Darkwood was a fantastic horror game that delivered an unforgettable experience full of immersion, mystery, and pure dread. At a glance, the unusual top down perspective and the simple, pixelated art style didn’t seem very effective for the genre. However, this game showed me that the artistry of horror games was not in the graphics or in any particular camera perspective, but in its fluid mastery over atmosphere and tension.
From beginning to end, tension in Darkwood never really simmered down. From my first day in the cursed Polish woods I was scrambling to survive and prepare for the coming onslaught of spirits and monsters at night. Acid Wizard’s impeccably eerie sound design cast a sinister mood onto even the most tranquil of golden meadows, and indeed as I delved further into the forest, the beauty of nature gave way to reveal hidden nightmares in the shadows. At night, these nightmares launched full on attacks at my ramshackle cabin, and the desperate struggle to remain alive for one more minute, one more second, praying for the salvation of sunrise was more compelling than any horror set piece in higher budget games.
The world building of Darkwood often reminded me of Jeff Vendermeer’s Annihilation, a novel about a strange alien force that gradually refracts and assimilates all organic matter within its range to create illogical, monstrous, yet sometimes beautiful new creatures. It was a terrifying concept, and I loved exploring it again in Darkwood as well. My only gripe with the lore was that too much of it was obfuscated. I think I managed to piece together about 30% of the game’s full story. Most of my appreciation for Darkwood’s deep lore came from reading other people’s interpretations, and I wished these fascinating details had been more apparent during my playthrough.
I think having a more concrete story and gradual unraveling of the game’s mysteries would’ve helped immensely in the latter half of Darkwood. This game was a lot longer than I had expected it to be, and while the excellent gameplay and atmosphere stayed engaging for 20 hours or so, it became increasingly stretched and frayed past that mark. Gathering loot all day to prepare for another night in the woods was starting to feel like a chore, and I had long given up trying to look for any answers in the story. When I finally reached what looked like an ending I felt relieved and glad to finally let this amazing but overlong adventure conclude.
From beginning to end, tension in Darkwood never really simmered down. From my first day in the cursed Polish woods I was scrambling to survive and prepare for the coming onslaught of spirits and monsters at night. Acid Wizard’s impeccably eerie sound design cast a sinister mood onto even the most tranquil of golden meadows, and indeed as I delved further into the forest, the beauty of nature gave way to reveal hidden nightmares in the shadows. At night, these nightmares launched full on attacks at my ramshackle cabin, and the desperate struggle to remain alive for one more minute, one more second, praying for the salvation of sunrise was more compelling than any horror set piece in higher budget games.
The world building of Darkwood often reminded me of Jeff Vendermeer’s Annihilation, a novel about a strange alien force that gradually refracts and assimilates all organic matter within its range to create illogical, monstrous, yet sometimes beautiful new creatures. It was a terrifying concept, and I loved exploring it again in Darkwood as well. My only gripe with the lore was that too much of it was obfuscated. I think I managed to piece together about 30% of the game’s full story. Most of my appreciation for Darkwood’s deep lore came from reading other people’s interpretations, and I wished these fascinating details had been more apparent during my playthrough.
I think having a more concrete story and gradual unraveling of the game’s mysteries would’ve helped immensely in the latter half of Darkwood. This game was a lot longer than I had expected it to be, and while the excellent gameplay and atmosphere stayed engaging for 20 hours or so, it became increasingly stretched and frayed past that mark. Gathering loot all day to prepare for another night in the woods was starting to feel like a chore, and I had long given up trying to look for any answers in the story. When I finally reached what looked like an ending I felt relieved and glad to finally let this amazing but overlong adventure conclude.