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First Impressions on The Long Dark Story Mode: Wintermute

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  After three years in early access on Steam, The Long Dark from Hinterland Studio has released the first two episodes of their story mode, called “Wintermute”. Episodes One and Two, which are titled: Do Not Go Gently and Luminance Fugue respectively, follow Canadian bush pilot Will Mackenzie and Dr. Astrid Greenwood after their plane crashes during a geomagnetic storm. It is up to the player to bring these two together after becoming separated after the crash.

As of writing this, I have not completed either episode of Wintermute, and as such I will not be reviewing the story being told. Instead, I will be sharing my thoughts on how the mechanics of the game are employed by the narrative to deliver its story, as well as a few points for players who might not plan to pick up the game for some time. I’m playing this on PC, though it has been released on Xbox One and Playstation 4 as well (A European release on PlayStation 4 will be coming August 8th).

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Wintermute gives long-time players like me the motivation to keep surviving. The game stands strongly on its own as a survival game, and the challenge modes added in a 2016 update certainly gave players more to do, but without a greater story to follow, the game quickly becomes an exercise in self-imposed storytelling. The simple quest “Find Astrid” becomes so much more complicated by the now-familiar mechanics of the game. Scavenging for food, crafting better gear, fighting off dangerous wildlife and struggling to keep warm are all brought together into a perfect storm of obstacles to level against the protagonists as they fight to find one another in the quiet apocalypse.

 Once Will wakes up, the game begins its tutorial, keeping the player confined in a small ravine. Over several days, the game teaches you about fire-starting, first-aid, gathering food and resources, all while Will is recovering from the injuries he sustained in the crash. Astrid is nowhere to be seen, and as soon as Will is strong enough he sets out to find her.

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In this opening section, the combination of strong mechanics and narrative is illustrated beautifully. The player is trapped with Will and needs to learn how to survive to progress in the story. Each element of survival is explored individually, and when the player knows all they need to get started, Will has the strength to climb out of the ravine and find Astrid. After leaving this tutorial area, the player is left largely to their own devices to track down Astrid.

After spending some time in this tutorial, we see a cutscene introducing us to the protagonists, who appear to have a not-so-happy history together. Astrid needs to fly out to the backwoods of Great Bear Island in the Canadian wilderness, and Will reluctantly agrees to assist her. In the middle of a terrible storm, a geomagnetic event causes the plane to lose power and it crashes. This whole cutscene shows off the absolutely beautiful art style of the game, giving an almost watercolor treatment to a survival title. It lends itself to a serene, yet harsh environment, and when put in motion it looks wonderful.

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Eventually, the player will encounter wolves, and here is where my journey got a lot more interesting. After being attacked by one wolf, and left bleeding out, I learned that Will’s pants had been irreparably torn to shreds in the attack. There I was, standing out in the Canadian wilderness, at night, slowly dying, and pantsless. I rushed to find shelter of any kind but was forced to spend most of the night by a small fire under a rocky outcrop, struggling to recover enough to find a more reasonable shelter. Somewhere in the middle of the night, I found an abandoned church and made it inside before another wolf attacked.

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At this point, I realized that this was a very different experience from the sandbox mode I had played before. Yes, the mechanics were the same, but the very fact that I had a mission immediately raised the stakes. I wasn’t just struggling to survive, I needed to stay alive to find Astrid. To find out what all of this means, why she needed to fly out here in the first place.

As of now, I’ve made it to the town of Milton, and I’m happily wearing pants again. After some more serious preparation, I’m eager to see where Wintermute takes me in this quiet apocalypse.

The Long Dark is available for purchase on Steam, the Playstation Store, and the Microsoft store.

 

My name is John Hanley, and I'm a gamer, writer, and amatuer filmmaker. I also run very silly D&D games from time to time.

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CEO of Helldivers 2 commends the remarkable determination displayed by the community during the intense Sony showdown

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The experience for Helldivers 2 players has been quite turbulent lately, and we’re referring to a community that is accustomed to leaping from great heights into the most intense and terrifying battlegrounds imaginable. In the midst of a highly debated PSN account requirement for PC players and facing intense backlash, Sony has made a surprising reversal, yielding to the overwhelming force of public opinion. The CEO of Arrowhead, Johan Pilestedt, has displayed an intriguing attitude throughout this challenging period. He has shown remarkable composure, actively engaging with community managers and experiencing the difficulties they face firsthand.

Pilestedt expressed his admiration for the community’s determination and praised their ability to work together on Twitter, following Sony’s reversal. He sarcastically expressed gratitude towards Sony for their “prompt and efficient choice to make PSN linking optional.”

In the future, Pilestedt expressed his vision of working closely with PlayStation and the players to establish a groundbreaking benchmark for the concept of a live game. The aim is to foster a strong partnership between developers and the community, ultimately resulting in an unparalleled gaming experience.

What are your thoughts on the commotion surrounding Helldivers 2? What are your thoughts on Sony’s involvement, Pilestedt’s attitude, and the community’s reaction? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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Hands On: Stellar Blade Nails PS5 New Game + Mechanics

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Stellar Blade is an exceptional game that demands your attention. However, it truly reached new heights after the review embargo was lifted, thanks to the introduction of New Game +. In our review of Stellar Blade for the PS5, we found that one minor drawback was the inability to replay the game. Unfortunately, during the pre-launch period, this author had to start over from the beginning.

Thankfully, none of you will have encountered that problem since the title was updated just hours before its release to include the highly anticipated New Game + feature. This new game+ mode is truly exceptional. As expected, all of your abilities and unlocks carry forward, but the Korean developer has gone above and beyond by expanding Eve’s skill tree with new abilities.

The addition of these new abilities doesn’t exactly revolutionize the game, but it does introduce some fresh tools to your arsenal, ensuring that the gameplay remains engaging. Combine this with some clever enemy placement variations, and you’re practically guaranteed an enjoyable replay. In addition, all of the Exospines and Gear that you unlock in New Game + receive upgrades, enabling you to craft even more powerful builds for Eve.

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Additionally, the number of outfits has been doubled. The skins in the game offer a variety of designs, with some featuring unique custom details. Unlocking all of them again adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience. In our comprehensive guide, we have meticulously cataloged all the different outfits and their corresponding unlock methods. So, even if you haven’t quite reached the highly anticipated New Game + stage, you can still get a sneak peek at what lies ahead by following the link provided.

Our only critique of the mode is that the difficulty scaling could be improved. You may find yourself becoming seriously overpowered, even in hard mode. Feeling an immense sense of power is undeniably satisfying. However, it would be even more captivating if Shift Up were to delve deeper into these concepts and introduce additional difficulty levels for New Game +, thereby enhancing the game’s replayability.

It would be great if the developer could consider adding additional modes to enhance replayability. A speed run option could add an exciting element to the game. Rarely does a campaign exhibit the level of tightness and replayability found in Stellar Blade. Shift Up has truly crafted something exceptional, leaving us eager for additional content to be added as the release continues to evolve.

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Have you begun your new game + playthrough of Stellar Blade yet? What are your impressions of the mode, and are there any other post-release additions you would like to see implemented? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

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Helldivers 2 has quickly become one of Sony’s top-selling games in the US

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Helldivers 2 proved to be a surprising success, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the gaming industry. As per Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently ranks as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date, trailing behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima. It’s only been on the market for less than three months and is not even being sold at full price.

According to Piscatella, a significant factor contributing to the game’s success is its release on PC. He mentioned that, based on Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, the game has consistently ranked first in terms of active users on Steam in the US since its launch, including April. The release of Helldivers 2 on both PlayStation and PC has been an extraordinary triumph.

He stated that Helldivers 2 has already become the seventh highest-grossing Sony-published game in history. Without a PC, it would not currently be considered one of the top 20 games. While I’m emphasizing the success of the PC SKU, it’s important to note that I’m not disregarding the success of the PlayStation SKU. I just wanted to clarify that. This launch has proven to be incredibly successful.

Prior to the release of Helldivers 2, Sony made it clear that they would be launching their live service-style titles simultaneously on both the PS5 and PC. The success of this approach will undoubtedly strengthen their strategic vision. It will be intriguing to witness if the company reveals official sales figures in the near future, as the title appears to be one of the platform holder’s most successful sellers to date.

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