The Long Dark

 Switch
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Starbit
    Nov 6, 2020
    70
    The Long Dark is a survival game that does a very good job at conveying an experience mired in solitude and bitter loneliness, all while keeping a pleasant-looking art style. Even though the visual quality was a bit compromised when the game was ported over to the Nintendo Switch, fans of survival games will find many resources to work with, a healthy variety of game modes, and a plot that's truly immersing.
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Oct 12, 2020
    70
    There is a very good game in the center of an overall experience that ends up less than the sum of its parts at first glance, but one that if you are willing to put in the struggle and slog through to the other side can reward you with one of the better survival simulations there is.
  3. DarkStation
    Oct 5, 2020
    70
    Even though the port has extremely clunky controls and horrendously optimized graphics, The Long Dark’s survival and challenge modes offer hours of unhinged fun trying to cope and survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness. The campaign, while unfinished and episodic, offers a wholly divergent approach from typical post-apocalyptic genre norms. Unfortunately, if you are the type of player who is looking for a completely fleshed out campaign, this is not the game for you. Even with its misfortunes, Hinterland Games’ The Long Dark provides Nintendo Switch owners a breath of fresh air as it is the first somewhat enjoyable, open-world, survival game on the console.
  5. CGMagazine
    Oct 7, 2020
    60
    The Long Dark is a mostly functional game, but it’s dated survival mechanics make it a mostly forgettable experience.

User Reviews

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User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 5 out of 14
  1. der2
    Nov 25, 2022
    0
    These professional reviewers are a bunch shilling tirds. This game sucks. The 1st person controls are horrendous. It's unbearable! I boughtThese professional reviewers are a bunch shilling tirds. This game sucks. The 1st person controls are horrendous. It's unbearable! I bought this game on a super cheat sale & I still got scammed BIGTIME. Shoulda got a bottle a vasoline with this... You can't just. The lack of 3rd person perspective makes it impossible to see what you're doing. The viewing axis is horribly non-intuitive. It's not a challenge to figure out what to do or where to go. It's a challenge just to walk. Any movement or object interaction is unnatural and painfully frustrating!!!… Full Review »
  2. rob201
    Oct 5, 2020
    9
    First off, do not let reviews tarnish your impression of this game. If you are looking for a realistic survival game Hinterland studios hasFirst off, do not let reviews tarnish your impression of this game. If you are looking for a realistic survival game Hinterland studios has delivered exactly that. Bear in mind that this game does have a steep learning curve, it should not dissuade you from watching game-play footage on YouTube. This is not the genre of game you can expect to mindlessly shoot zombies. If that is the type of game play you are looking for, you can stop reading now.

    Yes, the switch is an under powered console to run this game, however it only seems to have an effect when transitioning areas or sustaining injuries; rendering load times a bit on the lengthy side (20-25 seconds). On the Nintendo switch it tends to be difficult to play while sitting in a brightly lit area, an issue that is not typically experienced on other platforms. Since it's initial release Hinterland studios has consistently released periodic updates which expand on the plot driven single player campaign and adds new mechanics and items to survival mode. As other reviews may have mentioned it can be quite difficult at times on higher difficulties, you can expect to die multiple times while learning the basics. There are four factors that are essential to the survival of your character, warmth, fatigue, thirst, and hunger; all of these mechanics go hand in hand and affect game play based on their values. Game play in any mode has a rifle, revolver and a bow. As you progress your primary skills and secondary skills increase and boost your overall effectiveness. All game zones are static and do not change, while items in survival mode have a random spawn location which further increases difficulty. If harder game settings are not your cup of tea, there is an option to fully customize a survival game which allows you to increase or decrease the spawn rate of all wildlife, resources, and items. There have been a great many games that manage to have a fantastic ambiance, all of which seem to gray in comparison to The long dark's ability to instill a sense of dread when down to your last rifle round, stuck in a secluded shack you are seeking shelter in to escape being hunted, slowly freezing as you hear the wind outside battering the exterior walls. This can be a very difficult game, however it is immensely rewarding once you familiarize yourself with the mechanics.    … Full Review »
  3. iskendersoysal
    Apr 17, 2023
    0
    Overrated boring so-called survival game from a trashy developer called Raphael van Lierop.
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