by theygamesYou find the perfect, idyllic spot to set up camp. You take a relaxing walk down to the river to fish. You gun down your fellow villager with an assault rifle. Wait… what? Ah, don’t worry, that’s just Longvinter, the genuinely decent-looking survival game and life sim hybrid that, for some reason, gives you military grade weapons. If Palworld was ‘Pokémon with guns,’ then this is certainly the Animal Crossing equivalent.
With an art style that is immediately comparable to that of Nintendo’s famous life sim series, Longvinter looks like it can genuinely match it when it comes to carving out a relaxing, cozy existence for yourself, living off the land and the water and creating your dream home wherever you want in its world. There are even wild animals like bears, wolves, and moose that you can tame and ride as adorable mounts. Aww. However, this survival game has a more sinister side. In Longvinter, you are a researcher sent to the region to uncover what some local corporations have been up to. You set up a home base, but you’re also in competition with other researchers who are attempting to unearth the same secrets as you.
Whereas Animal Crossing or games like Stardew Valley let you grow, forage, craft, and then sell items for funds that you then spend on customization or growing your homestead, you may want to invest in other areas in Longvinter. It requires you to purchase or craft new tools that will let you explore more of the map, eliminate hostile PvE enemies looking to protect the corporations’ secrets, and even take down your fellow researchers if they stand in your way. Of course, teaming up and combining your knowledge and firepower is a strong strategy, but there’s nothing stopping you from turning Longvinter into a bloodbath.
You do that by way of the game’s arsenal of guns and explosives which transform the game into a top-down shooter. When I first saw Palworld’s Uzi-wielding chipmunk and munitions assembly lines, I was in complete disbelief, and when I saw the switch up in Longvinter’s trailer, I got déjà vu of that moment.
The incredible thing is, much like how Palworld is a genuinely enjoyable survival experience despite its shock factor, Longvinter looks like a really accomplished life game. Fishing, cooking, mining, crafting, loads of customization, co-op support – it’s all there. It just lets you go full Rambo too, if you feel like it.
As mentioned, Longvinter has just hit 1.0 on Steam. This comes after a three-year stint in early access, and the 1.0 update adds lots of new features and content to the game, including offshore oil rigs, a new sniper rifle, new rideable animal mounts, and much more.
Developer Uuvana Studios also says that in the near future it plans to get the game on Steam Deck, introduce a proper farming system, add rentable apartments, set up shared communities, and more. You can grab the game for yourself and learn more about it here.
If you enjoy the quieter side of Longvinter, here are some of the best relaxing games around that you might enjoy. If the sound of gunfire is more your thing, here are the best FPS games you can play right now.
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