Feeling gloomy? New Blood Interactive has the perfect remedy for that! The masters of boomer shooters have just published a new entry in their game catalogue and it's something that will make you long for a Steam version of Clive Barker's Undying (only on GOG for now).

The "usual suspects" have been developing Gloomwood: Dillon Rogers and especially David Szymanski, whose DUSK was a 2018 sleeper hit and I consider it one of the main reasons for the resurgence of retro-style FPS' on Steam.

A peculiarly quiet doctor with a very particular set of skills has been abducted by sinister forces. To what end, he's not willing to wait around and find out. Aided by an even stranger fellow going by the "G" initial, Doc is going to sneak by his captors when he's not slashing and blasting his way through, on the path towards uncovering this mystery.

It's mostly a fantasy setting, even if Gloomwood's Store Page will claim "Victorian". Queen Vicky would not be amused. Probably. Take the firearms for instance: A fictional shotgun which resembles the Winchester Model 1897, has a loading mechanism more akin to earlier break-barrel designs. You'll get this in-game a bit late for the considerable punch it delivers.

Your trusty sidearm will be a service pistol that's resembling a Webley Revolver with the now recurring theme of top-break reloading. It's a cool animation, don't get me wrong. And I like the ranged options breaking the stealth norm of the sword cane backstabbing. It's just that they barely touch the last few years of the Victorian Age, as both guns would only see proper action in World War One.

The Old Reliable and the Trench Sweeper. I'm overthinking this. But then I spot the goons sporting the sort of clothing which would have been fashionable around the Salem Witch Trials, some two centuries before the fictional events in Gloomwood are reportedly taking place. Anachronisms might feel at home in this title.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2870623898

There are nods to Lovecraft aplenty. From the constant guidance of a lighthouse, to the seedy tavern, the rundown fishery and cultist-like enemies. Was half-expecting for a sea monster to appear if I went for a swim, yet it's safe for players to explore the underwater sections.

At least for now. You should do that quite frequently, since scavenging for supplies is paramount to survival in situations which dispense with stealth. A third firearm can be acquired only with an absurd amount of backtracking.

It involves a safe and its combination that are literally separated by one end of the map from the other. I don't spoil story elements, but I'll throw you a bone here: safe is in a cove next to the fishery, you'll have to swin in order to reach it. Don't type 451 unless you want to experience a System Shock reference. It's another combination of those three numbers.

The Fahrenheit 451 novel claims paper burns at that temperature. Enjoy the steampunk "flare gun" that's otherwise offered far too late in this Early Access version on a blind playthrough. This has to be drastically changed, since the Undertaker pistol deserves to be used by all players. It can disable lamp posts, obviously crucial for stealth.

Unity strikes again. Well, I wasn't surprised and it's an almost perfect match. No complaints from me, that's for sure. If you shall ever experience frame rate drops, try fiddling with the "Lightmap" setting and dial it down to Medium or Low for now.

There you go, from drops to stable 144fps just like that. It would have been silly to endure such issues on a title that looks like something freshly released two decades ago. All part of the charm, I know. I was there, played the OG boomer shooters and first person "stealthers" at the dawn of true 3D graphics for PCs. No HUD from the get-go makes me very happy.

And the barely visible crosshair dot can be just as easily disabled. If only more titles would adopt this immersive mentality. You don't know how many rounds you have left in the chamber? How about you actually check the gun, buddy. Floating numbers are an amateur hour feature and Gloomwood will have none of that.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2870624006

A silent protagonist as Doc still needs fully voiced allies and adversaries. The game delivers on the voice acting front. Nothing to knock your socks off, but it's adequate and that's pretty much the same thing I can say about the soundtrack.

Not memorable but definitely complementing the gameplay instead of hindering it with repetitiveness. You'll still seemingly hear the same enemy voice complaining about "Hobbs" on any and all levels. That guy really scares his henchmen.

Do not under any circumstance try to play this game by going in guns blazing as your first option. One, you will run out of ammo very fast, so it's a pain scrounging it up and two, you are a very squishy physician in Gloomwood.

Play it like you would approach an old school Thief title. Stealthly backstab a few foes on your immediate path, thinning the herd before you hunt the rest of them with ranged weaponry. Easier said than done when they can gang up on you and you're running out of bullets.

A design choice I don't really understand, implies that you can't use the firearms which gladly target you and have limitless ammo in the hands of your captors. I suggest you pick the rifles of your fallen foes and unload the single bullets found within, thus repurposing the rounds for your revolver. With such calibre interchangeability it feels like the Old West all over again, right?

Make every shot count. And be wary of armored cultists on the higher difficulty tiers. Manipulate the environment to your advantage, carefully using the shadows to conceal yourself as well as the ground you're stepping on to mask your approach.

Objects can be thrown to create a distraction. Stealth gaming 101. That's how you're meant to play Gloomwood, yet the decision to sprinkle that with action sequences and proper offensive capabilities is applaudable.

Loot collecting has not yielded any results so far, but I presume an in-game store will provide players with additional ammo and weapon upgrades in future updates. The tavern you'll pass by sets up the stage for a boss fight you can't access at the time of this writing. Talk about being anticlimactic.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2871013641

An honest Early Access version which teases its upcoming, content-rich additions in the near future. Considering the dev team and the publisher, you can rest assured that these won't be empty promises. Getting your money's worth even right now, so you can already enjoy a lot of what Gloomwood will end up offering in its full retail release eventually.

I expect to see more enemy variety and an expanded arsenal which can be upgraded with all the currency you're finding scattered around. Add more funny notes and carefully drawn maps. Perhaps more frequent "gramophone checkpoints" or an overhaul of the saving system which can allow quick saves & quick loading. You can step right in, the good doctor will see you in a moment. Just don't look behind you.

+ Beautiful retro style.
+ Replay value through branching, alternate paths.
+ Proper stealth gameplay with action-packed sequences.

- No Steam Trading Cards nor Achievements.

This article was submitted for Imperial Reviews. Following my Curator Page, will help me keep publishing new reviews as soon as I can. Thank you for your support!