Gloomwood (Early Access) Review | Majuularcade

Gloomwood has been teased as the lovechild of immersive sim & survival horror for years now. Well, the early access build is finally upon us - how does it stack up? Watch this (a)rousing episode of Majuularcade and find out!
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All background music used in this video was from either the Deus Ex or Thief 1/2 Original Soundtracks.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

That you always show you upgrading the underrated and critical swimming skill whenever you show a clip of Deus Ex indicates to me that you definitely know what you're talking about when it comes to Immersive Sims!

[@fappydabear1774]

Love when I find a nearly unknown underrated youtuber that I can binge watch 100 hours of backlog content. Thanks for the free entertainment. Damnit. There's only like 20 videos. I still subbed. Like your video style.

[@pancaketop]

I've always been of two minds when the game takes away control of saving. On one hand I find save scumming something you haven't yet had the chance to experience normally kind of like dousing ketchup on a finely crafted pulled pork poutine. In that regard, forcing you to face your consequences like this is a great mechanical way to ensure everyone is getting the intended experience. But I'm also an adult now and dont have time to be babysitting a screen. I want to be able to pause the game when my skip order arrives at the door, or be able to stop in the middle of an area if it's taking too long and I know I have to be up at 4am the next day for work. I guess unlocking manual saves on a new game + run or even as a tucked away option in an accessibility menu would probably be the best middle ground. Another solid video btw. I low key really like the editing style. I often find videos of this format recently over edited to the point of distraction or where I am forced to imagine the things being explained. Overall it feels in a similar vein to Joseph Anderson's style (and equally Canadian to boot, eh).

[@Majuular]

Thanks there bud! And yeah, I agree with you on the saving mechanics. I understand why it's implemented, it serves it's purpose in increasing tension & consequence. I think they'll need to get creative with future iterations of the save system if they don't want it to be at odds with the immersive sim ethos.

[@quarreneverett4767]

I agree. I would like the option of personal saving and keeping checkpointing. I would just quit if i have to rely on check points.

[@whirl3690]

Crescent isn't in the Early Access version, but the Demo had it and it gave you a Phonograph in your inventory so you could save whenever.

[@LaCazaLP]

You know what? unlock it with a button combination like the old GTA cheats. That would be something we could bring back. ingame Cheat codes. And one cheat code could be activating Manual Saving.

[@highestsettings]

I'm a year late, but there's an easy solution to this problem and it's temporary saves that are deleted once loaded. It means you can't reload from within the game, but you can leave and come back at anytime without losing progress. Weirdly enough the only time I've ever seen this was in NSMB Wii.

[@112523]

For the light ring. They should allow players to change color or maybe even still have it show up on the HUD. Just to make it more accessible

[@Mister_Clean]

I dig the parallels to Thief These devs really know what kind of game they want to make

[@AcidiFy574]

Their hashtag/URL for the game is "Theif with guns" Obviously

[@Boondacious]

As a survival horror fan, I am used to having limited saves - I think it works great for games with a tone like Gloomwood, it adds tension... but you did raise some good points. Immersive Sims do involve a lot of experimentation so not having the ability to do so here is an interesting choice. I think tying it to the difficulty of the game would be a good idea for sure. I'm also surprised there isn't any way to spend the gold yet? I would've thought that be one of the major pillars to a thief-inspired game. 🤔

[@Droidsky17]

Well they finally have a way to spend your hard earned money, but it's at the end if the current build, so... it's still pointless.

[@guamsoldier87]

Ah yeaa! I always look forward toward any reviews you drop!! Keep up the good work!

[@Majuular]

Thanks mate!

[@Killamajigg]

Mighty loaf references? You've reawakened a part of my brain that was dormant for years. Immersive sims have never really been my cup of tea, but I hope Gloomwood turns out well for the sake of the creators and those who enjoy them.

[@Nipah.Auauau]

limited save-anywhere items + gramophones would probably be a good compromise. Since they're limited the player could use them to prevent backtracking on death but wouldn't be able to effectively saves-cum whenever they want.

[@Aithan83]

This video was so well put togheter and articulated I instantly clicked on the subscribe button. I was already subscribed lmao Keep up the good work!

[@xjsn330]

Amazing editing, awesome effort man. I loved the video!

[@Majuular]

Thanks mate, appreciate it!

[@fenrirlives2226]

Majuular dynamic rolling to get this video made outta nowhere! shows the passion and enthusiasm for the subject, and I can't to sit back and enjoy!

[@N.M.E._Archive]

You can sequence break in the caves using explosive barrels

[@AaronJLong]

It's awesome to see retro revivals starting to reach this age of gaming. Can't wait for some awesome people to make a proper Morrowind-Like.

[@Chiemkim]

Love your videos. You really understand what good game design is.

[@ThommyofThenn]

That intro is such gold, that I left a like within the first 20 seconds

[@TheWintersoldier45]

Dude came outta nowhere with that quality long form content and bangs it out regularly. Keep it up brohan

[@versebuchanan512]

I'm not sure if its been altered yet, but I remember one save station in particular where you can absolutely soft lock yourself. There's an enemy like, immediately outside the room, and if you have no ammo on hand and/or low health you can just get wiped

[@DiabeticIguana]

Great review, I think I'll stick around

[@112523]

Your videos kinda feel like long form mandalore videos. Which is a good thing btw cuz mandalore makes good videos. So having someone who makes them of the same quality but about different games is always fun to encounter

[@davidsburningdumpster8728]

These early morning uploads always make my day start great! I've been replaying a ps2 james bond game and burnout 3 and the graphics look exactly as you say.

[@benozshkedy8105]

What a quality video dude, idk how you don’t have much more subs but you just earned another one!

[@Majuular]

Thank you friend!

[@EMPNETWORKS]

great video. nice addition of thief the metal age music in the background, and showing thief the dark project video footage ;) i played gloomwood last few days, its awsome. looking forward to its offical release

[@ThraxyVS]

Great review, definitely put the game on my radar. Might have to peep it next time it goes on sale.

[@whirl3690]

It's on sale right now until the 12th

[@TheXell]

I would absolutely love hearing your thoughts on other games currently in Early Access!

[@666slateran666]

Baldurs gate 3 would be cool and different

[@quarreneverett4767]

@@666slateran666 isnt that game sipping the cult koolaid

[@666slateran666]

@@quarreneverett4767 What are you talking about? The hate that it's gotten is mainly from it being I early access for so long. That and D and D purists who get made that it's not 100% like tabletop. Most people aren't even paying attention to all the content and quality of life stuff they implement every update. The game is already way different then when I first played it and is going to easily the the best crpg of the decade. Divinity original sin 2 proved that Larians are masters in the craft.

[@Geese_boi777]

Dang that shotty does look clean. It reminds me of the bioshock shotgun with that smoke trail from the barrel

[@Tulemasin]

I didn't feel the same about the saving system and fear of losing progress with dieing. When ever I arrived in a new area I had the first objective to locate a save room, where I could dump all my stuff and the go scanning the area with regular visits back to the saving area.

[@cam_draws24]

The graphics specifically remind me a lot of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Great vid, thanks for putting this one on my radar.

[@hw8991]

Good review. Every line carries meaning. Many reviewers just babble on in a script cadence that makes one just tune out. This review has value, thanks.

[@cookieface80]

System Shock 2 and Deus Ex also had a grid based inventory.

[@aardsnark940]

Ohh this is huge, I should get in on this. Had no idea it was by the same people as Amid Evil. That game is FUN

[@hellbreakfast1590]

Just found your channel, and now both me and my wife are subscribed :3 Your Xenogears review is a particular fave of mine. Idk, just wanted to leave a nice comment.

[@christopherc4770]

The intro alone made me drop a like

[@thescatologistcopromancer3936]

Can't wait for the grapple hook

[@merritt2014]

Metro 2033 and its sequels also had a pretty similar implementation of the lightgem where you have a light on your watch that is on in the light and goes off in the dark.

[@Majuular]

Yeah, Metro Exodus nailed that in-universe HUD. That is a great series.

[@lordvonsteiner2452]

Really great video. In depth enough, concise, critical and fair. I'm definitely subscribing.

[@Majuular]

I appreciate it!

[@jalontf2]

The hands look like Spy from TF2

[@Ivanselectsongs]

11:30 great suggestion on tying saves to difficulty

[@whirl3690]

So many people who haven't played the demo

[@dociletoad]

Really fucking good review love all the points you make in regard to how to improve certain features and respect the views you have after watching the weird west review! Access has a typo in the title btw!

[@Majuular]

Whoops, haha thanks for the kind words and the heads up!

[@Corehoofify]

babe wake up new Majuular just dropped

[@audiosurfarchive]

IM ABOUT IT

[@julien2983]

Love this game, can't wait for the full release. Looking forward to Xenogears as well!

[@axeldeeker5644]

They're definitely on to something, if they add more content and mechanics and polish it to hell it might become something great

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Very fair-handed review. I really enjoy your capacity to use multiple lenses so your feedback + critiques are not a rank number or binary like Thing Good vs Thing Unforgivable but you thoughtfully convey the balance + game-feel of all the various elements plus whether they add up to a cohesive or artful experience or if it's too disjointed or lacking to earn the gamer's time + $. You also don't damn it for all time but run some potential improvement or evolution scenarios, so the devs also have tangible feedback + ideas to consider, while gamers have benchmarks to keep an eye on if they're interested but wary after so much broken trust with the industry for a decade or so. Your empathy really shines, not just when you delve into character beats or arcs, but examples like acknowledging some gamers would be disappointed + feel cheated paying that stiff price for what you described as a polished vertical gameslice/playable-demo, esp if they were hyped bc we're all starved for the Deus Ex lacking in our 8th-gen (9?) Machinas. But you also acknowledge some gamers who saw promise + wanted to support a smaller studio to see where they take this would find value in the $20 for it; like you made room for people pursuing different kinds of experiences & managed to give a lot of really thoughtful, solid, & useful advice to players with different play-styles/game-longings, really earnestly getting the right tea to the teapot it fits best. Very wordy way for me to say "good job again as usual Maj!" lol. Sorry. Tho I don't remember you mentioning music or much about sound, & knowing you usually point out exceptional ear-appeal qualities in games...hmm that prob bodes iffy for the OST at least. Or you were kind enough to give them the grace pass that it's a work in progress & you didn't want to overstate iffy-ness.

[@ThePrimordialChronicles]

Had very similar thoughts about both the save system and some of the restrictions the devs put on the player like with that boxes blocking a door segment(also did you try to jump through those bars to tower in the first location? Was pretty sure they are wide enough to be able to do it, but nope, invisible wall all the way.) However I remember them including an easy mode in the previous demo that allowed for saving anywhere you wanted… I think they will probably bring that back.

[@ericwollam5532]

doesn't look like my sort of game but i enjoy your videos

[@planescaped]

14:43 "my estate" "Innnnsseect"

[@Fadolapanoli]

Min 12, I was walking down the street to go to work in the morning and I just give a mini jump, deleted my drowsiness

[@novemberbravo6194]

"Fuck these dogs!...Well, don't do that." I don't know why this line in particular gave me a legitimate LOL that I desperately needed today, but thank you for doing so. I was having a really shitty day up until just now. Excellent point about this evoking the 6th console generation with its look, and I agree, I can't think of many modern games that do so. All in all, an interesting decision to review a game that is *this early* in its Early Access period. I do kinda feel that, much like the build of Gloomwood you reviewed here, the video itself is a bit of an "early build" of your typical style. It has the basic building blocks of what I come to your channel for: wit, wisdom, erudite editorialising with some deep cuts as far as the gaming industry goes, wrapped up in a nicely verbose bow that doesn't talk down to me nor get up its own ass about how smart it obviously is. But it's lacking the stylistic flourishes that some of your bigger videos have; all in all, it feels a bit, mm...dry, I guess? Like it needed an extra polish pass before being placed in the dumbwaiter. I do want to emphasise that this critique is not intended to offend or hurt in any way; this is still a great video! Having watched a lot of your content, I honestly think you'd have to try pretty hard to make a sub-par one. Rather it's just to say that I know you can do better, because I've seen you do so. I'd still rate it a solid 7.5/10. Let's call it a...B+. I still think Xenogears is, as far as your channel currently stands, your magnum opus. Granted I haven't watched everything you've made just yet, but I'm working on it! As always, all the best, and take care of yourself! I sincerely wish you and your channel the best and hope you continue to grow and succeed!

[@DodgeThisBam]

A miserable pile of no secrets? I thought this was PS2 Era!

[@simehong2000]

I waiting for the next eps

[@Hypnotoadtrance]

Been binging your videos all night. What a hidden gem you were. The 3DO video is what caught my glimmer first, and I've just been rummaging through your catalogue. Just looked up this game on Steam and see it's still in early access, with some complaints as recent as October 2023 still citing being too short. Any thoughts to add to your review a year on? Has the developer made those great strides you've been expecting? Great content man. Cheers to you.

[@user-pq8jl5wg7u]

One of the reasons that some people say its a good idea to buy right now is because newblood games gradually go up in price with more updates, so your supporting development and "saving" money. I have never played theif or any other immersive sim (other than gloomwood) for that matter so I don't have much I can say, but I find this game very enjoyable and would love an update to enemy AI to make them kill me better.

[@Freelight000005]

Looking forward for your Xenogears video.

[@SleepyOmel]

if you like Gloomwood I recomend Lunacid, a King's field inspired imersiv sim

[@MrXtr1]

Now that Bloodmoon difficulty is out, how do you feel about the ressource management present? I think theres still too much ammo around in the latter parts but up until reaching the tavern I was always relatively low on it and the atmosphere was way more tense; I hope the devs iron out the exploration a bit, I get to places and nothing awaits me.Also curious if you will look at some other im sims like Prey (2017)? That game went under alot of peoples radar for some reason

[@TheCassinus]

I'd love to see the gem changed to something like alexandrite. It is a real gemstone that changes color based on the type of light it recieves. I dont think the natural colors of alexandrite would help a color-blind person but there is no reason they couldnt add ingame lore about whatever they call the gem that mimics alexadrites color changing properties but with a better choice of colors. They could change the often used description of alexandrite of "emerald by day, ruby by night" to something like "diamond by day, amethyst by night".

[@victorreis8110]

i legit thought that would be about that disney game for the switch

[@johnmeyers8542]

Another good review. Looking forward to that FFVI review. But I do hope you include the criticism that it's... somewhat indulgent. A huge roster of characters for the sake of it, many of which aren't really paid off. Still, I'll leave that to the expert. Good luck!

[@666slateran666]

Love immersive sims, wouldnt mind more content for them. I dig you covered symphonia for review as that was a childhood game. But I definitely prefer western rpgs nowadays. Baldurs gate 3 ftw

[@quarreneverett4767]

Doesnt balders gate 3 drink from the cult ba koolaid

[@UrsahSolar]

This game also reminds me of, "Sir, You're Being Hunted".

[@jimmygreat8363]

i love this gloomwood game so far i got it and reminds me so many games i enjoy it worth it but Fallen Aces i cant wait

[@left4a1]

Would be cool if the record players gave you more saves to use And if anything fucky happens it just spawns u at one of the record players for safety Best of both worlds

[@mysticwizard1943]

I find it funny that you were annoyed or disappointed that you couldn't just weasel around that blocked door. The whole reason it's blocked is to force you to get through the level. Ya know, like an obstacle in your path that forces you to take the way that's more dangerous, yet more interesting from a player's perspective. Ya know, like a video game.

[@soylencer]

13:23 to your point about PSX graphics, this reminds me a little bit of Nightmare Creatures, not too much, but enough

[@mjay6245]

The guards sound like Beuvis and Butthead lmao

[@redargylesocks]

14:47 yeah, fuck dracula, my secrets are awesome

[@fenrirlives2226]

I now desperately wish this video had been delayed just so you could include some kind of reaction to the recent ... Surprise posted by the Devs on Twitter concerning a future feature of the game lol. Still a banger nonetheless!

[@Majuular]

Yeah, that certainly caught me off guard. Maybe I can revisit the game next year :p

[@capncorncob7918]

Those townies are 100% majora mask aliens

[@colmortimer1066]

This looks like the most Thief like game not named Thief. My biggest issues with the stealth genre is the games often play more like shooters. Even Dishonored has been hard for me to get into as it just feels like a shooter with some sneaking elements and not a true sneaker. Hopefully, the Gloomwood team and keep the feel of Thief, while giving us a deep, upgraded game that feels like Thief games of old while offering something new, and upgraded to modern hardware capabilities.

[@dudestep]

I 100% agree with you on Dishonored, but if you're expecting Thief you will end up unfairly judging the game. Think of it more like survival horror immersive sim, like system shock 2 but in a town and not a ship.

[@colmortimer1066]

@@dudestep What I meant was more the stealth first feel that this seems to have. The world is different, and should be, but it feels more like you can hide, and take your time to succeed. There was always a slower methodical feeling to the Thief games, at least how I played them, that no other stealth game matched. I am hoping with a bit of polish this game can achieve that style of game play.

[@tompuce84]

[@KCMusgraves]

whats your theme song?

[@heymynameisharry]

gives me some arx fatalis vibes

[@Figdudeton]

At timestamp 2:23 what is that game? My memory tells me Arx Fatalis but that looks way too clean from what I remember that game looking like.

[@Ky-Nas]

Addendum 2: Okay so basically what I discuss here is already stated in the video just with _marginally_ less detail. Oops. Unless they've changed it from how it was in the demo, you _should_ have a music box you can use to save anywhere on the lowest difficulty. Honestly without and form of limited save system, all the phonographs really amount to is pointless and tedious backtracking, the severity of this problem depending on how cautious you'd like to play. I kinda wish they'd give the player more in-depth difficulty options, because while I'd love to just avoid the phonograph system all together, that doesn't mean I want the AI to be any easier. Addendum 1: The fuck? Okay so the easy mode is just absent? Honestly it seems like it'd be much easier to implement and much better for the player experience to just provide actual options for difficulty instead of these _modes_ to pick between.

[@Megatog615]

loot could be used for quicksaves as a compromise

[@Majuular]

Interesting idea 🤔 if they could find a way to make that work in-universe, you could actually be on to something clever here.

[@Megatog615]

@@Majuular well it wouldn't be the first game I've tried that had quicksaves as items. Two I can think of: The bad example: Kingdom Come: Deliverance The good example: Wrath: Aeon of Ruin

[@Charok1]

Even though it's a simple example, I luv in DE HR moving a dumpster so I can jump on a gas station and get a reward.

[@steampunkerella]

i'm a mother now, not letting me save when i want is a bummer

[@geileskind64]

Now i don't know if you kept up with the game but i think it actually god added to the game now. I've been playing it for somewhat over a month here and there and disliked the save points cause i was so far away from the save points, but now u just can use F6 to save and F9 to load.

[@DodgeThisBam]

I bought Xenogears imported of almost 180AU dollars back in the day, made a backup copy, and in the first week of owning it had the original stolen. At least I got to play it thanks to the backup copy but MAAAN is that a game that clearly was rushed!

[@Xsuprio]

Recommended a GTX1060... for these graphics?! Fuck any optimization, I guess. Not that I don't like the look and I did put it on my wishlist, but still...

[@joearnold6881]

It’s been in early access limbo for years, just to give you a heads up.

[@Xsuprio]

@@joearnold6881 I'm fine with a constant state of early access as long as there are (significant) periodic updates and the price is that of an unfinished game. I'm thinking of 7 Days To Die (2013). Very playable, frequent patches and updates, €23,

[@simehong2000]

2:21 what game, is, that?

[@666slateran666]

Cruelty squad video when?

[@Majuular]

Never say never

[@666slateran666]

@@Majuular Was playing sekiro when I saw this and immediately got another fat dopamine hit. That game is definitely misunderstood and your style would set people straight. It definitely let's you break the game to your will with crazy mechanics.

[@FlyMontag]

Im an immersive sim(p)

[@Craft2299]

I would absolutely HATE if this game would let me play the game to the finish. I hate Early access games in that fashion because what if the experience would have been better when it is finished? I was very happy to see the game locking me out of the rest of the game because I am not gonna touch the game again until its finished. Fuck early access, the way they did it for gloomwood is perfect for me. I have a hefty demo and the game when it is finished.

[@ERROR_-oo8gg]

You set the brightness WAY to high

[@nifftbatuff676]

True immersive sims cannot use checkpoints.

[@joearnold6881]

I thought for sure this meant the game was done. It’s been ages. I first tried this when they first released the early access… Idk, Two full years ago or something? Three? What have they been doing all this time? Maybe the game that’s there has more to do in it? It certainly _looks_ the same, with the same one whole enemy type and the same short timeframe before they tell you it’s not finished… Maybe there are some more areas, but I’m shocked by how little gameplay has been added after all this time. I’m no longer hopeful about all the things that will be added, like I was. What a hell of a way to sell a game

[@Majuular]

I can see why you feel that way - I never played the demo myself, so the game only came onto my radar fairly recently. I will say in fairness to the developers - Gloomwood up until that point was being developed by a single person. In my (limited) experience, programming AI for a 3D stealth game, or even a drag & drop inventory system, is a surprisingly big workload for a single person - especially when you consider multiple enemies all have varying types of AI. Presumably, he also did most of the modelling & animation, which can come along at a snails pace when you need a whole game's worth of assets. New Blood picking up the game probably gave Dillon Rogers access to some resources, and you could make an argument that it was New Blood's responsibility to temper expectations & hype levels. But I will say that New Blood has a track record of releasing Early Access titles in a sort of "episodic" format, and so far they've made good on all their promises. So TLDR: I totally get where you're coming from, but I think having access to financial resources, New Blood's talent (which hopefully allows Dillon to delegate duties), and now having a solid foundation to work with, new content for the game should trickle in at a fairly steady pace. That said, I still don't think it's worth $20 unless you're really hard-up for a new imsim or you just want to support New Blood.

[@joearnold6881]

@@Majuular I only just saw this reply. Stupid KZbin not telling you when ppl reply to you… Anyway yeah, I wasn’t aware that it had been one person and it got picked up by someone with added resources to throw in. That makes me a little more hopeful.

[@flashbackfrank8781]

"Die enough times and you're bound to ignore side paths or abuse enemy A.I to get through faster" Literally dark souls / Elden ring. "Git gud" is just shorthand for "Find out how poorly the AI is coded and abuse that."

[@jotun.616]

I like the no hub for sure. Especially the ammo check. Not as impressive as it could be if they had autos and made you lose rounds if you reload unnecessarily. Which i think ive only seen once.

[@RacerC45]

What's wrong with Thief's light gem mechanic?

[@Zalazaar]

Like many modern games they usually emulate the surface level of some better game without understanding what actually makes it good. I don't have high hopes for this one.

[@RacerC45]

Why would you want to kill children?

[@TitanicTitan26]

Honestly as a huge fan of Thief I've got to say this first early access build of the game severely disappointed me, I'd argue it was outright falsely advertised. It is not an imsim, there's no room for emergent gameplay, the levels are filled with invisible walls to prevent you doing creative things and most importantly in a game marketted as a successor to thief, the enemies are so lacking in awareness that you can sprint around without a second thought about your environment. You can sprint and jump right past enemies and half the time they won't even notice anything at all.

[@meylinlibertaskeef3346]

not even been 4 days bruh go work in the dam at this point smh

[@jotun.616]

Did you just call weird west an immsersive sim?

[@lupin250]

Looks like a pretty crap game honestly

[@jotun.616]

Dude. Resource management is a massive trope at this point. Wtf are you on about?

[@jotun.616]

Nope, im out until theres full save function. Msims without manual saving are shit. If im gonna have multiple paths i want saves.

[@r1chmahogany287]

Looks terrible

[@jotun.616]

Gotta give you the dislike for thinking this invented the diagetic light gem. Sorry. Its the principal. Since you know so much about msims smh.