon. Will it eat the sun forever? Will we be plunged into darkness and a winter that lasts and lasts until we all perish? Probably. But I will be ready thanks to the new survival game, The Long Dark.
Tips I picked up:
1. Darkness is the true enemy. In this game, the darkness comes slowly and you assume that it will be ok. That you have enough resources to make it through the night. However, this game gets darkness right. It gets pitch black! If you aren’t ready with housing, a fire, a torch, or even matches if you are in a pinch. You will just have to crawl around in the inky nothingness. Nothing peaks your anxiety as much as knowing you have no way of getting out of this cave unless you can see, and you only have 2 matches left. It’s a brutal game.
2. Avoid wildlife. Nothing sours my mood as much as when I am out searching for firewood when you hear the distinct howl of a wolf. I got into a situation where I heard a wolf. Tried to get away into a ravine only to realize that I had walked into a dead-end. I had no weapons to fight off the wolf so the only thing I could do was try to scare it with fire and try to wait it out. So I set up a campfire and watched it stalk me just outside the warm glow of the fire. It would come in close and then walk off. There were no resources around so as my fire died down, I knew it would soon come for me. Teeth digging into my newly acquired winter jacket. This game has amazing tension and the wildlife really is something to fear.
3. To survive you have to hunt. *Gulp. Growing up I loved all small animals kitties, bunnies, ferrets, mice, rats, guinea pigs. Over my life I have taken care of many a furry fuzzball. Yeah, I was very allergic to bunnies but I still had them! Who cares if you get beet red itchy eyes and hives if you get to hold a little bun-bun? Right? But no no. In the Long Dark, I had to hunt for my own food, kill or die. Nothing is sadder than having to knock out a bunny in the game with a rock and then look at its cute face as you hear the crunch of its neck breaking. I’m sorry. I’m sorry! And when the eclipse ends and the world is over as we know it, I will probably have to hunt more bunnies.
Well, those are my tips so far. So if we survive this upcoming eclipse maybe try out The Long Dark! In all seriousness, the game so far is stellar and absolutely beautiful. The graphics look like an inde oil painting. And the whole game is just a breath of cold fresh air. I haven’t played a lot of survival games besides the survival mod that I added to my Fallout 4 game, so it’s been a really cool experience to dive into something like this. The resource management is all at once, stressful and rewarding. Nothing beats the relief you feel when you get a good few loot trips in. I can’t recommend trying this game enough. I really wish that it was two player so both members of CE could experience the game together! – Mel
Custodi Exitus 