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.