The Long Dark

 Xbox One
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 46
  3. Negative: 11 out of 46
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  1. anti_lov
    Nov 4, 2016
    9
    Highly immersive and stylistically slick, The Long Dark is equal parts rewarding, terrifyingly lonely, and challenging. At the onset of entering one of multiple areas of its large frozen sandbox world, you will be pressed to scavenge in order to secure food, water, and warmth to make it through the long cold nights. With some luck and common sense, you'll begin to store up the supplies andHighly immersive and stylistically slick, The Long Dark is equal parts rewarding, terrifyingly lonely, and challenging. At the onset of entering one of multiple areas of its large frozen sandbox world, you will be pressed to scavenge in order to secure food, water, and warmth to make it through the long cold nights. With some luck and common sense, you'll begin to store up the supplies and tools you need to keep alive, and with some thoughtful planing, you can begin collecting and assembling items to make your task easier and more sustainable. You'll learn that living off the land is key.

    From my exp with the game, resources like wood (used for fire and tools) will not "regen" and reappear in the open world once found and used, which makes things realistic but will force you to keep moving, exploring, and not getting too settled in one place for too long. Once you have run out of wood for a fire source within reach of where you are, for example, you can be left with no choice but to move on to find another source of shelter and resources. Depending on your play style, you will love or hate this aspect of the game.

    All in all, I have survived around three weeks with my current play through, and while there is a learning curve that might keep some players away, once you get into the groove of the game it is quite a rush, in the lonely harsh open world kind of way, where each day you live feels like a mini victory in and of itself.

    Although the game is not narrative heavy, there is certainly a story unfolding in a subtle way, waiting to be discovered as you explore. No fancy cutscenes or voice acting...just clues to something bad that has happened leaving countless dead and an unforgiving world for you to survive in. Overall, enjoying my time and vibe of the game!    … Expand
  2. pajama_dad
    Aug 22, 2016
    10
    For a $20 dollar early access game you get a surprising amount of content that has been updated and polished at a pretty consistent rate. The sandbox is exactly what you want in a survival game- punishing yet fun, beautiful and stylish in presentation, realistic in its systems without feeling cumbersome.
  3. Jspotter89
    Aug 24, 2017
    10
    I had played survival-horror games before The Long Dark. I had never played a pure survival game. I came into TLD without ever having heard of it, or playing it over the course of its long trial period. It showed up as an ad on my Xbox, and the art style (and free-to-play days) was enough to get me to give it a try.

    Boy, am I glad I did. This is not a flashy game, although it can be    I had played survival-horror games before The Long Dark. I had never played a pure survival game. I came into TLD without ever having heard of it, or playing it over the course of its long trial period. It showed up as an ad on my Xbox, and the art style (and free-to-play days) was enough to get me to give it a try.

    Boy, am I glad I did. This is not a flashy game, although it can be visually captivating a lot of time. Your goal is very basic, and your activities mundane. You must survive, and to do that, you must fish, hunt, harvest plants, loot abandoned buildings, boil water, and cook food. Yet, somehow, when combined with the stark, stylish visuals, this is enough. More than enough, even.

    I've never experienced a game that has such a pedestrian purpose (simply to live), with mundane tasks, that still feels exciting, and had genuine pulse-pounding moments. Will I make it back to my shelter before I freeze to death after a sudden blizzard caught me in the open? Will my character, who has survived 150 days in the wild, die suddenly from a wolf attack, or from falling off a rope I tried to climb when I was too tired? Do I need that bear's hide so badly that I have to risk a mauling to get it? How do I balance just the right amount of food and water to carry to make a trek to a new region that might take 3 to 5 days to get there? Where is the nearest cave or shack that I can use to weather any blizzard that catches me outdoors?

    All of these question and more have confronted me at one time or another, and not all were answered successfully. Over the course of living in this wild, austere setting, you come to recognize the sound of crows hovering over the carcasses of men and beasts, the low growl of a nearby wolf stalking you, and the cracking of ice that is not thick enough to support your weight.

    Simply put, if you enjoy games that don't force you to "crank it to 11" at all times, TLD is a wonderful experience. It is stylish and immersive in a way that many games are not, and it forces you to learn its systems or face the consequences. In a game area that is about 50 square kilometers, it offers you no fast travel, and only the most rudimentary of maps that you yourself have to work to reveal. I've never played anything like it.    … Expand
  4. Turms_of_Alps
    May 11, 2021
    10
    There is snow. There is cold. There is wind. Its not everyones cup of tea. The illustration style is moody and poetic. Walking and surviving simulator that makes you learn it the hard way.
  5. Meeleepit
    Apr 28, 2021
    8
    Started playing this on gamepass after i got my xbox series x and i really enjoy this game.

    What i enjoy the most is the atmosphere of the world.

    It really feels as if i am in a icy storm.
  6. cpss86
    Apr 12, 2021
    10
    This game is just awesome. Yes I know it doesn't have 10/10 graphics and yes it's not realistic, but it has some more important to offer - STORY & GAMEPLAY. I haven't played such absorbing game for long time!
  7. Stazco
    Aug 17, 2020
    9
    amazing, UNIQUE game! great immersion, nice permadeath experience, exploration is pure pleasure!

    i miss skills development in story mode and hands animation with equipped clothing
  8. DerEinheimische
    Jan 26, 2022
    9
    One of the best extrem-survival story games I've every played. Sadly it takes a while till new updates are coming and its not a game u play everyday. There are also a few bugs but overall its a great game which was made by unity.
    The story is defently worth a try.
  9. hologramme
    Jun 18, 2022
    8
    Muy bueno para ser de exploración, entretenido, pero hay que mejorarlo mucho más en el aspecto de estadísticas

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Xbox One Game of 2017
38
#38 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. GamingTrend
    Nov 13, 2019
    85
    The Long Dark is an amazing spectacle of narrative brilliance and survival. The twists and unexpected turns of the story are complemented by the survival mechanics that are challenging and thought provoking. The Survival Mode gives players a sandbox to play in, and allows them to play and survive how they see fit. With the story being released in episodic expansions, there's always a reason to come back and play.
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  2. Generación Xbox
    Jan 14, 2019
    68
    The long dark have a very good game concept, and a great gameplay but many flaws let it down.
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  3. Gaming Age
    Jan 2, 2018
    67
    I may be overcompensating the other way a little too hard when I say that it seems like a perfect fit for anyone who likes their games to be challenging. At the same time, tough, given what I saw between very frequent deaths, I’m pretty sure it’ll be a great match for anyone who doesn’t mind dying a bunch.
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