Recent reviews by nccvoyager

My recommendation: Do not buy this title.

I completed the main game once, and it felt extremely unfinished then.
Actual gameplay was somewhat engaging, though lacking variety.
While graphically somewhat simple, the stylised design did manage to convey a gritty and brutal feel.

Despite the promising set up and wide array of expansion the game could have had, other reviews and the Steam discussions imply that this emptiness hasn't changed at all, and from what I've seen the DLC also fails to fill the gaps.
From other reviews and the Steam discussions, it also appears that content that was originally included in the already sparse base game may have been migrated to paid DLC, which is absolutely absurd if true.

As an aside that must be addressed due to the nature of the deranged hatred and vitriol that has been thrown at users:
The developer has stated a likelihood that the Steam release of this title will no longer receive any real updates.
This statement was made after the developer was banned from the Steam discussions of the game for directly attacking people in the Steam discussions.
The developer continues to indirectly attack people through patch notes.

The game was a fun time waster for a while, though one that is not worth the price tag, and certainly not worth accepting the abuse and terrorising that the developer has shown.

Wonderful.
Beautiful graphics, engaging storyline, tense but fair gameplay...
I'm excited to experience more.
The ongoing support for the title is also much appreciated.

While this game is a bit buggy, and there are some design choices that are questionable, It was mostly an enjoyable experience for me.
A level of strategy, alongside resource management, and memorization of some (flawed but usable) first aid procedures give this title a mix of interesting opportunities.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the title is the use of the OpenStreetMap project, which allows you to choose almost any city you can think of (as well as most towns) and play a game using that as your map.
So, if you wanted to play a game in the town you grew up in, you can.

Summary: An interesting and beautiful game, but flawed.
If game mechanics had been a lot more streamlined, and this would've been a great game, to me at least.
It feels somewhat cluttered, as it is.

I really wanted to like this game more than I do.
The mechanics are okay...
The story is pretty good...
The CGI is high quality...
The game itself looks great...
But I don't know.
Something about this game just doesn't feel good.
The first couple missions were fun, but...
Then, I lost interest.
I truly wanted to like this game, and I do like it...
But I don't think it's great.
I still recommend it, as it could be a great game for people that enjoy more intricate RTS titles.

I received this game courtesy of PC Gaming Wiki.

Having played an additional 400+ hours since my original review, I'd say that this is a pretty fun simulation game now.
Playing with more complex systems and realistic restrictions can turn the game into a brutally punishing simulation, but that can be part of the fun; making sure your citizens are fed, clothed, employed, happy, and of course loyal.
I've enjoyed my time with the game, and look forward to more in the future. :)

I haven't played much, but this seems like a pretty interesting title.
I will be happy to see where this goes.
Right now, this is an in depth but incomplete simulation along the lines of the Tropico series.
I recommend keeping an eye on this if you aren't willing or able to pick it up now.

This is an interesting concept, and could have been an extremely interesting game.
Unfortunately, as it stands, it feels more like a technical demonstration than a full game.
It was fun for a couple hours, but I would have been severely disappointed if I had paid full price.
I legitimately suggest that you buy it if you enjoy casual simulation/management games with a space aesthetic; but not at full price.

I backed this game on Kickstarter, and have been watching the development since then.
Just started up the game, and died within 5 minutes.
The atmosphere feels nice, and the story I have seen in the limited time I've played so far has seemed to juxtapose lighthearted humour with some pretty serious and self-aware scenes regarding relationships.
I am looking forward to playing more, and if the game is like this all the way through, then yeah, this is well worth the price.

Don't let my low playtime fool you; I pre-ordered on Humble, and played the DRM-free release for 20 hours.
Haven't had the time to get back into the title in a while.
Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing.
All I do know is, it's an interesting title with a unique atmosphere about it.
Oh yeah, I think my last character suffered from severe depression, and ended up succumbing to drug use?
Not really sure about what actually happened.
All in all, I give the game four Great Old Ones, and a bonus case of cognitive dissonance.

At higher difficulties, this game is not easy.
This game is not for everyone.
That said, this game is a beautiful achievement in design and function.
Simultaneously the game has stunning visuals for as simplified an art style it has, and amazing graphical scaling that allows it to be run relatively well on a massive variety of hardware.
Part of the appeal for me is the quiet contemplation that the game provides.

Nothing but the crunching of snow beneath the character, breathing, and the gentle rustle of wind through the trees...
Then you hear a guttural growl from behind a snowbank.
You ready a flare and hope that it can scare away the wolf that has begun stalking you.
You throw the flare at the wolf, but instead of running away, it charges!
Pulling your hatchet, you start wildly striking at the wolf as tackles you to the ground.
It tears your shirt, but you hit it in the head, and it yelps and runs off with a limp.
You forgot to bring bandages, and tear your ruined shirt into makeshift ones.
Stumbling towards your shelter, a blizzard suddenly begins blaring, causing a complete whiteout.
You get lost, and just before you freeze to death, you get mauled by a bear.

Don't let the relatively low playtime on Steam fool you; I have put a *lot* of time (hundreds and hundreds of hours) into this game on the GOG release.
Despite issues I have with the way that Hinterland handled some things, The Long Dark has been, and is, one of my favourite games, of all time.

Upon first watching somebody play this game, I found myself immediately going to buy it as soon as I could.
The game, while lacking a fulfilling ending, is quite well made, and has a large amount of replayability in hidden secrets and modding tools which allow for new experiences to be made by the community.
That being said, once I played through much of it, I ended up buying a copy for a friend of mine that was doing livestreams at the time...
Even though he disliked the genre of the game, Legend of Grimrock still managed to entice him right up until the end with the mixture of logic puzzles, fair combat, and hidden secrets.