Long Gone Days is an RPG about military combat, to be sure, but someone’s abilities in a fight aren’t just created and used in a vacuum. The developers wish for players to bond with their fellow combatants and fighting civilians, helping keep up friendships, relationships, and morale if they have any hope of surviving against the game’s tough foes.
Rourke, a capable soldier, may have sought to flee war after witnessing the consequences of one of his missions, but soon finds himself dragged back into combat to help keep the battle from spreading any farther. This will mean having to put his skills back to work, taking the player on a journey through Rourke’s conflicting emotions as he once again returns to combat despite wanting nothing more than to escape it.
Fighting isn’t the biggest part of the game (although complex body part targeting and mandatory, challenging battles with multiple approaches ensure it is still filled with deep systems), as connecting with the people caught up in these events is far more important. Players will need to find interpreters to get to know the locals when they don’t speak the language, take time to get to know the people fighting alongside them through dialogue, and then know how to help them, emotionally, when the horrors of war freeze them in their tracks. Much of the game will be spent learning about the people with you, learning about the psychological side of warfare, as well as the importance of companionship in combat, more than how well one can pick out where to place a shot.
Long Gone Days is available (in an Early Access state) for $ 14.99 on Itch.io, Humble Bundle, and Steam. For more information on the game and developer Bura, you can head to the game’s site or follow them on Tumblr, YouTube, and Twitter.
