The Long Dark – A Spectacular Makeover
Along with The Forest, Valheim, and Don’t Starve, The Long Dark is one of the best survival games on PC, and now it’s even better.
Of the many survival games we’ve played in recent years, The Long Dark is the one that has left the deepest impression. Hinterland has created a game that perfectly combines harshness and beauty. The Long Dark is both a brutal battle for survival and a peaceful, relaxing moment in the wilderness. Those little moments when you’re safe in a cabin somewhere, sipping coffee over a fire, become all the more precious because you’ve worked and fought for them.
First released in 2014, The Long Dark has come a long way, and now it’s exploding on Steam thanks to a groundbreaking new update.
If you haven’t played The Long Dark, or are looking for a reason to return, this new update gives you two good reasons.
Tales from the Far Territory DLC Update
First, the update introduces a number of changes to the paid Tales from the Far Territory DLC. The fearsome cougar that roams the Canadian wilderness now has more subtle behavior. If you wander into its territory, you’ll start to see warning signs like scratch marks on trees and mangled animal carcasses. Keep going, and you’ll likely come face to face with this predator.
If you back away (and you should), the cougar will stalk you until you leave its territory or hide for a while. If you decide to take the risk and confront it, a bullet from your rifle can weaken it so that its attacks only graze you. However, if you suffer its full wrath, the cougar will tear you to pieces.
If you own the DLC, you can also find a new instant camera. It comes with a variety of film types – color, black and white, and sepia – and you can hang the photos on the walls of your safe house (more on that later). DLC owners also have access to a meat cooler now, which lets you salt any fish or animal meat you collect and preserve it for later consumption.
The biggest change, however, comes from Sutherland, a new character who will contact you during the aurora storm. If you’re near an emergency radio when the electrical storm hits, you’ll likely catch Sutherland’s broadcasts. He lives offshore in a small boat and won’t come ashore. He does need some supplies, though, and will trade them with you for a variety of rare items. Keep trading with him and you might just get him to trust you enough to tell you his story.
Free Updates
But even if you don’t have the Tales from the Far Territory DLC, The Long Dark has just received some important free updates. Wildlife locations have been revamped, so you can find deer, wolves, and other creatures in areas you’ve never encountered before. More importantly, though, you can now find, occupy, and customize safehouses. More than 100 indoor locations in The Long Dark, such as log cabins and watchtowers, can be converted into safehouses.
You can use new woodworking tools and workbenches to craft certain decorative and functional items, and you can move furniture around or destroy it entirely. You can also make small repairs like fixing broken cabinet doors, but interestingly, The Long Dark’s approach to building remains very hands-on. For example, you can’t remove large items like ovens, bathtubs, and toilets. You are also unable to add new doors or windows. The concept is to adapt the interior to meet your essential needs, rather than constructing an entirely new home for yourself.
The Long Dark – Booming Again
After its latest update, The Long Dark is experiencing a resurgence on Steam. From a peak of 3,059 concurrent players in November, it recently hit 7,364, its highest number since October 2021. Reviews remain very positive – over its lifetime and some 93,000 player reviews, The Long Dark has achieved an impressive 91% positive rating on Valve’s store.
If you want to check it out, The Long Dark is currently on sale and costs $11.99 / £9.59.
