Not sure why I feel so stupid...

[Wonderland wanderer]

Finally an episode 4 has been released.

My first experience: "Not sure why I feel so stupid...". IMHO, The Long Dark, the Open World game with a lots of ways to finish a mission, turns to "Yet Other B[censored] Consumers Approved". There's no more need to think, to try, to make something by yourself. Now, just "Follow the blizzard line..." and you reach another... point. No variants. No thoughts. Just go, go... Even a warmth/weariness/thirst/hunger conditions don't matters anymore on a linear "blizzard line".
The Long Dark episode 4 go a way like "Walking dead" TV series. From something amazing to something banal. Something simple, like banana. 
I very-very hope that I wasn't right. I'll try to go through tomorrow. But I have a bad feeling...

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Wonderland wanderer

[twyn1]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding what you are saying here, but there are options as far as playing through the story-line. In any game like this, there will be a set "mission" for you to do, but as far as I can tell, there is no time limit and you can explore and wander all you want until you decide to go on to the next step.

There are several paths to take in the missions (I think for "follow the power lines" you mostly need to stay on the correct path).  Yes, there are a lot of wolves/packs and blizzards, but that happened in the earlier chapters, too. I was playing on "capable survivor" level (not sure why it was set to that) and I'm generally a "pilgrim" player, but I did fine.

As long as you can find decent clothing, food, cloth and fire materials, you're good. You can make noisemakers to scare off wolves (and maybe a bear!) if you don't have a gun or bow & ammo/arrows . There are plenty of rose-hips and mushrooms if needed for medicine.

I spent about 5 "game days" exploring around the prison; I bagged a deer, killed a few wolves, collected firewood, harvested a ton of cattails, found some stashes and made myself a little home in the office area by the main gate.  I could have stayed there even longer, but I decided to move on.

After I finished the whole story, I went back to an earlier save and now I'm hanging out at the Bricklayers Retreat, might make a few arrows and try for that moose!