The Long Dark receives "Desolation Point" update

The genre of sandbox survival games has been massively popular ever since the boom of DayZ. Since then, gamers have had tons of survival games that are built around surviving in a desolate wasteland against some sort of supernatural threat. Games such as DayZ, H1Z1, The War Z, and even the early versions of Rust have all relied on this zombie trope, but very few have tried to pit players against just the natural elements. The Long Dark released over a year ago with that goal in mind, and its new major update does a lot to further this end.
This new update, dubbed “Desolation Point,” is definitely a big deal for fans of The Long Dark. The update adds a brand new region called Desolation Point, “a stretch of coastal highway pockmarked with the abandoned remnants of a formerly thriving whaling industry.” Along with this, it adds a new User Interface (replacing distracting text with icons to further immersion) and the ability to maintain multiple sandbox games at one time.

Accompanying these user-experience changes, the actual gameplay of The Long Dark has seen some additions as well. The game was given a metal forging mechanic, allowing players to light a forge with coal, and melt down raw materials into useful tools. For those who are more interested in playing meteorologist than a blacksmith, the folks at Hinterland have added an overhaul to the weather system. Events like blizzards now have longer warnings beforehand, and the weather is beginning to adhere to certain patterns. This means that you can use your knowledge of the weather to better prepare for what lies ahead, setting up your shelter and otherwise getting ready for the threat at hand.
The Long Dark seems to be using this update to further its mission statement of giving players a game where they need to master the elements to survive. These improvements make the game noticeably more immersive and interesting.
Purchase The Long Dark (Game Preview) for Xbox One from the Xbox Games Store