There are few video games I get pleasure from watching the event of as a lot as Gloomwood. Not solely as a result of New Blood Interactive’s Thief-inspired immersive sim is one among my most anticipated video games, but additionally as a result of the builders maintain including great little extras that I by no means would have anticipated. The most lately introduced addition is a superb instance, with New Blood revealing that Gloomwood is getting cutscenes.
“I mentioned we had an even bigger factor to indicate this week,” Gloomwood creator Dillon Rogers mentioned excitedly on Twitter. “Gloomwood is getting shortform cinematics earlier than main areas/encounters, finished in an early 1900s animated horror type.” The tweet included a video exhibiting off one among mentioned cutscenes, which introduces the “fishdog” enemy that seems a few hours into the sport.
The cutscene epitomises the complete Gloomwood mission. The animation and digicam work is extremely paying homage to the briefing cutscenes within the first two Thief video games. At the identical time, it undeniably has its personal type, designed to suit Gloomwood’s Victorian gothic aesthetic. It nods respectfully to the sport that impressed Gloomwood, however is not beholden to it, which is Gloomwood in a nutshell.
I mentioned we had an even bigger factor to indicate this week!Gloomwood is getting shortform cinematics earlier than main areas/encounters, finished in an early 1900s animated horror type.#gloomwood #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/dEelicaL4RAugust 24, 2024
As I mentioned earlier, it is also an sudden addition to the sport. Unlike Thief, Gloomwood’s journey is not cut up into particular person missions. It’s a steady, open-ended expertise. Indeed, some gamers have responded to Rogers’ tweet saying they most popular experiencing Gloomwood’s world seamlessly, with out being interrupted by cutscenes. Others have raised considerations that such anticipatory cinematics would possibly spoil Gloomwood’s nastier surprises.
Rogers responded patiently to each these feedback. In truth, he anticipated the remark about Gloomwood one way or the other spoiling itself, explaining “The fishdog cinematic is fairly upfront, however later cinematics could solely present the shadow/form of the upcoming beasts or how they sound!” As for gamers preferring Gloomwood’s expertise to be wholly immersive, Rogers mentioned “We’ll probably put an choice in to keep away from enjoying [cutscenes] in that case desired.”
This is way from the one function New Blood has introduced for Gloomwood this 12 months. In February, the builders revealed that it had carried out new rat AI that made the sport’s digital rodents actively search out cheese. In March, New Blood revealed a progress replace on Gloomwood’s large underport space, throughout which they revealed the sport was getting a brand new weapon, a harpoon gun. Finally, June noticed the discharge of the primary a part of the Underport. Named the Power Station, New Blood says this space is already greater than the Market District launched final 12 months.
There’s no phrase on when Gloomwood will probably be completed, though it looks like a ultimate launch remains to be a great distance off. Given how advanced immersive sims are to make, and the way devoted New Blood is to creating its tackle the style nice, I’m very happy to let Rogers & co prepare dinner. And whereas I do not suppose we’ll see the ultimate model of Gloomwood any time quickly, I likewise doubt that is the final we’ll hear from the nice Doctor in 2024.
