Recent reviews by Mugetron

Darkwood is a top-down perspective survival horror game created by the independent developer Acid Wizard Studio.

Having followed the game since its early access alpha to the final release, the end result has not left me unsatisfied. Darkwood is one the most atmospheric games I have ever played, and I would place it among my personal favorites such as the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Souls series in its immersion and atmosphere.

The gameplay could be described as slow. A lot of your time will be spent looting, exploring and preparing. Encounters with enemies often have drastic results if you have not properly anticipated them. It takes time to start coping with your surroundings and learning to deal with various nasty creatures and insidious environmental threats. Surviving a hectic night feels rewarding, and the peaceful, slow morning relaxes you, only to get you on your toes again as you explore a new area or meet new foreign threats after the next sundown.

Darkwood is a visual and auditory feast. The fantastically detailed art with its often sickeningly morbid and grotesque imagery that ramps up throughout the game is complemented by an excellent sound design. The animations and sound design make the combat feel weighty and visceral, and the creative, unique characters you meet in the game ooze personality, keeping one interested in seeing their stories evolve and conclude.

The player's choices can have great effects on the characters and their surroundings, giving way to replayability to see the alternate ways things could go. The main plot is not a simple journey either, and you will find yourself questioning the things you see to piece together what is really happening through the protagonist's sometimes questionable, decaying mind.

The horror in Darkwood mostly stems from the fear of the unknown rather than simplistic jumpscares. The audio once again plays a major role in building the atmosphere - you will know when you've stumbled into a location where something is terribly wrong, and the soundscape will have the hairs of your neck standing in the anticipation of the unknown terror that awaits you at the end of the corridor.

If you find yourself deprived of highly atmospheric horror, challenging and methodical gameplay, a horrific world to explore, and an interesting story to piece together, Darkwood was made for you. It has been a while since I've had an experience so intriguing, tense and enjoyable, and I wish to share these feelings with anyone who reads this review and finds something that may interest them.

good meaty sounds