Gloomwood (PC) Preview

Near Flawless First Act of Spooky Stealth-Focused Adventure

There are few publishers more consistently good than New Blood Interactive, a company that picked up a Thief-inspired project by designer Dillon Rogers who eventually bolstered the project through New Blood’s talented team, including David Szymanski of DUSK and Iron Lung fame. For indie fans, this style of resurrecting the concepts that made early PC gaming great has resulted in captivating interpretations. Gloomwood may still be in Steam’s Early Access program but, like New Blood’s releases before it, there is tremendous potential for something iconic in the indie space. 

Several games can be attributed to the DNA of Gloomwood but it primarily takes inspiration from the classic Thief series. As I played, I discovered elements of Resident Evil-esque horror with an inventory similar to Resident Evil 4 but with more physicality as the suitcase is an object in the world. Trying to set down the suitcase where there’s no room doesn’t work, meaning there needs to be some space to check items. The game’s Gothic setting is similar to Bloodborne, creating beautiful scenes of dark castles and decrepit houses.  

Players take on the role of a doctor who’s exploring a twisted place full of murderous guards, gnarled beasts, and harsh terrain. Armed with limited tools and their wits, players must slink through all manners of terrifying spaces. The fear is immediately baked into the experience as the Doctor can easily be dispatched even by the game’s first guards. Health and ammo are severely limited and the cane sword and a well-planned surprise attack are the basic means for survival. 

The danger immediately calls one’s mind to attention however the minimal user interface creates a sense of immersion that pairs expertly with the game’s soundscape and world. To check ammo, one must actually open and count the bullets in a revolver’s cylinder. To determine whether one’s actually cloaked in shadow, a ring that’s usually visible will stop sparkling. Opening the suitcase doesn’t pause the game either so the player is always in this hostile world. 

The game’s simple goal of reaching the lighthouse is quickly explained, promising answers and a visual beacon to always work towards and orient oneself. This light slowly rotates and can accidentally reveal the player if they don’t keep it in mind while scaling the cliffs. Knowing and understanding light sources is incredibly important for success, especially on higher difficulty levels.

This first act took me a few hours to complete and exploring the expertly crafted levels was fantastic. I’ve always enjoyed a well-paced level and Gloomwood’s whole experience feels like one massive, perfectly distilled level like an aged whiskey crafted by a new student leaning on the knowledge of masters. Of course, with Early Access comes some growing pains and I am painfully curious to know what’s behind the gated areas but what’s available now is enthralling and makes me want to explore the games it’s paying tribute to. 

Gloomwood is already a polished stealth horror experience that is absolutely worth seeking. 

I hope we get new areas and content sooner rather than later because I have a hunger that needs to be sated and the only answer is more Gloomwood.

Learn more about Gloomwood on its Steam listing and official website. A digital Steam copy was provided for content purposes. Screenshots were taken using Steam’s native features.