Dread Hunger (PC) - Video Game Review

Note: I want to preface this review by stating that this is an Early Access game. As such, this game is not formally released. I intend to return to this review and update it when the game is formally released so that any further updates are fully captured.

I've been on the fence about reviewing this one as it's still in Early Access (however not for much longer), but I also thought that we all could use a scrumptiously villainous party game to enjoy with others this Halloween. What started out as me simply looking for a new survival horror game to play has since quickly turned into one of my all-time favorites of the year! 

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Where You Can Find It: I played this one on PC where it is available on Steam via Early Access. It is expected to leave Early Access on 10 November 2021, however the game has been fully playable for some time already.

General Information
Dread Hunger is a survival horror multiplayer game that was developed by Team Dread Hunger and published by Digital Confectioners. It was initially released on Steam Early Access for PC and is slated for a formal release on 10 November 2021. As the game isn't formally released yet, it doesn't currently hold a Metacritic score, however I can point to the Steam reviews which show that 87% of its player-base (as of 19 October 2021) gave it a "very positive" review.

The Story
Players are part of an eight-man crew in search of the fabled North-West Passage in 1845. Each crew member has a different role on the ship, and these roles span from everything like being the captain to serving as a cook or doctor. Upon selecting a role, players will journey to one of three locations where their ship will  require coal to push through the icy rivers of the areas so that they can return to open waters. If the elements weren't bad enough though, there's something horrendously evil on the ice and it may have infected some members of the crew.

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You'll want to dress warm for this one

Like other multiplayer-only games (such as The Hunt: Showdown), there's not much of a story here, but the aesthetics of the game's setting say a lot. It's clear that this is essentially a smaller-scale version of the lost Crozier expedition, which we saw so brilliantly portrayed in the first season of AMC's The Terror. Of course, it's up to the players to decide whether they survive the terrors on the ice or embrace madness.

The Gameplay
Dread Hunger is an eight-player game where six of the crew members endeavor to get their ship from point A to point B. The other two members are secretly thralls who must do everything in their power to kill the rest of the crew and/or sabotage the ship. Both sides have quite the task ahead of them as surviving the harsh north is no easy task. Players have to hunt and cook food to avoid starvation, as well as keep warm to prevent freezing to death. Additionally, players will have to retrieve a crate of highly sensitive nitroglycerine in order to blow up the final iceberg at the end of the map (the tutorial map doesn't have this). To cap things off, players will have to make it through the map within three days before a massive blizzard comes in.

The thralls are two of the eight players selected at random who are hidden among the crew and can only be identified as traitors by the other players via deductive reasoning based on the thralls' actions. Thrall players simply need to prevent the other players from completing the mission by any means that they can. This can range from poisoning food; killing other players; sabotaging the ship; and/or prematurely detonating the nitroglycerine. Thralls have a few advantages like being able to summon cannibals and temporarily turn invisible, but they have to be very strategic in how they act as the crew can quickly overpower a thrall if they still have the numbers.

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Poisoning food is an excellent way to derail an expedition

From a survival horror perspective, the game actively encourages exploring and crafting whenever possible. Going off the beaten path can potentially lead a player to a cave where coal (and wolves) are found, or possibly even an abandoned camp filled with leftover resources. Players can craft weapons, tools, and new gear by gathering resources like bones, pelts, and wood, but they should always be wary of the people around them. Some of the best times for a thrall to strike is when someone ventures off a little too far on their own. There are guns in this game, but most of them are locked away on the ship's armory, which can only be opened by having each player find their piece of the combination lock blocking their access. Of course, sometimes it might be wise to not open the armory as there can always be the fear of giving a thrall a weapon.

One area I wish I could see some improvement on would be a way to adjust preferences on whether a player wants to be a thrall or not. Friday the 13th (the game by IllFonic), enabled players to pick preferences, which didn't exclude them from having a role, but simply increased the odds of them playing what they like more. It's an inside joke with my friends at this point that I am almost always the thrall whenever we play, which can get annoying at times as I generally prefer playing as a regular crew mate.

Audio/Visual
For a relatively small-scale game, I'm generally pleased with the overall look and feel of the game's world. The look of the icy water and dynamic day/night cycle made me feel chilly even in the warmest of summer days, and the character models are generally pretty cool-looking. When I first started playing, half the crew all shared the same character model (uniforms were palette swapped), which somewhat cheapened the experience, however the newest updates leaves all but the cook and marine using that old model (players generally just consider them to be twins). An element that I love is that the player models are also set up to move their mouths when players use the in-game chat. There's nothing more funny than watching the kindly-looking chaplain spew the foulest words imaginable in an argument over who sabotaged the coal.

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The bears should be avoided at all costs

There's not much to be had in the audio department for this game as there's not much in regards to music, however the sound effects can be pretty cool. The thralls' totems (they build these to increase the strength of spells) whisper forbiddingly while the distant howl of cannibals always stopped me dead in my tracks.

Multiplayer

Although I imagine one could conceivably play this solo, it's certainly not designed for that. Each game can hold up to eight players, however games can be customized to hold less than eight if players are looking to play with a smaller group. Joining a server is incredibly simple and easy and entire friend groups can join a game (if it has the space) at the same time. I imagine this could potentially put this game at the mercy of its own popularity as it may be harder to find sessions later on in the game's lifespan, but it's very rare to have this issue so far.

 

As this is a social game, it is important to note that players are highly encouraged to game with a headset/microphone. Players generally work together best by communicating and questioning other players to figure out who can be trusted (or lie if they're a thrall). Thankfully, servers reflect that dominant language used in each of them, so English-speaking players don't find themselves accidentally joining a Russian server. As it stands though, more bashful players (or those that lack a microphone) may really struggle. Some servers outright kick players that don't speak, and players who are hesitant to talk may be accidentally viewed as potential traitors in-game (this is especially true with new players as they're prone to making mistakes).

Micro-Transactions/Downloadable Content
As the game doesn't officially release until 10 November 2021, there has yet to be any announcements of DLC or updates after the launch. I imagine there will be more tweaks and adjustments as time goes on, and I have to admit that it's nice to see a game developer that doesn't have a DLC roadmap ready before the game's even officially released. With that said, the lack of unlockables does bring motivation to keep playing down a little bit. It would be cool to see different outfits and other aesthetic additions.

Replayability
Each game session lasts generally around 30 minutes from what I've seen, and there's generally quite a bit to see and do depending on the role you decide to focus on in-game. Unless the settings have been messed with, it's virtually impossible to see and experience everything in a single session, while the social element makes every session relatively unique. I personally had a lot of fun experimenting with the different roles as well as trying new strategies to either help or hurt the rest of the crew.

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It's a whole new experience when you're a thrall

 

The greatest weakness of this game is its lack of maps. As of 19 October 2021, there are only three maps with one of those three being just a 10-minute tutorial. The other two maps offer some variety and differing challenges, but an extra 2-3 maps would offer enough variety to keep things from getting stale. Based on the in-game world map, at least one more area is inbound at some point, however that just doesn't seem like enough still.

The Best of the Best: Convincing another player to kill their friends because you poisoned the stew when no one was looking.

The Worst of the Worst: The lack of maps.

Calhooey Score: 7/10 - Good

Would I Recommend?

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It's a blast when you play with friends

 

Dread Hunger is a fantastic party game that lets you murder (and potentially eat) your friends while also navigating a fun survival horror theme. Considering its price of $24.99, I'd recommend this to most players, however I would limit my recommendation to those that are comfortable using a microphone to communicate with other players. Those that want peace and quiet may be better off with a different kind of survival horror game that I reviewed earlier this year.

----------------------------------------------------Spoiler Comments--------------------------------------------------

• I tip my hat to any brave soul that's able to solo the nitro. You're a damn hero.
• Apparently, you can also defeat the crew by stealing all the coal and driving the ship backwards beyond the starting point. I'm embarrassed to say how I learned this... 
• The navigator's spyglass should not be underestimated. On a clear day, I can spot a thrall from across the map.
• Speaking of the navigator, this guy looks way too sinister to ever have aboard a ship.
• Is it just me, or do the most vulgar players always play as the chaplain? It almost seems intentional...
  

----------------------------------------------------References--------------------------------------------------

(1) Dread Hunger. (2021). Dread Hunger game cover image. Steam. Retrieved from: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418630/Dread_Hunger/.

(2) Sailing Across the Arctic. (n.d.). Dread Hunger boat image. IndieB. Retrieved from: https://www.indiedb.com/games/dread-hunger/images/dread-hunger-image-1.

(3) Steam Community. (n.d.). Doctor poisoning food image. Steam. Retrieved from: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1418630.

(4) Marshall, C. (2021, October 5). Polar Bear image. Polygon. Retrieved from: https://www.polygon.com/22711106/dread-hunger-steam-release-bad-medicine-update.

(5) AJ_Quick. (2021, April 22). Bone dagger image. IndieB. Retrieved from: https://www.indiedb.com/games/dread-hunger/images/dread-hunger-image-15.

(6) Kenshee. (2021, June 3). Dread Hunger chaplain gif. Tenor. Retrieved from: https://tenor.com/view/dreadhunger-dread-hunger-chaplain-dread-hunger-chaplain-cheers-dread-hunger-chaplain-gatsby-dread-hunger-chaplain-toast-gif-21810700.