The Long Dark's new update changes nearly everything

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I'm no stickler for realism in video games, but it did annoy me that I couldn't destroy and burn furniture in The Long Dark. In a game that prizes improvisation under duress, I didn't understand why I couldn't just burn everything in the name of staying warm. Well, now I can. The game's major v.256 update introduces sweeping changes to almost every aspect of the game, and burning furniture is one of them. Hurray.

That's really quite minor in the wide scheme of things, because most aspects of the game have been tweaked with v.256. Foraging has been overhauled, and you can now harvest fuel directly from objects in the game world. Running has been simplified too, in the sense that you can't do it anymore: walking has been sped up slightly, and sprinting incurs both stamina and fatigue penalties.

Full update notes can be seen on the Steam page, or you could watch the video below, which conveniently demonstrates all of the major changes in-game.

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.