The Longing

 PC
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. DarkStation
    Apr 20, 2020
    The Longing is one of those video games that dares you to see it through. Guiding a barely mobile creature who can’t be bothered to pick up the pace a little seems so nonsensical and completely antithetical to fun but if you’re the kind of person that likes to find their own unique brand of fun in video games - like following the rules of the road in Grand Theft Auto - then The Longing is bound to trigger some sort of positive electrical charge. And because much of the game can be accomplished while you’re away, it’s the kind of game you can have going on in the background as you sit through the latest Zoom meeting. Given the uniqueness and special circumstances of reviewing The Longing, Darkstation does not give it a score.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best PC Game of 2020

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 30
  3. Negative: 3 out of 30
  1. B-Bog
    Aug 31, 2020
    4
    Initially, the concept of a game based entirely on waiting and the ominous instruction to wake up the king after 400 days, not knowing whatInitially, the concept of a game based entirely on waiting and the ominous instruction to wake up the king after 400 days, not knowing what exactly that will result in, seemed really intriguing to me. And that feeling also carried over into the first few hours of the game. I was OK with things taking much longer than in other games; it gave the game a really contemplative character, almost like a meditation. Exploring the caverns was also really interesting in the beginning because they seemed like this mysterious, incomprehensible maze and you would run into paths that are blocked and require you to wait for a week, or two weeks, or a month, in order to progress past them. At this stage in the game, there was a lot of promise for what will still be unveiled, there seemed to be a lot of potential and this great sense of mystery of what's yet to come.

    The thing is: That promise was not kept. There's really not that much to the game besides waiting. The cavern system isn't really all that big or complicated once you get a grip on the structure, and it only takes so long to explore because your character, The Shade, walks painfully slow. There simply is very little actual content or gameplay in this "game", it's all just stretched out beyond belief because every little thing takes forever. Once I got past a certain point playing the game basically devolved to speeding up in-game time as much as possible through decorating my home, and then either muting the game and doing something else while it ran in the background, or quitting the game altogether and checking back in later. While the developer did attain his goal of making a game that you still think about even when you're not playing it (at least in the beginning parts), there most definitely are other, much more enjoyable ways to achieve this result, e.g. actually making the game fun and entertaining so that you want to go back to playing it ASAP.

    Eventually, I progressed to a point where I had seen pretty much everything the game has to offer (aside from a few VERY obscure mysteries that require even more waiting or even worse, very specific timing, so if you miss it, you're f**ked and your only option if you want to see it is to completely restart the game) and just had to choose in which way I wanted to conclude the game (there are multiple endings). I'm currently waiting for a specific event to unfold, just so I can end the game, and I have absolutely no idea how much longer it will take, which makes it reeeeaaaally frustrating. Imagine playing Mario, but the game makes you wait an unspecified amount of time before you can finally press A and deliver the final blow to Bowser. Doesn't sound too great, now, does it? Maybe I'll just look up the endings on Youtube and de-install the game.

    EDIT: I did just do that, and my approach to the last "puzzle" apparently was not correct. This is another problem with the game's design, as you can never really know if you need to DO something different at any given point, or just wait longer.

    In short: Intriguing idea, but ultimately a big let-down for me, especially because the concept and story had much more potential IMO. If you thoroughly enjoy waiting, this might just be THE game for you ;) Though you could also just sit in your chair or go to the DMV for that experience instead of spending 15 bucks on this game.    … Full Review »
  2. Miss_M
    May 13, 2023
    10
    This game was art. It was an extraordinarily reflective and meditative game. I related closely with the lonely Shade talking to himself - aThis game was art. It was an extraordinarily reflective and meditative game. I related closely with the lonely Shade talking to himself - a mix of wit and depression that pulled the heartstrings. The environments were beautiful, the music was fantastic at creating a reflective, profound mood, and exploration always felt worth the wait. At times it was very eerie and strange, then homely, warm and familiar again. I revelled in its slowness that made every small accomplishment feel worthwhile, and it felt so good knowing I had so much time to explore the calm, beautiful, eerie world. What an entrancing game.… Full Review »
  3. TomMonday
    Aug 20, 2022
    8
    Difficult to put into words the hypnotic trance this game induces. You play as a “shade” waiting 400 days in endless caverns for a slumberingDifficult to put into words the hypnotic trance this game induces. You play as a “shade” waiting 400 days in endless caverns for a slumbering king to awake. You spend your days walking around, reading, gardening mushrooms, decorating your room, creating art, sitting, staring. Little by little, your backstory begins to unfold in unexpected ways. There’s often nothing else to do for long stretches of time – a built-in mechanism to force you to stop and just wait while the game-clock keeps ticking. When I wasn’t playing, I found myself thinking about the main character – how he was doing, if he was lonely, what he was going to do next. And then I thought about myself – how my life wasn’t that much different. We are all just trying to fill time. Definitely not for everyone, but perhaps one of the most existential and absorbing video games ever made.… Full Review »
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