The promotional material for Darkwood promises to scare you without using jump scares. This is both slightly misleading because jump scares are definitely in play, but also, in a way, very true. Darkwood does so much more.
Gameplay
Not all horror games are created equal. Not all horror games are filled with gore, grotesque monsters, and more jumping than a trampoline park with jump scares at every turn. Darkwood does use some of these typical horror tropes – and perhaps every horror game needs these – but it goes a lot further.
Darkwood is a 2D top-down survival horror game that sees you twisting and turning through the layers of the story, trying to escape these mysterious and creepy woods. Each day, you must go out, find resources, and complete objectives to ensure your survival and further your goal and then be sure to make it back in time before darkness descends and the monsters come out. It is a must to build up your safe house with enough energy to keep the lights on and barricades to keep them out.
You will find, as you play, a bizarre cast of characters to interact with, some of which allow you to buy and trade supplies. Collecting resources is a must. Items can be found in your inventory, some of which can be equipped. From healing to weapons and lights, you will need to decide what to carry and leave behind to make room for new loot as your goals take you further away from safety. Crafting plays a big part in getting new items or improved ones that you need to stay alive. This is survival horror at its finest.
The story is dark and twisted, and you will feel a sense of unease throughout. The tutorial does a fine job of not only introducing the world and teaching you how to play but also subverting all you think you know and making the game uneasy from the get-go.
When it comes to difficulty, Darkwood is not an easy game. You will be challenged and most likely die on numerous occasions. Thankfully, death isn’t a restart, and you will awaken having lost some random items. Don’t worry; you can get these back by visiting your corpse.
Audio and Visuals
Darkwood relies heavily on the audio and visuals of the game to create a constant sense of uneasiness. Whether that’s low rumblings of monsters or wolves from the shadows ahead or the eerie music slowly getting louder with each step. The sounds and soundtrack are woven into the DNA of the game and make it an unnerving experience. While the game uses a few jump scares, its delivery is more intelligent than that.
The building of tension is particularly prevalent with the use of lighting. Day turns to night, and the tension builds with the narrow beam of your torch being the only light you can use to explore… or escape quickly back to your safe house. This narrow cone of light is reminiscent of the fog of war in RTS titles. Remember to breathe through this, as Darkwood will constantly play on your mind and emotions! While it has a few jump scares, Darkwood relies more on building tension with excellent use of lighting and sound to assist that.
The game overall has a 2D, top-down perspective with impressive pixel art. On the PS5, this is beautifully rendered in 4k, making the images sharp. The overall tones are relatively realistic, bordering on the dark side, and this visual style also helps build the general atmosphere of the world.
What is different about Darkwood on the PS5?
So, I played Darkwood on PS5, which offers some great differences from other versions. Firstly, it has excellent 4k visuals, while the graphics style used in the game is more on the retro end of the scale than ultra-realistic. However, it provides a nice crispness to the images and text on the screen. This makes it very playable on large screens.
The best feature, in my opinion, is the use of haptics and the controller speaker. This helps deliver those scary moments and adds to the game’s immersion.
Is Darkwood worth getting?
Darkwood is a horror-survival game that is genuinely creepy and ultimately will give you a sense of uneasiness. As opposed to jump scare after jump scare. Although don’t be under the impression there aren’t any, because jump scares are included! What makes Darkwood worth getting is that it offers so much more. The layers of the game are exceptionally intertwined, making the story an experience that must be tried to appreciate this unique and unusual game fully.
