4.5/5 ★ – Yojimboi's review of Darkwood.

This is one of the most atmospherically excellent indie horror games I've ever played, and my expectations were very high because of how much I had heard about it. It really has a way of making you feel horrible no matter what decision you make, and given some of the decisions, that's actually more impressive than you might think. Starting you out in a forest with some pretty meadows and a couple dogs to fight. Things rapidly degrade as you progress through the game, seeing you fight mutants, horrible creatures consumed by mushrooms and plants, among other creatures I won't mention. All of these enemies are disturbing as hell, and having to fight them will have you clenching the whole time. There are several memorable characters throughout this journey, all of whom have their own stories that do a great job of contributing to the overall lore of the world. Some of them are innocent and must be protected from the horrors of the woods, while others are predators who wish for nothing more than to see the world burn. These characters are all as varied and disturbing as the environment itself. Since we're on the topic, the environment is absolutely incredible. The earlier areas are gorgeous and peaceful, but still keep you on edge, like something isn't quite right. Later on, they become more overtly rotten and corrupted, where every step, even through relatively safe areas, feels like a stroll on an alien planet where everything wants you dead. The game also boasts some pretty impressive spatial audio for a top down game. I never would have thought that I would be complimenting a top down game for its surround sound implementation but it complements the overall atmosphere so well that it would be a disservice not to. My single gripe is the game's story telling method sometimes falling into FromSoftware territory, where you're presented with a single tape player or a scratch off lottery ticket with some polish text on it and expected to know what that means. Given how incredible the rest of the game is however, and the quality of the rest of the storytelling, I'm willing to overlook it. This game is easily in my top 10 indie horror games of all time after my initial playthrough. At some point in the near future I'll be revisiting this for another playthrough, and based on the story paths the game presents, I expect it will be a completely different experience. At the price point ($15 at the time of writing, and frequently on sale) you truly could not ask for more.