BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2

BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2 is the second installment in the survival game series started in 2017 (when the full version of The Long Dark debuted). The sequel was developed by the authors of the original, namely the independent Hinterland studio.

Story

The action of BlackFrost: The Long Dark II takes place a year after the events depicted in the first installment of the series. Humanity is still struggling with the effects of the geomagnetic storm that destroyed all electronics.

This also applies to the industrial city of Harmont in the north, where we end up as one of the survivors. In addition to the standard threats lurking in the world after the so-called Silent Apocalypse, the titular BlackFrost - radiation emitted by reactors looming on the horizon, also poses a danger.

Gameplay

BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2 allows us to fight for survival in a variety of ways. Although there is nothing to stop us from being a lone wanderer travelling the frozen land, we have a better chance of survival by working in a group, either with other players or with independent characters. Enthusiasts can increase the level of challenge by enabling the permadeath feature (which requires us to start the entire journey from scratch after death).

The game offers an open world. In addition to the icy wilderness, the search for food and other resources leads us through a deserted city. In each of these places, we must be aware of dangers waiting for us. They include wild animals and hostile people, against whom we can defend using melee weapons and firearms. In addition to this, threats to us include difficult weather conditions (such as frost) and violent weather phenomena, aurora storms, and the titular radioactive "Black Frost".

Will to Live and Permalife

During the game we can create our own character, whose features and skills we develop and adapt as we progress. Although the gameplay is based on mechanics known from the first part of the series, some new features have been added for the needs of the sequel. The novelties include Will to Live and Permalife systems, which introduce a psychological aspect to the art of survival.

Will to Live introduces a new Resilience stat and requires us to manage fears and doubts of the character. Permalife makes our character accumulate fears each time we die and it is related to the cause of death. Although they reflect on our mental state, various, sometimes really small things can bring comfort, rebuilding the will to survive.

Co-op

Unlike the original, BlackFrost: The Long Dark 2 allows for single-player gameplay or cooperative play over the Internet.