Prepare yourself for a descent into utter despair and disappointment with Gloomwood, a game that fails to deliver on its promises and leaves players longing for any glimmer of enjoyment. From its unremarkable gameplay to its lackluster atmosphere, this dark and dreary experience will leave you questioning your choices and yearning for brighter horizons.

Let's start with the gameplay, or lack thereof. Gloomwood presents itself as a first-person stealth-horror game, but its mechanics are as murky as the shadows that engulf its dreary environments. The stealth mechanics feel clunky and imprecise, making it frustratingly difficult to sneak past enemies or execute stealth takedowns effectively. Coupled with inconsistent AI behavior, the experience becomes a guessing game of trial and error rather than a strategic dance of shadows.

The level design in Gloomwood is equally underwhelming. Instead of offering intricate and captivating environments, the game bombards players with a seemingly endless array of dull, repetitive corridors and uninspired rooms. Exploration quickly becomes a monotonous slog through indistinguishable spaces, devoid of any meaningful rewards or surprises. The lack of variety in the environments only adds to the sense of tedium and disinterest.

While a dark and brooding atmosphere can be effective in a horror game, Gloomwood takes it to an extreme, leaving players trapped in a monochromatic nightmare. The relentless gloom and lack of visual diversity contribute to a visually stagnant experience that becomes tiresome and visually uninteresting within minutes. It feels like the game is intentionally trying to drain every ounce of joy from your gaming experience.

The audio design does little to alleviate the suffocating mediocrity of Gloomwood. The sparse and repetitive sound effects fail to create a sense of immersion or tension. Instead, they serve as a constant reminder of the game's lack of ambition and attention to detail. The absence of a memorable soundtrack further contributes to the overall sense of emptiness and missed opportunities.

The narrative, if it can be called such, is a disjointed mess that fails to engage or captivate. The minimalistic storytelling leaves players grasping for any semblance of meaning or purpose. Characters are forgettable and lack depth, rendering any attempt at building a compelling narrative utterly futile. It's a jumbled mess of vague hints and half-baked ideas that never come together to form a coherent and satisfying experience.

In summary, Gloomwood is a game that squanders its potential at every turn. Its lackluster gameplay, uninspired level design, and oppressive atmosphere combine to create an experience that is as dreary as its name suggests. With its underwhelming audio design and disjointed narrative, Gloomwood serves as a prime example of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises. Save yourself from the gloom and seek brighter gaming experiences elsewhere.

TLDR: Hope it gets better and I can stop nitpicking it xD

Reviewed on Jun 22, 2023


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