Darkwood is the only game to ever really scare me. I'm not talking about being started by a cheap jumpscare or being creeped out by a spooky image, I'm talking about real lasting fear. I still get creeped out every time I think about this game.
@@SenninhaDoRock P.T is absolutely up there with Darkwood imo; the atmosphere, the noises, the grimy ass scenery, the lack of understanding what’s happening, and the disturbing images. It shares all of these with darkwood, and Darkwood although not intentionally does have “cheap jumpscares” with audio, just as P.T with the door slamming or radio.
@@saintpoli6800 personally I never really got the love for P.T it’s a really well crafted and horror experience but it’s not a full game and it’s obviously easier to create a small amount of really good horror than it is to consistently keep the feeling there. That being said I think amnesia and P.T are really great and that one person is doing them a disservice by saying they rely on cheap jump scares but I do think dark wood also does horror better than both of them
The audio design of "hearing" an enemy before seeing them or knowing where they are exactly reminds of the terror that is the radio in silent hill. Still hate the nightmares that game gave me 2 damn decades ago.
The game I always think about in this context is... and this is fairly embarrassing: Minecraft. I first played it in its alpha stage about 11 years ago and the noises of skeletons and zombies in dark, unexplored caves terrified me. I won't lie, now that I'm in my 20s, it still spooks me out a little.
@@Painticus back when Minecraft was in Alpha it was totally a horror game at night, the darkness was pitch black and you couldn't change it in the options.
The game from my childhood that used that particular trick was System Shock 2. Every enemy in the game makes unique sounds as they move around, and switch to making very different sounds when they spot you. Every last one of them is memorable in some way, and certain specific once will literally make your skin crawl. For me, it was the cyborg midwifes and the arachnids that were the worst ones to hear coming. God damn they were creepy. Also, in a cruel twist, the very deadly cyborg assassins make a much more low pitched sound compared to the rest of the enemies. It's still audible, but it creates a different kind of dread when you hear it because it's so different.
I’ve watched a lot of horror movies so I’m utterly desensitized to horror. However this game managed to provoke a fear deeper than any other game or movie did. I actually got nightmares while playing this game, something that hadn’t happened for years up to that point.
"You're rewarded with the greatest sound in gaming." (A slowly building synthesizer chord ... and ... ) "Don't overpay at Best Buy! Wikibuy can save you money!"
3:55 That was actually a beneficial night event, that banshee is completely friendly and gifts you a rotting foetus... for you to eat. But yeah, I encountered a banshee before I saw this event, so naturally I was like "A glowing red banshee? Haha, I'm gonna die in real life now aren't I?" Edit: Also, a supposed tip about the lamps, try to position them in a way where light doesn't leak outside the house, apparently the light make enemies swarm to that window. (I'm not sure how true that is, but after I moved my lamps, nights seemed a little quieter) Another edit: In regards to the sound, the song playing after a night has ended gives so much fucking RE safe room vibes. That mix of safety from how soft the notes sound and fear/anticipation from how... cold the melody feels, reminding you that you have to venture back into the horror. I love it.
@@ivanmixo-mari Yeah, they don’t care about lights; but holy fuck do they hate not being allowed to move around places. Like banshees can’t break barricades so you can use that, but everything else can.
I’ll never forget this game, it’s the only game where I’ve ever felt truly disturbed - To the point where I had to stop playing a second and go “what the fuck...” and had trouble coming to terms with what I just witnessed lol. Truly a sleeper masterpiece.
Hey man, great review! Darkwood is one of my all-time favorite horror games (and that means something), perhaps because as an educated forester I have spent quite some time in the forests at night. Even knowing the most dangerous creatures that roam German forests are boars (which usually flee before you notice them) and hunters (who usually are too drunk to shoot straight), a forest at night always gives me the creeps. I would recommend: give the game another shot. Darkwood has one of the most disturbing and climactic endings I have ever seen in a video game and it makes you question anything you took as fact on your journey. Quite frankly to me the game would have only been half as good without the (true) ending. And if it makes you feel any better: I never managed to finish Slender exactly because of the same reasons you mentioned in the video, because every run is randomized to the point of pure luck if you manage to find the missing pages before the faceless beanstalk grabs your butt. I managed to play pretty much any survival horror game without problems, but just thinking about Slenderman makes me whimper like a little girl lol.
I finished the game twice but every time the game decides that it's time for a rainstorm I refuse leaving the shelter until the storm goes away... I still remember how terrifying it was when I was exploring the old radio tower and suddenly a storm comes out of nowhere... I ended up dying to a group of baby banshees.... the sound design of this game is outstanding.
darkwood is one of those games that genuinely SCARES you, not scares as in a cheap jumpscare that wares off in a few seconds, i mean the terror of being inside your house at night, hearing the most weird and demonic shit ever and just being stuck there, the tension keeps building up and most of the time that tension only ends when the night ends and that's why i love darkwood so much
The worst part is that you have to run away while not looking at enemies if one spawned in a none scripted even then you have to look away a quietly panic until it’s gone
Pretty good review. I liked the humorous nature. The Wolf was actually my favorite character as he seemed like a cool reference to Little Red Riding Hood, as the bullet hole in his jacket seems to imply he murdered the original owner and adopted his identity as a hunter. Also one nitpick, as far as I know the game is not actually procedural generated: upon starting the game you will be assigned one of many preset maps, so it is completely possible for you and your friend to get the exact same map. If it was actually randomly generated it would feel a lot less cool imo
(Spoilers) In the old woods there is a house called hunters house, there is a body of a hunter inside, due to the nature of the Darkwood it is theorized that a wolf/fox mutated into Wolfman, killed the hunter (who was married to the pretty lady before she was infected) and assumed identity, as well as misunderstanding love as hunger hence why the Wolfman eats the pretty lady in his path.
Silent hill 1, imo, works due to the sound effects so yeah. There is more power in sound that one could really imagine, good sound design alone can make the difference on a really good horror game
Despite what everyone says I love the combat in this game. Swinging a board at a rabid dog as it charges you is so nerve wracking and it’s how you would have to approach fighting most animals in real life. Carefully setting up for your shot and having to decide on a dime whether to fire or turn and run, learning each of the monsters attack patterns and how best to avoid them. It’s one of the only games where I have felt “every bullet counts” is accurate while still being balanced. I love it.
Darkwood has a complete reasoning for you not playing if you get a specific ending. Like, it literally fits the lore 110% so don’t feel guilty, rest easy on it.
Thank you so much for this spooky, beautifully cut, and also very funny little tribute to a genuinely unique game. I've never been able to play Darkwood myself, but I'm still enthralled by its atmosphere, the sense that you're peering into a truly unknowable, ancient-feeling other space that is never subject to the light of day or explanation. There is stuff in here that is just... there, and that's my favourite thing. (I have Twin Peaks on my mind right now, which also contains a world of stuff that's just... there.) Lovely video 👍 (PS I got out of being obliged to watch Threads at school in the 80s, it would have messed me up. My condolences!)
"There is stuff in here that is just... there" is a wonderful way to phrase it. That kind of thing really makes humanity seem like we are small and blind, which is both a great world-building tool and the traits of a wildly unsuccessful D&D character I once had.
I think a review can only be made when you finish a game and for me specifically, I actually want to 100% the games before I review them but your argument is sound so I can't be mad...
That's fair - I suppose this is something closer to a first-impressions type deal, but about 6 years late to the party, but by my standards that's still remarkably early :D
100% is a bit of a stretch, especially for games that either have way too much content or are way too hard to 100% (like Donkey Kong 64 or Hollow Knight)
I completed Darkwood twice to explore the different possible endings. The first run through I literally avoided combat at every opportunity. I honestly feel like the clunky combat just made it more terrifying and that reflected in my Gameplay style. On the second run through I knew all about crafting etc and had firearms so took more advantage of combat. But that first playthrough was like I really lived it in those woods, desperately trying to survive and killing only through traps, eyes in the back of my head and running like Forest Gump from my persuers. It's the best horror game that exists in my opinion and I haven't played anything even close to being as anxiety inducing and masterful since. I can't bring myself to play it a third time, the experience has actually stayed with me though and I wish I could experience it for the first time again. I hope Acid Wizard make a new game! Great review, subbed BTW!
(Minor spoiler related to location based events below) I am on my second play through atm and I love this game. I know some of the subtle ways to get early items and things that make the game a little more fun, like getting the shovel on day 3, killing the bride with a bear trap and melee etc. I still love the well sequence with the child red chomper and the encounter in the mayors basement, I’ll never forget what it was like seeing my reflection or the sow, or the burning people attacking my home in the swamp, I love the mushroom granny and musician. (Major spoiler below) I still remember seeing the traders head in the swamp. This game is scary as shit and god I love it.
10:58 My snippy! 😍 Darkwood's apocalypse is a... uh... special. You shouldn't feel sorry, not finishing the game. I didn't. In my review, I think I gave it a 4 (which is your equivalent to great). I found some very interesting things about Darkwood's inspiration and my own take on it as well. I still think this is a strong example of Cosmic Horror. I'm thinking about revisiting it with the highest difficulty...
So I started playing this game a few days ago. I want to hate it, I really do. It's the most dread-inducing, ass-clenching, breath-holding game I've ever played. I never wanted to play a horror game, because I get scared easily; but this game is just too fucking good
After I got this game, I started binging it for 4+ hours a day. Did that for about a month, and was able to get to the third area. The genius thing about the combat in this game is that it makes every fight a serious threat. Dying in an area near a strong enemy made it extremely hard to recover your gear, so there was always stress in going to dangerous areas. At one point, I booted up the game and realized that just hearing the intro music was making my heart pound. I decided to give it a rest for a while. The damn game was stressing me out.
Long time no see, Painticus. Since we're talking about obscure horror games, have you ever heard of a fun little game known as "fear & hunger". Cults, derelict gods, unknown horrors that lurk in the darkness beneath, all the fun stuff. Really recommend you to check it out! And as always, keep up the good work and good speed to you!
Let me tell you what caused me to jump and practically shit my pants. When my fucking door opened on its own. It was all dark in the room the door led to, and there's some weird sounds and suddenly my door opens on its own. I absolutely love this game because there are no intentional jumpscares. Far too many games (looking at you FNAF and FNAF clones) think horror is "BOO! Hahaha scared you!" Jumpscares are fine when used little, but devs have made it the sole scare factor of their games these days. Darkwood doesn't do that. This game is terrifying. The atmosphere is what's scary. Now there might be a jumpscare (like when a body leaps up and becomes a chomper) but the devs didn't mean for it to be one. The only other game that has nearly scared me enough to make me stop playing, was subnautica, and the devs definitely didn't intend for that to be a "horror" game, but it sure does have some atmospheric horror going on (especially when you have to go to the ship that crashed and explore it, and you know there are reaper leviathans patrolling around it, but you can only see so far ahead of you. They could be swimming right under you, and you don't know. Then one roars and grabs you just as you start letting your guard down and you shit your pants.)
First video I've watched from this channel but aside from the fact I love darkwood I must say great video dude ! Il be checking out more and if you stumble on this do a let's play of dark wood
something about the atmosphere, the weird characters, and the setting really sat with me. it's a disturbing game, even without taking into account how stressful the gameplay is. I love it
I can't respect the sly slip out the door. But this game deserves to be finished bro. I spent 74 nights on my first play through because I was so timid, but I made it eventually. Only to find I took the cop out ending, and I just had to play again to learn the true secret of Darkwood.
The game is great. Just finished it yesterday. Started a new playthrough, enjoing the hell out of it, trying to finish all the questlines and unlock all the locks I could find...
I hope u see this even though the video is old . Never been a fan of over the head type games but Darkwood does it perfectly , its sound design and atmosphere is very realistic even the clicking of a simple flashlight impressed me . I'm like 30 minutes in and avoided any spoilers . Respect the woods
I love me some good horror. I wanted to get the true ending and I played this game straight for two days - and then the nightmares started and I realised I was jumping at literally anything. Had to take a break, this game is the master of fear induced anxiety!
One thing I like to see is where in the game people stop playing, there are so many moments and reasons to want to just not open the game and I like to hear about when those happen.
I'm on the fence about this game. It seems a very well made horror game that is genuinely scary. On the other hand, it seems, well, genuinely scary. The older I get, the less I want my games to stress me out. And while I seem to have a condition that I am very hard to scare or even jump scare (and I tend to jump scare people a lot without meaning to, because I move really quiet and people I lived with always jumped up when I try to make them aware of my presence to avoid scaring them), I am under certain circumstances very stress sensitive. I wish I could play it and pay afterwards IF I enjoyed it. Also, I live in a forest, and even my toilet is outside. Never had any difficulties with that, but I wouldn't want that to change either.
I have a love/hate relationship with stress in games - on one hand, I love media that can make me feel something that powerful, and I can definitely appreciate the effort of the devs, but on the other hand, sometimes I just wanna chill out. Honestly, forests are probably one of the safer places to be when the apocalypse hits - you should be good.
@@Painticus Yeah I've been playing some of the most intense action scenes in horror games (I remember being overrun by the chainsaw sisters and almost out of bullets in RE4 back on Gamecube, and constantly barely getting away) or some of the most scary atmospheric parts of Preoject Zero / Fatal Frame 2 back on ps2, while just casually talking to a friend, while that friend literally jumped up at every sound or was so on the edge of his seat that he actually fell off at one point, calling me insane for playing those games and not even flinching at anything. I didn't feel much else than just enjoying the game, and I did play hard mode and all that back then. But nowadays stress can easily get me (fear still not, maybe even less). Zombi U on Wii U, that game gave me "stress" when I still enjoyed being on edge when trying to get through the mode where dying ended the entire game. But nowadays, games for me are for stress relief. A slight challenge is welcome of course. My ex partner used to be afraid to go to the toilet at night, unless I or one of the dogs came along :D
I'm with you, I just started playing the game myself, even though I watched my friend play it years ago, but it looked meh to me. Well, it isn't. The atmosphere just gets to you, and I absolutely love survival games, so I don't even know why I didn't play it sooner. Oh, and I LOVE horror games, Amnesia was one of my favourites for the same reason, the atmosphere. So yeah, a really good game!
You aughto finish this game. Things only get scarier as you progress into the second chapter, and the ending is spectacular, but make sure you pay close attention once you leave the darkwood...
YES, I came for the title! I got it last year and waited for the nightiime to play it and... didnt got far at all lol. now its im my library and maybe one day I'll rise up for the experience
Generally, I feel much safer in horror games that let me fight back against the monstrous creatures of the game world… not this one. This one is positively horrifying.
Player vulnerability drives the tension. Too many other games ignore this fact and make the player way too powerful, draining all tension from the game. A great example of games doing this well is Thief 1 & 2, and an example of a game series getting this wrong is Dishonnered.
i remember playing this and getting scared as hell,the slightest floor creek at night made me hyper ventilate truly a scary game 10/10,good but will never play again
I also was too scared to finishing this game, I was in a difficult time in my life and when I came along to my house, tired of working, thinking about my future, school, no visible changes, I had lost a friend who just passed away in those days. In a nutshell, I was playing this, I found it on steam, gave it a chance and I was too careful, I took it my time with this, almost like I do play one day per day, it took me 80 days and I can feel nostalgic with it, and one day just like that I have ended Darkwood and i realise was starting to move on in my life. Maybe that is wht this title is one of my favourite.
You know I was just scared as you,but.. You have yo go full aggressive in this game, then enemies and nights will become minor inconvenience. Just fight like there's no tomorrow.
"we don't talk about Threads" 😂 I own a blu ray copy and it's still in it's packaging. Seen it before a couple of times, bought it for posterity, but it's not really meant to be watched.
Hey man, I've literally just discovered your channel (through a certain tweet) and binge watched all of your videos. How haven't I heard of you yet? You make exactly the videos I love to watch. Subscribed and looking forward to your future content.
Thank you for subscribing! I'm glad you're into this kind of video. If you haven't heard of them already, I can recommend other channels like Sunderland (ua-cam.com/channels/1TQUtHJB0xLPpyIc5Omhaw.html) and Accursed Farms (ua-cam.com/users/chilledsanity) for similar formats.
@@Painticus Cool, thanks. I'm already familiar with Accursed Farms but I didn't know about Sunderland. Seems interesting, will definitely check it out.
I can't play this game, for 2 alternating reasons: 1. It fucking terrifies me. 2. It's stupidly difficult, and it makes me angry. 9.89/10 game. Would recommend.
I really sad about watching this review while just begin to play a game. Now i think, that i gonna quit too. Cuz it's scares the shit out of me already. It feels like a movie at night, and damn it's scary
The combat isn’t a problem in my opinion. I feel like that was another intentional decision by the developers to screw your and make the game more unforgiving. Obviously realism isn’t the main focus in the game but when it comes to combat it gets there. Fighting in real life obviously isn’t going to be like hopping in the ufc for everyone and in this game the characters have a clear “kill or be killed” mentality. The characters grunting or yelling while striking killer intentions really drives that in and it’s one of the biggest things that made me anxious in the game. That sound and gameplay design isn’t something I’ve heard people talk about but it’s an amazing and surprisingly unique thing they’ve implemented perfectly.
2:01 Boi, you couldn't have summed up the game in any better way had you tried. This is sub-MOA levels of precision. The only thing I'd add is "made by Oleander Garden with guest Akira Yamaoka leading the sound design".
Darkwood is the only game to ever really scare me. I'm not talking about being started by a cheap jumpscare or being creeped out by a spooky image, I'm talking about real lasting fear. I still get creeped out every time I think about this game.
It stresses me out even thinking about playing it. It's great!
What about Amnesia or P.T?
@@dmin5782 cheap jumpscares
@@SenninhaDoRock
P.T is absolutely up there with Darkwood imo; the atmosphere, the noises, the grimy ass scenery, the lack of understanding what’s happening, and the disturbing images. It shares all of these with darkwood, and Darkwood although not intentionally does have “cheap jumpscares” with audio, just as P.T with the door slamming or radio.
@@saintpoli6800 personally I never really got the love for P.T it’s a really well crafted and horror experience but it’s not a full game and it’s obviously easier to create a small amount of really good horror than it is to consistently keep the feeling there. That being said I think amnesia and P.T are really great and that one person is doing them a disservice by saying they rely on cheap jump scares but I do think dark wood also does horror better than both of them
The audio design of "hearing" an enemy before seeing them or knowing where they are exactly reminds of the terror that is the radio in silent hill. Still hate the nightmares that game gave me 2 damn decades ago.
The game I always think about in this context is... and this is fairly embarrassing: Minecraft. I first played it in its alpha stage about 11 years ago and the noises of skeletons and zombies in dark, unexplored caves terrified me.
I won't lie, now that I'm in my 20s, it still spooks me out a little.
@@Painticus back when Minecraft was in Alpha it was totally a horror game at night, the darkness was pitch black and you couldn't change it in the options.
The game from my childhood that used that particular trick was System Shock 2. Every enemy in the game makes unique sounds as they move around, and switch to making very different sounds when they spot you.
Every last one of them is memorable in some way, and certain specific once will literally make your skin crawl. For me, it was the cyborg midwifes and the arachnids that were the worst ones to hear coming. God damn they were creepy.
Also, in a cruel twist, the very deadly cyborg assassins make a much more low pitched sound compared to the rest of the enemies. It's still audible, but it creates a different kind of dread when you hear it because it's so different.
I personally think Darkwood is silent hill 2's successor. They both have perfect atmosphere, lasting fear, and the concept of terror
When will you review this game Hammers?
I’ve watched a lot of horror movies so I’m utterly desensitized to horror. However this game managed to provoke a fear deeper than any other game or movie did. I actually got nightmares while playing this game, something that hadn’t happened for years up to that point.
There's one streamer that recently finished darkwood and he said that after each every stream he got a nightmares about darkwood too.
"You're rewarded with the greatest sound in gaming."
(A slowly building synthesizer chord ... and ... )
"Don't overpay at Best Buy! Wikibuy can save you money!"
3:55 That was actually a beneficial night event, that banshee is completely friendly and gifts you a rotting foetus... for you to eat. But yeah, I encountered a banshee before I saw this event, so naturally I was like "A glowing red banshee? Haha, I'm gonna die in real life now aren't I?"
Edit: Also, a supposed tip about the lamps, try to position them in a way where light doesn't leak outside the house, apparently the light make enemies swarm to that window. (I'm not sure how true that is, but after I moved my lamps, nights seemed a little quieter)
Another edit: In regards to the sound, the song playing after a night has ended gives so much fucking RE safe room vibes. That mix of safety from how soft the notes sound and fear/anticipation from how... cold the melody feels, reminding you that you have to venture back into the horror. I love it.
Everything about this game hits the notes perfectly. My only problem is that i need more from these devs. More stuff like this
The tip about lights is false, actually.
They get attacted to sound (main factor), baricadded doors and unbaricadded windows/doors.
@Keith Deorsey no
@@ivanmixo-mari
Yeah, they don’t care about lights; but holy fuck do they hate not being allowed to move around places. Like banshees can’t break barricades so you can use that, but everything else can.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite gaming channels, keep it up
yeah agreed
6:50 my entire experience with this game summed up in one sentence... terror due to twigs 😂
I’ll never forget this game, it’s the only game where I’ve ever felt truly disturbed - To the point where I had to stop playing a second and go “what the fuck...” and had trouble coming to terms with what I just witnessed lol. Truly a sleeper masterpiece.
Hey man, great review! Darkwood is one of my all-time favorite horror games (and that means something), perhaps because as an educated forester I have spent quite some time in the forests at night. Even knowing the most dangerous creatures that roam German forests are boars (which usually flee before you notice them) and hunters (who usually are too drunk to shoot straight), a forest at night always gives me the creeps. I would recommend: give the game another shot. Darkwood has one of the most disturbing and climactic endings I have ever seen in a video game and it makes you question anything you took as fact on your journey. Quite frankly to me the game would have only been half as good without the (true) ending. And if it makes you feel any better: I never managed to finish Slender exactly because of the same reasons you mentioned in the video, because every run is randomized to the point of pure luck if you manage to find the missing pages before the faceless beanstalk grabs your butt. I managed to play pretty much any survival horror game without problems, but just thinking about Slenderman makes me whimper like a little girl lol.
played and beat this game, every time I think about doing another play through I start thinking of all the anxiety from the first playthrough.
I finished the game twice but every time the game decides that it's time for a rainstorm I refuse leaving the shelter until the storm goes away... I still remember how terrifying it was when I was exploring the old radio tower and suddenly a storm comes out of nowhere... I ended up dying to a group of baby banshees.... the sound design of this game is outstanding.
darkwood is one of those games that genuinely SCARES you, not scares as in a cheap jumpscare that wares off in a few seconds, i mean the terror of being inside your house at night, hearing the most weird and demonic shit ever and just being stuck there, the tension keeps building up and most of the time that tension only ends when the night ends and that's why i love darkwood so much
The worst part is that you have to run away while not looking at enemies if one spawned in a none scripted even then you have to look away a quietly panic until it’s gone
Pretty good review. I liked the humorous nature.
The Wolf was actually my favorite character as he seemed like a cool reference to Little Red Riding Hood, as the bullet hole in his jacket seems to imply he murdered the original owner and adopted his identity as a hunter.
Also one nitpick, as far as I know the game is not actually procedural generated: upon starting the game you will be assigned one of many preset maps, so it is completely possible for you and your friend to get the exact same map. If it was actually randomly generated it would feel a lot less cool imo
(Spoilers)
In the old woods there is a house called hunters house, there is a body of a hunter inside, due to the nature of the Darkwood it is theorized that a wolf/fox mutated into Wolfman, killed the hunter (who was married to the pretty lady before she was infected) and assumed identity, as well as misunderstanding love as hunger hence why the Wolfman eats the pretty lady in his path.
@@-gray-6966
My speculation was a conjoining of a wolf to the hunter’s body; similarly to the half deer half man we see sometimes on the ground
Silent hill 1, imo, works due to the sound effects so yeah.
There is more power in sound that one could really imagine, good sound design alone can make the difference on a really good horror game
Despite what everyone says I love the combat in this game. Swinging a board at a rabid dog as it charges you is so nerve wracking and it’s how you would have to approach fighting most animals in real life. Carefully setting up for your shot and having to decide on a dime whether to fire or turn and run, learning each of the monsters attack patterns and how best to avoid them. It’s one of the only games where I have felt “every bullet counts” is accurate while still being balanced. I love it.
Darkwood has a complete reasoning for you not playing if you get a specific ending. Like, it literally fits the lore 110% so don’t feel guilty, rest easy on it.
Thank you so much for this spooky, beautifully cut, and also very funny little tribute to a genuinely unique game. I've never been able to play Darkwood myself, but I'm still enthralled by its atmosphere, the sense that you're peering into a truly unknowable, ancient-feeling other space that is never subject to the light of day or explanation. There is stuff in here that is just... there, and that's my favourite thing. (I have Twin Peaks on my mind right now, which also contains a world of stuff that's just... there.) Lovely video 👍 (PS I got out of being obliged to watch Threads at school in the 80s, it would have messed me up. My condolences!)
"There is stuff in here that is just... there" is a wonderful way to phrase it. That kind of thing really makes humanity seem like we are small and blind, which is both a great world-building tool and the traits of a wildly unsuccessful D&D character I once had.
@@Painticus I know those feels 👍
Holy shit, this is actually quality content. Love the presentation!
All roads lead deeper into the woods. Finish it.
I think a review can only be made when you finish a game and for me specifically, I actually want to 100% the games before I review them but your argument is sound so I can't be mad...
That's fair - I suppose this is something closer to a first-impressions type deal, but about 6 years late to the party, but by my standards that's still remarkably early :D
100% is a bit of a stretch, especially for games that either have way too much content or are way too hard to 100% (like Donkey Kong 64 or Hollow Knight)
I completed Darkwood twice to explore the different possible endings. The first run through I literally avoided combat at every opportunity. I honestly feel like the clunky combat just made it more terrifying and that reflected in my Gameplay style. On the second run through I knew all about crafting etc and had firearms so took more advantage of combat. But that first playthrough was like I really lived it in those woods, desperately trying to survive and killing only through traps, eyes in the back of my head and running like Forest Gump from my persuers. It's the best horror game that exists in my opinion and I haven't played anything even close to being as anxiety inducing and masterful since. I can't bring myself to play it a third time, the experience has actually stayed with me though and I wish I could experience it for the first time again. I hope Acid Wizard make a new game!
Great review, subbed BTW!
"the best sound in gaming history..."
* ad starts playing * WARRIORS OF THE EAST
LETS PLAY RAID SHADOW LEGENDS!
I genuinely don't know how you don't have more subscribers. The editing, the commentary, you're generally really funny. Easily earned a subscribe!
(Minor spoiler related to location based events below)
I am on my second play through atm and I love this game. I know some of the subtle ways to get early items and things that make the game a little more fun, like getting the shovel on day 3, killing the bride with a bear trap and melee etc. I still love the well sequence with the child red chomper and the encounter in the mayors basement, I’ll never forget what it was like seeing my reflection or the sow, or the burning people attacking my home in the swamp, I love the mushroom granny and musician.
(Major spoiler below)
I still remember seeing the traders head in the swamp.
This game is scary as shit and god I love it.
9:41 is that a Local58 reference there that I see? Subbed
For me, it’s horrifying just because of how quiet it is. The feeling of loneliness is very scary. They did a great job with the audio.
10:58 My snippy! 😍
Darkwood's apocalypse is a... uh... special.
You shouldn't feel sorry, not finishing the game. I didn't. In my review, I think I gave it a 4 (which is your equivalent to great).
I found some very interesting things about Darkwood's inspiration and my own take on it as well. I still think this is a strong example of Cosmic Horror. I'm thinking about revisiting it with the highest difficulty...
Its apocalypse is wierd and unfathomable and unexplained, my favourite kind
@@timkinss It is. It put my heart of a Cosmic Horror fan in a somersault.
So I started playing this game a few days ago. I want to hate it, I really do. It's the most dread-inducing, ass-clenching, breath-holding game I've ever played. I never wanted to play a horror game, because I get scared easily; but this game is just too fucking good
It helps knowing you won’t purposely get jumpscared, which the authors hate.
After I got this game, I started binging it for 4+ hours a day. Did that for about a month, and was able to get to the third area. The genius thing about the combat in this game is that it makes every fight a serious threat. Dying in an area near a strong enemy made it extremely hard to recover your gear, so there was always stress in going to dangerous areas.
At one point, I booted up the game and realized that just hearing the intro music was making my heart pound. I decided to give it a rest for a while. The damn game was stressing me out.
Only game that made me felt this way was the Alien game, i need to try this one!
clunk is important in any game. arpgs is almost needed to be clunky so it feels amaz when you get an upgrade that makes you less clunky
SpOoKy sHiT HaPpEnSss
P.S. This is exceptionally well done, man. Subbed.
"SpOoKy sHiT HaPpEnSss" is becoming a fitting tagline for 2020
Thanks for watching & subscribing!
Long time no see, Painticus. Since we're talking about obscure horror games, have you ever heard of a fun little game known as "fear & hunger". Cults, derelict gods, unknown horrors that lurk in the darkness beneath, all the fun stuff. Really recommend you to check it out!
And as always, keep up the good work and good speed to you!
Wow, Fear & Hunger looks super weird. I love it! I'll have to check it out. Kinda reminds me of Darkest Dungeon. Thanks for the recommendation!
@@Painticus, always glad to be of service
Let me tell you what caused me to jump and practically shit my pants.
When my fucking door opened on its own. It was all dark in the room the door led to, and there's some weird sounds and suddenly my door opens on its own.
I absolutely love this game because there are no intentional jumpscares. Far too many games (looking at you FNAF and FNAF clones) think horror is "BOO! Hahaha scared you!"
Jumpscares are fine when used little, but devs have made it the sole scare factor of their games these days.
Darkwood doesn't do that. This game is terrifying. The atmosphere is what's scary. Now there might be a jumpscare (like when a body leaps up and becomes a chomper) but the devs didn't mean for it to be one.
The only other game that has nearly scared me enough to make me stop playing, was subnautica, and the devs definitely didn't intend for that to be a "horror" game, but it sure does have some atmospheric horror going on (especially when you have to go to the ship that crashed and explore it, and you know there are reaper leviathans patrolling around it, but you can only see so far ahead of you. They could be swimming right under you, and you don't know. Then one roars and grabs you just as you start letting your guard down and you shit your pants.)
First video I've watched from this channel but aside from the fact I love darkwood I must say great video dude ! Il be checking out more and if you stumble on this do a let's play of dark wood
4:32
I see where you're coming from, but the OG Fallout level-up sound is still unsurpassed.
[Old Snake Voice] "Overhead view, just like old times."
I love the local58 reference there
You know when at night comming Dogs or Savages i am happy because its not Chomper or Banshee!
something about the atmosphere, the weird characters, and the setting really sat with me. it's a disturbing game, even without taking into account how stressful the gameplay is. I love it
I can't respect the sly slip out the door. But this game deserves to be finished bro. I spent 74 nights on my first play through because I was so timid, but I made it eventually. Only to find I took the cop out ending, and I just had to play again to learn the true secret of Darkwood.
The game is great. Just finished it yesterday. Started a new playthrough, enjoing the hell out of it, trying to finish all the questlines and unlock all the locks I could find...
I hope u see this even though the video is old . Never been a fan of over the head type games but Darkwood does it perfectly , its sound design and atmosphere is very realistic even the clicking of a simple flashlight impressed me . I'm like 30 minutes in and avoided any spoilers .
Respect the woods
Slow creeping dread is my favourite flavour of horror.
I love me some good horror. I wanted to get the true ending and I played this game straight for two days - and then the nightmares started and I realised I was jumping at literally anything. Had to take a break, this game is the master of fear induced anxiety!
You say "what" like stewie says "whip" in Family Guy and it makes me happy
Been looking for an in depth review of the game. And you did the video so well that ima subscribe. Keep em comin 😁
One thing I like to see is where in the game people stop playing, there are so many moments and reasons to want to just not open the game and I like to hear about when those happen.
I'm on the fence about this game. It seems a very well made horror game that is genuinely scary. On the other hand, it seems, well, genuinely scary. The older I get, the less I want my games to stress me out. And while I seem to have a condition that I am very hard to scare or even jump scare (and I tend to jump scare people a lot without meaning to, because I move really quiet and people I lived with always jumped up when I try to make them aware of my presence to avoid scaring them), I am under certain circumstances very stress sensitive. I wish I could play it and pay afterwards IF I enjoyed it.
Also, I live in a forest, and even my toilet is outside. Never had any difficulties with that, but I wouldn't want that to change either.
I have a love/hate relationship with stress in games - on one hand, I love media that can make me feel something that powerful, and I can definitely appreciate the effort of the devs, but on the other hand, sometimes I just wanna chill out.
Honestly, forests are probably one of the safer places to be when the apocalypse hits - you should be good.
@@Painticus Yeah I've been playing some of the most intense action scenes in horror games (I remember being overrun by the chainsaw sisters and almost out of bullets in RE4 back on Gamecube, and constantly barely getting away) or some of the most scary atmospheric parts of Preoject Zero / Fatal Frame 2 back on ps2, while just casually talking to a friend, while that friend literally jumped up at every sound or was so on the edge of his seat that he actually fell off at one point, calling me insane for playing those games and not even flinching at anything. I didn't feel much else than just enjoying the game, and I did play hard mode and all that back then. But nowadays stress can easily get me (fear still not, maybe even less). Zombi U on Wii U, that game gave me "stress" when I still enjoyed being on edge when trying to get through the mode where dying ended the entire game. But nowadays, games for me are for stress relief. A slight challenge is welcome of course.
My ex partner used to be afraid to go to the toilet at night, unless I or one of the dogs came along :D
I'm with you, I just started playing the game myself, even though I watched my friend play it years ago, but it looked meh to me. Well, it isn't. The atmosphere just gets to you, and I absolutely love survival games, so I don't even know why I didn't play it sooner. Oh, and I LOVE horror games, Amnesia was one of my favourites for the same reason, the atmosphere. So yeah, a really good game!
This was a fantastic review which sold me on buying the game. Thank you :)
You aughto finish this game. Things only get scarier as you progress into the second chapter, and the ending is spectacular, but make sure you pay close attention once you leave the darkwood...
YES, I came for the title! I got it last year and waited for the nightiime to play it and... didnt got far at all lol. now its im my library and maybe one day I'll rise up for the experience
Generally, I feel much safer in horror games that let me fight back against the monstrous creatures of the game world… not this one. This one is positively horrifying.
Player vulnerability drives the tension. Too many other games ignore this fact and make the player way too powerful, draining all tension from the game.
A great example of games doing this well is Thief 1 & 2, and an example of a game series getting this wrong is Dishonnered.
i remember playing this and getting scared as hell,the slightest floor creek at night made me hyper ventilate truly a scary game 10/10,good but will never play again
Ive never had my jaw drop when it comes to games and movies. This set a highscore in my life.
Best review I've seen of this game, game really did get easy as fuck once you get the shovel and the single boomstick
I also was too scared to finishing this game, I was in a difficult time in my life and when I came along to my house, tired of working, thinking about my future, school, no visible changes, I had lost a friend who just passed away in those days. In a nutshell, I was playing this, I found it on steam, gave it a chance and I was too careful, I took it my time with this, almost like I do play one day per day, it took me 80 days and I can feel nostalgic with it, and one day just like that I have ended Darkwood and i realise was starting to move on in my life. Maybe that is wht this title is one of my favourite.
First time I played the game, it was for around 20 hours with smoke, toilet, and eating brakes. I had not closed that game for the whole time.
The peak of Atmosphere in Horror Games is Darkwood for me.
After you beat it once, there is no longer anything to fear. Because then you realize that *you* are the scariest entity in the Darkwood.
You know I was just scared as you,but..
You have yo go full aggressive in this game, then enemies and nights will become minor inconvenience.
Just fight like there's no tomorrow.
I’m 30 Y/O, haven’t got the game and I’m already scare of this game
"we don't talk about Threads" 😂 I own a blu ray copy and it's still in it's packaging. Seen it before a couple of times, bought it for posterity, but it's not really meant to be watched.
The scariest part of this video was being reminded of In The Forest of the Night
Also 9:42
I am subscribing to you for that reference alone.
It's a shame they didn't name the morning song "Survivor's Lament", just knowing it's going to happen all over again.
Hey man, I've literally just discovered your channel (through a certain tweet) and binge watched all of your videos.
How haven't I heard of you yet? You make exactly the videos I love to watch. Subscribed and looking forward to your future content.
Thank you for subscribing! I'm glad you're into this kind of video. If you haven't heard of them already, I can recommend other channels like Sunderland (ua-cam.com/channels/1TQUtHJB0xLPpyIc5Omhaw.html) and Accursed Farms (ua-cam.com/users/chilledsanity) for similar formats.
@@Painticus Cool, thanks. I'm already familiar with Accursed Farms but I didn't know about Sunderland. Seems interesting, will definitely check it out.
I can't play this game, for 2 alternating reasons:
1. It fucking terrifies me.
2. It's stupidly difficult, and it makes me angry.
9.89/10 game. Would recommend.
Great video and congrats; You sold the game to me. I am so very tired of jump scares.
Such an amazing video, wow. Love this content, very underrated.. Why there's such bullshit being famous in world rn and this gets no attention
just bought the game after watching a bunch of reviews and i am already absolutely horrified before even playing
4:34 i was laughing so hard i couldn't breathe
I really sad about watching this review while just begin to play a game. Now i think, that i gonna quit too. Cuz it's scares the shit out of me already. It feels like a movie at night, and damn it's scary
The combat isn’t a problem in my opinion. I feel like that was another intentional decision by the developers to screw your and make the game more unforgiving. Obviously realism isn’t the main focus in the game but when it comes to combat it gets there. Fighting in real life obviously isn’t going to be like hopping in the ufc for everyone and in this game the characters have a clear “kill or be killed” mentality. The characters grunting or yelling while striking killer intentions really drives that in and it’s one of the biggest things that made me anxious in the game. That sound and gameplay design isn’t something I’ve heard people talk about but it’s an amazing and surprisingly unique thing they’ve implemented perfectly.
2:01 Boi, you couldn't have summed up the game in any better way had you tried. This is sub-MOA levels of precision. The only thing I'd add is "made by Oleander Garden with guest Akira Yamaoka leading the sound design".
Honestly fair. The Old Woods are the most painful
Playing right now, it's a really relaxing game until it's scenery and art can put you on edge, then it goes back to being beautiful relaxing.
Don't mind me. I am here again because I miss your beautiful voice. Plus I am currently playing Darkwood for the first time and I'm digging it.
You my friend have earned a subscriber
Did you ever complete it?
2:09 ....how do we make this happen? like i'll start making a Tarkovski AI
you should play it again, the ending is the most important and the best part of the game
This game might be 3rd person but genuinely, I think that's what makes it scarier🤣
I had difficulty finding times to play this game, because I knew that it would psychologically drain me.
I couldn’t stop spending every moment of my free time with it because I was so enthralled by how good it was at immersing me in this nightmare world
is it just me or "look at the moon" is a reference to Local 58? xD I think i'm just overthinking it
Description in the switch market...No jump scares.
This game is so scary even the description of the damn game is out to get you.
dont feel bad, I too stopped playing cause it freaked me out, and horror is my favorite genre. sub"d!
Just started my Darkwood journey this week (uploaded gameplays on my channel).
Wish me luck! 😬
4:03 HERE'S JHONNY!
Couldn’t finish Alien: Isolation. That game had me shrieking in dread haha
2:12 cheers!
damn you paint, now i want it and im broke lol
Underrated
Nice job if u want give me a heart bro!
Thats what you get guys if you say Poland cant into space
I'm a furry and I approve this message
What an intro
YES YES YES YES YES YES ABOOT TIME BOYS
Ive tried to play this game with headphones at night and i cant get past the first 20mins. Its too much for someone with a hyperactive imagination