The Long Dark

ShackNewsBill Lavoy

9/10

The Quiet Apocalypse isn’t without problems, but Hinterland's commitment to adding new content, while refining the experience over the years, has positioned The Long Dark at the top of the survival genre’s pecking order. The Long Dark is a must-play for anyone who is even remotely intrigued by it.

Pure NintendoKira C

8.5/10

The Long Dark is a game that I was introduced to by friends on their PS4, so needless to say, when I saw that it would be released on Switch, I was excited but

GamingTrendTerrance Hale

85/100

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.

PC GamerAndy Kelly

85/100

A fight for survival in the Canadian wilderness.

Nintendo World ReportJoel A. DeWitte

8/10

In the end, The Long Dark won me over through the same war of attrition it demanded of me during playing. What starts as an oppressive wilderness and battle of the elements eventually unfolds into a gratifying progression as I learned how to survive efficiently through trial and error. They say that adversity builds character, and if you can grow some thicker skin, there’s a lot of character in The Long Dark to discover.

DestructoidAlyssa Hatmaker

7.5/10

While the story mode leaves something to be desired, the survival mechanics of The Long Dark‘s sandbox make it worthwhile. We have three more episodes of Will’s journey to weave a wider story throughout the alternately unforgiving and inviting Canadian terrain. In the meantime, I’ll be sitting back with my coffee mug, reflecting on my own small stories within The Long Dark.

Gaming NexusRob Larkin

7/10

The Long Dark sets a standard for survival games in its core gameplay loop. The tone and feel of the game is top notch and the challenge is brutal in a hostile and frozen world. Unfortunately, there is also another dimension to the game that cheapens the experience. It takes a frustrating amount of trial and error to figure out the mechanics of how you are meant to do something, even when the goal of what you are meant to do is fairly clear. There is also the missed opportunity to utilize the story mode to walk through these mechanics, instead letting the tale try to stand alone. Try to stand ...

Metro GameCentralGameCentral

7/10

A pleasingly complex and realistic survival simulator, accompanied by a story mode that so far fails to be anywhere near as compelling.

Playstation LifestyleKen Barnes

7/10

Check out PlayStation LifeStyle's The Long Dark review to see how the popular survival game fares in its transition to console.-

But Why ThoKate Sánchez

6.5/10

The Long Walk is a story that I never thought could be adapted into a film. Stephen King‘s first written work, published under his pen name (Richard Bachman) after he began his career as a horror writer, is one of my favorite pieces of fiction from the master of horror. More dystopian than traditional horror, The Long Walk (2025) is still a story about growing up in a way that only King can tell.

GameSpotJames Swinbanks

6/10

Still in hibernation.

TheSixthAxisTuffcub

6/10

I really, really, wanted to love The Long Dark, but a myriad of poor design choices and bugs teamed with lacking instruction made it one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. You can pick some objects up, but not others, you can smash a crate to bits for firewood, but not a table, and none of this makes any sense. If you were freezing to death, you’d burn the frigging table! Survival mode is by far the best way to experience the game offering some gorgeous views and a real sense of achievement when you make things nice and cosy, it’s just a shame that Story mode is so poorly though...