14 DAY TRIAL // 
My flying balloon avatar enters a clearly dangerous room, filled with both projectile-launching enemies and kamikaze green bugs. I avoid fire from the first and the attacks from the second group but I accidentally dodge right into some spikes. That’s one less health heart to work with and I still have no idea where this cavern system leads.
I eliminate all enemies and get some extra jewels from a chest before heading to the right, where a question mark on my map shows I have a point of interest. An underground cow herder is asking for a big donation to throw a party for his animals. I plan to spend what I have on upgrades, so I stare at him blankly. Maybe I will donate what he needs on another run, just to see what might happen.
Cleared rooms stay empty, so I backtrack a little to try another direction. I get a room with plenty of space to maneuver as I battle fire-throwing pufferfish and a few other opponents. I light a section of the environment to get to a chest, happy to find an extra heart there. And that’s where I get the dread message that a deadly force is awakening. I need to move up and fast, even if that means missing out on some encounters and extra jewels.
Beyond the Long Night is developed by Noisy Head Games, with publishing from Yogscast Games. I played via Steam on the PC. The game mixes exploration, twin-stick combat, and a time loop.
The story takes place in the Dark Mountain, filled with interconnected caves that lead to an opening to the Overworld. Our balloon-powered hero exists inside a time loop, which other characters are aware of. He constantly attempts to move up and find a way to escape the mountain but an angry, red force gives chase, turning the entire world against him.
The setup is limited when it comes to narrative appeal. But Beyond the Long Night introduce more stories via exploration. Other characters inhabit the Dark Mountain and offer more hints about what’s happening and the nature of the time loop. There’s just enough mystery here to keep a player engaged even if the focus is on the core gameplay loop.
The twin-stick exploration and combat are solid. The ballon setup our protagonist uses doesn’t allow him to move fast but a dash is available to dodge incoming attacks and squeeze through timed doors. He has access to a normal attack and a superpower picked up at the start of the run. Companions can be added to make the exploration less lonely and offer some aid in combat.
The level of danger is initially very low, with just a few wasp-like creatures posing an easy-to-deal-with challenge. The game constantly adds both opponents and environmental hazards and some rooms pose quite the challenge. Gamers can pick up torches to burn through certain materials, mostly to reach treasure chests, bombs, for area of effect attacks, and other items. There are also puzzle rooms with good rewards.
There’s a pressure to constantly try and move up but the cavern system rarely allows that. And it is relatively easy to get turned around or focused on simply clearing rooms, even as the game puts pressure on players to find a way out. It is hard to find a way to the Overworld before a random enemy or the supernatural power of the mountain kills the balloon hero. It helps to always focus on dodging enemy attacks before trying to eliminate them.
Death is not the end and our protagonist returns the next day. The system of interconnected rooms is procedurally generated for each run, although it retains an air of familiarity. A new superpower and upgrades for players' abilities can offer an improved shot at getting to the surface. And it’s always a pleasure to learn more about the universe and its inhabitants. Only invest jewels when an upgrade fits the playstyle or when it opens up entirely new options.
Beyond the Long Night tracks how the player behaves and who he encounters. It showcases the stories that players can explore and the variety of upgrades and superpowers they can find and invest in. I appreciate the constant feeling of discovery.
I found the implacable fiery force that forces the player to always move up a little restrictive. Just as I have a good superpower and got a sense that I could handle enemies, it makes some rooms deadly. I understand that it’s designed to keep players moving up but I wanted more time to simply explore, meet more characters, and find extra resources to get upgrades.
Beyond the Long Night uses pixel art graphics, with a relatively limited level of detail but plenty of personality. The protagonist, hanging from his balloons, always seems incredibly vulnerable, especially when the entire world changes to threaten his survival. The design of the other characters he meets is equally interesting, although a little more variety for the levels would have helped.
The soundtrack is also pretty good and stays mostly in the background, allowing players to focus on the action. I wanted the world itself to sound more alive, especially the enemies, but the sound design serves the presentation well.
The Good
- Mix of twin-stick action and rogue
- Charming universe
- Some nice side stories
The Bad
- Constant time pressure
- Battle difficulty spikes
- Limited variety
Conclusion
My biggest issue is the time limit, which feels too tight to allow gamers to become fully engaged with a successful run. There were moments when I hit on a good superpower and the rooms were manageable when it comes to combat and then, suddenly, the red force was chasing me. Beyond the Long Night mixes twin-stick action and time loop mechanics well but it needs a few more gameplay hooks to be among the best in its genre.
A review key was provided by the publisher
