Hinterland Studio’s Early Access survival romp, The Long Dark, officially launches on August 1. To get us ready to struggle through the Canadian Wilderness, the developers have unveiled the launch trailer for the game’s episodic story mode, the first season of which is called Wintermute.
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Unlike the sandbox survival mode, Wintermute has a narrative running through it, pitting pilot Will Mackenzie and Dr. Astrid Greenwood against nature in the aftermath of a geomagnetic catastrophe – the reason all the power has gone out and Canada has gone dark. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with William Gibson’s genre-defining novel Neuromancer.
The Long Dark will launch with the first two episodes of season one, while the other three will arrive later this year and into 2018. Everyone who has bought the game will get access to the entire season, as well as the survival mode.
I’m looking forward to jumping back into the game. Like a lot of Early Access titles, I played a bunch at launch, but bounced off it while I waited for the full release. It’s a striking game, featuring a harsh but undeniably beautiful world elevated by its confident aesthetic. And I can’t help but appreciate the purity of its survival conceit – you won’t find any dinos or dongs here.
The Long Dark launches on Steam on August 1 for £26.99/$34.99.