if you've played gloomwood and still live in england you missed the point of the game

Actually read this. I'm putting in yes, because the game is good. HOWEVER.

This review is posted at release of the market. At present there's only roughly 4 hours of content in the form of 5 levels. The levels are well made, and there's plenty of secrets to find, but that's all the content there is.

If you want to support the devs because you love Thief and haven't had a proper immersive sim release in years (deathloop doesn't count) then buy it.

If you don't want to spend 20 bucks on 4 hours of game, wait until its been in the oven a bit more.

This is basically an extended demo. Only 2 hrs of content (I explored the map all over, that's why it's 4h), and the existing areas are not that replayable. The game really pulls you in, and that's why you're better off waiting for the full release.

As a British person I can confirm this is how I get to school.

i am disappointed the first safe code isnt 451 but this game is RAW so far

edit: i am no longer disappointed. thanks new blood devs i love you.

FOV starts at 105

Is Gloomwood a good game? Undoubtedly. This is the most polished EA game I have ever personally played. Virtually bug free with robust mechanics and a great homage to the immersive sims of the 1990s and early 2000s. There is probably nothing I could say to sing Gloomwood's praises that hasn't been said better by others, so instead I will voice my concerns.

I am not a fan of how early access has been handled in this title. As we enter the second year of early access, we have received the fishery district, the caves, the ciffside and tavern (including lighthouse), the market (city), and the first half of the underport (city). All this amounts to around 7-8 hours of content. Simply put, this drip feed of content over such a large period of time has been excruciating for someone who isn't a fan of early access in general.

I understand that GameDev is brutal and expensive. If not for Early Access, many games and ideas would not be able to see the light of day due to the prohibitive costs associated with making them a reality. My question is, what is appropriate to ask of your would-be consumers? What do developers owe them when asking them to pay full price for a game (Gloomwood is a steal at $20). A road-map or estimate of completion, I would argue, is the bare minimum. Gloomwood has no road-map and no guarantees beyond the news we get to see in developer updates. Presumably, this is because the Devs don't want to hold themselves to deadlines that may not be met depending on certain circumstances, and don't want to lock themselves in to ideas that they might realize are no good later down the road.

I would like to ask the developers for a compromise. Please give us a large state-of-the-game update and an estimate of completion if possible. I am not a critic, I am a fan, and I know that I am not the only one who shares this sentiment.

I am happy to support the devs, this Immersive Sim stuff is my favorite little niche of game design by far, and the game itself is fantastic. That's why, despite my grievances, I recommend Gloomwood.

Grab your Light Gem Ring and your trusty Canesword, the Doctor is in!

Pros :
- Stealth is a essential, but heads-on combat is manageable if you plan accordingly
- Many hazards for you to use, throw boxes, use torches, break bottles to give you an edge etc...
- Weapons are very well animated and are fun to use
> You can check for ammo by opening them, without any ammo counter (screenshot 13)
- Movement is great, aided with the ability to stack items to climb on, and even grab edges to pull yourself over
- Great aesthetics, while retro looking, the game plays and feels modern
- Intriguing Victorian universe/setting
- No HUD at all making the game immersive
- Inventory management is great, using a improved version of the RE4-Style inventory
- Great object permanence, everything you place/leave behind will stay precisely there
- Real love went into making this and it shows
- Early Access done right (Does what it does real good, but fairly short)

Cons :
- Even on Hard, it wasn't too challenging.
> While I personally don't mind, people looking for a challenging stealth game might dislike this.
- Fairly short at the moment, (~3h to reach the end of all current content).
- Enemies (on Hard) extremely rarely carry loot, making them unsatisfying to go out of your way to beat or simply to use precious ressources on them.
- Enemies and loot doesn't respawn, making it sadly impossible to "Freeplay" at the moment. Could be grounds for a New Game+ later down the line ?

A great mix of Resident Evil 4 and Thief in a Bloodborne coat of paint, what's not to love?
Truly a hidden gem. It does justice to Early Access and I CANNOT wait for new content, well done.

please add a lighter i can flick off and on and play with

I stabbed a guy in the back with the cane sword, he died and fell forward, his torch brushed against an explosive barrel which subsequently exploded and instantly killed me 10/10