Gloomwood is a tense retro styled gothic survival horror FPS set in a Victorian city that’s plagued by an ancient curse.
In Gloomwood you take control of a mysterious stranger as they attempt to sneak, slice and shoot their way through a cursed Victorian city. The game draws inspiration from 90’s/00’s survival horror classics and allows you to tackle the city in a variety of different ways. You have guns, but they’re loud and bullets are scarce, so stealth is usually the best option. You have a cane sword for melee and stealth kills, and if you get caught in a tight spot a shotgun to the face will put anybody down – whether it be a Crowman or a Corpse Duster.
The city itself is very well crafted, with lots of different routes you can take through it. The way noise and light propagates through the city is a great touch too – gunshots will alert nearby guards and having a lit lantern on you is as good as painting a bullseye on your head.
The graphical style is a little jarring at first as it’s late 00’s inspired visuals can look quite simplistic when compared to modern games and lacks the jagged-edged low poly charm of the PS1/N64 era. It does grow on you though and it manages to build a great sense of atmosphere as you sneak around the dimly lit gothic city. It’s an interesting place to explore and the game gives you the skills and the weapons to make your way through it in multiple different ways. Highly recommended.
Check Out a Gameplay Video Here
Download The Gloomwood Alpha Demo Here (Steam)