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Raphael van Lierop

By Raphael van Lierop
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  • Hinterland
Raphael van Lierop Pathfinder

Raphael van Lierop

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  • Hinterland
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Hello community,

I just wanted to remind you that if you are so inclined, leaving a Steam review (PC/Mac) or Star Rating (Xbox One) can be really helpful to us!

Hopefully you feel we're doing a good job with the game and you feel that you can leave a positive review.

The Steam review score is displayed prominently when people browse the game on Steam, so seeing a positive rating can show potential players that this game is a safe bet and a good investment in the Early Access model. Since Early Access games can be a bit hit or miss, the Steam Review can really serve as a bit of an "insurance policy" for prospective players

If you're playing the game on Xbox One Game Preview, taking a few seconds to give us a Star Rating is also very helpful! Game Preview (i.e. Early Access) is a new concept for console gamers, and the star rating can let new players know that just because the game is still in Alpha, doesn't mean it isn't a quality experience.

Leaving a Steam Review or a star rating doesn't take more than a few seconds or minutes, but can have a really meaningful impact on our success.

Likewise, if you feel we aren't doing something well, we hope the first time we hear about it isn't in a Steam review! If you are running into any technical issues that are preventing you from enjoying the game, please let us know in the forums (here or in Steam), so we can support you with those.

Thanks again!

- Raphael

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Loboloco Prepper

Loboloco

Posted
Posted

Here's my recent review. BTW it's my longest STEAM review by far...

"Damn I shouldn't have gone out of my cabin so late....night time fell like a rock...a storm has moved in ...I can hear wolves close by .... I'm low on flares never mind ammo....wasn't there a bear here abouts too....where the heck is that cabin?!?

The last time I was this worried about resources and things that go bump in the night I was playing System Shock 2...or STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl....What? That does seem to have been a while ago right? Well those two oldies, when fresh ( BTW I still play both ever so often) brought some great immersion and challenges to the plate.

In The Long Dark ( TLD ), available on early access on STEAM and XBox, you have just crashed your plane into the winter wonderland of Canada after a mysterious magnetic global disaster. TLD is an immersive game that brings a unique look, great open spaces, unforgiving weather, limited resources plus the wild life that's out to get you.

In the current Sandbox version ( v.244 as of this review ), story mode on it's way by end of 2015, you have one objective...SURVIVE. Simple right? No...no it isn't... BUT it sure is fun. TLD has three game styles...Pilgrim ( easy ), Voyager and Stalker ( yeap named after that classic ). You can meet an untimely end in each version. There are many ways to live and DIE .... you pick how. Death by freezing....death by starving...death by wolf...death by bear...death by phaser ( okay not that one ) let's just say death has your name and location on the map. Speaking of Maps ...right now Publisher Hinternland says there are nearly 20 square kms to explore in the current areas...Mystery Lake, The Ravine, Coastal Highway and Pleasant Valley. Oh and by the way you need to find the transition points between those.

Once you settle in you can scavenge for goods to live amongst the remains of humanity. You can go back to nature and live off the land. TLD has multiple items to craft to help you prolong your life but don't worry the game does provide a How to manual once you find the appropriate local to craft at. You can play the game any way you want to. There are multiple man made locations to explore as well as the ones nature provides and in some places both worlds meet just to challenge you some more.

TLD is so well put together that you forget you are playing an ALPHA version of the game. As such there are a few bugs to be found but as of v244 the game is very stable and Hinterland is quick to apply hotfixes plus updates to further improve the game. I can't wait for the finished story mode version. Hinterland has more Episodes planned with more challenges and fun.

In the mean time I think I hear a bear coming my way ...time again to discover if I have what it takes to keep on surviving..... in The Long Dark."

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oversoul Prepper

oversoul

Posted
Posted
Recommended

40.6 hrs last two weeks / 112.0 hrs on record

Posted: May 11 @ 2:48am

Updated: Sep 6 @ 8:28pm

EARLY ACCESS REVIEW

TL;DR -- The Long Dark is indie development, Early Access, and PC survival gaming done right; you will enjoy your harsh survival experience with this game.

Pros:

- immersion. The crunch of snow underfoot and the fog of your breath will make you feel like you're there.

- permadeath. This game brings the challenge back to PC gaming that has been missing for a while.

- femshep. Jennifer Hale voices the female character. Sorry, no bionics available.

- challenging. It is a struggle to survive, but they have since added some gradation to the diffuculty level with three settings to choose.

- regular updates

- vindicates the 'Early Release' business model. The 'Early Release' concept is hit or miss (Ex: DayZ SA) and is the topic of a lot of debate among PC gamers and interested parties. 'The Long Dark' plays like a beta or even a release candidate, although they call themselves an alpha. It's easily worth the $20 tag on it right now.

- roadmap. More areas are coming. Maps are coming; I find the lack of maps kind of exciting, there is a thrill of exploration to be had.

- survival without zombies. Although I could play a hundred zombie shooters and be fine with it, I have to give credit to a novel concept of man-vs-environment in today's arena that is full of zombie shooters.

Cons:

- will test your gamer might. You will die.

- weather model. Sometimes it goes from nice outside to foggy to blizzard with little warning.

In summary, 'The Long Dark' is probably a $30 title than you can get for $20, it's a great alpha, it will provide hours of entertainment and seconds of terror, it's a unique pc game survival experience that's worth your time and your cash.

=== 9/6/15 "Deep Forest" v256 ( hotfix v258) update ===

[read this to yourself in Cartman's voice]

Dear Diary,

It's been days since I've stepped out of my apartment. Thankfully, the Chinese place delivers.

I can now hatchet things up to fuel fires and cook wolf meat. And I have wolf meat because I can make a bow and arrow and headshot them as they charge me. Do I not look like Death Incarnate? Please Hinterlands, my erection can only get so big. And the old ones tell of a mega-update due this month. Gods have mercy, because Hinterlands will not.

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Vulpes Survivor

Vulpes

Posted
Posted

Ave.

I am a Canadian who lives in the north region of Quebec. I've spent years hiking in forrest, I've march snow frozen lakes under stary skys; I've felt the true disapointment when your fires refuse to light in a wood stove, when it's -20 degrees Celsius. I have been there to feel the tangable fear of faceing a wolf and realizing " I forgot my knife."

This game speaks very true to my life, I love it. To be out here and to see the canadian logo on the game makes me very proud to be one of the few who is born of Ice and snow.

I want this game to suceed; and I wish it the best. I belive if you listen to your players and check regularily with the Forums then all will be good.

There are things I do not agree with and you can't argue with them.

first the cooking. I use a wood stove and I can tell you. I can cook usually 4-6 things at a time on it. so This needs to be changed Asap. it's a waste of time to not deal with this.

Harvesting wood takes to long. I understand that the player is from a plane crash, and might be somone who has never done this before; so sure it will take long... at first. Players need to be able to level up there harvesting abilities like firemaking. the axe should have it's own wood chopping skill as they are very hard to use when new to them.

Sappling trees... yeah you dont need and axe to cut them. it should be a knife and the axe for quicker time. even then using a knife would only take 5 min at most. I would never waste my time using and axe or a hatchet to cut a sapling down. and even then you should be able to make a spring snare our of them.

Also if my plane went down? where is it? why is it not on the map? why im I not hurt?

Vulpes-

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cowboymrh Pathfinder

cowboymrh

Posted
Posted

Steam Name: Michael

My Recent Steam Review Below:

Fantastic Game!! One of the best games I've ever played in my 20 plus years of gaming.

If you're a kid who like shooters, zombies, and such, ...... this game probably won't be for you.

But if you are any kind of a mature outdoors person, who watches survival shows, and wonders if you could ever make alone out there in a survival situation................................ YOU'LL LOVE THE LONG DARK!!!!

Every part of your survival depends on your decisions, talents, and experience!

RUN......... DON'T WALK TO PURCHASE THIS GAME!!!

Now that I've played it for awhile ............... I would have easily paid double for it and thought I got a deal!

Unless you are a whiner who can't hack it ...................... You won't be disappointed!

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Vortex Prepper

Vortex

Posted
Posted

I have been a user of Steam for nearly five years, and it was The Long Dark which finally coaxed me into posting my first review. :)

You deserve every bit of this, guys! Keep it up!

What to say about The Long Dark that does it justice?

Unlike most other 'survival' games out there in the market, do not be expecting to swing axes at Zombies and other supernatural beings. Your enemy in this game is the weather, wildlife (Wolves / Bears) , fatigue, thirst and hunger.

Simply walking around with no enemy in sight can cause your health to start deteriorating if you are being careless about how cold the weather is. When you are starving, the sight of even a small handful of herbs or a degraded packet of candy will get you excited.

Expect to build fires, evade wildlife, monitor the weather like a hawk, inspect every nook and cranny for food / water / medicine - expect to hurl yourself into a cabin with a wolf or bear on your tail like your life depended on it. (Which it does!) Expect to traverse up large mountains in the hope that there may be a shelter somewhere. Enjoy the beautiful sunlit and moonlit views of the Canadian forests whilst reminding yourself that you need to keep moving.

Expect to flounder in the darkness and traverse through mines with the kerosene in your lamp trickling away.

If you can plan ahead, if you can adapt to harsh situations and if you can handle doing as much as possible with as little as possible in your possession - you will relish this title.

This is an intelligent game designed for intelligent gamers. It is a true masterpiece and example of not only what a survival game should truly be about, but also how an Early Access title should be developed.

Hinterland Studios actively and consistently interact with their members on the forum and listen to inputs about any bugs and feedback about the game. And all along, they still remain true to their core vision of the game.

I cannot recommend this game enough. There is plenty of content in the game and it barely feels like an Alpha release.

------------------

Some key notes about the title;

* One life. When your game is over, it is over.

* Ammo is scarce.

* The weather WILL dictate how much you can explore at any given time.

* You can craft gear, which includes warmer clothing, weapons and food harvesting.

* There is item degradation. All repairable... if you have the materials.

* There is no "map". You learn by exploring and memorising.

* What you can carry is limited. Whilst you can go over your 'maximum' weight, be prepared for the fatigue, thirst, hunger and movement penalties.

* The game has a learning curve which would be considered steeper than most other titles - there is a bit to take in, there is no game manual - and it can be unforgiving. This is a game that intuitively makes you discover by yourself.

* You will be monitoring your four stat bars and your health bar a lot in this game if you want to succeed.

* There will be a lot of exploring where you do not get attacked for long periods. This is normal. (And to be honest, a welcome thing!)

------------------

The only things I would consider as "CONS" for this title is that it's in Alpha - so you naturally want more content and there are pockets of bugs you can discover. (I don't come across very many though...) Also, once you get proficient at surviving (takes a while to get there) it can be a bit lonely and repetitive if you aren't exploring around the maps.

Other than that - fantastic title. Do get it!

If you're a patient, planning player - then this acquired taste is more than for you. A hidden gem of a title that already has amassed a cult following.

http://www.hinterlandforums.com/

centerhttp://i58.tinypic.com/219rhwi.jpg

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Token Survivor

Token

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Posted

I think most Steam users won't take time to read walls of review text; they just look to see if reviews are mostly positive or negative. If I'm considering buying a Steam title, I will go to the discussion forum and see what people are saying about the game there. Unless the review text appears on the ALL WALL, I probably won't see it.

Just posting: "A good buy!" and clicking on the thumbs up is mostly good enough.

But of course if you feel so inclined, feel free to express more passion.

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rambler Wolfbait

rambler

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Posted

Just got the game last week and am absolutely hooked! Keep up the amazing work! Review below:

Recommended

17.8 hrs last two weeks / 17.8 hrs on record

Posted: 10 Dec @ 7:41pm

Updated: 10 Dec @ 7:42pm

EARLY ACCESS REVIEW

As an avid enthusiast of wilderness travel and survival skills, I have been daydreaming of a PC game like The Long Dark for quite a while.

For me the two aspects of a solo wilderness experience that this game nails are:

-Long periods of serenity interrupted by moments of great intensity

-Important decisions disguised as mundane events

For example, you are three days in to your survival situation and you have been lucky enough to find a beat-up old rifle and three rounds with which to load it. You are still avoiding wolves when you see them, because who knows if you will find more ammo? You crest a blind hill to hear growling and then barking as a wolf is staring you in the face. It can sense that you are tired and limping due a sprained ankle. It charges. You aim your rifle and wait until the last moment, knowing that you only have one shot before it is on you. You fire and the echo of the shot rings out across the valley...You may not fire the rifle again for a week, but those moments of intensity are unreal.

Another example; It is late in the day and you are returning to your home base after checking your snares for rabbits and picking up a bit of firewood. The wind is picking up and you are chilly. You come across the corpse of a recently downed deer. You know you have seen a bear around here before but the hide from that deer -not to mention the meat- could be a huge boon later on. There will be no dialogue box promting you, it is up to you to recognize the importance of the decision you are making and evaluate the risks and rewards for yourself.

The game is still in early access at the moment, but is very stable and has lots of content.

The art style is gorgeous and the ambient sounds of the wilderness are incredibly immersive.

If you have been thinking about it, get it!

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[wOrm] Survivor

[wOrm]

Posted
Posted

You got it!

--MY EARLY ACCESS REVIEW

I cant recommend this game enough. If you are even remotely fond of immersing yourself in a very tangible realistic survival experience, grab this game. The dev's are the best dev's I have ever had the pleasure to do alpha testing for. Its an excellent, no... AMAZING all around piece of gaming mastery for a fair price point that has unlimited replayability and an awesomely active commmunity. What more can you ask for?

Oh wait, its not even finished yet 8]

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Packet802 Prepper

Packet802

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Posted

Rated you guys on the XB1 game store. There's also an area in the game hub where the developer has the option of posting updates and information. Might be beneficial for you guys to post updates there so people who are considering the game see the involvement.

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jnikkel Wolfbait

jnikkel

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I just wanted to say what a great game this is! From the second you start playing the sound and the view just immerse you in the wonderfully painted wilderness setting. The lack of a tutorial or any information regarding what to do really adds to the idea of this as a survival game. I've put in a decent amount of hours and tried a few maps and I feel like there's still always something new out there for me to find that I've never seen!

I haven't experienced any real problems with the game or anything that I could really see could've been done better. Obviously adding new items/wildlife would always be a plus but the game seems immense enough as it is to warrant the price. I think if the animals left footprints too (maybe they do I just haven't noticed) it would become a whole new factor in hunting and exploring.

Overall just a great game that I can see myself playing for a long time, I look forward to more from Hinterland! I hope you guys stay true to the idea of the game and don't give in to any mad reviewers saying the game is too difficult (whining about the sprint bar or the fatigue rating). The difficulty of the game is probably the best part about the whole experience.

P.S. just wondering if car batteries are going to be able to be used for something in a future update? I popped open the hood and was a little surprised that I couldn't just pick it right up outta there.

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