What is the 1 thing you enjoy most about The Long Dark?

[Swales]

Hard to pick just ONE thing...

Favorite big thing about the game? The intense sense of solitude, and the existential dread/calm that it produces.

Favorite small thing? The attention to detail on sound design! I love that every little process sounds realistic and different. The sound effects give real weight and individuality to different processes that are essentially the same from a gameplay perspective-- mending your jacket sounds different from harvesting it for cloth, sharpening your knife sounds different from cleaning your rifle, opening a can of beans sounds different depending on whether you've got a can opener or just your bare hands. It makes the world feel real.

[peteloud]

Realism, (by game standards).

No zombies, dragons or giant armoured stormtroopers.

 

[Gecko-[GER]]

It don't give hand. No tutorial, no mercy. I feel taken seriously. And i like it to see those 'Rambos' failing on simplest things.

[Spakerman]

Watched a streamer last night trying TLD for the first time and it was great to be reminded what it felt the first few times... figuring things out, dying because you can't figure out how to make water, freezing as you try to harvest an animal on day one for 2 hours outside, eating bad food, not able to find anything, not knowing what was around each corner.

Was great to watch the learning curve.

[lem4ge]

Nature, wilderness, snow, mountain, survive !

[Kilkegard]

Jennifer Hale and Mark Meer...   its like a Mass Effect reunion!

Otherwise, my favorite part of the game is that I can get lost on the lake in the middle of a blizzard and almost freeze to death\die of exposure.  I got so lucky.  The danger in the game is a wonderful slow burn; where is my next meal coming from, that hatchet is starting to get dull, damn those wolves.

[Tylor9261]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R (Does that count?)

[jper75]

new to the forum  it is an experience. Not just a game. You get better but never feel overpowered. The moment you become reckless is the moment you pay for it. 

[Twitch134]

The difficulty 

[Kilkegard]

A new map that I haven't seen before.  I kinda know Mystery Lake and Milton from previous runs.  But i just started a new run (survival mode) in Broken Railroad.  The sense of discovery and danger on an unknown map is the best.  Funny though, for a place called Broken Railroad, I haven't scene the railroad tracks yet.  I'm in something called the maintenance yard so I guess the tracks should be close now.

[Atheenon]

Permadeath

[Morrick]

The changes in weather and light. In other games with day/night cycles, the change feels a bit contrived and automatic. In The Long Dark, it's much more nuanced and subtle. No two days feel the same. You can stop and watch the sunrise and sunset develop before your eyes, and (realistically) they'll look different according to weather conditions, etc. Same with the weather, of course. The first time I entered Hushed River Valley, there was fog — and silence. I stumbled around a bit, then found a quiet spot and decided to wait for a while. The fog started to recede. And by the time I resumed my exploration, the sky was clearer. Sometimes one is too busy surviving and these details may pass unnoticed. But when you can afford some quiet moments and enjoy the environment, you can really appreciate this specific aspect of Hinterland's work.

–Rick

[Viking]

I will answer by sharing a story: I consider myself a halfway veteran in this game (500+ hours, though nearly half in easy mode), and lately I have been playing mostly on stalker. Wanting to just enjoy the sights for a change of pace, I started a game on voyageur, in one of my favourite locations: Desolation Point. I start out at the north entrance to Abandoned Mine No. 5, and make my way through both the processing plant and the Riken on my first day, gathering some better cothes and a bit of gear - but no tools or weapons except for the pry bar (I left the hammer and the hacksaw at the Riken, so I could do some crafting before heading to CH). I didn't do the cave at the top of the map, thinking I'd come back for it, so no rifle either. Between the Riken and the Lighthouse I get surprised by a wolf, and having only the pry bar for defense, he takes a good chunk out of me before I manage to fight him off. Down more than 50% condition, I weigh my options for a moment: return to the Riken and lick my wounds, or press on? "It's only voyageur" I think to myself, patch my wounds and pop some pills and head on. Climbing up the snow bank to the path to the Lighthouse I get jumped again - this time by 2 of the buggers. First one runs off quick, but the second one kills me. 

I laugh this off to bad luck and start a new game, same place, same difficulty. This time I start on the other end of the map, and by day 2 I am nearing the processing plant when a snow storm sets in. I make it to the plant no problem - but I left most of the scavenged food on the Riken, since I'd be heading back there after. Hungry (but not starving) before settling down for the night in the plant, I eye my options. A 20% can of peaches, and an MRE in good nick. I really wanted to save that MRE for a rainy day, so I chance the peaches. Bad decision - "Aaauuuwww, my stomach". I check my inventory - no antibiotics. Snow storm outside, and night setting in. Average clothes, won't last long out there. I sleep in increments as long as I dare, but the storm keeps blowing, and now my condition is dire. I'll have to chance it. Trying to think of where the closest source of Reishi mushrooms is, I head past the entrance and up onto the slope. I managed to get my 'shrooms - but I died trying to find a place to cook them.

So, my favourite thing about TLD in 5 words: This Game Punishes Poor Decisions

[dmartin1982]

Understatement.   That is the word I would use to describe so much of what I love about this game.  From the watercolor graphics, to the music, and even to the process of slowly freezing to death—it possesses a simple, understated elegance from top to bottom.

The Long Dark stands in stark contrast to a genre categorized by photo-realistic graphics, grandiose musical scores, and sounds calculated for theatrical effect—not to mention hordes of supernatural antagonists, and protagonists equipped with superpowers (or their functional equivalent).  Instead, you get a decidedly mortal man or woman who is armed with little beyond the clothes on their back, and maybe a few matches.  It's a game that forces you to realize the power of mundane things.  A fire, a hatchet, or even a can of beans could save your life.  Conversely, a strong wind or simply not paying attention could just as easily end it. 

And when the end inevitably comes, there is no artifice of drama strapped on to carry you into the Long Dark.  There are no heroic exits here.  But in succumbing to a wolf pack on a moonless night whilst desperately searching for shelter, you realize your struggle was no less noble for it.  As you fade into the Long Dark, you are left with whatever meaning, whatever purpose, you forged in the frozen wilds of the quiet apocalypse—even if you are the only one who knows it.

[Morrick]

Very, very well put, @dmartin1982. I agree wholeheartedly. For me, The Long Dark is a welcome change in this landscape of 'supercharged' games where you're overwhelmed with things to do, missions, quests, etc.; things to pay attention to (overcrowded HUDs and controls); enemies to shoot… And all this often comes at you at a pace that is so ridiculous you don't even have the time to enjoy the amazingly realistic and detailed environments. The Long Dark also gives me a freedom of choice and movement that I've rarely found elsewhere. When I play The Long Dark, I for once can set the pace and the tone of my gameplay. I can decide if I want to spend some time in this quiet loneliness just exploring and enjoying the regions; or if I want more excitement by choosing a more challenging game mode/difficulty. I can't thank Hinterland enough for this, seriously.

–Rick

[reginaphalange]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:18 AM, Viking said:

So, my favourite thing about TLD in 5 words: This Game Punishes Poor Decisions

Tell me about it.

One of my first playthroughs. I was having a ball. I decided to venture out of MT to see what life had to offer (by the gas station, down the rope). On my way back with loot, I sprain my wrist. Can't climb a rope with a sprained wrist. 

No pain killers. Left them all in a kitchen cupboard in MT. 
No bedroll, for I was planning to return to my own bed that evening.

Could not heal. Could not rest. 
No gun...

I decided that a slow, agonizing death from the cold and hunger would not be my style. I could not even pass out due to the pain in my wrist.

There was a cliff.

I jumped.

Edited November 3, 2018 by reginaphalange

[Viking]

On 2/11/2018 at 6:21 PM, dmartin1982 said:

Understatement.   That is the word I would use to describe so much of what I love about this game.  From the watercolor graphics, to the music, and even to the process of slowly freezing to death—it possesses a simple, understated elegance from top to bottom.

 

On 3/11/2018 at 1:34 AM, Morrick said:

Very, very well put, @dmartin1982. I agree wholeheartedly. For me, The Long Dark is a welcome change in this landscape of 'supercharged' games where you're overwhelmed with things to do, missions, quests, etc.; things to pay attention to (overcrowded HUDs and controls); enemies to shoot…

You are both very right in this. Since I wrote my post in this thread, I've thought a bit more on the subject, and in terms of the "meta-enjoyables" of this game it comes down to 2 things:

1. The aesthetic of the game - as @dmartin1982 mentioned, the graphics, the understated (and beautiful) musical score. I'm not sure I would have loved the game as much, and certainly not in the same way, had it had the hyper-realistic graphics and full-on symphony orchestra of a triple-A produced game. Don't get me wrong, there sure are beautiful vistas in, say, Read Dead 2, but I don't think it could ever beat the experience I had moving base from CH to ML one early morning, seeing this view (hit the wrong button, so not highres, sorry). It just doesn't grab you the same way, when you are thrown straight back into the shooty-kills. In The Long Dark, you get to enjoy these quiet moments in a way few games allow. 

2. Very few game designers know how to make a game better by taking elements away - but it is the core of this game, and it works so well. From the lack of a map function (in the sense of a constant "you-are-here"-functionality, at least), to the extremely clean HUD and the lack of aiming help with bows and rifles, The Long Dark works because you as a player (not as the player character) have to remember where you are, and you have to practice to be effective at hunting for food. I wish more games would take this approach, instead of overloading us with hints and map icons and aiming aids and whatnot. 

 

[Guest jeffpeng]

My own pace and challenges.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

[Kongo-Otto]

IRL im the facility manager of a kindergarten, a primary school and a high school, so I would clearly opt for the solitude of the game.

[CoffeePilferer]

So difficult to just pick one. I love the art style, the sound design, the immersion and Permadeath. Then there's the fact I become so invested and get very emotional about what happens.

Most of all I think my favourite thing is the false sense of security. In the blink of an eye things can go from simple to being on the brink of death. Sit in relative safety for too long and get too cushy... you forget how dangerous things are. Plan to stay out late chopping wood longer than necessary because you want to stockpile... well now you're lost in a blizzard. Need your character to have a quick bite to eat but don't inspect the wrappers best before date... have fun with food poisoning. Want all that shiny stuff right now... say hello to the wolf pack who love to snack on prey that overburdens itself.  

Edited November 15, 2018 by CoffeePilferer

[Mroz4k]

I am usually one to write long essays, but this I can sum up in a single phrase.

Living in harmony with the nature.

[exeexe]

On 2/11/2018 at 6:21 PM, dmartin1982 said:

The Long Dark stands in stark contrast to a genre categorized by photo-realistic graphics, grandiose musical scores, and sounds calculated for theatrical effect—not to mention hordes of supernatural antagonists, and protagonists equipped with superpowers (or their functional equivalent).

Yeah just look her for comparison
https://old.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/9yi7lo/laras_skills_really_improved_over_the_years/

[North]

Knowing tomorrow is unpredictable

[k0s0ff]

I like wolves, but I fear them. Sounds great.
 

[theHellraiser]

those calm moments in moutaineers hut, fishing hunting,watching sun going up and down and while a catastrophic blizzard is around you sounding like a monstrous beast you sit by the fire,frying some fish and making some tea