In the event you miss traditional Thief, Deus Ex, and even Half-Life, it’s essential keep watch over Gloomwood. A retro-looking immersive sim from the developer of Nightfall, it is a stealth sport in contrast to some other. Since Gloomwood launched in 2022 it’s amassed greater than 5,700 person evaluations and nabbed the coveted ‘overwhelmingly optimistic’ rating from gamers. The Steam Early Entry launch has been going from power to power, and Gloomwood’s newest replace fully recontextualizes the way you play the complete sport.
Gloomwood begins along with your abduction. You awaken in a twisted Victorian metropolis present process a demonic transformation, and have solely your trusty canesword to get out alive. Males and monsters roam the streets, so that you’ll want to make use of the shadows to scavenge for items, weapons, and sources to seek out an escape route. You may scurry throughout rooftops, dive into buildings, and make the most of a strong stealth and sound system – Gloomwood is like traditional Thief by way of and thru.
Now, the stealth sport’s newest free replace fully modifications the way you interact with the world round you and the beasts who name it house. Gloomwood’s new patch introduces the analysis mechanic, which you should use to change into much more highly effective than earlier than. Together with your new bonesaw, you possibly can gather the physique components of any defeated beasts and take them again to the lighthouse. As soon as there, you possibly can conduct analysis into every monster to create serums that allow you to flip into that very demon.
Relying on the monster you now embody, you’ll get a plethora of recent talents. Goatmen flip you into strolling tanks, Bat Barbers provide help to leap excessive and fall with grace, and Crowmen give you further pace. Now, every beast seems much less like a risk and extra like a possibility. Immersive sims are all about utilizing the world round you in sudden methods (Prey’s GLOO Cannon all the time springs to my thoughts), and Gloomwood’s new analysis mechanic understands this completely.
This newest replace isn’t nearly morphing right into a monster, nevertheless. The physician’s journal has had a whole overhaul, so now it’ll feel and look as if you’re flipping by way of actual pages of knowledge. Your present well being standing, recordsdata, maps, analysis paperwork, and keys are collected in a shocking leather-bound guide, including one other layer of immersion to proceedings. As a serious fan of diegetic design (Isaac Clarke’s well being and stock in Useless House are my private favorites), that is greater than sufficient for me to take Gloomwood for one more spin.
Writer New Blood Interactive has launched the Gloomwood Analysis replace alongside a 25% off sale, so count on to pay $14.99 / £12.56 till Monday April 21. Simply head right here.
Within the meantime, be sure to try all the most effective outdated video games and single-player video games at the moment out there on PC.
You may observe us on Google Information for every day PC video games information, evaluations, and guides. We’ve additionally obtained a vibrant neighborhood Discord server, the place you possibly can chat about this story with members of the staff and fellow readers.