Gloomwood is a Victorian Gothic Game from the Makers of Ultrakill
Gloomwood is a gothic survival horror game being published by New Blood Interactive. The story is about a person finding themselves deep within a downtrodden Victorian city after being abducted. While trying to fight for freedom, the protagonist will also find that a curse has corrupted the infrastructure and its inhabitants. Using a slew of whimsical weapons. players will need to sneak, fight and outwit the enemies that are patrolling the streets. This is clearly an indie game being developed by only a few artists. Being inspired by horror survival games of yesteryear like Nightmare Creatures, Shadowman, and with a little bit of Thief in the mix, this game is a love letter to that era. Hence, the art design will be reminiscent of the early polygon motif of the games during the 90s. Even though games during those years had their limitations, this game will play very much like a modern title.
Players will be able to freely explore the city at their own leisure. The level design of Gloomwood will be wrought with avenues, secrets, shortcuts, and verticality. Players will be able to go anywhere they want without a set path to take. The haunting atmosphere in this game will hide many intricacies of its lore. The story can be unveiled, solely by traversing the metropolis and piecing together the plot. Of course, players could do this at their own discretion. The story elements won’t come automatically. It will almost be like an optional element of the game. The thing is that this game isn’t the most story-driven venture. Rather, it’s all about the gameplay. Despite the old-school look that this game has, the features are quite pronounced. There are some rather interesting ideas in Gloomwood that will ring true for the seasoned gamers out there who grew up during the 90s.
Shadow Bringer
Gloomwood will have early access on August 16th. The new trailer that was recently put online does provide a nice morsel of gameplay. No doubt that gamers of the 32-bit generation will have flashbacks of the footage shown. Lurking in the dark, pickpocketing, distracting, sneaking around and climbing are all featured. Additionally, there will be Resident Evil-inspired inventory management. Finding items and collectibles will be key to lasting in this world. This game is very much a survival horror game at its core. The weapons are very much reflective of other games of this caliber. In this particular case, it has a dark Victorian vibe to it. A six-shot pistol, folding shotgun, harpoon rifle, swords, daggers, clubs, and even booby traps can be utilized. Of course, there will be items available to give health and provide powerups like food and serum.
Concerning stealth, players will have all sorts of methods to use. First of all, shadows will be the player’s friend. They will be able to shoot out lights and hide in the murk. The enemy A.I. will have a vision detector so that they will be able to see in the light, only. Also, the sound will be a factor in Gloomwood. Players will need to move slowly, load weapons discreetly, and neutralize threats sneakily. Thus, players will also be able to peek around corners and peer through keyholes to eavesdrop to gather information about the city. This will be a viable way to find treasure chests, secret locations, new pathways, and even new weapons. At least, in terms of listening to the movement and patterns of the enemies. The world will be interactive in all manners of ways. Throwing rocks through windows, cutting down chandeliers, and even using various structures to climb.
Sultan of Stealth
The world of Gloomwood will be highly interactive. Environments will be fully destructible and players will be able to experiment with all the facets of the level design to play the way they want. They can go in guns blazing or lurk in the dark quietly. It’s solely up to them. The enemies in this game are definitely within the morbid variety. Daintly clad Crowmen to a beastly Corpse Duster, there is some interesting variety to the enemy design, here. Thus, they all have their own behavior patterns and will react differently when they spot players. There will be an extensive combat system in this game, as well. Players will be able to have splintering shootouts and intense sword fights. They will be able to dodge, weave and block attacks. Thusly, players can also switch things up and go for the “cat and mouse” dynamic, if they so wish.
Needless to say, Gloomwood will have a lot of appeal. This is especially true for the older demographic of gamers who grew up playing Thief and its ilk. The polygon graphics may be a little jarring to see at first. However, the work of New Blood Interactive takes pride in that approach. It is what they do. Thus, they have been successful in their endeavors and there is no doubt that this game won’t be the exception. As mentioned before, there will be early access for this IP on August 16th. So, players will be able to jump in and try out this dark Victorian adventure before it fully launches. This game will offer a vast, rich, and dark world full of things to find. Additionally, it also offers a lot of replayability due to the scope and nuances of its stealth mechanics. This title is a reminder of more innovative and simple games of a different age.
Ghastly Goods
The driving force behind Gloomwood and other New Blood Interactive titles is their retro appeal to them. Also, their games have all had a very different vibe. This new game is certainly ambitious in regards to the small team that is developing it. Every title they release shows the evolution of what they learned. The action and stealth in Gloomwood are fluid, fast, and teeming with detail. Upon release, this game will be available for the PC exclusively. With all the fans of New Blood Interactive games out there, Gloomwood appears to be a fine addition to their library.
